Dollcraft

Dear Mattel:  Everything does not need to be pink and purple.  Also, your sculpture/designers do amazing work. It deserves to be seen! -Love, Ginger Fear not, plastic can be repainted. I found a wonderful clawfoot bathtub for $1.50 at a thrift store. (My husband says it's called a slipper tub, as in Cinderella's slipper, describing the higher back.) How beautiful it would look in normal colors!  You need: Barbie furniture steel wool spray paint super glue protective plastic or newsprint optional: beads to replace missing knobs optional: clay or tape  optional: paint thinner I disassembled the tub just by pulling hard or banging against something hard. (The tube was harder to remove- I wedged a tiny screwdriver from a watch repair kit along the inside to break the hold) I cleaned the tub and scrubbed it with steel wool. (I think it would have been wise to remove the little painting with paint thinner, but I didn't t...

I've found a number of guides on re-painting doll faces, but most of them seem far beyond the average level of skill. (But gorgeous!) I tried to take the tips and simplify them. Here's what was helpful for me. Materials paint thinner (everyone recommends acetone nail polish remover, but this is faster) q-tips, cotton balls a tiny paintbrush (10/0 spotter is nice to start) acrylic paints (liquid is better, I used the solid kind I already owned) sealer (Liquitex Matte Varnish is recommended, I already owned a glossy and used that) exacto blade a little bowl of water (clean brushes) clean-up cloth a lamp Tips Don't mix your paints with water. This will make them easier to be rubbed off. Mix with the clear varnish instead. Symmetry may be impossible- aim for balance. (Human faces aren't perfect either!) For practice, try painting on top of existing features first rather than wiping the face clean. Holding the brush: don't jam the brush ...