Hot Dolls, Plush & Miniatures How-Tos
How To: Care for your American Girl doll
In this video, Sarah tells us how to care for your American Girl Doll. Tip number one is to not put any product on the doll's hair. The next tip is to not wash the hair on the doll unless you absolutely have to. Don't put pressure on her hair as you brush it, use a light touch with a comb. If your doll has frizzy hair, you can clip off the frizzy area with some scissors. If you get a mark on the doll, you can use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on her without damaging the skin. If you don't have tha...
How To: Do a single French braid on your American Girl Doll
In this video, we learn how to do a single French braid on your American Girl Doll. First, brush the doll's hair back and make sure it's smooth with no bumps. After this, grab a small section of hair at the top middle of the head. Split this into three pieces and then start braiding like normal. From here, grab some hair from one side of the head and braid the hair sections over each other. Then, grab hair from the opposite side and braid the sections over each other. Continue to do this, alt...
How To: Fix your American Girl Doll's loose limbs
In this tutorial, we learn how to fix your American Girl Doll's loose limbs. If your doll doesn't stand up very well because her limbs are loose, you can re-string her. First, take the knots off from around the head and then pull the head off. After this, take out all of the stuffing from the doll. From here, you will find the inner limbs with the elastic pieces on them. Take a rubber band and tie it around between the gold piece and the white piece. Do this for all the limbs, then stuff the ...
How To: Do a "Downy dunk" on your American Girl doll
In this tutorial, we learn how to do a "Downy dunk" on your American Girl doll. First, take a small plastic container and pour some Downy into the container. After this, lay the doll down on some stacked up books and then dip the hair into the Downy. Avoid touching the Downy onto the skin or on the base of the head. Next, you will use a spoon to help cover the parts of the hair you need it to cover. When finished, rinse the hair out in the sink until it's all removed. Dry the hair when finish...
How To: Do a fishtail braid variation on your American Girl doll
In this video, we learn how to do a fishtail variation on your American Girl doll. First, brush the hair out so it's smooth and then take a section from the top right side and top left side. Cross these together on the back of the head and then grab another piece of hair. Start to braid these together and push them from side to side. Alternate grabbing pieces of hair from each side of the head, making them as big or little chunks as you want to. As you continue to cross the hair, you will rea...
How To: Do your American Girl Doll's in a ballet bun
In this video, we learn how to do your American Girl Doll's in a ballet bun. First, you will need to brush out your doll's hair and put it into a low pony tail or high, depending on where you want the bun on the head. After this, take the hair and twist it around the rubber band base and then take a thicker rubber band to tie around the bun to keep it in place. You can then place another rubber band around for decoration. This will finish the simple bun, which will be easiest to do on a doll ...
How To: Make a stop motion video with your American Girl Dolls
In this video, we learn how to make a stop motion video with your American Girl Dolls. First, you will need to get a tripod to place your camera on and move it around. After this, put your doll out and then take a quick picture. Then, move her arm a little bit taking pictures one by one. You will be moving her, going out of frame, then coming back into the frame. When you're finished, load the pictures onto your computer and then choose all the pictures that you want to use. From here, you wi...
How To: Manage your American Girl dolls' curly hair
In this tutorial, we learn how to manage your American Girl dolls' curly hair. First, you will need a spray bottle with water in it to spray on the curls. If you can't brush it, that's fine, just run your fingers through it. If you can brush it, run your brush through the hair after spraying it. To curl her hair, you will separate the hair into sections. Then, you will curl the sections by rolling them around the finger to create a spiral curl. When finished, the hair will look gorgeous and l...
How To: Restore Your American Girl Doll's Shiny Silky Hair
In this tutorial, we learn how to restore your American Girl doll's shiny silky hair. You can wash and condition the hair, use a flat iron on the lowest setting, trim the ends and fly-aways with scissors, and more! If you have done all of this and it's just not shiny enough, you can help fix it. First, you will put a plastic bag around her body. After this, this is the bag so her skin won't be affected. Now, cover her face with a towel so just her hair is left. Now, take some Son of A Gun spr...
