How to Make a Mannequin Bust

The project I am sharing with you today was a challenge in one of the blogger groups I belong to. The challenge was to create something using cardboard. This project was inspired by one of my art projects that failed, but that failure gave me the idea for this project.

Cardboard box

Plastic mannequin hanger

Craft glue

resin/polyurethane optional extras

wooden block

threaded metal pole

The failed project idea was to use thick Kraft paper and cover the mannequin surface as my base. It looked really great at first and I was over the moon with the results.

But a couple of weeks later the whole covering just slipped off the mannequin. The reason this happened was that I used cheap glue to attach the paper. This then gave me the idea for my cardboard bust. My thoughts were if the paper just slid off so would the cardboard.

To make my bust I used a thick cardboard box which I ripped into small pieces. Next, I put the cardboard into a bucket of water to soften.

After an hour the cardboard was still really hard which was disappointing. I thought I would try adding boiling water and this did soften the cardboard enough to pull apart.

Even after soaking in hot water, the cardboard was still pretty tough. I first tried my hand blender to mash up the cardboard but it was taking too long.

I am not very domestic in the kitchen but I do have all the appliances. So after 20 years of sitting in the cupboard, I thought I would give my blender a whirl. This worked fast and mashed up the cardboard perfectly.

The cardboard was added to the blender with water and blended until it was a pulp. I did this in small batches so it was not too much strain on the blender.

Next, you need to remove all the excess water from the pulp. I used some mesh fabric I had at home, a stocking will also work if you have some. I put the pulp inside the mesh and squeezed out all the excess water.

You can now add your glue to the pulp. I used a cheap craft PVA glue so it would not stick to the mannequin once dried.

Using gloves you can mix the pulp and glue together in a bowl.

I added a layer of plastic to the mannequin first but this did not work. The pulp kept sliding off the mannequin while I tried to shape it.

You can add the cardboard pulp to the whole mannequin by pushing it down onto the mannequin shape. I chose to just add the pulp to some parts. I wanted it to appear like a bust sculpture that had been broken over time.

You can now leave the cardboard to dry. Mine took 2 days for the top layer to fully dry as it was winter here in Australia. After 2 days I lifted the cardboard from the mannequin and left the inside to dry for a day.

You can use black gesso or black acrylic paint if you want to achieve the same effect like mine, and paint everything black. For a better cosmetic look, I painted the inside too.

At this stage you can add any colour of metallic wax paste, I used bronze because I wanted it to look old. To add the wax you touch the wax with the tip of your finger and wipe it over the raised surfaces of the cardboard.

While the bust was firm it was not as strong as I would have liked. To seal the paint and make the bust stronger I added 2 coats of epoxy resin which I painted on with a bush. I also added a layer of epoxy resin to the inside. This made the bust really hard. Alternatively you can add 2 coats of clear polyurethane.

A few years ago, I was asked by one of my followers to see if I could make a Steampunk Christmas tree. While I did make one it was not something I needed. So I recycled all the parts I made into other projects. I used the stand from the Christmas tree to hold up my bust and the gears went on my steampunk mannequins. To attach the bust to the stand I used a nut the correct size for the threaded metal rod and used epoxy resin glue to attach it to the back of the bust. You can then screw the bust into the threaded rod.

I made this jewellery box cupboard to store all my jewellery in one place.

What toddler would not love a lego table upcycled from an old desk?

For more great unique projects pop over to my website Unique Creations By Anita.