Creating a Stencil of the Model's Head

HOW TO MAKE A STENCIL OF THE MODEL'S HEAD (for use in making hair/hats/earrings/etc.):

1. First, make a shirt in the FM with a high collar and save it to your closet.
2. Go to the Makeover Creator and put on the shirt you made for stenciling.
3. Choose hair for the model that is close to the head.
4. Hit the “Zoom in” button on the top left (the head will now be the perfect size for the mannequin in the Fashion Maker when you’re zoomed in there).
5. Now you’ll want some tracing paper or a clear plastic sheet. Put the paper/sheet up to the screen and hold it there or tape it up. (I tape it up with electrical tape, but that’s my choice. If you’re a child or using someone else’s computer, you’ll want permission before using tape on the computer).
6. Lightly trace the head, neck, hair, ears, collar and shoulders. If you think you’ll be making masks, glasses, makeup, etc, you’ll also want to trace the facial features.
7. You may want to make several stencils with different hairstyles that you commonly use if you want to make hair accessories or hats. That way they’ll sit perfectly on the hair you’re making them for.
8. Now you have your stencil! When you use your stencil to create accessories on the head, just use the same collar in the FM as you made for stenciling so you can line your stencil up perfectly. You can always change the shape of the collar or get rid of it before saving your new creation.

NOTE: Remember that when you are zoomed in in the fashionmaker, you cannot go far up or down, right or left without having already placed four details in the corners of the fashionmaker "room" when zoomed out.  So you will not be able to use your stencil of the head in the FM until you do this.  For details on how, see tip here.

:) tmck18

Creating Different Accessories

TIPS ON HOW TO CREATE DIFFERENT ACCESSORIES:

Shoes:

* Use the pants garment that hugs close to the leg and ankle like tights.
* Use your detail of choice (I like to use roses or beads) to create the shape of your shoe.  Even if your shoe is form-fitting to the foot, make sure the edges of your shoe still go slightly past the silhouette edges of the feet.
* If you’re in a rush for time, a quick heel can be made by stacking the belt buckle.
* You can always create the shoe and leave off the heel, then when you do a MO, add a heel by moving some DUC heels behind feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toenails:

* The only garment that shows the feet is the pants. So choose a long pants design, then go down to the feet and place beads where the toenails should be. Then go back and change pants to the form fitting shorts so they can be hidden under most garments. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Hats and Hair Accessories:

* I like to sit at a table and put a plastic sheet or paper over my stencil. I then draw a hat that fits the head/hair shape. Then when I make my design, I layer this drawing over my stencil on the computer screen, and simply fill in the drawing with details.
* If you want to do a simple headband, you can always draw one on your stencil when you make it, so that you can easily create headbands in different colors whenever you need them.

Jewelry:

* Earrings can be tricky to position properly, so be very careful when making your stencil to get the ears exactly right. And to keep your earrings even on both ears, use the stitch detail as a ruler to line the earrings up.
* Necklaces are fun and easy to make, just think it through first. Do you want to make the necklace on a wearable garment? If so, you’ll never be able to wear that garment with another necklace, and you’ll never be able to wear the necklace without that garment. Personally, I like to make my jewelry, especially necklaces, on an “undershirt” or “underdress.” Think about such issues before you create your design. I often make a whole set of accessories (hair accessory, earrings, necklace, bracelet and purse) all on one undergarment, and keep it for use in many makeovers.

Hair:

* I like to draw my hair over the stencil first just like I do with hats.
* Hair can be made with many different details. Some I have used are the rose, bead, triple-ring, donut and rip. I often like to combine details. Try different details, layer them in various ways, and see what looks good to you.
* I usually make hair on a shirt used as an undergarment so I can use the hair with more than one outfit. The only problem with this is that if you make long hair that goes over the shoulders, the garment you put in front of the hair garment will be placed OVER the ends of your hair, so take this into account when designing.

:) tmck18

Layering (clothes, hair, and items)

HOW TO LAYER GARMENTS/ITEMS (including multiples of the same type):

(This is technically for Makeover Creator, not Fashion Maker, but I thought it would be useful.)

1. Put on the garment/item you want to be on top.
2. Click on the garment/item. A little box should pop up that says: "Remove, Forward, Backward."
3. Click on the word "forward." Keep repeating this until you see the garment "blink."
4. Now you should be able to put another garment/item of the same type on and it will show up underneath the first. If it doesn't work, just go back and click "forward" more; sometimes it needs a lot of clicks, but not too fast.

NOTE:
You can use this method to layer as many garments/items as you'd like!

TIP FOR LAYERING MORE THAN TWO GARMENTS:

I find it easiest to move my second garment forward until it shows up on top of the first, then click it back just enough that it goes back behind the first. Now you should be able to layer on a third without a hitch, and so on.

:) tmck18 

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 HOW TO LAYER TWO HAIRSTYLES IN THE MAKEOVER CREATOR:

NOTE: You must have a slow internet connection for this glitch to work, or the site must be lagging.

1. Choose the first hairstyle you want and put it on.
2. Quickly click on your second hairstyle of choice.
3. Quickly click back on the first hairstyle.
4. Keep clicking back and forth as quickly as you can between the two hairstyles until they stick and you are wearing both (this can take a long time).

Once you have two hairstyles on, you can change them if you like...

1. The bottom hairstyle must be changed first. So re-click on the bottom hairstyle (not on the model; click the hairstyle in the hair options box). Then click on the hairstyle you want to change it to.
2. For the top hairstyle, just click on whatever hairstyle you want it to be.

NOTE: To change the color of the hairstyles, simply click on the hairstyle you want to change and then click on your color of choice.
:) tmck18

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 TIPS FOR LAYERING HAIR WITH WIGS  (MAKEOVER CREATOR TIP)

So the Hair Doesn't Show:

*Choose the hairstyle that hugs closest to the head (no bangs).  Turn it to the color that most closely matches your wig.

* Put on your wig, then click it forward until it covers the hair.

 

So Hair DOES Show (to create very unique hairstyles):

*Put you wig on first and move it backward (yes, your head towel will still be on)

*Go back and choose the hairstyle of your choice

NOTE:  You can layer multiple wigs with hair for many different hairstyles!!

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 HOW TO BE FREE OF THE EVIL GRAY PANTIES SHOWING UNDER SWIMSUITS:

(Another tip for the Makeover Creator, not Fashion Maker, but still useful.)

Get the pink undies from your closet/storage (if you don't have them, they are in the store for points). They have a really high g-string type leg, and they replace the gray panties when you put them on, so they don't peak out from under bathing suits. Now your bathing suit should be free of the evil gray panties. Hooray for freedom!
:) tmck18

Using DUC Backgrounds (and Staying Sane)

Everybody knows those beautiful DUC backgrounds can be nightmares to deal with.  That is, unless you know how to work around their glitches.  Worry no more, divas, for I will show you how to deal with those meddlesome backgrounds!

First, the basics:

Backgrounds must be moved behind the model, but they usually won't budge unless you put the background on before any clothing or hair.  So put the background on before the clothing and hair selection, then click on the background and a box will appear.  Click "backward" on the box until the background moves completely behind the model.

Advanced Techniques:

Layering accessories when working with backgrounds

It can be difficult to layer accessories when working with backgrounds because the backgrounds get in the way of "selecting" the accessories to make the box appear where you can move items forward and back.  Here's an easy way to remedy this:

• Add the background first (don't move it back yet)
• Add your earrings (don't move them yet)
• Add all your wigs and other accessories (don't move them yet) 
• Now you should be able to click on every accessory and move them forward or backward without trouble (you may have to zoom in to click on the earrings)!  Move the background behind the model first, then follow with the other accessories.  If your earrings become hidden by a wig, click the wig forward first, then back again and the earrings will show up
• Now go put on your clothing, select your hairstyle, and do your makeup

 If you want to layer TWO sets of earrings, a background, and one or more wigs

• Add the first pair of earrings first
• Add background and click it backward behind the model
• Now you can place your earrings all the way forward and add another pair
• Add your wig or wigs (if the earrings become hidden by the wig, click the wig forward first, then back again and the earrings will show up)

There you go, divas!  Now you know how to keep those backgrounds from getting in your way.

:) tmck18