How To: Do an adorable hairstyle on your American Girl doll
In this video, we learn how to do an adorable hairstyle on your American Girl doll. You will need: two ribbons and four rubber bands to do this. First, brush her hair all the way out so it's smooth. Then, part the hair into two sections on the left and the right. After this, tie the right side into a high ponytail and then tie the left side the same way. From here, you will shape a bun into the top of the hair band and then let the rest hang down. Next, you will tie a ribbon in each side into...
How To: Pierce your American Girl dolls' ears easily
In this video, we learn how to pierce your American Girl dolls' ears! Start out by taking a pencil and marking the ear where you want to pierce it at. Then, take a thumb tack and poke it through the ear where you marked it with the pencil. Then, pull it out and do the same process to the other ear. To help, pull the hair up in a ponytail so the hair is out of the way while you're doing this. Next, give the doll to an adult and grab a #42 drill bit. Put the drill into the same hole and then ge...
How To: Do a cute Easter updo on your American Girl doll
In this tutorial, we learn how to do a cute Easter updo on your American Girl doll. To do this, you will first take the hair from the top of the head and section it off into smaller pieces. Then, repeat this same step throughout the head of hair until you have a bunch of different ponytails. From here, you will need to braid these together using three of the ponytails. When finished, you will tie the ends with rubber bands. This will complete your cute Easter look for your American Girl Doll!...
How To: Do a really cute hairstyle on your American Girl
In this tutorial, we learn how to do a really cute hairstyle on your American Girl. First, brush the hair out and then pick up the hair from the top of the head. Brush this and then twist the hair and push it up so it creates a poofed effect. You may have to do this several times to get it right. Then, clip the hair into place and grab the right side of the hair. Twist this until you reach the base of the neck and tie it into place. Do this on the other side and then combine both sides togeth...
How To: Do mini buns on your American Girl doll
In this video, we learn how to do mini buns on your American Girl doll. Firs, you will grab a section from the top half of one side of the head. Then, you will put a rubber band around the hair. From here, you will twist the hair around the make a bun, then secure it with another rubber band. Repeat this on the other side of the head so there are two buns on the top of the head. This will look cute on the front and the back! If you want, you can keep going and make two more so you have four m...
How To: Do floating braids on your American Girl doll
In this tutorial, we learn how to do floating braids on your American Girl doll. First, take a small section from the top right side of the head. After this, brush it out and split it into three parts. Then, braid over three times and take a piece from the top and instead of adding it in, put it in the front over her arm. After that, braid over and take a section from underneath. Add this into the braid and then go over. Now, repeat the same process by putting the section of hair to the front...
How To: Do a spiderweb hairstyle on your American Girl
In this video, Sarah teaches us how to do a spider web hairstyle on your American Girl. You can do this with any doll, even if they have short hair. To start, you will pull the hair from the front of the head back and then clip it in the middle. Next, take the sides of the hair and do the same process. Repeat this on the other side of the hair, doing the same process. Next, you will split the hair in half from each clip and then meet it up with the half of another piece. Continue to do this a...
How To: Do reverse French braids on your American Girl doll
In this video, we learn how to do a reverse French braid on your American Girl doll. First, part the hair in half and put one half to the side. Then, take a piece of the front on one section and split it into three. From here, you will go under the hair instead of over like a regular braid. Then, start to pick up pieces from the sides on the left and right. Put it underneath the whole braid and then go under with it to the other side. Continue to do this until you reach all the way down the h...
How To: Straighten American Girl Doll Julie's braid
In this video, we learn how to straighten American Girl Doll Julie's braid. First, you will need to take the hair out of the braid and then separate that area. From here, cover the doll with a towel and brush her hair out. Wet down the area by dipping the comb into the water and brushing it in the hair. From here, you will bring the doll over to a flat surface. Then, lay some really heavy books down on top of the strand that needs to be straightened. Do this four nights in a row, then the hai...
How To: Do a fishtail on your American Girl doll
In this video, we learn how to do a fishtail on your American Girl doll. You will need a doll with longer hair to do this correctly. Brush the hair out, then grab two rubber bands and set aside. Start out by putting the hair into a ponytail with the first rubber band. Then, section the hair off to create a double braid in the hanging hair in the back. This will create a look like a fishtail braid. Continue to do this until you reach the bottom of the hair, then tie it with a rubber band. Enjo...
