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Well, it took a bit longer than we thought, but she's done!  And being
filled as I type.
 
A couple of thoughts:
 
Turn on the air conditioning and have water ready.  It gets warm for both
people.
 
My mom tore the duct tape instead of cutting it.  While this worked fine for
the model, the duct tape eventually started pulling the skin off her
fingertips.  Major owie!  Be careful of your fingers!
 
If I were to do this again, I would use a different color tape for each
layer.  That way I could tell when I had good coverage.
 
I am filling mine with styrofoam peanuts and expanding insulation foam.
Seems to be working fine so far!  The foam by itself is too expensive to
fill the whole thing, but it works great to hold layers of peanuts in place
and to round out the corners and make them firm.
 
I am SO looking forward to having clothes that FIT!!!!
 
Thanks a bunch!
 
Cindy

Sophie

added November 2003

I'm doing duct tape doubles for my mother and me. Mum's is finished and mine is just about to be stuffed. I thought I'd pass on a couple of hints I picked up along the way.

A great stuffing materiel to supplement the fibrefill is bubble wrap! A neighbour had just bought a new dishwasher and let me use all of packaging. Cutting it into small squares ended up being both very messy and very hard on the hands, so I ended up setting on 10cm wide strips. It was easy to cut and easy to bunch for stuffing close to the pole. I reserved the fibrefill for around the edges. so I used much less than I otherwise would have.

Also, I have very square shoulders so a regular coathanger wouldn't be the right shape. We got a packet of those cheap wooden craft hangers and glued two together, then got dad to attach them to 25mm aluminium poles so they'd fit on an existing stand. (He also wrapped us both, living up to his reputation for German precision and accuracy!) They looked a little bit like really loooooong anchors. I wrapped the top of them with more bubblewrap (surprise surprise) to round off the edges. I made the hook as a separate piece which could sit in the neck properly. I glued/screwed it into a neck-sized piece of wood and cut out a few more cardboard pieces to shore it up. The fabric gathers go over the wood, then the cardboard, then the duct tape goes over that. Nice and neat, and can be hung up when not in use.

Thanks for a great site - covering myself in duct tape might not be the weirdest thing I've ever done, but it certainly makes the top 5
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D Mckay

added October 2002

I will be able to start work on my daughter's wedding dress this morning all because my other daughter and I made a DTD of her last week. Since the bride lives nine hours away, a dress form was a necessity; I was groping around for ways to make one when I found the instructions on-line. They were a godsend.

There are two ideas I would like to pass along: Because my daughter, when we taped her up, was wearing the expensive new "corset" she intends to wear at her wedding, I was concerned about cutting between the finished form and her underwear. So, I dug up a scrap of imitation leather and cut a 4 inch strip of it to go between her unmentionables and the t-shirt. The strip was placed down her back on the expected cutting route and when the taping was done, we were able to cut without fear. If you do not have fake leather on hand, I think I would recommend buying some if you care about the underwear (or the wearee) the peace of mind was worth much more than what four inches of the stuff would cost.

I used packing peanuts to stuff the form, BUT not in their loose form. First I dipped open plastic grocery bags into the box of peanuts, filled the bags 1/4 to 1/3 full, and tied the tops loosely (you don't want an airtight balloon). The bags made handy, pliable units that stuffed the form very nicely, very quickly and for free. I also used a few crumpled newspapers to add support in the breast and shoulder areas.

My out-of pocket expense for the dress form was $5.48 for the duct tape and $1.00 for a yard of stretchy beige material (at Walmart) that now covers the form. Everything else was recycled.

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Patty

added July 2002

Thanks so much for the free instructions!!
A friend and I had her daughters do us, and it was quite an adventure. Perhaps you could add a very important item to the instructions:

GO PEE FIRST!!

Yeah, that was hard to hold it so long, and what was I thinking??

I also built a wire frame inside mine because when I stuffed mine it made it poodge out funny in the chest. I am very flat/straight across/almost sunken chested and when I stuffed the form it just looked very different. I used wire hangers and cardboard to shore up the waist hips and ribs, and tied a front to back inside strip of tape to insure the rib to spine measurement stayed accurate.

Just my 2 cents worth! Thanks again! It was very successful!

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Jody

added April 2002


Saw your site, and knew I had to do it! I can send pix and plans for the stand. It's quite a bit different from any
I've seen. But for the moment, I'll stick to a couple of tricks I picked up while working with the DTD (pardon the
pun!).

My husband did the taping over an old tee shirt, using cheap black duct tape from Home Depot. We used two
roles. I have just dropped some weight, leaving me back in a size 10 at long last. I wanted a couple of extras
out of my DTD. For one thing, I wanted to be able to fit pants, so I wanted it to both hang up or be placed on a
stand. I also wanted to be able to do close-fitting sleeves at least on my upper arms, so we added a layer of
saran wrap to the arms and along the bottom of the tee shirt. Hint: tape the saran wrap to the shirt right away! It
is so filmy that it will roll and slide as the tape goes on and you begin to perspire. The taping took about an hour
and a half, and it was late, so we put a clothes hanger in after we cut of the form and hung her up on a door
frame. It was a couple of days before I had time to stuff, and I noticed she had started to sag a bit. I found as I
began to stuff that the sags were pretty much self-curing.

I was not very happy with the idea of using shoulder pads to stuff the chest, but found an old pair and tried it
out. Since it still wasn't smooth enough to suit me, I got out a pair of bust enhances I had (Frederick's of
Hollywood - $12), and decided to sacrifice my "hooter helpers" for the cause, place in an old bra which was in
turn placed inside my double after the core was stuffed. This wasn't a very great sacrifice, because I'm a C-cup
anyway - but that was precisely the problem. A larger bust means more space you have more space to fill
smoothly. Shoulder pads just don't get it done. So there she was - proper undergarments, and all. And I still
wasn't happy quite yet.

Once most of the stuffing was in, we put her on her stand (which is a whole other story). I retaped, sliced and
fitted my way to DTD glory, taking my time, and using a tight-fitting top of mine to check the fit. Hint: If your
double is a little larger than you after stuffing, you can cut slits in the appropriate spots, and retape a little
tighter. I saw other stories about women whose husbands are engineers. In our case, I am the engineer, so you
can only imagine how much fussing around I did once the tape was cut off!

I then took some cheap muslin, and fitted a cover. After basting the whole thing together, I carefully cut the
muslin off, and used as a pattern to cut the finished cover of black stretch Lycra. Of course, the Lycra stretch
made it necessary to cut the actual pieces a bit smaller than my muslin pattern, but it worked out great. I used
the finish cover as a check on the dimensions again, fitting it to the dummy and then trying it on myself for
accuracy. Hint: Tailor's chalk is your friend. Use plenty!

When the last fitting was done, we used the tailor's chalk to mark my navel on the cover, and to trace the outline
of my underwear, so I'd have a good reference when fitting pants and skirts later on. Using white thread and a
basting stitch, I sewed the chalk lines right into the cover before sewing the cover together in the back. When
the cover was put on, I decided (surprise!) that the chest STILL wasn't quite smooth enough to suit me, so I took
a pair of lightweight webbed bra forms that you put in dresses and slipped them between the dummy and the
cover. Voila! They were perfect. (I only wish I didn't need a bra to look like that myself.)

"Venus" (so called because of her headlessness and armlessness), now graces the corner of my sewing room.
I'm so happy with her, I haven't even dressed her properly yet. I can't wait, though! I've got a pile of pretty fabric
that talks to me every time I pass the door to that room. Thanks so much for the inspiration and all the good
ideas.

