How to Successfully Make Your Own Duct Tape Dress Form

Making one of these homemade dress forms can save you plenty of money in the long run if you plan on creating clothes for yourself. The average price for an already-made dress form is about $150, and it's not even the same dimensions as your unique body! If you are to make your own, you'll spend an average of about $5-$15. I first got the idea from Youtube after researching sewing methods and DIY fashion, but I think that the advice I got from watching several tutorials was incomplete. So I'm going to give a run-down of my experience and a tutorial on how to avoid certain pitfalls.

Materials
-duct tape (at least 60yds, preferably more)
-scissors
-two plastic garbage bags
-a buddy

Estimated time required: 30-40 minutes

The Beginning
I was originally going to use an oversized t-shirt, but realized that it might be more effective to use a garbage bag since it would lie closer to my frame.

1)Line your body with a garbage bag (or two). To do this, cut holes for your head and arms and slip the garbage bag on. I used a plastic produce bag to line my neck. Use the second garbage bag to cover your lower-half if one bag doesn't reach your mid-thigh.

2) Rip pieces of duct tape into ruler-length strips until you reach the neck area, then rip the pieces smaller since you're working in a more delicate area. Pictured below: duct tape already formed around mid-section. (I look sort of like I'm dressing up for a Lady Gaga concert, no?)

3) After completing the midsection, move on to the chest. My only warning for this part: be sure not to create a uni-boob effect. Allow the tape to contour to you so that it's an accurate representation of you.

4) Be very sure to triple (or quadruple) the layers of tape so that it's a sturdy structure. I made the mistake of only putting two layers of tape on my form and it was fairly flimsy. This might be fixed when I fill it with polyfil, but for now it cannot stand on its own.


5) To remove the form, your buddy needs to cut it off of you in the back.

6) Tape it up in the back so that it is one whole piece again.

7) Stuff it with Polyfil (or anything else that you think will work).

8) Find a stand on which to hand/mount your form.

The Finished Product
The dress form actually looks pretty cool and futuristic. This project has got me thinking about other times where it's appropriate to wear duct tape clothing. Visions of Halloween are in my mind!