My goal with the information that I write here is to help you decide what kind of doll bottle is the right one for you. I want you to make an educated purchase so you will be happy with it and have it last for years, not just the next few months.

I have been making these bottles for several years now. And I have tried many different methods of making these bottles. I have experimented with so many different ingredients, thus saying I have done my homework on this subject. I know what works and what doesn't and why. I couldn't begin to count the number of reject batches I have watched go down the drain when I found something I didn't like.

And I continue to try to make my bottles better all the time, so you will get the best possible product for years to come. To try and explain to you just why some of the ingredients that are used are not good ideas. I have purchased numerous "recipes" from sellers both on and off eBay, and I hate to say it but they are all the same thing with very little variation. But it all boils down to a bunch of worthless information.

So what makes mine so different?
The ingredients that I use makes them so unique and different. I was lucky enough to stumble on the right combination of ingredients to make the perfect bottle. I am convinced of that and I will tell you why.

Some sellers prefer to use white fabric softener diluted with a little water as the basis for their milk. But I don't need to tell you that fabric softener is toxic and would not be safe at all if a child chewed through the nipple and ingested some of the liquid.

For the rest of the sellers who are not using fabric softener, simple water is a big part of the ingredient list. But what most people don't realize is that water does mold and bacteria does grow. Looking into my experience at making cosmetics, specifically lotion for this example, if a product contains any water at all mold and bacteria will grow within a short period of time if a cosmetic grade preservative is not used. Another good example of this is why this holds true, a shower scrub made of sugar and oil that contains no water also needs a preservative. Because all it takes is one drop of water for mold and bacteria to start growing in a product that does not contain the proper preservative. So why wouldn't a bottle of water be any different. In my past experiences this often shows up as black chunks floating around or small thin wispy bits of something floating inside. Showing up in both opaque liquids such as milk and clear liquids such as juice. This is dangerous and should not be used. But other times it can't be seen with the naked eye, but it will be present. Another example is if you have ever left a bottle of opened water around. Only to find it later, and you toss it straight into the trash. You wouldn't even consider taking a drink out of it or giving it to a child.

But what is being suggested to give milk that opaque look of milk? There are two choices being used, and neither are good choices for various reasons.

The first one is acrylic paint. While this does look great and pretty to start with, it doesn't take long for it to begin to stick to the sides of the bottle and nipple and instead of looking like a fresh bottle of milk, it looks like it's soured and it's been there awhile. White paint is used for milk and ivory for formula. You can even run a little experiment yourself at home to test this theory out yourself. Use a clear container of choice that has a tight fitting lid. This can be a baby bottle, pop bottle, a jar or whatever you have at home. Fill it up with water and add a little bit of the paint and shake just until you get the desired outcome. Put the lid back on it, and let it sit. Give it a shake once in while but remember in real life you may not touch it for days or even weeks. But continue to check it by slowly flipping it over. Soon you will notice just how the paint sticks to the bottle instead of being mixed with the water.

Some think they can prevent the mold from gowning by adding some bleach to the mixture. This is not just dangerous but it will not work either. When I did home daycare I used the state funded meal program for awhile, and one of their "rules" was that bleach water to be used for clean up, but it must be mixed fresh daily, or mixed up fresh as needed. The reason was the bleach quickly begins to lose it's effectiveness once it's mixed with the water. So it wouldn't do any good to put bleach inside a bottle thinking it's going to keep it fresh and mold free.

The other choice is glue, but there are two different types being suggested. White school glue and wood glue. Neither one are good choices for different reasons.

Wood glue when used does not make a nice bottle. Yes you do get that creamy golden yellow ivory color of forumla but the down side of using wood glue is that it separates and it's extremely hard to shake back up and mix with the water. It's even harder if to much glue is used, and then it will also stick to the side of the bottle.

Basic white school glue is also used. While it is non-toxic and many kids eat it! (My personal thought on that is EWWW but, it's safe.) While this does help to get that "milk look", it will settle and does require shaking to mix back up. If you use to much it will sink to the bottom and it doesn't take much for it to permanently stick to the bottle or at the very least make it very difficult to shake to mix back up. So it's very difficult to judge the right amount of white glue to be used. But unlike the wood glue it does not separate much. But it is moderate in difficulty to shake back up to mix in. I have also seen sellers use way to much of this and it coats the entire inside of the bottle, while it's really white it is also very unreal looking. So when the bottle is turned over the glue continues to coat the side of the bottle, and it doesn't like like a bottle would when it's filled with real milk.

But what makes mine so different is I have now found the right combination of ingredients to use inside my milks and formula's to make them even better than before.

