How Much Hair Can We Add? Customising a Fakie Chap Mei Pony

Okay, I might have overdone it this time... But it was so much fun! Here's a fakie of a sort of MLP bootleg. She was kindly donated by a viewer and was in desperate need of a glow-up. So, I cleaned her, rehaired her (too much, let's be honest), painted her, and 3D printed some pretty wings. I hope you enjoy!
Quick jump to:
- Intro: 00:00
- Removing the hair and prepping: 00:45
- Cleaning the pony: 02:25
- Rehairing/rerooting the tail: 04:47
- Rehairing/rerooting the mane: 07:29
- Painting the body: 09:33
- 3D printing the wings: 13:03
- Painting the wings: 15:28
- Results: 18:30
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DemonessKneesock's Gallery: ko-fi.com/demonesskneesocks/g...
Complete restoration videos you might enjoy: • 1983 My Little Pony G1...
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Materials used (Note: As an affiliate, I get a small commission from Amazon if you make a purchase. There's no extra cost for you):
- 3D printer Elegoo Mars 3 Pro: amzn.to/3t5l7sh
- Liquid hydrogen peroxide 6%: amzn.to/3sp06IQ
- Acrylic paints Vallejo Model Color set: amzn.to/3ic57e1
- Acrylic paints Vallejo Game Air set: amzn.to/3ckH2Tq
- Pure acetone: amzn.to/3C18TiN
- Brushes for painting minis: amzn.to/3aJKLGR
- Biodegradable Cotton buds: amzn.to/3id4T6q
- Nitrile gloves: amzn.to/366WKf2
- Silicone mats: amzn.to/3JeJ8As
- Softboxes and tripods: amzn.to/2N25Lzv
Chap Mei Plastic Toys Manufactory Limited is a trademark. I am not affiliated with Chap Mei in any way.
Music: Epidemic audio library.
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[@jinglepet]

i'm a little embarrassed to admit that i wouldn't have given this kind of pony a second glance, but the idea of a casual glam-up project like this is super appealing and makes me think twice about these "knock-off" ponies that were made to be accessible but ultimately disposable toys. the customization really gave it a new life and made it so special. i would love to see more of these!! ^o^

[@nikishazechiel6848]

I'm still practicing on customizing ponies and I have been using the fakes for that. I'm not super good at it yet, but the fakies are easier to get a hold of.

[@EmmaSpAce111]

It reminds me of buying a super cheap canvas at target or something and feeling like you can just casually try stuff on it (i have a tendency to feel pressured on anything more than 10$)

[@nikishazechiel6848]

@@EmmaSpAce111 completely understandable!

[@pipipipurple]

Btw, im not someone who is personally affected by it, but i think it is SO lovely and considerate that you warn when the ponies have their heads removed ❤

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

Thank you 😊😊

[@bezoticallyyours83]

Aww what a pretty pony. Reminds me of a cross between an SHS and a G2.

[@LightYagami-xl1wz]

Why tf would you need a warning for that 😭😭😭

[@Rarity36Rage]

Im not surprised now, but i did appreciate the warning in the first video i saw 😂

[@processred2858]

okay this is a very long ramble but YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY THIS MAKES ME OMG!!!!! back in 2014 when i was 11 my dad and i were on vacation and we decided to take a day to go to loads of thrift/antique stores and flea markets across the state looking for ponies. hours and hours and hours passed and we didn't find *anything*. but eventually after ages and ages and AGES of searching, we entered one store and our luck seemed to still be nonexistent. as we were on our way out, though, i saw a chap mei fakie. (she's the variant with smaller hooves and she's a bright teal color with matching hair, plus her eyes look different.) i remember pointing and gasping SO happily and needless to say, i took her home. her hair was thinning and she's got weird inconsistencies with the thickness of her plastic that are kind of warped in a way that makes her look scarred. but i didn't care. i named her tara, because i had mistakenly guessed she was a tara toy pony (i could not find ANYTHING about chap mei's existence until years later and she has no marks anyway). her paint was very easily coming off, so i sealed it with varnish but for years i was too scared to do anything else because i'd tried rerooting once before and it was a disaster. so she stayed balding, scraggly, and gross-looking for years, but she was always on my shelf that was reserved for only my most favorite ponies and dolls. anyway, years later in my adulthood as my pony fixation awoke from its slumber i finally worked up the courage to just reroot her already. she deserved it. her neck socket/plug was all warped and always had been which made her neck look very broken, so i shaved it down with a box cutter to finally fix it. i drilled a hole into her bum for a traditional hasbro-style tail, and rooted her mane with the traditional two rows of an icy nylon that perfectly matches her original hair and body color. these days she sits peacefully on my dresser right next to my desk and i often find myself picking her up just to hold her and pet her hair. she may be a cheap bootleg, and i didn't really take any liberties in my restoration aside from quality enhancements, but she is one of the most, if not THE most cherished ponies i own. again, sorry for the wall of text, but it makes me so so happy to see fakies get such fantastic restorations and customizations from you, especially a chap mei fakie like my tara. 💙

