After dismantling a pony, you may decide to recolor a pony. Changing a pony’s body color is a fairly easy process. Customizers have two options: painting and dyeing.

Option1: Painting

Painting is ideal for hard-to-get colors, like pearly white or metallic gold. It’s also a good way to recolor a pony who’s stained too badly for dyeing. To choose which paint you’ll be using, be sure to read the painting section of this site. Please note that if you are rerooting the pony’s hair, hobby paint will most likely chip off in the process.

To paint a pony, be sure she is well cleaned. Sometimes it helps to have the head and body separated. Paint on one thin layer and let it dry thoroughly. If the pony still has her hair, be sure to paint carefully around each plug with a fine brush. Add a second coat, painting at a different angle to cover any brush strokes. If you used hobby paint, you may want to follow up with a matte varnish to prevent chipping.

Option 2: Dyeing

Materials: Powdered dye, stainless steel bowl, fingernail polish remover, sandpaper, latex gloves

Dyeing is a more difficult process, but produces more authentic results than painting. I used powdered RIT dye on almost all my customs, although liquid dyes are also good. A pony can only be dyed to a darker color. White ponies can be dyed any color, and colored ponies can be dyed to a similar color. For instance, a yellow pony can be dyed green, but an orange pony cannot be dyed purple. A good way to test a color is to mix the dye in a small dish and color the inner lip of a pony’s neck, since this part of the pony stays hidden. This is also a good way to observe how glue will repel dye.

The first step is to make sure the pony is perfectly clean. Remove every speck of paint from the emblems and any excess glue from the neck. Sandpaper it if you have to, because it will repel the dye.

Fill a stainless steel bowl (no porcelain!) with about a quart of hot water (or enough to submerse a pony). Make it as hot as you can stand it, because you’ll have to stick your hand in there. Mix in a teaspoon of dye. Some people mix in salt, but I don’t find it necessary. Colors can be customized by mixing two different colors of dye. Let the powder dissolve completely. While dyeing Baby Surprise, I kept Medley nearby for reference (you can see her tail in the picture).

Put on a latex glove and submerse the head and body separately in the dye, letting out all the air bubbles. Be sure to dye them at the same time so they match! Stir them constantly so they dye evenly, and check them periodically. The longer they’re in, the darker they get. When the pony is dark enough, take her out and give her a good scrub. If you can tell early on that you missed a glue spot because it’s not coloring, stop dyeing immediately and sand off the glue spot. Rinse the piece off and try again. You may adjust the dye color while dyeing. If the water is still warm, just add another sprinkle of dye. You may also dye a pony more than once. After dyeing Baby Surprise, I decided she was too green and dyed her once more in plain blue, adding a tint.

The dye can take a month or two to fully soak into the pony’s body, much like ink stains do, and you may notice that a small, uncolored spot will disappear over time. Some materials, like rubber bands, can pick up color from the pony during this time, so be careful what she comes in contact with!

Customizing 101 Intro :: Anatomy of a Pony :: Dismantling the Pony

Changing Body Color :: Painting your Pony :: New Hair :: Special Effects

Finishing Up :: Problem Solving :: Custom Pony Links

Dava’s Customs :: Back to Main Page