DIY Dress Form

[Random Girl]

I love doing costuming but there are somethings that I know I won't be able to make correctly without
A) a willing and capable partner OR
B) a dress form

Being that I tend to do my sewing at odd times when option A isn't available and I am too poor/cheap to buy option B does anyone know a way to make a cheap homemade dress form?

Or failing that an option C?

[Valencia]

Not only is it cheaper than buying a modern dressform, it's also a better shape for 16th century sewing, because you make it to fit you, ready to wear a corset.  http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00002.asp.  The challenge with the duct tape forms is that the glue on the tape will ultimately break down, and get sticky everywhere; so if you make one, maybe make a good cover to protect your garments from the residue. I did not make one of these yet; a friend bought me a modern dressform for my birthday last year, but I keep threatening to make this version so that I can get my corset on it. 

[Random Girl]

How is it that Duct Tape didn't occur to me...at all.

Duh!  Thanks so much those are awesome!

[gypsylakat]

we had a few good threads on this at the old forum (isn't that the way with everything though *vows to not say that any more*)

ANYWAYS one of the things that they had said before was that you could use the paper tape the kind that's like mailing tape on one side and brown paper on the other I think you can get it at Office Depot.

A few other people had used like extra fabric to kind of pad the outside just a bit so that your pins won't go through the duck tape and make it sticky, and you can then use a single larger peice on the outside.

[renfairephotog]

How to make a dress form with and old t-shirt.

Another version  with paper mache versions.

Alley Cat Scratch version. Look through this site. This is a LOTR costuming site.

ESTY

[broadwaygal24601]

I made the duct tape form when I was making kids costumes for my bro's elementary school musical and it worked okay.  I now have a modern one I got for my bday...and it's a ton better, but the duct tape one does work.  I stuck it on a PCV pipe and put a hole in both the top & bottom so I could slide it depending on the kid's height. 

I stuffed it with normal stuffing from the craft store and it holds pretty well...a little hard to pin things in, but otherwise good.

TIP: Tape down to the hips at least. I only did to the top of the pants, where a normal shirt ends, and it's a little short...so definately go to about where your hand ends when you have your hands at your side...just a suggestion.

[Artemisia]

I also made a duct tape dummy. Use 4" PVC pipe long enough to go through the top - makes it a handy place to hold pins or a hat. Use PVC bent elbows at the shoulders. I also used a Xmas tree stand I bought for $2 (after Xmas sale) to hold the entire thing up.

[Cilean]

Hello there is also another alternative and that is "Paper Tape".

#1. No need for padding

#2. You can use pins in the form

#3. Even more cost effective.

Really easy to use and I have one made for my typical body and then one for when I am in my PoBs.

Cilean

[renfairephotog]

http://www.ehow.com/how_7216512_make-plastic-dressform.html

[Adriana Rose]

A friend of mine made a duct tape dummy for one of his buddies and he sealed the openings and filled it with Foam is Great ( ya know the foam in a can that expands like crazy)

[renfairephotog]

http://www.keabtium.com/the-best-duct-tape-dummy-tutorial/
New tutorial
Most duct tape dummy tutorials recommend getting a cheap zentai body suit or wearing tight fitting long johns or pajamas, this can result in extra bulk and ultimately a dummy that is less accurate.  My thought would be to use the plastic wrap instead and have the person being in underwear.

[isabelladangelo]

ick, plastic wrap?  Talk about bulk!   imagine the amount you'd need to cover everything plus duct tape?  People have died or been sent to the hospital from being wrapped like that. 

A long t-shirt that is a bit tighter than you'd normally wear works really well.  I use the duct tape "dummy mummy" all the time when fitting things for Mom.  So far, the only issue I have is that she did loose weight afterwards - however, the reason I made it in the first place was because I was having issues fitting her length wise (she's petite) so it works perfectly well for that.  Taking things in is easy.   

[gem]

I've never tried the truly from-scratch methods, but I hit on a solution that works brilliantly if you don't have a fitting assistant to wrap you in the duct tape (which is one of the reasons you'd need a DTD anyway, so...). It's a little more expensive than a DTD, but for around the price of a basic store-bought dress form, you can have one custom-shaped to your size and proportions.

First, I started with a small shop display form, like this:



...That was quite a bit SMALLER than I am.

Then I padded it out to my exact shape using the Fabulous Fit Fitting System, which is a set of specifically shaped foam pads and a jersey cover that you use to customize the size/shape of your form--every unfortunate curve and lump of it! LOL  I put mine together in about 20 minutes, using their measuring chart and a full-length mirror (and a lot of honesty!).

I don't have a photo of mine "naked," but here it is wearing the bodice of my purple kirtle:


...And here's the finished version:


You can see how well things fit!

This wouldn't be a good option if you have specific fitting issues like short/long torso length, because the basic form isn't adjustable--but the fact that it was inexpensive, fast, pinnable, and can be done completely by yourself made it perfect for me. It's also *pretty,* and makes a lovely display for my costumes in the off-season.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

All the suggestions are wonderful.

I have 2 dress forms. One I bought at a Garage Sale in 2003 for $20. It's a Vintage one from the 1960's. The other is a My  Double  I bought on Sale at Hancock's.

I could sure use a third one for clients in between tiny and plus sized.

[Kate XXXXXX]

We have six or seven in different sizes, including a man and a child form.  What we tend to do is dial them up to within a percentage of the customer's size, and then pad to fit.  For historic costumes, we make the corset toile the base for the dress dummy, like this: