Different Hats

Not very long ago, while out on a dumpster diving adventure, I found a mannequin. I thought this was pretty cool, so naturally, I pulled it out from the Old Navy dumpster and threw it into the car.

I’m an artist, and I like to create new and different things—or at least I like to think that way. I’ve never worked on something like this before. I needed some ideas, and thank goodness for Pinterest.

There’s not much with mannequins and custom creations, just some basic stuff that didn’t appeal to my eye. I wanted to create something that was unique and stood out from the rest.

At first, I couldn’t think of a damn thing to do with it. I got bored one day while staring at it and decided to paint the whole thing one color. Blue as an ice-cold death.

I added some stitches in random spots since I was feeling this undead vibe with her. It took another minute to observe her, and then it came to me – she would make a perfect Sally the rag doll from The Nightmare Before Christmas!

This project began sometime last year around February, and it was difficult.

It has taken me over 10 months to complete, and it’s probably the most frustrating project I’ve ever attempted. Well worth it, though. My family loves it, especially my daughter.

I came up with everything on my own. I had no outline or plans to work with, I had never seen anything like this.

She is painted with acrylic paints, her red hair is made using yarn, and the stitches are made with faux leather—for that real effect. She is protected with a gloss that is smooth to the touch.

This was extremely challenging to paint. I had to put myself in lots of awkward positions just to get it right.

Now that she’s done, she stands guard in our living room near the windows. From the outside, it looks as if someone is watching you at night.

I have thought about selling it, but I’m not sure if that’s something I could do. This thing is pretty neat!

The most money I spent on her was about $40$. I needed just a few supplies, but I had everything else.

Now I keep a lookout for mannequins anywhere I go. This was fun to design and then execute into something marvelous.

Welcome to the family, Sally!