Form to use as prop body

I start with a pvc frame to place over a wooden stake in the ground for support. I also glue the pieces of pipe so it dosen't move or fall apart....learned the hard way on that one. Then I use pool noodles for making the arms. The rest of the body I get a bunch of plastic gracery bags inside one bag and blow a little air in them and tie the ends real tight then tie to the pipe to fill out the body where needed.

I have used both duct tape bodies and inflatable mannequins. I like them both alot. If my inflatable mannequin pops, I cut it open and stuff it with styrofoam or paper or packing peanuts.

My biggest challenge is making the body sturdy in the yard. I can't do major excavation because we live in government housing. Many members put rebar in the ground and build very sturdily off of that.

Ween12amEternal said:

Hey guys, am considering building a full size ghoul of some kind this year & was wondering what good forms other members have used to build these bodies out of. Am a complete n00b at it, so I'm looking for something that's fairly straightforward.

Was thinking of chicken wire fencing since we have some leftover from a yard project, but that might be hard to form. Looking around, I've seen inflatable mannequins, and Duct Tape Dummys being suggested, and these sound interesting.

Would love to hear what others have used build their bodies.

Click to expand...

Maybe you have the wrong kind of chicken wire because it only takes me 30 to 45 minutes to make a body out of chicken wire and it cuts and forms easy. The only down side is the little pokes in the tip of your fingers hurt the first couple times. Then you get use to it.

I use the 1 inch chicken wire from Lowes and I get 2 rolls...one, 24 inch and that's the perfect size for arms and torso and one 36 inch roll for the legs...again just about perfect for a 6 foot body by the time you add the head.




I went ahead and did a how to http://www.halloweenforum.com/tutorials-step-step/115034-chicken-wire-body-step-step.html

If you go the tape double route, use clear tape vs. duct. It's stiffer and holds the form better with fewer layers.

Stiltbeast Studios has a couple of youtube tutorials on clear tape forms.

This is video of a whole body being done.
http://youtu.be/nFTS3ZtXDok

This is the more detailed tutorial of the technique.
http://youtu.be/NHYHbjqA08k

This is a different guy ... who used a mannequin torso, then added arms from his daughter.
http://youtu.be/gjGrF_McI8U

bmaskmaker said:

If you go the tape double route, use clear tape vs. duct. It's stiffer and holds the form better with fewer layers.

Stiltbeast Studios has a couple of youtube tutorials on clear tape forms.

This is video of a whole body being done.
http://youtu.be/nFTS3ZtXDok

This is the more detailed tutorial of the technique.
http://youtu.be/NHYHbjqA08k

This is a different guy ... who used a mannequin torso, then added arms from his daughter.
http://youtu.be/gjGrF_McI8U

Click to expand...

Interesting- thnx for posting.