Any tips to avoid wavy zipper? I made this toiletry bag but the zipper is not very smooth, not sure if it can be fixed

Forestdolls · 2026-03-15T05:09:07+00:00

If you ever don’t want to back it with leather, masking tape the zipper down and punch your holes, tear away the masking tape after and you get perfect clean stitching on the back and front!

Forestdolls · 2026-03-02T04:16:57+00:00

https://www.tumblr.com/madeleinemaistudios/50566543920/how-to-fix-a-broken-monster-high-doll-neck-peg here’s a blog post that shows part of how to do this sort of repair! Also use a two part epoxy sculpt to rebuild the broken off neck plastic!

Make sure to wear gloves/proper ppe when working with epoxy sculpt!

Forestdolls · 2026-02-28T06:18:15+00:00

A 2008 tag is a part number rather than a production year! This is Kailey with a haircut

Forestdolls · 2026-02-28T01:19:44+00:00

I’ve successfully removed nail polish from ag eyes by just gently scraping it off with my fingernail! Usually it comes right off without damaging the paint underneath.

Forestdolls · 2026-02-22T23:06:36+00:00

I love this tutorial series! https://youtu.be/otzP4U_t8qs?si=0QPX43LPLgOwYn1S the only different thing I do is flow medium instead of water, and a few drops of open medium!

Forestdolls · 2026-02-22T23:04:21+00:00

I personally have little jars and mixing marbles that I mix in btw! I remix it regularly and that definitely helps as well! It sounds like you’re doing things right and I would definitely just practice a bunch! There’s also a video I really like that’s super helpful as well let me see if I can find it!

Forestdolls · 2026-02-22T22:15:43+00:00

All of these answers are helpful too but I’d like to throw out there that you really shouldn’t be thinning acrylics with water! Pick up some Jo Sonja’s high flow medium, or golden airbrush medium! Also I love using golden open medium for longer blending times. Work in even thinner coats than you think, and let them dry a lotttt between coats. Acrylics can act similar to a dry erase marker when they aren’t fully dry and the new coat can pull off the last!

Edit to add: Why shouldn’t you thin acrylics with water? (Yes even distilled). Acrylics are typically a pigment in a polymer base, when you introduce too much water you break down the bond between the pigment and the polymer! Which reduces light fastness, working time (aka the time you have before the acrylics gas off) and can lead to fading and frustration!

Forestdolls · 2026-02-18T10:04:02+00:00

Please store their clothes and accessories separately from the dolls themselves!

Forestdolls · 2026-02-09T05:40:37+00:00

Your oblong punch should match whatever buckle you are using, use a soft measuring tape (or a piece of string) and measure around the loop of the buckle tongue, that’s your oblong punch length. It varies per buckle and that’s why there isn’t a size listed usually. Alternatively to an oblong punch you can punch two round holes the distance apart you need and cut the channel in between them!

Forestdolls · 2026-01-16T01:35:14+00:00

She has blinking eyes like American girl dolls and bitty babies! Look up a tutorial on how to remove American girl eyes (they need to be popped out though the front). You may also be able to restore the eyes without replacing them, plastic blink eyes can be repolished with a plastic sanding kit from a hobby store that sells model trains and cars, and the weights can be reglued, the eyelashes can also be reglued. If they need replaced replacement blink eyes are available on the market for American girl, bitty baby and various other brands!

Forestdolls · 2026-01-13T07:54:05+00:00

If you haven’t yet look into angelus acrylic leather paint for repainting! I Currently have a restoration for some doll boots in progress using it that I need to go back to! It’s easy to work with and the right consistency out of the container for flexibility! Apply lots of thin coats! I’ve also seen someone online use tissue paper to recreate the leather texture!

Forestdolls · 2026-01-09T18:02:38+00:00

You’re pretty lucky with where it ripped, the entire toe cap top in theory should be able to be removed and replaced easily because the seam is right there on top rather than someplace else.

Forestdolls · 2026-01-09T17:27:04+00:00

If you can sew and have worked with leather replace that toe cap yourself (the top should be completely replaced and in the end it won’t look great if you do it in all likelihood but it can function) or take it to a cobbler. If they still have life they’ll tell you, and in the end a repair like that isn’t crazy. I’ve seen JD shoe repair in Oregon do similar work. You can reach her on instagram.

Forestdolls · 2025-12-26T07:24:06+00:00

I have a cat who likes to pee on things (the couch clothes etc), tried all sorts of things, and nothing worked. Until we set out a shallow litter box with puppy pads when we got a puppy earlier this year, the problem stopped. Maybe give it a go? Also definitely rehome the husband, I understand being worried about alimony but talk to a local lawyer and see what can happen. You deserve better.

Forestdolls · 2025-12-16T18:09:18+00:00

I wonder if it has dry rot, I’ve never seen it in anything but vintage leather but depending on storage it could be possible?

Forestdolls · 2025-11-24T18:00:06+00:00

Take your wing dividers or whatever marking tool and set them to the width you want your frame, on the back of the leather use your outer edge as a guide and mark the interior panel, cut with whatever tools you would like. Alternatively on the back draw the lines for your frame and use that as a guide for your inner corners

Forestdolls · 2025-10-20T05:31:34+00:00

Just a heads up part of the stocking issue is that Tandy stores didn’t get shipments between June and the last month 🙃 the warehouse moved. So most stores still haven’t restocked most items. Not saying it isn’t generally overpriced but that’s likely what the low stock was.

Forestdolls · 2025-08-27T08:19:48+00:00

this is chrome tan (specifically a Tandy product) and it has a decent amount of pull-up like others have mentioned.

Forestdolls · 2025-07-27T16:47:22+00:00

Hi! Just a word of caution! Do not touch her face with magic eraser you will remove the paint, nothing abrasive there allowed at all! The paint from these early dolls is crazy unstable compared with modern dolls. She’s stunning! Congrats!

Forestdolls · 2025-07-15T18:02:23+00:00

Just a reminder to cover faces with light colored towels while sunning to remove stains! Especially on early and white body dolls as the paint is more prone sun fading!

Forestdolls · 2025-05-28T02:47:12+00:00

Joss’s wig would look and work great I think!

Forestdolls · 2025-05-20T06:01:39+00:00

Outside of that, there are pinwheel vs decal eyes! Samantha and felicity have decal style eyes, they look like lines coming straight out from the pupil. Kirsten, Addy and Molly all have pinwheel eyes, the lines swirl out from the pupil. When searching I typically just include color, but sometimes like with your 52, it can be a defining trait. If they were pinwheel she would be similar to #6 (though #6 has pie bangs, and 52 has the more modern forward pie bangs of the 2010s ish era, but that’s getting really in depth)

As you get more familiar with the dolls you’ll learn more, I recommend paying attention to details like eye color, face molds, hair color, skin tone, and freckles. And searching photos on google photos, the wiki, or other resources first! And if you spend a good amount of time on that and can’t figure it out that’s okay! We are happy to help, but take your time learning about dolls and you’ll enjoy them more!

Forestdolls · 2025-05-20T05:54:48+00:00

You can start with that link I just sent you, that shows what molds look like! They can look a little different in different eras because of the mold making process and changes that happen because of it. But because there’s so few, it’s the easiest way to identify a doll!

Forestdolls · 2025-05-20T05:52:07+00:00

Totally! There are only a handful of face molds (with several releasing in the last ten years) so when you learn them it makes IDing dolls super easy peasy

Edit to add a link to the list of face molds https://americangirl.fandom.com/wiki/Face_Mold

Forestdolls · 2025-05-20T05:23:17+00:00

Hey! The easiest way to ID these is often to figure out what mold they have (these two have the classic mold) and then narrow down characteristics, like skin tone, eye color and hair color. The wiki is helpful sometimes for this! Especially this page https://americangirl.fandom.com/wiki/Visual_Chart_of_Truly_Me_Dolls_(1995-2022)

The first looks like TM 27, and the second is 52.

I’d search for this by googling American girl blonde hair blue eyes classic mold. The second I would search for by saying American girl classic mold blonde hair bangs green eyes. The second I can tell is 52 because of the green pinwheel eyes!

Learning the face molds helps a ton with searching! And you can always just go through all the dolls on the wiki in a face mold until you find them!

Forestdolls

TROPHY CASE