How to Repaint Barbie Furniture The Basics

Tired of all the pink plastic mass produced furniture for fashion dolls? Like the details of a piece but dislike the color?  Don't discard it, transform it!

It is quite easy to update a piece of Barbie furniture to suit your needs.  Now I am not saying that my way is the only way, but I have been repainting Barbie furniture for 10 years and this is the process that I have found works best for me.  In the above scene I customized the red sofa quite simply with two colors & some embellishment. 

I started with the purple chaise from the My Scene Chelsea Getting Ready Playset:

Then I gathered my supplies:

• Drop cloth or cardboard box for painting 
• Spray Paint for plastic
• Rubbing alcohol 
•  Plastic furniture to be painted

Step 1: Separate your furniture into pieces if it is applicable. Many sofas, tables, beds are made with pieces that can be removed such as the legs or seats of chairs. It's easiest to paint the individual parts-especially if you are trying to paint them different colors.  In the example above I removed the legs so I could paint them silver.

Step 2: Clean your furniture. If you are not buying the item new give it a good scrub with some hot soapy water & let it dry thoroughly.

Step 3: Wipe everything down with rubbing alcohol. This removes any soap residue and ensures a good adhesion with the paint. Let it dry .

Step 4: Prep your paint area with drop cloth or cardboard to catch the overspray. I like to use an empty cardboard box.

Step 5: Paint! Make sure you follow the directions on the can. Keep the can far enough away that you avoid drips. Light coats work best!

Step 6: Multiple coats. For best results let each coat dry at least 20 minutes before the next coat. Don't add coats after 24 hours. I have found that the paint will bubble if you do. It should be fully painted within a few hours of when you start.

Step 7: Let paint cure for 7 days before handling too much. I have found that this is key to prevent paint scratches or chipping off. I know it's hard to WAIT!!

Step 8: Enjoy the fruits of your labor!!

I generally do steps 1-3 a day or two ahead of time. That way I can make sure everything is dry & ready to go.  Tip: Do NOT spray paint outdoors on a windy day. Not that I have ignored my own advice or anything. **Ahem.  All I will say about that is wet paint attracts every particle in the air. But I digress.

You can achieve some really terrific results using just two colors of paint.

That's it!! Super simple. Time consuming.  Exhilarating. Empowering!

Now, I'd love to see what pieces you transform!!! 

Thanks for stopping by and as always,

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Red Hot Penthouse Decor

This is what I imagine Barbie's Fifth Avenue penthouse apartment might look like.

Red leather chaise, modern glass coffee table, acrylic nesting end tables, chrome wall sconces and a fabulous damask wallpaper accent. 

The perfect retreat and sanctuary...

A place to entertain guests...

Or just a place to relax after a long day of work.

You can achieve this look with a few simple techniques. The papered walls are two silver colored doll boxes. If you do not have any boxes that are already silver-cover them in grey construction paper, contact paper, gift wrap or scrapbook paper. The damask pattern is a scrapbook piece. I left a large section of the grey visible to visually heighten the room. The chaise is a piece from the My Scene Party Pad. Originally purple, the legs were finished with a chrome color. The faux leather look was achieved with layers of paint. Each tufted button is a sparkly crystal accent. The coffee table base began as a bench in another My Scene bedroom playset. I removed the seat-painted it to look like wrought iron then used a smoke colored piece of oval glass for the table top.

The wall sconces are custom made using mirrored tiles, beads, jewelry findings, plastic pieces, super glue and silver paint.

Thanks for stopping by...

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Mr. Bunny Spring Tea Party

It is almost time to celebrate Easter! Children will be dressed in their pastel finery, gathering eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny. Such a fun way to welcome the arrival of Spring!

Welcome to Mr. Bunny's humble home..won't you come in and have some tea?

That is Mr. Bunny himself seated in the wicker chair. The backdrop is Barbie's fold up cottage with the insides removed and painted white. (original color was blue). The wicker is real and was made for 11.5 inch fashion dolls in the 70's. I found mine second hand and spray painted it a rich chocolate brown. Hand sewn pillows add a vibrant pop of color.  Coffee table is a plastic Barbie piece faux finished to look like wood. Most of the dishes are made by Re-Ment. The exception is the green rimmed plate which is made by Kitchen Littles.

The incredible details on the Re-Ment cakes make my mouth water....mmmm....so yummy! Notice the tea inside the teacups? Yeah...great attention to detail by Re-Ment. 

**Love**

Re-Ment even made the little daisy boquet...and that leaf plate...one of my favorites!

Oh, and Mr. Bunny...he's a miniature I found at Michael's Craft store a few years ago. He's jointed too!

Hope you all have a very Happy Easter!

Featured Fan Friday will have some great eye candy and fabulous history lesson & miniature tips!

Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo