If you're the proud owner of a mannequin that'southward spent some time in a shop window or warehouse, she (or he) might be looking a lilliputian worse for the vesture.

Displaying a vintage mannequin is a great way to make your window display stand up out, only you need to make sure the mannequin's not standing out for the wrong reasons… like chipped paint or pock marks.

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Skillful news, though: old mannequins are resilient, and with a little elbow grease on your part, you lot can give a weathered mannequin a consummate makeover. Here'due south how.

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Remove dust and grime. Starting time things starting time: get your mannequin cleaned off. Remove any grease, dust, and other spots by putting rubbing alcohol on a cotton wool swab and gently (gently!) wipe down the mannequin's surface. We also find that Mr Clean Magic Erasers are fantastic!

 Assess uneven surfaces. If your mannequin has chipped pigment or uneven surfaces that look like pock marks, yous should start by lightly sanding down these areas (don't worry about taking off more paint in this process—you can repaint subsequently).

Use a spackling paste to repair pock marks. Before you repaint your mannequin, even out any unsightly pock marks with something like Dap'south Crackshot Loftier Performance Spackling Paste. Carefully fill in pocks and let dry overnight. If the paste leaves any bumps, you may need to do some more lite sanding.

Friction match your mannequin'south skin tone. Need to repaint part (or all) of your mannequin? Y'all can ensure information technology doesn't wait like she's the victim of a weird tan or makeup experiment by color matching her electric current skin tone with paint at Domicile Depot.

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Although mannequin restoration may not have been what Abode Depot had in mind when they began advertisement their color matching service, they should be able to help y'all detect the perfect shade of pigment if you bring in your mannequin'due south arm.

Reattach disconnected or loose body parts. Many mannequins are designed so that they can be hands taken apart and put back together, simply if your mannequin has go detached somewhere she shouldn't accept, you may exist able to provide a quick fix with tape alone.

Specialty tapes similar those fabricated by Essentra are stiff, can stick to a number of different surfaces, and won't exist obvious when your mannequin is dressed upwardly.

What you tin can't tape, mucilage. If you're repairing a broken area that won't be covered by wearing apparel, such every bit fingers, you should utilise a strong gum. Super glue works with some mannequins, and applying rubbing booze to any breaks before yous add glue will help information technology stick.

What you lot can't mucilage, Bondo. If information technology seems similar gum isn't going to be enough, or y'all have some major cracks and breaks that need repairing, you can turn to Bondo. This heavy duty putty was originally designed for doing torso works on cars, merely many carpenters also utilize information technology to repair wood defects—and now mannequin repairers accept discovered the benefits as well.

If yous do use Bondo, make sure yous're in a well-ventilated expanse, considering the vapors are toxic. Mix your Bondo in small batches and apply to trouble areas, non worrying about creating lumps or uneven surfaces. Permit the putty dry for xxx minutes, and then sand down the area.

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Repaint with a layering technique. In one case you've got the correct paint color, you tin repaint large areas of your mannequin using a roller brush and smaller areas, similar the easily and face, using a more delicate paint castor.

Whatever portion you're repainting: keep in mind that the best fashion to go a consequent color is to paint a layer, let dry, and then repaint rather than just throwing one thick layer on.

Style your mannequin. Once you've got your mannequin looking young and fresh again, you tin style him or her nevertheless you desire. You might consider adding a wig and re-outlining the eyebrows using a fine-tipped pen. Choose the outfit you want to display, and you lot're ready to go!

About the writer: Juliana Weiss-Roessler runs Weiss-Roessler Writing with her married man Josh. Together, they offer advice on retail, blogging, website copy, and other writing services to modest and mid-sized businesses. Her writing has been featured on high-traffic websites, such as Yahoo.com, and in major publications, such as PARADE and People. Along with her hubby, Juliana lives in Austin, TX, with their two tiny-but-rambunctious dogs and ane tiny-but-rambunctious baby boy. Learn more on www.WeissRoessler.com, or follow her on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook