Ever Make Your Own Body Double?

Yesterday, it occurred to me that my body double was looking a little shabby, and that it was time for a makeover.  Raise your hand if you knit or sew and have a body double.  Anyone?  Well, this is a project that you just have to do.  I mean it.  Like run to Home Depot and pick up a couple rolls of Duct Tape right now.  Go.

Here's what the ol' girl looks like now--all black and shiny.

And here's what she looked like before.

If you look closely along the bottom, you will notice that I had to photoshop the bottom to hide the hole where the stuffing was popping out and the neckline where the hanger was poking out and where the duct tape had started to come loose.

So, how about some directions?  This is easy, but you need someone (your husband/boyfriend/significant other/favorite UPS hunk, etc.) who would be glad to wrap your upper body tightly with duct tape and then cut you out of the cast with a pair of scissors.  Maybe you should just get a girlfriend to help ...  You'll need a hanger, at least two rolls of duct tape, an old cotton t-shirt, a pair of scissors, a piece of cardboard--cut to fit the base of the body double--and at least one, but probably two, bags of batting/stuffing.

Step 1.  Put on the bra you are most comfortable in--things will get a little tight during this process--and one of your old, old, even if it has holes in it--I raided my husband's t-shirt drawer--cotton t-shirts.  Kiss it good-bye and put it on.  Make sure that it is long enough to cover your hips so that you don't accidentally duct tape your jeans.

Step 2.  Beginning with the chest, have your buddy wrap strips of duct tape very tightly--but not so tightly that you can't breathe--around your body.  I'm a size 4 with a 36C bust, and it took 2 big rolls of duct tape to wrap my upper body.  Then, wrap wherever there is t-shirt, being sure to wrap tightly and to smooth down the edges.  Do NOT duct tape around your throat.  You can do that part later, when you've gotten out of the mummy wrap.  Wrap the arms to about 2" above the bottom of the cuff, then fold the cuff up and tape over--or, don't fold it and leave it loose to sew shut later and then tape over.

Step 3.  Wrap the duct tape so that it covers the belly button area and the top of your hips--make sure to get all the curves, ladies!  Also make sure that you have put on enough duct tape that you, literally, can't move inside of the body double.  Layer it on--the stiffer the better!

Step 4.  When you've just about run out of duct tape, and the wrapping is tight and immovable, have your buddy cut straight up the back.  You will tape this back together later.  Remind your buddy not to cut through your bra strap.

Step 5.  Get out of that thing!  You might also want to put on another shirt.

Step 6. Place hanger through the inside of the body so that the hooked end protrudes through the neck and the rest of the hanger is sticking out the sleeves.  Then, hang it up and tape the back shut.

Step 7.  Stuff that baby!

Step 8.  Stand the body up on the table and trace the base onto a piece of stiff cardboard--don't use poster board because it is WAY too flimsy.  Make your husband buy you a new appliance so that you have some good cardboard to use for this project.  Tape the cardboard base to the bottom of the body with more duct tape so that the body will stand upright on its own.  Re-tape the base so that you have a smoothly taped bottom edge to your body.

Voila!  No more trying to make modifications to your sewing/crocheting/knitting project by looking in the mirror and hoping that you don't stab yourself with those straight pins!

One final note, I cut out a strip of cardboard from an empty cereal box and made a neck and some shoulders to cover the hangar parts when I did my makeover.  You might like to do this, as well.