Mounted "Hipster" Mustache
A bit of background first. Every year I grow out my mustache and beard for "Movember". Over the past 2 years I decided to start curling the mustache, but come spring time I cut it off. This year I decided to "save" my mustache, other than having photos of it. I figured that it wouldn't be any creepier than a stuffed and mounted deer or moose head on your wall, so why not !
Tools and Materials
Tools:
X acto knife or razor (be careful)
Hammer
Brush or cloth for staining the wood
Sandpaper
Tape (I used scotch tape because that's what I had lying around)
Scissors
Superglue
Mustache Wax
Materials:
Mustache ! (sorry ladies, this might be a little difficult for you, but you should be able to use some animal hair instead!)
Leather (I chose a black leather sample from an arts and crafts store)
Cardstock
Wood name plate (I found this also at the arts and crafts store, it was only $1 and they have many different designs to chose from)
Stain *optional* I think it looks nice with stain, but you don't have to
Upholstery tacks/ nails (I picked these up at a hardware store) Brass thumbtacks might work just as well
Craft foam
Picture hangar *optional but recommended*
X acto knife or razor (be careful)
Hammer
Brush or cloth for staining the wood
Sandpaper
Tape (I used scotch tape because that's what I had lying around)
Scissors
Superglue
Mustache Wax
Materials:
Mustache ! (sorry ladies, this might be a little difficult for you, but you should be able to use some animal hair instead!)
Leather (I chose a black leather sample from an arts and crafts store)
Cardstock
Wood name plate (I found this also at the arts and crafts store, it was only $1 and they have many different designs to chose from)
Stain *optional* I think it looks nice with stain, but you don't have to
Upholstery tacks/ nails (I picked these up at a hardware store) Brass thumbtacks might work just as well
Craft foam
Picture hangar *optional but recommended*
Staining
Unfortunately I don"t have any photos or video of the process, but if you haven't stained wood before google is very helpful.
Cutting Off the Mustache
This is the tough part of the build! Not just emotionally, but you have to be very careful with this step!
Step 1. Wax the hell out of your mustache! You want that thing to be rock solid before you cut it off!
Step 2. Place some scotch tape on the surface in front of you. Preferably by a mirror. Make sure it is stuck to the surface, but also has the sticky side up. Double sided tape might work, but you have to be careful when you take it off afterwards.
Step 3. We are now going to Very Gently snip off one side of the stache. Hold on to the base of the curl, and slowly cut it off as close to your upper lip as possible without letting the curl fall apart! You only get one shot! Then place it firmly onto the tape.
Step 4. Now do the other side the same way.
Step 5. Measure the width of your mustache, you can do this before or after, but you don't want it to look weird once you've mounted it.
Step 6. Get ready for mounting it!
Step 1. Wax the hell out of your mustache! You want that thing to be rock solid before you cut it off!
Step 2. Place some scotch tape on the surface in front of you. Preferably by a mirror. Make sure it is stuck to the surface, but also has the sticky side up. Double sided tape might work, but you have to be careful when you take it off afterwards.
Step 3. We are now going to Very Gently snip off one side of the stache. Hold on to the base of the curl, and slowly cut it off as close to your upper lip as possible without letting the curl fall apart! You only get one shot! Then place it firmly onto the tape.
Step 4. Now do the other side the same way.
Step 5. Measure the width of your mustache, you can do this before or after, but you don't want it to look weird once you've mounted it.
Step 6. Get ready for mounting it!
Mounting
Step 1. Make some marks on the wood in the x and y direction using the measurements you took earlier to give it the right width in the x direction.
Step 2. Add a drop of super glue where one of the sides needs to be.
Step 3. Carefully un-stick the mustache from the tape and place the base of the curl onto the dab of super glue.
Step 4. Adjust it until it is lined up where you want it.
Step 5. Add some more super glue over top of where it attached to your lip, but don't over do it!
Later we will be covering up the glue so you can't tell where it is, but if you over do it, you might not be able to cover it up.
Step 2. Add a drop of super glue where one of the sides needs to be.
Step 3. Carefully un-stick the mustache from the tape and place the base of the curl onto the dab of super glue.
Step 4. Adjust it until it is lined up where you want it.
Step 5. Add some more super glue over top of where it attached to your lip, but don't over do it!
Later we will be covering up the glue so you can't tell where it is, but if you over do it, you might not be able to cover it up.
Cutting the Leather
Step 1. The first thing we want to do before we cut the leather is make a template. I went through multiple designs before I found one that I like. It needs to both cover up the superglue while showing as much of the mustache as possible, and also look stylish.
Step 2. Once you have your design, we need to cut it out of the leather. I used an X acto knife, but scissors might work just as well.
Step 2. Once you have your design, we need to cut it out of the leather. I used an X acto knife, but scissors might work just as well.
Finish Up!
Step 1. Now we are going to attach the leather. You should have let the glue dry by now, if not then you should probably wait. As you can see in the first photo, when the leather is just laying on there it is very flat. We want it to look 3 dimensional. I did this by super gluing a piece of craft foam in the center. This let it look more natural.
Step 2. Now we are going to start hammering in the upholstery nails. Find some good spots to nail them in before you start. You don't want it to look like it was lazily put together.
Step 3. Hammer in all the upholstery nails.
Step 4 (optional, but recommended). Add a picture frame hangar to the back so that you can display it. What good is it if it's not seen!
Step 2. Now we are going to start hammering in the upholstery nails. Find some good spots to nail them in before you start. You don't want it to look like it was lazily put together.
Step 3. Hammer in all the upholstery nails.
Step 4 (optional, but recommended). Add a picture frame hangar to the back so that you can display it. What good is it if it's not seen!
Clean Yourself Up!
Final step. Clean up the beard and mustache with some trimmers. You don't want to look like a hippie....unless that's what you're going for, then you get to skip this step.
If you enjoyed this instructable, or thought it was a cool idea, please consider voting for me in the Full Spectrum Laser contest, or the Woodworking contest!
If you enjoyed this instructable, or thought it was a cool idea, please consider voting for me in the Full Spectrum Laser contest, or the Woodworking contest!