Jody P.
Norcross, GA

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Kathy

added October 19, 2000

I received the instructions the next day after ordering them and finally got a chance to make the dummy. My husband wrapped me, and surprisingly it took just a little over an hour for the actual wrapping. Stuffing, that's another story. I probably spent a few hours a day over the course of 3 days just getting it right. I found that the shoulder pads just kinda disappeared into the breast area, and I could see how ineffective they were going to be in keeping the shape. So instead I used a Styrofoam ball cut in half in each breast. Holds the form and works fine, although positioning it into place proved somewhat of a hassle because of the shape. Perhaps larger breasted women would appreciate this tip anyway. :)

My 6-year-old daughter was so thrilled about seeing my form that she wanted one of her own. So I wrapped her over the weekend -- took less than an hour -- and then let her do the stuffing. She had a lot of fun doing it. And now I have a form I can fit her Halloween costume to. :)

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Chris

added October 20, 1999

I was reading through the questions and comments of the DTD.  One of the questions was whether or not one could use expanding foam to fill the dress form. Although I haven't used this method to fill a dress form I do have some advice on the subject.  I work in the theater and I have used this product quite extensively for filling forms.  This is a great product it creates a durable strong and light weight filler and if you have a mold the object can easily be re-created.  The problem is two fold, first: Spray foam is designed for insulation and filling small cracks in your house.  The key word here being small cracks.  When you try to fill such a large space it takes hours if not days to dry and the outer layers tend to dry so thoroughly that even after you think it is dry it is still expanding.  This can cause distortion after the form is closed.  The second problem is that in my experience after about two weeks a fill job of this size tends to shrink and settle considerably.  My experience was in an attempt to make a "plaster looking" Greek bust of a man.  We molded a three dimensional bust out of plasticine and cast it in plaster, then took a cast of the plaster with liquid latex. Then we filled the latex in two halves with touch n' foam, it worked great and allowed the clumsy actors to drop it in rehearsal and not damage it at all. But after two weeks the bust appeared (quite amusingly) to have aged 50 years and was wrinkled and quite disturbing.  When all is said and done, I would definitely recommend NOT trying such a lengthy project as the DTD with the expanding foam, and sticking to the poly-fil.
Thanks for listening,
Chris Foss
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Elly

added March 3, 1999

We did it!  For Valentines Day, my husband was the "taper".  His present to me was his time in doing the taping and my present to him was his many snickers while wrapping me!   I am a plus size lady and he is tall and thin without any lumps or bumps!  He certainly had a good time enjoying my less than enthusiastic remarks during the taping.  He remarked "What, one hip is higher than the other, one shoulder is more rounded, and my breasts were less than perfectly proportioned to each other even after having breast reduction a few years back"  geez, after 17+ years of marriage, I am just now finding this out - I'll have you send you (meaning me) back to where I came from and look for something younger and more proportioned!  I quickly reminded him that I was and still am the best thing that ever happened to him...  He quickly responds "Yes Dear" as he always does when I remind him lovingly of this.

This project really is humbling to say the least.  There is something to be said about looking at your double with all its flaws standing there all shiny and silver looking right back at you.

I elected to cover my double with a tee shirt that I "darted" here and there to fit the "contours" (as I like to call them).  I made sure the tee shirt was longer than the form and then I ran a piece of elastic through the bottom hem of the tee shirt and pulled it taught and the whole double has a nice cover. The neck edge I built up with tape so as to form a "ridge" so I know where my neckline should always be (I hate anything up on my heck) and then filled the "hollow" of the neck form with a piece of contrasting fabric so it looks like my double is wearing a turtle neck.

Today, I am looking for a wig head for my form too.  Her name will be Athena. I even drew a heart with an arrow through it on my form over her "heart" and put my husband Roger's name in it because he was really is such a "DOLL"  and his kidding was done in a most loving way --- the skinny PUTZ!

Thank you again.  Maybe next year we will try this again and there will be less "contours" to tape over, around, and under.

Thanks  again.     Elly
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Jennifer

added June 5, 1998

        I just finished my DTD and love it!!  I have been reading upon the instructions for the past two months (I've been losing weight and wanted to wait 'til I shrunk a little :-) ) and finally decided to go for it.

        When I read of Jane and Karen, who used a broken torchiere lamp for a base, it solved my problem of how to stand the form up.  Our lamp recently died, and we were going to throw it out until I read about the stand idea. The lamp was in three screw-together pieces.  I took the top section off and pulled out the cord.  I also got a fabric cardboard tube from the fabric store and it fits perfectly down over the stand.  Before I added the wooden hanger at the top, the top of the tube was the exact height of my shoulders when sitting on the stand base.  However, because of cutting into the tube to set the hanger, I had to raise it a little off the base and tape it well so it would match my height.  I used a 2" long PVC coupling the same width as the tube.  I put a little polyfil between the coupling and the stand to keep it from turning around.  The tube fits perfectly on it.

        My taping took two and a half hours and another half hour to mark and cut.  My husband taped my up and did a good job without knowing anything about making darts or taking waist measurements.  Some of the first horizontal pieces did not lay flat and bunched up.  We placed shorter pieces of tape on these few areas to help smooth them out.  The vertical layer smoothed everything out nicely.  I think the tape was a bit more sticky than usual from the humid climate (I live in Miami).

        I used a black T-shirt and had my hair in a high ponytail, so I looked like a 70's club dancer or something out of Rocky Horror.  But it was great to finally be free after three hours.  It was good to bring my knees up and stretch my lower back.  Wear shoes for the taping! And mark while standing on a flat, tile surface, not carpet.

        Over the next few days, I stuffed and stuffed (kind of like what I do over the holidays).  It was difficult to get the pieces of tape horizontally on the inside of the back to seal the opening; the tape kept getting stuck together.  I stuffed it about three-quarters full and then took measurements.  My waist and hips were perfect, but the bust was one and a half inched too small.  I used a wooden spoon to stuff more into the bust area from the neck and up from the bottom.  FINALLY, after letting the form sit overnight, I remeasured and it was exactly to my proportions.  (Go figure!  I wish I could lose weight overnight.)  For most of the stuffing, I  kept the form on the stand.  To finish taping the opening at the hip, I would just slip the tube off the stand to lay it on the floor.  And I used an old cardboard box to make the base.

        The only problem I had after stuffing was the arms.  My husband just taped a couple inches below the armpit, or about five inches from the top of my shoulder.  Well, because I had my hands on my hips, to top of my arms angled backward and not straight out from my side.  I didn't notice this until I put a dress on her and saw the sleeves pulling at the front.  To remedy this, I cut out the cardboard piece I'd used in the armhole, trimmed off the excess tape on the back side, and taped on more polyfil on the front part of the arm.  The cardboard was my guide so I'd get the diameter correct.  I then finished with the third taping using white tape.

        NOTE ON STUFFING: I bought two popular kinds of polyfil.  The Mountain Mist Fiberloft brand seemed "more stiff," so I used it in the top part of the form.  It made it VERY firm.  The Polyfil by Fairfield brand seemed to "puff out" quickly after compacting it into the bottom.  By stuffing with the Mountain Mist, I used less and feel that the form will hold her shape for many years.

        I am 5'4" and 135 pounds.  The approximate materials used:
                2 lg. rolls (60 yds.) silver duct tape
                25 yds. white duct tape
                62 oz. polyfil (2 16oz. bags and 1 1/2 20oz. bags)

        I know my Double will be used a lot.  I've wanted a dress form for a long time and now I have one that is a custom fit and cost three times less than a commercially manufactured one.  Good luck to those wanting to make one.  Happy fitting!!

        Thanks for the great directions.  God bless!
        Jennifer Rosbrugh

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Texlers

Added Feb. 26, 1998

After reading the Threads article, I decided I just  had to try this. When my DH asked what I wanted for Valentine's Day, I showed him the article and printout from your web site and he was happy to oblige.  We decided to go with Barbara's stand idea, but had trouble finding the right supplies and so wound up with 3" and 2" pipes and a regular tee. We started the actual taping at 4:30; plenty of time to finish and get to the Valentine's dance by 7...riiight :0)!  my DH is a computer consultant/software engineer and very meticulous.  It took 5 hours! Needless to say we were both kinda cranky by the time we  were done!

I have a few suggestions based  on our experience:
1.  if you're going to wrap the upper arms,either wear a tighter t-shirt or slit the sleeves before you start taping (ouch!).
2.  snip the curves, if needed, after wrapping - we wound up wasting a lot of tape, as well as a lot of time, due to it sticking to itself.
3. you can still go potty if you either don't tape up the very bottom 'til last or you don't mind using the stand and sprinkle  technique :0) !

Boy was I relieved to be cut free of the DTD!  I'm on my feet all day at work, but not being able to move around,  esp. arms  and neck was torture!  Sure found out I need to work on the P's - potbelly,  posterior, posture, and pecs (I knew the R and L sides were different sizes, but different levels, too?!)

I wrapped the upper pipe with an old foam cushion, hot glued to the pipe, and some scraps of batting left over from quilting projects, thereby needing only 2 16oz. bags of fiber fill.  I purchased some pushup bra cups made by Simplicity instead of the shoulder pads - about the same price but more anatomically correct - and put them in with the  thicker part on top, using glue stick to hold them in place.  Setting the pipes in a Christmas tree stand led us to name the DTD "Eileen" [get it: I lean], so I had to make another trip to Home Depot for another toilet base and some bolts (used the seat from a broken chair for the base - we save everything around here :0) )

My coworkers at HOF in Valencia want to see her; who knows, maybe we'll have a workshop and make each other DTD's!

Thanks again !
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Pat

Added Feb. 26, 1998

I don't know anyone who sews so I asked my Mom to spend the weekend with me and help tape me.  She might not sew, but she is a perfectionist.  She did a wonderful job and I only had to put up with a little good-hearted teasing.  It took almost 4 hours though.  We started above the waist and put two layers of tape on before beginning below the waist.  That way I was able to take a much needed bathroom break.  Whoever said not to drink a lot of liquids was right on the ball.

Different people mentioned two to three rolls of tape for a size twelve or so.  I bought 12 economy sized rolls - - I didn't want to run out in the process.  Can you imagine running to the hardware store halfway taped!  I used only three (economy sized).  Returning them to Menard's will be interesting.

I used a night shirt type of T-shirt instead of an ordinary T-shirt.  It was plenty long enough and I used the left over hanging material to help hold in the fiber-fill.

I used a antique dress form that someone gave me many years ago as my base. It worked very well, but believe me it was only a base!  I still had to use eight economy size bags of fiber fill.  Silver Pat is very firm and I expect she will hold up very well.  I also taped a great deal longer than recommended because that is my problem area.  The antique dress form provided Silver Pat with a beautiful cast iron base and brass top finial.

I've become quite used to having Silver Pat around since we finished her.  I keep her "dressed" in the corner of my dining room until I can make room for her in the sewing room and everyone who sees her comments that it looks just like me standing there.  It has become so unnerving that she may even become a diet aid.

I figure that the whole project (including night shirt) cost me just under $55.00.

I just wanted to thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with me.  I would also like to thank all those who shared their experiences in making their DTD.   You all have saved me a great deal of time and aggravation.
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Denise, Jessica, & Lyla

added Feb. 13, 1998

I recently made my "double" following the article in Threads magazine. Everything worked out according to plan except when it came to cutting the  tape off.  With the help of my daughters (ages 10&9) they began cutting it  with standard scissors-a few close calls and nicks later - when we returned  home from the ER (ha ha) we discovered a new tool to use.  If you use a five dollar pair of nurses bandage scissors, which we realized we had already, the  job can be completed painlessly.  We thought to share this idea with you for  future reference.  Keep up the interesting new innovations.

Denise, Jessica, & Lyla. (either future seamstresses or ER nurses)
Monson, Ma.
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Ilene

added Feb. 13, 1998

A friend and I just duct taped each other yesterday.  I felt like Xena. Anyway, just a note on the weight of the tapes.  I asked my husband to pick up some duct tape at the Hardware store.  He got contractor grade.  My friend picked up a Scotch tape brand.  The contractor grade tape was extremely difficult to unwind and my friend had to keep making darts in it so it would curve properly on me.  It was almost impossible to do continuous strips.  When I did her using her tape, I was able to continuously wrap her, and needed to do very little darting except at the bust.  Her tape was lighter and unwrapped of the spool very easily.  When we were done, there was very little difference between the two weights of the forms.  So for anyone who has a choice of weights, I would recommend the lighter weight duct tape.  I am in the process of stuffing and have glued two shoulder pads into the breast area.  I think that I may also glue one into the tummy area if I can find one large enough.  I'm not particularly heavy, but after having two babies, I do have a little pouch there and I think that many of us are probably in the same boat.

I am very excited about getting this finished and being able to use it. I've always had a hard time adjusting patterns since I am very narrow through the back and shoulders,  long waisted and very busty.   I have always hesitated about buying a ready made dress form because I didn't think I would be able to get it accurate enough.  As soon as I saw the article in Threads, I knew I had to do this.  Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Ilene
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Julia

added Feb. 10, 1998

Just printed out your duct tape double.  I intend to make one.  Sounds like just something I can afford.   Anyway, I just wanted to add to the person having trouble finding cardboard tubes.  Go to a company that makes vinyl banners such as a sign shop.  I sew vinyl banners for a living and my banner fabric comes wrapped around thick heavy duty cardboard tubes.  Some of them are bigger in diameter and thicker than the ones I see at the fabric store.
 

Julia
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Emma

Added Jan. 30, 1998

I read your page on making a duct-tape double, and it makes a lot of sense.  My mother has been wanting a dress form for a while, and this seems like the perfect solution.  While reading the questions, a few thoughts came to mind.  Somebody (Rose?) asked if weight of duct tape mattered.  I would advise the lightest duct tape available, because it will be more flexible, and would be less likely to buckle around curves. Now, I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know if the lighter duct tape would cause problems with strength later on.  Also, on the question of the full body double.  It seems to me that it would be possible, though only in the hanging form, if you were to leave areas behind the knees and just below the crotch un-taped, then finished the edges like the neck and arms. This would give hinged legs, the way dolls with kid bodies are hinged. Wow.  Anyway.  I can't wait to try one for myself...

Emma
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Dee

added Jan. 30, 1998

I finished and am pleased.   If I had to do it over again I would change a few things.

1.   I would choose a "sewing" friend.   I think they would have a better instinct of what I was trying to get than the friend I did  use.   However, she was a good friend to do this for me.   It did take the 2 hours and a few minutes more.

2.   I would check my tape first.   I used regular gray duck tape for the first two layers.  I purchased a roll of white duck tape from Home Depot, but it smells bad!   The smell is so bad I have had to remove it from the bedroom and sewing room hoping it will "air" out.

I haven't had time to use the dummy yet, but can't wait.   I will let you know.
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DeAnn

Chapter 1
Hurrahs to Leanna who has put together instructions for this DUMMY - and was kind enough to personally E them to me when I could not get into the Web Page and download for myself.

Hurrahs to my DH who taped me up this evening for approximately 2 hours.  What husband would be willing to do that?  Isn't he just the greatest?

Hurrahs to me for being able to stand still that long (and to keep my mouth shut that much) The Duct Dummy is hanging from the ceiling here in my office. She is waiting for her stuffing which won't happen until Sunday.

TIP:  In purchasing the duct tape, I had an inspiration - went to the carpet department of Home Depot as asked if they had a tube from a carpet roll that they didn't want.  YES they did! and free.  DH went over to the lumber department and sawed the thing in half so it would fit into the car - and we drove away smiling.  The tube itself is about the same circumference as my neck, and is very sturdy.  We will design a portable wood stand (flat base, with three 1" dowels standing perpendicular to the wood base) for it next week, and I can then use DUMMY hanging or standing.  Floor space is a premium thing here.

More later as we complete the project.  The DUMMY will then be known Mabel II
DeAnn in Hot Citrus Heights CA
 

