Keeping true to my upcycling ideals I made this manikin out of items you would find in your own home.
A new store is opening up in my town (Bracebridge, Ontario) within the next week. It will be a cafe plus an arts and crafts store. The Bohemian Cafe and Gallery is owned by Tammy and her daughter Kristen and they have been working long hours preparing for their grand opening. I as one of the artists will have a display at the store and one of the items I will be selling is a vest which has been airbrushed by my very talented airbrush artist boyfriend. For those that love horses this one features a horse galloping on the back of the vest (see picture below). What we needed was a manikin to display it for sale. This is how I was able to make a very inexpensive manikin out of items which can be found in your house.
I Googled "making a manikin" and found various You-Tube videos on making a manikin out of duct tape. Who would have thought of the idea in the first place "Red Green"?
Supplies I used:
1 Old tight T-Shirt
5 Rolls of Duct Tape (Dollar Store kind)
1 Wood Dowel
1 Small plastic disposable water bottle
1 Lamp base (heavy)
2 pieces of tubing which I scored from 2 solar garden lights
Keeping in an upcycling mindset you can search around your home for various similar items. I have also seen a manikin made with paper packaging tape as well but duct tape was my choice for this project.
You will also need a friend to tape you up. It was a fun project. I giggled right through it.
A new store is opening up in my town (Bracebridge, Ontario) within the next week. It will be a cafe plus an arts and crafts store. The Bohemian Cafe and Gallery is owned by Tammy and her daughter Kristen and they have been working long hours preparing for their grand opening. I as one of the artists will have a display at the store and one of the items I will be selling is a vest which has been airbrushed by my very talented airbrush artist boyfriend. For those that love horses this one features a horse galloping on the back of the vest (see picture below). What we needed was a manikin to display it for sale. This is how I was able to make a very inexpensive manikin out of items which can be found in your house.
I Googled "making a manikin" and found various You-Tube videos on making a manikin out of duct tape. Who would have thought of the idea in the first place "Red Green"?
Supplies I used:
1 Old tight T-Shirt
5 Rolls of Duct Tape (Dollar Store kind)
1 Wood Dowel
1 Small plastic disposable water bottle
1 Lamp base (heavy)
2 pieces of tubing which I scored from 2 solar garden lights
Keeping in an upcycling mindset you can search around your home for various similar items. I have also seen a manikin made with paper packaging tape as well but duct tape was my choice for this project.
You will also need a friend to tape you up. It was a fun project. I giggled right through it.
I purchased 6 rolls of duct tape from the Dollar Store and used less than 5 to make my manikin. Wearing an old tight T-shirt I was wrapped from neck to waist in duct tape. Believe me now I know what corsets feel like! Once the T-shirt was completely covered, and I could hardly breath the back was cut open and then taped back shut once I was released from it!
the neck and arms were also taped shut.
the neck and arms were also taped shut.
I used scrumpled-up newspaper for the filler and I partially filled my manikin body in the shoulder area.
Next cut the bottom off of the water bottle but keep the lid on it. I put the dowel up inside the water bottle and stuffed the bottle with paper. Then I put the water bottle/dowel up inside the manikin. This I did to help stop the dowel from poking up through the neck. After that more newspaper was stuffed inside the manikin to give it substance and to make it like a real body.
An oval was cut from a piece of cardboard the size of the bottom of the manikin. Cut a hole in the centre of the cardboard and slip the oval shape up the dowel and duct tape it to the manikin. I also taped it to the dowel to keep the dowel from slipping out.
Next I found a broken lamp that had a heavy base. This lamp base had a hole big enough to insert my dowel. Before I mounted the dowling onto the base I decided to cover the dowling and used metal tubing which I took from old solar lights that I had around the house. You can also paint the dowel if you wish. I decided to try to match the base of the lamp and these tubes were perfect.
Next cut the bottom off of the water bottle but keep the lid on it. I put the dowel up inside the water bottle and stuffed the bottle with paper. Then I put the water bottle/dowel up inside the manikin. This I did to help stop the dowel from poking up through the neck. After that more newspaper was stuffed inside the manikin to give it substance and to make it like a real body.
An oval was cut from a piece of cardboard the size of the bottom of the manikin. Cut a hole in the centre of the cardboard and slip the oval shape up the dowel and duct tape it to the manikin. I also taped it to the dowel to keep the dowel from slipping out.
Next I found a broken lamp that had a heavy base. This lamp base had a hole big enough to insert my dowel. Before I mounted the dowling onto the base I decided to cover the dowling and used metal tubing which I took from old solar lights that I had around the house. You can also paint the dowel if you wish. I decided to try to match the base of the lamp and these tubes were perfect.
I covered the manikin with a long sleeve black T-shirt and stuffed a piece of scrap fabric in the neck to cover the duct tape.
I now have a very functional manikin. Total cost was under $6.00 ~ my purchase at the Dollar Store.
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"One should either be a work of art, Or wear a work of art"
- Oscar Wilde
I now have a very functional manikin. Total cost was under $6.00 ~ my purchase at the Dollar Store.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"One should either be a work of art, Or wear a work of art"
- Oscar Wilde
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