My First Mannequin! & Paper Mache Mannequin

Hello and welcome to this weeks episode of whatever this is 😉 First off I want to share with you the fact that I got a beautiful mannequin in early January – my first one ever! After doing some research on mannequins (all the different styles, materials, cost) I decided on what I truly wanted and budgeted appropriately. I searched high and low throughout the internet and was super lucky to find an ad on craigslist with EXACTLY what I wanted, at even a lower price than I thought possible WITH the option to go pick it up in person. Two days later I was in the car with a friend, on our way up to Kansas City to look at the mannequin. It was located in this place called the Super Flea … which turned out to be quite an experience/adventure. When I found the mannequin inside it was exactly perfect and so I paid the guy happily and strolled out with her in a box on top of my head.

Meet Isabella!

But hey, if you have one mannequin… why not have two?
Why not MAKE another?
So that’s what I did! I covered Isabella up with lots of plastic bags, plastic wrap and tape to protect her body and jersey fabric covering and then I did paper mache (Papier-mâché!) around her. When I thought it was thick enough and completely dry, I carefully cut open one side and peeled the paper mache off of Isabella and painted it black with basic acrylic paint. Newspaper, brown paper bags, water, white flour and all-purpose glue and black acrylic paint where all the supplies I used. It was messy and took a little time/energy but what isn’t that is worth it? Now I have a super light and “I don’t care if it breaks I can just make another one” BLACK mannequin. (Un-named. Hmm…)

Check this photo out.. you can see that the newspaper has a little ad printed that says “recycle this newspaper”. I actually tore that out and put it on just as it is without even paying attention until my boyfriend said something to me about it! It was meant to be.