# For the kiddies, a great Frankenstein head - easy to build



## beezleboobies (Sep 15, 2007)

I made this one for my little nephew last year and thought I'd share it with y'all. It turned out SOOOOoooo good!










1. Buy green pancake makeup and experiment with coverage on skin. You want it to be even (no streaks or splotches) and different skin tones require varied amounts of the stuff. This might take a while... If your subject won't sit still b/c it's itchy around the nose, go a little lighter there but still try to blend it. Short even taps w/a sponge is the way to go.

1.a. Splotch a little of the makeup onto a piece of paper so you can see the actual dried color. Set this aside where your subject won't eat it. Also, you're going to need black makeup. This comes in at the very end to add little black bags under your subject's eyes and for painting stitches on cheeks and wrists. If you don't have the black, you can use eyeliner.

2. Drink all the milk (or get your subject to drink it -- NOT in ONE SITTING!! GACK!!!) out of a gallon jug. You want the one w/the square bottom. Rinse it out w/soap & hot water to keep it from stinking! Can be nasty... Fair warning!

3. Measure the length of your subject's forehead (distance from just-above the eyebrows to hairline.) Add 2 inches to that (this 2 inches will be the top of the "head".)

4. From the flat part of the square-bottomed milk jug, apply the forehead measurement and draw a line down for the front cut mark. (The jug should be upside down... incase that wasn't clear)

5. Remember that you have to accommodate for the areas around the backs of the ears and the back part of the hairline. It's really handy if you can chop off the top part (the spout part) of the jug and then turn it upsidedown and squash it down on your subject's head for a minute while you trace out the places it needs to be cut. (they're little so they won't remember how bad you abused them later in life!)

6. Buy olive green, white, and black ceramic craft paint. Mix the colors to match the swatch you made in step 1.a -- this will take a little time, too. It doesn't hurt to embrace your inner mad scientist at this phase... Keep a log of how many blobs of which color you're using. Remember, you'll have to wait til the paint dries to get a really good match to the dried makeup.

7. Paint the milkbotttlehead. This is the fun part! You can also add little flourishes by applying a white/red streak here-and-there, and then sewing over them thru the plastic with heavy grade thread. Thin metal wire is even better because it sparkles in porch lights. Remember that when painting, it helps if you have a picture of Boris on hand... you know, so your inner muse can have something to focus the creative energy on... (read: to copy from)

8. Run all over town looking for a little suit jacket and some boots. The Goodwill usually has these things on hand but it's better if you go NOW instead of waiting til the day before Halloween. By then, they'll all be snatched up by people who end up building totally inferior Frankenstein costumes for their kids. Big boots are ok if they're cheap or free... it's only a couple of hours that your subject has to run around with toilet paper shoved into the toes of his shoes... and as previously mentioned, he won't remember the abuse later in life. Oh, and the rest of the outfit can be black sweats and a black turtleneck to keep your subject warm while he's out in the weather begging weird strangers for free candy. The jacket, the face and the head are the really important parts... the boots are nifty but a nice pair of b/w Chuck's also give an olden days kind of feel to the costume.

9. Buy the big ticket item! This one's going to cost you. YOU NEED BOLTS! The local costume shop usually carries rubber ones that you glue on w/spirit glue. They'll run you about $11. Save up now and it's not going to hurt that bad. 

9.a. If your subject refuses to have rubber bolts (which can be itchy in a moving place) spirit-glued to his neck, don't call him a wussy. He WILL remember that one later in life and likely end up extorting money from you by exploiting your guilt. That's not good for anyone! This holiday is supposed to be FUN! Instead, just eat the 11 bucks you spent on the real bolts... Then cut a wine cork in half and hot glue each piece to the "temples" of his "head"... i.e. the milk jug. When trick-or-treating, it's not going to matter. Neck? Head? Same thing! They're only a couple inches apart. It's really handy if you have some metalic paint laying around to make the cork pieces look like metal... but black paint does just fine, too. Oh! And if the hot glue doesn't cooperate, there's absolutely nothing wrong with screwing the dam... er, dratted cork pieces on w/a couple of flat headed screws from the inside. Electrical tape can cover any rough metal for tje protection of your subject's delicate skin.

10. Apply green makeup to the backs of your subjects hands. You might want to also add little stich marks to his wrists. Painting his nails black a la Herman Munster is TOTALLY up to HIM! If your subject thinks having his nails painted is girly, don't push the issue... He will DEFINITELY remember that later in life!!! EEEeeek!


12. TAKE LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES!! They get too big for this stuff WAY too fast! My little nephew is going to be asking to borrow my car in about a hot second! I just know it. Sure he's 6, but... well, you know. Kids these days!

~~~

If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to send me a personal message.


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## LV Scott T (Aug 14, 2007)

LOL I love it! Very creative. We're going to have to keep our eyes on you...


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