Chapter 2
Hello to all who are into repeating themselves!!!! The DTD was "mounted and stuffed "  [anybody do taxidermy?] today!  I am not quite finished as I have not added the bottom piece that holds all the stuffing in, but that will happen tomorrow. I purchased four 16 oz bags of Poly Fill (I am 145# and 5'5") and should have bought 5 bags,  but I have a great deal of Scotch blood in me.  It is amazing how tightly that fill can be packed into the tape shape. Speaking of which, it IS necessary to pack it tightly, so mind Leah's instructions.. After filling the complete tape shape, I found it advantageous to cut a small slit in the sleeve of the T Shirt at the armhole, stick my 'packing stick'  through and tighten up the poly fill by adding small amounts at a time and getting the shoulder area good and firm. My DH fitted a 5 gal. bucket as a base for the tube by cutting a hole the same circumference as the tube, exactly in the center of the lid, locking the lid down tightly, and, by using two stones in the bottom of the bucket, there is enough ballast to keep DTD upright. He sawed the tube to my exact height.  When not in use, the DTD can be hung from the ceiling over in the corner from one of the old swag-lamp hooks, thereby returning my precious floor space to me.  Now, that means that the base/stand cost us exactly nothing.  The tube was free, we already had the bucket/lid.

Expenses so far:
3   Duct Tape          @2.97                    8.91    {needed 1 1/2 rolls at the most]
4    Poly Fill 16 oz    @2.59                    5.28    [on sale at 1/2 price]  Needed Five

Things we learned:
Taping is about a two hour process.  Make sure you have not had a lot of things to drink for several hours prior to beginning the process.  You cannot stop in the middle and finish later - it needs to be done all at once. Small pieces of tape on the curvy areas are a MUST.  DH loved this part! :-) It doesn't need to look pretty - it only needs to be snug, not tight enough to distort the contours of the body. Mark Armscye before removing taped form from your body. Mark Neckline before  removing taped form from your body. I don't look like I thought I look - that DTD tells it all.

Chapter Three coming soon.
DeAnn in Citrus Heights, CA
 

Chapter 3
The DTD is now known as Mabel II, so please show the proper respect.

The fifth bag of polyfill did the trick - and I used all but a handful. The bottom piece was attached to Mabel by cutting a paper pattern first, then cutting the foam core.  This was a great time to check the symmetry of Mabel II, and I found the tube was not at a perpendicular to the floor, so did a bit of rearranging polyfill around the tube and straightened that out.  The bottom piece was fit into the tape just at the edge on the inside and taped.

At this point I did some careful measuring of critical spots to assure she actually was my duplicate because I was very suspicious of some of the lumps, bulges and sagging spots!! :>) DH was pretty careful, actually, as I needed changes that were very minor in the bust area [he taped me a bit too tightly] and tummy area [he taped a bit too loose].  I cut a slit 4" behind the bust, and under the arm, and inserted more polyfill and used the stick to pack it.  Measure, and stuff, measure and stuff - and THEN rearrange some. Now, the poor thing needed some sort of clothing.  I picked up a great lycra cotton remnant, sewed it into a tube that would just fit over the hip  [largest area] and pulled it down over the form.  Skin tight, covers all the creases and patches and other blemishes and can be pulled off and washed.  As a final decorating touch, I put a very thin layer of batting over each boob to smooth out the crunchie look.  Mabel II was pleased with that touch, and then was really happy when I tied a lovely satin cord around her waist in a nice mauve color.

Thanks Leah, for the great encouragement and instructions on your page.  I have wanted a form for over a year, and just could not afford the prices.

DeAnn, Mabel II and DH

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Gwen

I made my duct tape double on Labor Day.  I only used one jumbo roll of Duck Tape (from Target, for about $3, I think.)  I filled it with 3 bags of shredded poly foam I had lying around, plus a little poly fill.  Now I wish I had waited for the foam to settle and added more before sealing, coz the form's kind of soft... but it's still very useable so I don't mind.

It took my husband about an hour to do the wrapping.  I kept my hands on my hips so he could do my upper arm, to about short-sleeve length.  Then I covered the neck, bottom, and arm holes with cardboard circles so the form would have the correct widths in those areas.

I haven't measured the form, but it looks so much like me that I had to put a shirt on it so I wouldn't be embarrassed by others seeing it.

I call it Silver Gwen.

Gwen

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A Special Thanks-

To all my Internet friends who have given suggestions for this page. Whether it was an easier way to make the form you discovered while trying this method for yourself, or helping me phrase an instruction so it could be understood better, your help has been indispensable. If you have noticed your words added to this page, give yourself a big pat on the back.

Would you like to share your tale? Click on the comment link below.