Day of the Dead Bobblehead Costume

Designed, built and worn by Kiki. I got the idea from an Arts Festival where dancers were wearing costumes with giant masks, and I was so inspired to build my own big mask. They also had large bodies, but I wanted to have an exposed body (I wanted the challenge of still being sexy) so I made a bobble head, and had to put in a lot of thought in its construction, that it would be well supported and uniformly heavy. I live in NM and Dia de Los Muertos is really big here, plus I really wanted to use glitter, so I decided to be a day of the dead skeleton. I spent two weeks and over $200 making it. I made a frame of three connected foam rings, sculpted a foundation of the face with pipe cleaners and foam plates for the back of the head, covered that in starch soaked cheesecloth, then a layer of paper mache strips. To further round out the skull, I taped down strips of thin cardboard bent around the abnormal shape and paper mached that. Then I used a paper mache clay of toilet paper, flour, plaster of Paris and wood glue, which was strong enough to be power sanded, but was still pretty rough textured, which I hadn't intended but in the end thought it added to the effect. Finally, I painted and decorated it, added the hair and shoulder holders! It also includes an air vent and storage space in the back of the skull. I also made maracas with balloons and paper mache strips. The outfit I made as well, sewed bones filled with batting and hot glued to a body stocking and bedazzled with rhinestones. I'd never done a project like this, but now I think paper mache is my new favorite hobby!