I let my test bottle sit for over a week and during this time the color did not change. It still had the same great depth of color as it did when it was poured into the bottle. But the big thing is that there was nothing that settled on the bottom of the bottle. There was nothing at all to shake back up!!! How exciting is that? Yet it still remains non-toxic and safe. You won't believe just how awesome they are now.!!!

The colorings that are used to tint the mixture are basic food coloring. But if to much is used it will stain the inside of the bottle/nipple. This is especially true when using red or yellow food coloring. Which the two primary colors for your typical red "cherry" type juice or your apple juice. I find that apple juice made with high amounts of yellow coloring doesn't even look very real but it also stains the bottle. I do not use any yellow coloring in my faux apple juice or pear juice to get a more real looking juice.

Another important issue that some sellers have not mastered is the sealing of the nipple tip. It really depends on the type of the nipple as to what will stick to it, and for this you need something that will withstand a liquid and still have a permanent bond. There are a couple of different glues that I use depending on the type of nipple that is being used. It's not a one size fits all situation.

I personally like to seal just the very tip of the nipple so it looks even more real. But with my baby alive nipples I do need to a bit more sealer just to make sure the magnet is fully encased in the sealant to protect it from rusting because it's in a liquid environment. But I do have to laugh because when I first started to make these bottles a number of years ago the few sellers who made them then, were filling most of the nipple up with their adhesive. (But I wonder how good those were because those sellers are no longer around on eBay.) I found this wasn't necessary and even takes away from the realism of the look of the bottle. So now you know who started the trend of just sealing the very tip of the nipple. ME !!!! And with all my bottles you can pinch and squeeze the tip to your hearts content and the adhesive won't come lose or dislodge.

I also take the time to glue the nipple directly to the nipple ring as another way to secure the nipple into place. It takes a lot of strength to pull the nipple out of the bottle. (However the nipples can be inverted and once they are inverted you can not pull them out again.) But you also have to know what adhesive will work with the material make up of the nipple as well to make this work. I have done this since I began making these bottles to sell.

I do call my bottles child safe, but remember if the nipple is cut or chewed on enough to poke holes through; the contents will spill out and the bottle should be thrown away. Don't' worry, the contents will not harm your child and can be thrown right into the trash, no special disposal is needed. So as with any toy remember to watch for signs of abuse, and throw out if needed.

I no longer offer magnet nipples unless your baby doesn't have a magnet insider her head and you need an extra magnet and cable tie. The reason is there is absolutely no way to predict which way the magnet is facing inside your doll, and no way of fixing the nipple if it's the opposite of what the magnet inside the bottle.

I also don't make magnetic bottles with sealing disks and allowing the magnet to float free inside the bottle. The reason is that the coating around the magnet is a metal, and when metal is exposed to liquids they will rust and that will change the color of the liquid inside the bottle.

The reasons why I haven't given in to add the strange bright liquids that look almost toxic, smoothies, and flavored milks is simple. As a mom who did use bottles with my children, for various reasons. I just can't bring myself to putting strawberry or chocolate milk inside a doll bottle that a child will play with. Because as a parent I know the why this is frowned upon by so many in real life. And I wouldn't want to give a small child the wrong impression that it's Ok to do this. While it would be acceptable for a sippy cup to contain these types of liquids, so if you want strawberry milk or chocolate milk in my sippy cups I will make that for you.

So feel free to buy from who you want, as there are now several sellers who make these. But when you do buy one, make sure you are making the right decision for yourself. Base your decision on the quality of the product not the price and on the information given by the seller. And if you have questions ask the seller.

But don't be fooled by some of the key words that other sellers sometimes use in their descriptions. I've looked at various listings only to notice that many times they are "borrowing" the key words that I use in my listings to make their listings sound better without having done their research on the long term effects or looks of these bottles. I have been making these bottles for several years now and I have spent the time studying these and making changes to make them better than ever! So they will not only look good right now but also a month from now and a year from now. I'm very experienced in making these bottles, and I have done more than my share of homework in making these and I have invest a lot of money into different products to test.

I hope I have informed you a little bit more on these cute bottles. It doesn't matter if the bottle is going to be used for display or for play. Make sure you get the highest quality product that you can. If you have questions after reading the sellers write up do take the time to ask the seller questions. I'm sure they would be like myself and wouldn't be willing to share specific ingredients; however they would be willing to answer some general type questions.

And remember if it's a baby bottle, I can turn it into a bottle for display or for play. And I've done so many orders that were requested by customers. Or an existing listing can be changed, to customize it to meet your needs. And if you're looking for something in particular I'm willing to search and find that special bottle that you're looking for.

~kris