How To: Double french braid your American Girl Doll's hair
In this tutorial, we learn how to double French braid your American Girl Doll's hair. First, part the hair right down the middle so you have the left and right side. After this, pull one of the sides into a pigtail. Next, go to the other side and grab a small section from the top. Brush this out and then divide into three pieces. Start it like a regular braid, then start to grab hair from the bottom on each side, crossing it over the middle. Continue to do this until you reach the bottom of t...
How To: Do a cute hairstyle on American Girl with medium hair
In this tutorial, we learn how to do a cute hairstyle on American Girl with medium hair. This is great for a doll that has hair that flips out at the bottom or hair that is curly. First, you will take most of the hair, except for a thin layer of hair on the underneath area. Put a rubber band around this part of the hair, then put a hole with your finger above the band. Flip the hair through this, so the hair is sticking up. Then, curl the hair under and clip it into place on the back to finis...
How To: Flat iron your American Girl doll's hair
In this video, we learn how to flat iron your American Girl doll's hair. First, heat up your flat iron on the lowest heat setting it has. Now, brush your doll's hair so it doesn't have any lumps or bumps in it. Clip the to of the hair up and then take a small section from the bottom of the head. Then, squirt some water on the hair until it's wet. Comb through the hair and then run the flat iron through the hair very quickly. Run it through again if needed, then continue on to other sections i...
How To: Make a paper mache Helm's Deep
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a paper mache Helm's Deep. You can make a pretty good one just using paper mache if you don't have the professional materials. Build it on a cardboard surface and then use cut outs from cereal boxes to make the structures and building features. The paper mache will go over the buildings, so you can make different types of structures. You can also use crumpled up news paper to make the terrain so it will maintain its shape. After you put the mache on, it ...
How To: Do twist braid pigtails on your American Girl doll
In this tutorial, we learn how to do twist braid pigtails on your American Girl doll. Start by brushing the hair out and combing it in the middle. Then, take a small section in the font and split that in half. Start twisting it towards her face and then twist them together away from her face twice. Then, pick up a piece from the bottom and twist it into the braid. Continue to add in hair from the bottom until you have all the hair inside the twist braid. When finished, tie off at the end and ...
How To: Do a cute hairstyle on an American Girl with layered hair
In this video, we learn how to do a cute hairstyle on an American Girl with layered hair. First, brush the hair back until it's smooth. Then, pull the front section of the hair back, going off from where the eyes end. Then, you will pull it up into a ponytail. After this, you will take a section from the side of the head on both sides. Then, you will bring these together in the back of the head and tie together with a ponytail holder. Now, take another section lower down on the had and repeat...
How To: Do wrapped pigtails on your American Girl doll
In this video, we learn how to do wrapped pigtails on your American Girl doll. First, separate the hair from side to side. Then, take a small section from the front of the hair and put it aside. After this, you will need to comb the hair back into a ponytail and secure with a rubber band. Secure the other side into a ponytail as well, but put all the hair back into it. After this, you will take the front from the other side and wrap it around the ponytail. Clip it into place and then you will...
How To: Do a cute downhair style on your American Girl doll
In this tutorial, we learn how to do a cute down hair style on your American Girl doll. First, you will need to braid two braids on the doll's hair on each side. Tie it off at the end with a small rubber band. Do five of these around the head, from the top of the hair to the tip of the bottom! Line these up on the top so it looks even and not random. When you're finished, you will have a cute look that only takes minutes to create. If you want, you can tie this into a ponytail for an up-do!
How To: Redo American Girl doll Mia's braid
In this tutorial, we learn how to redo American Girl doll, Mia's, braid. First, you will need to brush out the hair for the doll. After you do this, you will take a little section of the hair from the front and split it into three. Then, take another little section from underneath this and clip it away. From here, you will start to braid the hair, clipping off the sections underneath separately so they don't get mixed together. Then, you will take the rest of the hair and put it into a ponyta...
How To: Clean Your American Girl Dolls' Skin
In this tutorial, we learn how to clean your American Girl's dolls' skin. To start, you will need to clean the marks on the face off with a magic eraser or a mixture of baking soda and water. To defrizz the hair, you can cut off the frizz with sharp scissors. To wash the hair, make sure you don't get the base of the head wet, or this will ruin the doll completely. Straighten the braids by pulling the hair down straight. Use these tips to help keep your doll in the best shape and it will last ...