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

Thank you so much for sharing this story!! It was so beautiful to read. It sounds like a perfect memory followed by years of good company 💞💞 Again thank you 💖

[@processred2858]

@@RetroGeekCrafts EEEEE THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! :0) btw i think yours is what it'd look like if jem had a pony 💜

[@morgantrias3103]

Thank you for sharing, I really enjoyed this anecdote. I'm a sucher for people connecting emotionally with things that aren't often valueed

[@processred2858]

@@morgantrias3103 EEEEE that's so kind of you!!! :0)

[@justaperson4656]

Well now you've gotta show us a picture! I bet she really appreciated you fixing her up like that too

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

By Discord-democarcy (discordcracy?), we have decided to name this pony "Princess Diva Darling Sparklehooves" 😊😊

[@yourresume373]

I feel like that hair would work REALLY WELL for a Pinkie Pie custom!

[@pipipipurple]

I love seeing cute fakies!!!!! And it always makes me smile seeing other collectors restore and give them some love

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

I'm really glad you do 😊😊

[@louckykoneko]

this pony may not be an MLP or even a real Chap Mei, but she sure deserved this glow-up!

[@kathoakes929]

I'm so happy to see this. When my grown-up girls were young my husband was out of work and we couldn't afford much for 3 at Christmas. My hubby got some fakies given and between us we customised them. The next year the girls got the real thing but it was the fakies that were cherished and kept for many years. Love her she looks beautiful.

[@Leo-rq2bk]

I'm with everyone else on this one. Customizing a fakie is crazy glam. And you can be more experimental than the limitations you face when honoring the style of vintage ponies. Which is fine, I love vintage ponies. But it's really fun to see the creativity you can tap into customizing a fakie like this! Would love to see more.

[@rosecatuwu]

I have a little bit of a soft spot for fakies, I just love how unique some of them are, & how their molds can be so varied in comparison to the officials! What you've done to this one really brings out just how beautiful these molds can be when put into the right care. She also reminds me a bit of Starsong from g3!

[@Armund_Wolffe]

i cannot express how much i adore ponies with textured hair like this! it looks so poofy and soft!

[@tvguts]

This was a great custom! The crazy 80s curls suit this pony well.

[@16Nire61]

I find myself sort of wishing that you’d painted the molded bangs to match the hair, but the end result is still amazingly gorgeous! ❤❤❤

[@brianahawkins8124]

She looks gorgeous, but her bracelets could need some gold yellow or some other colors, and maybe give her bangs the color to match her main.

[@mistingwolf]

This little phony came out looking super cute! I really liked the dark accents. So much hair, too!

[@avalongaisbauer8501]

This pony's glowup is ASTOUNDING! Love that and the fact that you did another Fakie (believe the one in the Day of the Dead pony custom counts)! And btw, I love seeing the palette when it has paint on it. There's something about it that makes it enjoyable to see (not forcing you to show it more, just saying something)? Astonishing work, as always! I hope to see G3 ponies and more Fakies in the future /nf (not forcing)

[@cainkind]

I think this turned out really sweet! I love the poofy hair and colors! But I think honestly that she needs more even, the glam makeup look could be pushed further and the details on her shoes could be brought out more with some color, maybe a necklace too! That might just be me haha

[@ranyellecarol]

I'm absolutely in love with this pony. SHE'S GOR-GE-OUS.

[@personwholovesailorm]

"How much hair would you like the pony to have?" 'Yes'

[@tiniepuppie]

i love love love knockoff/bootleg/fake toy makeovers! they may not be expensive brand names or super rare, but they deserve love too!!

