Thread: Shrunken Heads

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Shrunken Heads would probably fit well into many of the theme ideas I have heard so far this year (including my own). Store-bought ones are ok, but the best were the ones you made yourself... out of dried apples.

Many, many, many years ago, I had a Vincent Price Shrunken Head Kit (as many of you also had, I suspect), and put it to good use. It was awsome! I wish I still had it today (or at least the instructions)! Unfortunately, even the retro-toy sites don't seem to carry them. So, I did some online research and put together a new set of instructions.

These instructions are compiled from various sources on the internet as well as my own experience making these as a kid. The "lemon juice mixture" and soaking time varies greatly from site to site, so I went with an average for each.

"Shrunken Heads" are made from carved, dried, and decorated apples. The reusable Drying Chimney and Carving Templates take about 30 minutes to make. The apples take about 30 minutes to peel & carve and another 30 minutes later on to decorate. The rest of the time is waiting (soaking, drying, etc).

SAFETY NOTE: Do NOT cut, stab, burn, blind, poison, hang, electrocute, incinerate, or in any other way injure yourself, your loved ones, your enemies, or your pets while following these instructions. Remember, use apples, not real heads.

MATERIALS:
Large Apple (firm with no bruises)
Lemon Juice
Salt
Warm Water
Bowl
Craft Knife (Xacto)
Apple Peeler (or sharp paring knife)
Paper Templates (of facial features)
Scissors
Straight Pins (to hold template to face while tracing)
Toothpick or marker (for tracing template)
Eyes: 1/4" Round Beads (white, black, brown, yellow, or red) -OR- Cloves
Teeth: 1/8" Tiny White Beads -OR- Grains of Rice
Hair: Child's Costume Wig -OR- Spool of Cheap Thread (black, brown, gray, etc)
Lips: Yellow Highlighter (Permanent)
Heavy Black (Coat) Thread (optional, for stitches)
Hat Box (just the bottom, not the lid)
Table Lamp (without harp or shade)
60w Lightbulb
Wire
String

PREPARATION:
1) Drying Chimney: Make a SMALL hole in the exact center of the Hat Box (balance it on the tip of a pencil until level, then poke). Run some string through the hole from outside to in and make a loop with a large knot (if the knot pulls through the hole, add a key ring or washer). The knot should be able to support the box. Later, the apple will hang from the loop inside the up-side-down hat box which will be suspended directly over the lamp.

2) Templates: Draw several templates featuring eyes, nose, lips, & ears. Vary the proportions and placement of the features. Have some mouths open, some closed. Cut out with scissors.

3) Hair: If using thread for hair, wrap entire spool of cheap thread from hand to elbow to make large loop. Tie off and cut to make 1 bunch, 12" - 15" long.

4) Lemon Juice Mixture: In a bowl big enough to submerge the entire apple, mix 1 cup of warm water, 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 3 tablespoon of salt. Stir to disolve salt.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Run 12" of wire through the core of the apple. Make a small hook at the bottom (loop it halfway around a pencil) and push it into the bottom of the apple. Make a similar hook at the top, about 1" from the apple, and cut off the excess wire.

2) Thinly peel the apple.

3) Choose a template and pin it to the apple, trace around the edges with a toothpick or light-colored water-based marker, then remove the template.

4) CAREFULLY carve away unwanted apple as appropriate to create exagerated facial features. Make the eyes sunken, the nose prominent, and the lips understated. If the finished mouth is to be sewn shut (see Step 8, Option 2), leave the lips closed. Otherwise, carve a gaped mouth opening. Gently round off any corners or sharp angles. Make appropriate-sized slits for eye beads. For surgical scars (to be stitched up later), cut straight incisions in the cheek or forehead. NOTE: Any details added at this time will probably be lost during the shrinkage process, but new, random "details" will naturally occur over time.

5) Place the apple in the bowl and add enough warm water to immerse. Soak the entire apple in the lemon juice mixture for about an hour. The lemon helps keep the apple from oxidizing (turning brown) and the salt helps in the drying process. NOTE: Experiment with shortened soak times or even skipping the lemon juice to see the resulting color.

6) Hang the apple from the loop inside the hat box and suspend the hat box (open side down) over the table lamp's bulb. The apple should be about 6" - 8" above the bulb, therefore the hat box will be well above the bulb. Do NOT allow the apple or the box to touch the bulb!

7) Allow the apple to dry for at least 24 - 48 hours, until it feels spongy. If mold appears, start over with a new apple and a brighter lightbulb. Add a fan to aid drying in humid regions.

8) Once dry, add eye & mouth features. First, color in lips and eyebrows with a yellow highlighter, then:
Option 1: Open up the eye slits, apply a drop of glue, and insert eyes (beads or cloves). Glue a few random teeth (beads or rice) into the mouth opening.
Option 2: Sew eyes and mouth shut with heavy black (coat) thread. Also stitch up any incisions made earlier.

9) To better preserve your shrunken head, especially in humid climates, lightly coat entire head with shellac or wood sealer. Allow sealant to dry completely.

10) Glue on hair. For thin, whispy hair, use thread. For a "full head of hair", use the child's costume wig.

That's it! As always, post pics of your finished masterpieces. Step-by-step pics of the entire process would also be cool.

PS: Attached is a pic of the first Shrunken Head I made... back around 1975. LOL Not much left to her after 35 years!

This is such a cool idea! Thanks for the great tut.