Altered Precious Moments FAQ

Thanks for being a fan of the "Altered Moments" trend that I kick-started in late 2023. I love painting thrifted Precious Moments figurines and adding clay and accessories to create entirely new characters.

I'm Chica, the artist behind Altered Moments, and I put together this page to answer the frequently asked questions you've sent me.

If you have more questions, DM me @chicaandjo on all the socials or email me at chicaandjo@chicaandjo.com.

Altered Moments Frequently Asked Questions:

• How do I get started making Altered Moments?
• What clay do you use?
• What paint and sealers do you use?
• What tools do you recommend?
• What do I need to get started?
• Where can I see your work?
• Do you have a community for AM artists?
• How can I support you?
• Do you sell your pieces?
• Can you make me another one?
• Where do you get the figurines?
• Do you do custom pieces?
• Do you want to buy my PM collection?
• Don't you know these are valuable?

I love nothing more than hearing about people trying this hobby for the first time! I created a special video that gives you all the info you need to get started, including supplies, tips, and techniques.

VIDEO: How to Get Started with Altered Moments

When you're ready for more detailed help, I have tons more content available in my Patreon community!

FREE Altered Moments tutorial videos

I've created a bunch of free tutorial videos that go into more detail on various techniques and supplies, all available in my content library.

• The Best Air Dry Clay for Altered Precious Moments
• What Paint Works Best? Let's Test 10!
• Painting Tips and Tricks for Altered Moments
• 3 Techniques for Cutting Precious Moments
• Advanced Techniques for Cutting Precious Moments
• Demo of SIX Cutting Examples on Altered Moments
• How to Make a Precious Moments Bald
• How to Add Waterslide Decals to Altered Moments
• Testing Varnish Sheens
• Air-Dry vs Polymer Clay for Sculpting
• How to Watermark Images
• How to Make Tiny Eyeglasses
• How to Add a Sand Base
• How to Paint Wood Grain

Bonus content for advanced altering

Ready for even MORE help with advanced topics? Consider upgrading your Patreon membership for access to benefits like these:

• Exclusive technique videos and tips
• Community chats
• Access to Chica's digital JPG and SVG files
• Checklists, worksheets, and outlines
• Video Q&A calls with Chica
• Exposure and mentorship

Here are some of the bonus tutorial videos available in my Patreon community!

• How to Turn a Dress Into Pants
• Hair tutorials:
  • Going Bald
  • Curly Hair
  • Long, Thin Hair
  • Textured Hair
  • Ponytails and Braids
  • Smooth Hair
• How to Paint Faces
• Color Mix Charts for Skin and Hair
• Gluing Broken Figurines
• How to Fill Holes
• My downloadable JPGs and SVGS
• How to Make a Baseball Cap

I use a two different air-dry clays, depending on the application. (See more in my clay comparison video!)

Sculpey Air-Dry is my favorite, because it's easy to sculpt, is very affordable, dries rock hard, and is easy to sand and shape after drying. The best price I've found is about $9 here at Walmart.

Sculpey Air-Dry Porcelain is a variation that dries even harder and is much more resistant to cracking. It costs more and is harder to shape after drying, but it's great for tiny, fragile bits or for applications that encase the figurines. You can find it here at Walmart and here at Amazon.

My absolutely favorite paint to use is DecoArt's Americana Multi-Surface acrylic paint because it sticks beautifully to the porcelain with no primer needed and is incredibly durable. The satin finish looks great and actually helps make painting easier. (See my painting tips video to learn why!)

If you want to see why I prefer this paint over others, watch my comparison of 10 acrylic paints video to see which performs the best!

DecoArt's brush-on varnishes allow for excellent control and come in a variety of sheens. (See my sheen test video to see 6 DuraClear formulas in action!)

GUESS WHAT: You'll find these paints and sealers in my custom Altered Moments Starter Kits, available below!

These are my favorite paints and sealers:

• Americana Multi-Surface Satin Paint is available at DecoArt, Amazon, and Walmart.
• DuraClear Varnishes are available at DecoArt, Amazon, and Walmart.
• Americana Decor Varnishes are available at DecoArt, Amazon, and Walmart.

For one-stop shopping, you can find all my recommended supplies linked in our Amazon storefront and in our Walmart storefront.

Having the right tools makes all the difference with Altered Moments.

You can find my favorite supplies linked in our Walmart storefront and in our Amazon storefront. (Canadian friends, visit our amazon.ca storefront)

TIP: You'll find many of these tools in my carefully curated Altered Moments Starter Kits!

I'm as excited as you are for your first creations!

To save you time and money, I created two carefully curated kits that will help you get started right away.

I share my painted Precious Moments figurines on all our social media channels as they are completed. Be sure to follow us @chicaandjo on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

To see the transformations in action, check out this Facebook Reels playlist.

We also have a great round-up post here on our blog that features a bunch of Painted Precious Moments by us and other artists.

Actually, I have two!

First, I have developed a huge community of Altered Moments fans and artists in my Altered Moments Facebook Group. My members include established artists, newbie alterers, and vicarious onlookers who just like to see everyone share their work. Join us if you'd like to share your work or see what others have created!

Second, I have a new Altered Moments Patreon community for dedicated artists who are looking for more of my technique videos, digital content, mentorship, and advice about creating and selling. My Patrons can get access to exclusive bonus content that's not shared anywhere else!

Aww, you're so sweet to ask! It does take quite a bit of work to manage and maintain the Facebook groups, and the more support I get the more time I am able to devote to interacting with the community.

You can show your support by subscribing to my Patreon community. There are two levels of membership to choose from, depending on if you're creating these as a hobby or as a business. Both levels get you tons of exclusive bonus content to help you create!

After spending weeks or months on one of my creations, I'm often too attached to part with them, but sometimes I'm willing to give them a chance at a new home with someone who will love them.

These are the completed pieces I have currently available for purchase. If you're interested in owning a piece of my art, contact me at chica@chicaandjo.com to discuss.

Mr. T
$700

Friends Cheesecake
$750

Sophia
$350

PCH Prize Patrol
$600

Mr. Miyagi
$700

Shipping costs are additional and will be calculated based on your specific location. Email me for an exact quote.

Keep an eye out for new listing announcements on our TikTok account.

All of my pieces are one of a kind, and I only create a single copy of each altered work. I've found that doing the same thing over and over to create more copies takes all the joy out of it, and makes it seem too much like work, so I do not create duplicates.

If you want to be sure you get a chance at purchasing one of my pieces, all announcements will be made in our TikTok account and in our Altered Moments Market Facebook Group and then listed here on this page.

I source most of my pieces from thrift stores, where they sit on shelves, just waiting for someone to give them a new life and love.

I occasionally receive gifted collections from friends and followers, and sometimes I hit up eBay when we need that perfect piece to complete an idea.

I do not have the budget for purchasing complete collections at this time, but I do accept donations. If you want your pieces to go to a good home rather than the landfill, you can send them to me at:

For USPS shipments:

Chica and Jo
PO Box 188
Bryantsville, KY 40410

For UPS shipments:

Chica and Jo
302 Bryantsville Rd Unit 188
Bryantsville, KY 40410

At this time I'm not able to create custom pieces or take custom orders. This includes personalized pieces (to match you) or duplicates of pieces I have already created and sold.

I understand that Precious Moments are emotionally very valuable to dedicated collectors, but most pieces — certainly the ones I alter — are not worth very much money at this time. The Precious Moments market was flooded in the 90s and most of the individual pieces have greatly reduced in value.

I do research every piece I receive before altering it, to be sure it is not highly valuable. I rarely pay more than $10 for a figurine and would not alter a piece that is rare or worth a lot.