[@izoraiza7169]

I love them too. i have one fake my little pony i customized a little bit when the hair fell out as i was brushing it very carefully. i didn't expect it to be not glued in properly. some fakes i keep in good condition for my fake my little pony part of my collection if i like them. i even once customised a fake monster high doll that was called diva girls when i got it with really bad hair compared to the other fake in the same box the factory packaged them in as a set of 2. i have some fakes like the dollar general fakies of my little pony baby ponies and 2 my pretty pony. the 2 my pretty pony have glass eyes. the dollar general fakies and my pretty pony toys i have are no longer being made so they became much harder to get more of.

[@GippyHappy]

I know you said you were going to give her a lot of hair, but that's so much more hair than I was expecting lol

[@platannapipidae9621]

i'd personally add some yellow for contrast to this custom. anyway, great job as always! love your videos!

[@donyori]

It's Berry Sweet! I wish actual mlps had some ponies with molded bangs. Their bangs are so unique but complicated now. I want to brush the mane, but have the hair be character accurate.

[@biscuitygudness]

holy cow, she came out GORGEOUS! the wings in particular are absolutely stunning - i love watching projects like this!!!

[@MurasakiOp]

This pony won't be cold in winter with that magnificent mane! 😄 Love the 80s vibes of the hair and colour scheme.

[@hannachan3075]

This is giving me Jem and the Holograms vibes... and now you need to do a pony series of them ;)

[@ElkivanVreden]

I have Chap Mei pony 😃(she was a birthday gift from my parents ) Wow so cool to learn that my beautiful purple pony was not just available in South Africa. ❤

[@luizagriebelersouza8461]

OMG I use to have this exact pony and loved her so much! I have totally forgot about it and memories came flooding back, thank you for that. I use to have a white one that came with wedding acessories and made it her "husband" kk. Even though they were not original I remember the acessories being so detailed and nice, I feel like nowadays toys lost some of that quality, but maybe is just nostalgia

[@abbyelectric]

hey, I have this fakie pony! I think I got her from a pound shop when I was really little. I also remember taking a metallic marker to her body when I was like 10 or so, because I'd started falling down the customisation rabbit hole! Never expected for this particular pony to pop up on your channel, but it's a very pleasant surprise nonetheless!

[@mostlyghostey]

OH MY GOSH THE TINY BRUNO MEOWS!! My heart can’t handle it! 😻

[@nolasdollsandaquatics9386]

Thanks for keeping me company ❤

[@user-lv9eg3sj7n]

A love this custom!💕 A tip I would recommend for paint-matching is that acrylic drys two shades darker than it looks at the beginning. :) Though it's seamless on this one!💕

[@ZZLOST]

You brought out the maximum of this fakie, good job. The new hair helped a lot to improve the look. :)

[@kyoookami96]

Absolutely gorgeous! I had a bunch of these when I was young. The hair you choose is super cool! Like cotton candy. Wish you had painted her fringe and hooves too, you could have done gold on the hooves and a pink fringe

[@albertorodrigomolinasortiz471]

I love it. Bootlegs are my main working material for customs. Brand toys I only modify if they are truly damaged or incomplete, and not even all of them I dare (I have a Transformers from 2008 that I don't want to touch just in case I find the head and arms and legs and accesories and restore new instead). I've been eyeing some Equestria Girls Minis bootleg dolls that I plan to transform into Panty & Stocking next time I find them cheap at some second hand fair.

[@federica.bizioli]

I love so much your videos, they make me so calm and I also think it's a really interesting content since I love all kind of restorations. Thanks so much!

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

Thank you so much 😊😊 I'm glad they help!

[@CharcoalDove]

best pony makeover ever

[@oatmeal3013]

i have a few fakies, and this has made me wonder about just going totally crazy with them and doing something entirely new! as curious as i am about restoring them and selling them to anyone who might collect these sorts of ponies, i feel it'd be a very difficult kind of thing to track down. this might be a fun alternative to just having them sit around!

[@PredictableEnigma]

The krimped(?) hair is such a fun cute change!