How To: Curl your American Girl doll's hair
In this video, we learn how to curl your American Girl doll's hair. What you will do is leave her hair in curlers for a couple of days and then take them out. To put her hair in curlers, you want to spray water on her hair so it's just damp. After this, you will section the hair off, them place the strands into small curlers. Do this all around the head until you have no strands left. When finished, leave her hair to dry for a couple of days. When you take the curlers out, your doll will have...
How To: Fix your American Girl doll's frizzy hair or split ends
In this video, we learn how to fix your American Girl doll's frizzy hair or split ends. If the ends are frizzy or split, there is a way to fix it. First, you will need to wash the doll's hair the night before and brush it out. After this, take some scissors and start to cut small sections of the hair that have frizz on them. After this, you will cut the bottom of the section to make sure it's completely evened up. To make it easier, you can go section by section until you have it right!
How To: Use foam to make diorama terrain
In this tutorial, we learn how to use foam to make diorama terrain. Foam will make a realistic diorama because it comes in so many different shapes and sizes. You can buy this from hobby shops and even online. To put these together, you will simply use some wood glue. You can easily cut this with a sharp knife, scissors, and anything else that is sharp! You can use a hot wire cutting tool to mold and sculpt the foam as well. You can also use a hot glue gun to connect the pieces of foam togeth...
How To: Do a Y braid on your American Girl doll
In this tutorial, we learn how to do a Y braid on your American Girl doll. First, brush your doll's hair out and then put the hair in pig tails. From here, you will split the tail in half on both sides. Then, you will combine the two middle pieces and start to braid the hair like normal. Do this all the way down until you reach the bottom of the hair. When finished, tie the end with a rubber band to keep in place. This will finish the Y braid look for your American Girl doll, enjoy! Decorate ...
How To: Do the triple nifty knots hairstyle on your AG doll
In this video, we learn how to do the triple nifty knots hairstyle on your AG doll. First, comb the doll's hair back and then take the hair from the crown of the head. Put this into a ponytail and then secure with a rubber band. After this, section the tail off into two parts and twist them individually. Then, bring these around each other and create a bun at the top of the doll's head. Secure this with a rubber band. Do this with two other sections of the hair on the left and the right. When...
How To: Make a LEGO replica of the Lancer chainsaw / machine gun from Gears of War
The Lancer chainsaw / machine gun from Gears of War is the weapon that first sold that game, Cliff Bleszinski's twisted brainchild that made the multiplayer so much fun. If you like LEGO and Gears of War, watch this video to learn how to make a replica of the Lancer out of LEGO for your minifigure to dismember each other with.
How To: Make a chainsaw for a LEGO minifigure
If you've been working on a LEGO battle scene and need a gnarly chainsaw to complete the esthetic, watch this video. It will teach you how to make in improbably large but really cool custom chainsaw out of spare LEGO bricks.
How To: Make a chain gun for a LEGO minifigure
Outfitting your LEGO minifigures for battle is one one of the best parts of playing with them, and tiny LEGO parts offer nearly unlimited options for weapon construction. Watch this video to learn how to build a Star Wars chain gun for a Stormtrooper or plucky Rebel Guard
How To: Build a custom LEGO General Grievous Magna Guard from Star Wars
General Grievous was by far the coolest new character introduced in Star Wars Episodes I- III. If you enjoy LEGO and Star Wars, watch this video to learn how to build an awesome custom General Grievous Magna Guard bodyguard out of LEGOs.
How To: Make a mini-honey jar with real honey for a dollhouse
Making a dollhouse is fun especially when you do it with your little one. It can be a great time to bond with your daughter on a deeper level! When making a kitchen, one thing that you can put up on the shelf is a jar of honey. In this video you will get a quick tutorial on how to create your own with real honey!
How To: Clean a pasta machine for polymer clay
In this video, we learn how to clean a pasta machine for polymer clay. First, take a diaper wipe and scrub the blades. Then, roll the wipe through the blades. Scrub all over the machine and roll your blades several times while scrubbing on the inside. Roll the wipe inside the machine several times or until the machine starts to roll through with clean lines. That way you will not get different colors when you use white clay. Push white clay through the machine to see if other colors show up. ...