D is for Do-It-Yourself

My great friend and an amazing blogger, Shai, is back as a guest on Mama Making Changes! I've said before, I'm just not the artsy, creative type. I have to rely on my friends for craft ideas! Shai, however, is a true artist. Enjoy this genius DIY post and then head over to thank her by visiting her site. The link is at the bottom of the post.

So far in my blog life, I’ve written about cloth diapering, no’pooing, baby wearing, healthy eating, container gardening, and a plethora of other awesome but often irrelevant topics, depending on who’s reading. This post can apply to anyone who can hold a needle and thread, and/or owns duct tape!  This project is absolutely NOT a necessity…but it sure is fun to make.

Besides, you can turn yourself into a superhero. Raise your hand if you’ve always wanted to be Wonder Woman?

Thought so.

Here’s what you need:
Old t-shirt you don’t need/want
Silver Duct Tape
Colored Duct Tape (optional, but fun!)
Stuffing of some sort (magazines, newspaper, quilt batting, fabric scraps…I used a bit of each)

Eco-Conscious Status: Somewhat. The duct tape isn’t the most biodegradable thing on the planet, but neither are the contents of ‘real’ dress forms. You may also already have duct tape lying around the house. If you repurpose the stuffing, and shirt, and save the money/gas/shipping/packaging/footprint of a ‘real’ dress form, then I’d call it a good choice! It’s also personalized to your form, so you save on alterations (which saves on thread and material, in the end).  Add all of that together and I think you’re on the eco-friendly good end with this project.

And here’s the easy peasy tutorial:

1. Put on shirt, and have a friend wrap the duct tape around you, over the shirt. Take a picture which accidentally focuses upon your feet.

2. Keep going, but try to make the rows as even and un-bunched as possible. Go all around the shirt, bottom to top, at least two times. We did two because I knew I would do extra layers with the colored duct tape later. 

3. Stand in super hero stance, like a goofball, and let your best friend take humiliating pictures of you.

4. I didn’t get a picture of us in action on this one, but you can get the point. Cut straight up the back, including the old shirt. Be careful doing this – we almost cut my dress and I would have had to drive home in my birthday suit. True story.

5. Tape the seam back up, tape up the holes, and then cover in duct tape/marker as you see fit. Again, the last part is optional. I just figured if this thing was going to be around awhile, I might as well use it to display my top-secret X-Men status. 

Voila! Dress form! You can stick it on a pole (umbrella stands work great, I hear) and fill it with caulk to hold it in place, if you wish. Mine works for me as is, as I rarely make anything that needs to fit my hips. Have fun! 

Author Bio: Shai is a mom, student, artist, and blogger. Her popular blog, The Vagabond Studio, is full of healthy recipes, upcycling ideas, and inspiring posts about her thoughts on everything from parenting to peace, green living to green businesses. Head on over to check it out and maybe leave a comment, here on this post or on a Vagabond post, to let her know you love it and thank her for posting on MMC!