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

I am IN LOVE with this hair, I got to admit. It's so fluffy and soft :D :D

[@NekoAiray]

No way, I am in love with your work❤ Glad my childhood ponies went to make another person happy. PS: you better be using the magnetic ones as note holders for the fridge, because that´s what I used them for XD

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

I'm so glad you liked her, even if she doesn't look like the original as much. I hope that's okay 🙏 I LOVE the magnetic ponies, they are so cute! My fridge is behind a wooden door so I keep the magnet ponies near my PC 😍

[@Twilightmia]

I have a bunch of these XD they'd come with these metal necklaces and lilttle crowns that fit over their horns also a saddle with transluscent purple wings they also made these mini ones, which had little saddles, some wouln't stand due to posing issues, but yeah I have a soft spot for them, this def makes me want to dig them up and maybe buy some new ones just for nostalgia sake

[@keyofpop]

LOVE the nylon krimp/curls on this one. A TON

[@Lyeah73]

I love her! I love the wings and all the extra hair. Another beautiful pony. ❤

[@alango4651]

Wow ❤ The alicorn version of Pinky Pie 🥰🎉 I love the result absolutly ❤ Well done

[@sixoftwelve6363]

I love her hair and her wings are beautiful!

[@Songal18]

From drab fakie to fab Original Pony ^^

[@Deby_Bumblebee]

For a Fakie she looks amazing!!! A lot of hair but looks good

[@CasualVFlowerEnjoyer]

She's gorgeous! Reminds me of a ultra-glam drag queen pony lol

[@nowherels64]

I had this pony (the blue/green version, at least)!!! She was one of my faves, and I had several MLPs too! I even gave her the same haircut as this one had 😅 My best friend got her for me from a newsagents one weekend and she turned into one of my faves especially because of her shiny jewellery and wings! This one turned out beautiful, though!!! You outdid yourself on the wings, and I loved that you incorporated the blue of her cutie mark!! (They also remind me of the bisexual flag, so extra awesome!) I love your videos, they're so calming and satisfying to watch, and you have a great sense of humour and a real care for your craft that warms the heart. Thank you for everything you do!

[@crizztel7675]

I had two fake ponies toys, a green one and an orange one i loved them so much! I cant recall where they are but if i ever find them i might do a make over on them ❤

[@pogostix6097]

My goodness, and we thought the Rapunzel pony had a lot of hair!

[@elsagillespie5210]

For a fakie...she's a cute alicorn. If you get another one (maybe in pink) you could try for a Flurry Heart.

[@mirrormoth3734]

This Custom is amazing!!!! I used to have a few of these ponies as a kid. The sculpt on them is actually so pretty and sweet. Love this so much!!!

[@l.k.8513]

I had some of these too, as i was kid. She is soo beautiful.🙂

[@Rarity36Rage]

I think i grew up with this pony, i believe she used to be my oldest sisters. I was growing up as g3 was being released so most of my ponies are from then.

[@swiftfated]

This looks like so much fun! But the cost of the materials puts me off, especially because I tend to collect art supplies and not use them lol. But I will always yearn to add luxurious hair to things whenever I watch your videos.

[@SpiderRiderKya]

Oh my god. I think we actually HAD this pony. Or, the actual Chap Mei one, if google is right (two actually, we had a purple one and white one. and maybe one of the minis??)

[@TinaOsborne-wb7sb]

I especially like the wings. But one thing I would have done differently is I would have covered them with glitter. I love glitter on ponies. Not just on the cutie mark, but all over.

[@juligamer471]

I have to say that this brighten my day thank you

[@Peaceout569]

I LOOVE THE HAIR AND THE WINGS!!! and the colour.. she is GLOWING now!!!

[@stickitydoodah]

Wow! It came out really good. Especially the wings. For some reason I wanted to eat that hair

[@cip3000]

The way you colored the wings is soooo pretty :)

[@storybooksculpts-dg1cn]

She almost reminds me of star song! I adore her!!!! I do wish you painted her forelock tho

[@alltoohuman01]

oh my goddd one of my cats came running in at the tiny mew noises! XD

[@RedMageJMD]

I have never seen this kind of fake pony. His face is quite funny. Honestly, it reminds me more of a pig than a pony.😅 With all that pink hair, it reminds me of a Drag Queen. Maybe this is the channel's first Drag Pony? 😅

[@songbirdrebel5895]

She's really pretty ❤

[@Kunabee]

Wow! I love her hair!

[@aliwilson4130]

It turned out so good! Love the over the top slay

[@Myriako]

Thank you for this video! ☺💐

[@jackdawjames7696]

She’s beautiful! Well done!

[@LimonadnajaPony]

Oooo, i like this hair so much! And this new pony reminds me She-Ra princess (have no idea why, but 😊)

[@athenaNS]

I really love this video idea and the pony turned out soo cute❤

[@lachauntiswashington231]

very pretty. I love her hair

[@asteriadiana]

💗💗💗I love this one! Especially the hair and the makeup, love the colors too!

[@beta_nd_greeble]

she is very cute and you really made her shine!! i love this video

[@c.i.ponies5332]

Wauw what a transformation and rhw hair is really lovely

[@gummywurm]

I always love to see a new upload from you!

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

Thank you so much 😊😊

[@fernbrisot325]

Swish that fancy tail lil' pony!!

[@kaytiej8311]

You have a lovely talent of making these small things special and those teeny, tiny details are incredible. I really enjoyed some of the music too!

[@tika88ful]

she's beautiful!!!!

[@suitov]

For a moment there, she looked like she had a giant brain where her head should be! It was so funny. :'D

[@hannahlamagna]

Cute 💗

[@katerosario3646]

Hello! I love the repairs and repaints and customs very cool

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

Thank you so much 😊😊

[@brightvulpix6421]

I don’t know why but the hair reminds me of a loofah. Still quite pretty.

[@katienay1]

I agree. Haha

[@abi6407]

Me encantan tus videos

[@SirSnowPlayz]

A fake is actually beautiful

[@_spider_cider_]

It’d be awesome for you to sculpt and 3d print your own pony! That’d be so cool to watch especially with your painting style!

[@TriskellionResistance3510]

i wouldive probarlly turn her into a twilight sparkle doll since she was purple

[@joseluismallo5771]

😲😲Aaa, recuerdo en unos videos anteriores que hacías las alas artesanalmente, pero ahora con impresora 3D, es una evaluación creativa 😃 y tiene su mérito 😁

[@whowantswaffles]

I have one of these from my childhood! (still have her!) I think she came with a crown around her neck (or something that looked like a crown) :)

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

Yes! They came with a mount and a crown I think! Not sure if this one did, but they looked great! Hope the pony made you very happy 😊😊

[@mrsnayarlhats4242]

It's a cute fake my little pony she's a purple unicorn with pink hair and a flower cutie mark and heart bracelets next to the hooves

[@jackdawjames7696]

She reminds me of a pony I have! I can’t remember her name though… I always called her Moondancer

[@makaylaboyko1292]

Not as familiar with the G2 series, but this pony, obviously with the hair, reminds me of Misty from G5. I don't know if she's the first, but she was the first that I saw out of the entire MLP franchise that didn't have the typical MLP hair texture. I instantly fell in love with her design as it brought something new to the franchise as well as the fact that Misty is just a super cute and relatable character in general. I really love the hair choice for this pony as well as the wings! They turned out so well! It's just making me imagine though what Misty would look like as an alicorn.

[@jenniferwatrous1896]

yeah, I love that Misty has textured hair!

[@Karuranya]

Creo que este tipo de glow-ups son interesantes. Ejercitas más tu creatividad e innovas un producto existente. 👌 Aunque no recomendaría que lo hicieras con mucha frecuencia porque podría frustrarte cuando no tienes muchas ideas sobre qué diseño hacer. Sería bueno si haces dibujos de varias propuestas.

[@violetbee2857]

❤

[@karrahklinger2573]

I feel like this may have been a comfort project for you, considering how much you love ponies with loud and proud hair! Honestly I love the over the top style. It reminds me of Dollightful's Sakura doll? kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4GXnIKfo9icp80

[@yms4355]

Could you please remove the royalty-free jingles? They toast my brain and make the video hard to follow. I appreciate reading this, I LOVE your creativity and resiliance! xo

[@RetroGeekCrafts]

It would certainly make my job easier! :) But replace them with what? Most of the time, the audio is not good enough to be on its own (so the alternative is 100% silence). I honestly wish I could!

[@hannahlamagna]

As someone who adores fake mlps I love it 😍

[@katiberry9768]

Ermahgerd! 😍😍😍😍😍 She's so precious and absolutely gorgeous! My inner little girl is squealing with joy.

[@BratZ4everDiamonds_.]

She reminds me of g3 Starsong