DIY Photo Tutorial: How to Make My Little Pony (Ponies) Hair Like New!!

Don't you dare throw away those adorable My Little Ponies, like my parents did, when their hair got to being a hot mess!! :)) Follow my easy step by step photo tutorial, and you too can bring back your little one's treasured My Little Pony hair back to like NEW condition.

Here's what you'll need:

* Decent Sized Tupperware (or Large Mixing Bowl)

* Sample Size Package of Ultra Downy Liquid Fabric Softener (mine is Tahitian Scent)

* Any Comb

* A Towel

* Your Messy Haired My Little Pony Dolls

HOW TO MAKE THE MIX:

* Squirt a decent amount of the Downy Fabric Softener into the container

 (I would guesstimate 4 TABLESPOONS)

* Fill the Tub almost full - 3/4th full of HOT water

* Stir mixture with the comb

((See following photos on HOW TO detangle My Little Pony (ponies) Hair ))

(Below: A hot mess of my child's first My Little Pony circa 2005 to current)

(Below: Use your mixture as described above, and dunk the My Little Pony Doll's hair into the mix, squeeze the excess off, lay MLP flat on towel and brush the hair with a comb)

(Below: After Dunking and Squeezing Excess from hair, lay flat and brush with comb)

(Below: For curly hair, divide colors into sections and roll from BOTTOM UP in a crayon and lay flat until dried)

(Below: Repeat Same Step Above for Tail)

(Below: After, once My Little Pony Hair is detangled and DRY, release crayon and she's back to like new!!)

WOW!!

Such a Cheap fix, right? Don't throw away those gorgeous dolls, fix them up on the cheapy cheap! Every one's got Fabric Softener, water and a comb ;)

Need More Convincing? Check out some more of my Before and After My Little Pony Hair fixes!

(Below: For My Little Pony dolls that do not require a lot of curl, just brush and wrap the hair around the legs, as shown while still damp to retain the natural curl)

I am sending these off to my niece who is "in love with My Little Pony", according to my sister.

Please feel free to ask any questions! Good luck on restoring your My Little Pony dolls to their original condition!! I wish my parents did this years ago (or at least saved my vintage 80's My Little Ponies). :))

White Washing Red Brick

If you've been following my blog, you know I have been in the process of a budget renovation in my den. I painted wood beams white (along with trim work) I painstakingly primed red walls and made them a beautiful blue green color. And then there was the brick dilemma..

First I wanted to paint it...then I went against it. I googled white washed brick to my hearts content, but I still could not decide.

Brick, I mean, it's just SO permanent, once you change it, there's no going back with out a ton of work and even then you're pretty much never getting the original facade again.

I found a blog called Beneath My Heart, and loved her white wash bricks so much that I really wanted to give it a go. I'd searched for SOME TIME, and believe me it was NOT an easy decision. But this lovely lady's bricks looked so nice I had to try.

I was skeptical in that my bricks were red. But, what the hey, no turning back. I committed myself to the project and never looked back.

I found some of my old Olympic semi gloss white latex paint and mixed 1 cup of water per 1 cup of paint. Sometimes I would add a little more water as I went along.

I brushed each brick individually with one coat of paint and let some of the red brick soak it up and show through.  Once it was all dry, I knew I had made a wise decision. The room looks a million times better and the brick has character. I am in love! - I hope to get a better picture in daylight :) SO MUCH BETTER!!

After, with one coat, it's so much better:)) Whenever I finally do complete this room I am filling it with my Pottery Barn knock off furniture and items :))

Below: Ignore the clutter, the room is still being renovated (my ceilings are NOT sloped, it's just the angle of the camera).

LOVE IIIIT!!!

Seriously, a very timely process :))

I totally love it and am so glad I went for it!

Below: A before shot of the bricks

::Please, I beg of you to ignore the clutter, this room is a far ways from being finished :))

Please take a look at how much I have changed the carport extension already:

Another Partially after, Pier 1 import curtains and Kohl's rattan pumpkin and owl :))

Next up?? Ripping up the carpet and making the plywood sub floor look like LARGE Dark Wood Plank Flooring. I can't wait. This home has come a LOOOONG way!!

$699 Pottery Barn White Paned Mirror DIY Knock off Photo Tutorial for $30

Everyone has seen the Pottery Barn Egan Mirror knock offs, and I myself wanted to try it. I found a simple tutorial over at DollarStoreCrafts.com using dollar tree mirrors taped to foam board. Initially, I wanted to try this myself, but I figured the black was a little too much contrast for the light airy feel I was trying to give my home.  So I ventured onto Pottery Barn's website and found something right up my alley: The Pottery Barn White Paned Mirror (aka the Chippy Wood Mirror). 

I was beyond smitten with it, but for $699, I certainly couldn't afford the price tag (it's worth every dime, but I am a budget spender). And so with the idea to use Dollar Tree Mirrored Frames from DollarStoreCrafts.com's Egan tutorial, I took my spin and made my own version of a different mirror altogether.

I'd have to say it's not an exact knock off but it's pretty darn close and looks amazing in person! (NOTE: I WILL GET A BETTER PHOTO WHEN I HANG IT AND MY DEN RENO IS COMPLETE) :))

SO, I am sure you want to know how to make this gem, HERE WE GO :

WHAT YOU NEED:

* 20 framed mirrors from the Dollar Tree = $20

* Power Grab Adhesive (it dries in 10 seconds literally) - FREE - I had it on hand

* KRYLON'S Satin Ivory spray paint - $4 or less at Wal Mart

* Acrylic Black and White paints (FREE I had it on hand, but about $1 or less in craft stores)

* A large sheet of plywood - $5 at Lowe's

TOTAL: $30-$33 OR LESS IF YOU HAVE SUPPLIES ON HAND :))

Now that you have your supplies, let me show you the step by step photo tutorial to get you going :))

STEP 1:  

     - Remove Mirrors and backing from EACH frame and set aside (try not to buy the red frames b/c they DO NOT cover well, they turn pink, even with multiple coats of Krylon's primer spray paint) I bought browns and blacks.  After you disassemble each mirror spray paint with Krylon's Satin Ivory (2 -3 coats should be fine, and you can do it in one setting) **PLEASE IGNORE MY CARPET, THIS ROOM IS UNDER RENOVATION AND IS BEING REPLACED SOON**

Let them dry about 15 minutes just to be safe :))

STEP 2: 

     -Line all your frames on the plywood and make pencil markings, cut off excess. Once you have cut the excess off Spray Paint a light coat of the same spray paint over the board (in case any shows through) Also spray the edges of the plywood as this will show when you later hang it).

STEP 3: 

     - Put your mirrors back into the frames (push the tabs down to lock them in), Then put the Power Grab in a caulking gun and apply a liberal amount to the entire back side's outer edges  and in the middle of each frame (ONE AT A TIME) Line up to your plywood edge to edge/corner to corner and press FIRMLY for ten SOLID seconds on both top and bottom and again on sides. IT WILL be stuck and won't move after this.  Apply each other frame the same way. Start Horizontally with lining them and then work onward.

STEP 4: 

     - Squirt a small amount of black acrylic paint and a small amount of white acrylic paint onto a plate (or hefty paper), with a small foam brush dab the corner ONLY into the black paint then a small dab into the white and then another small dab of black back onto the tip. Use a swish back and forth motion in the creases and edges an random areas around the frames and pick the brush up with a swipe. This will give the frames that distressed old window look like the Pottery Barn's White Pane Mirror :)

FINAL STEP: 

       - Obtain a heavy duty photographic hook from a framing store (or arts and crafts store in the framing section). AND HANG AND ENJOY the fact you've saved yourself roughly $670 :))  

**NOTE:  Because I am still renovating the room I am hanging this in I have yet to get a hook for it, but here are some photos of my finished product. I will add better photos once I finish this den renovation and hang it over the electric panel box in that room**.

Side By Side Comparison: 

Pottery Barn's $699 White Paned Mirror

My $30 Knock off White Paned Mirror

ENJOY!!! AND PLEASE Share the tutorial and your own version of this knock off  :)) This is the first Pottery Barn White Paned Mirror tutorial on the web so I am excited to share it! And of course THANKS to DollarStoreCrafts.com for the original idea of using Dollar Tree Mirrors :))

**NOTE: I have made a video showing how to apply the black and white paints for distressing, if anyone needs help doing this please comment below so I can link you the video**.

*EDIT* 3 January 2013: FINALLY put it up, in my bedroom:) What do you all think? I am in love!