Creepy Caricatures

Create a hilarious 3D family portrait!

Posted by Confessions of a Refashionista

About

I’ve been creating eerily fun 3D portraits for years as über personalized gifts for ecstatic-to-receive-them-friends but for whatever reason never thought to make any of my own family…until now...

…obviously not exact likenesses but a hilarious addition to the living room wall nonetheless! With a touch of creativity & some bits ‘n’ bobs from around the house you’ll be hanging up your own in no time flat:

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You Will Need (5 things)

Newspapers
Flour
Water
Paint
Hot Glue Gun

Steps (29 steps, 300 minutes)

1

For the first step you’ll need some newspaper/flyers, tape & a box for each member of your family – keep in mind: the bigger the boxes, the bigger your finished heads will be
2

press in the corner of the box, wrap & tape crumpled/twisted newspaper around the box creating an oval-ish head-shape
3

continue adding paper until the front & sides of the box are completely covered, ball up another piece of paper & tape to the centre of the box-head – this will eventually be the sniffer of your creepy caricature
4

if your box-heads resemble the photo you’re on the right track!
5

Step two: Grab a bowl, flour & chop your remaining newspapers into equal-ish strips
6

time to get gooey! Pop your bowl into the sink & stir up a mixture of 2 parts (warm) water to 1.5 parts flour – my very basic papier mache recipe, if you want a thicker paste just add more flour, thinner paste? more water…too easy!
7

Cover your work area – I find non-stick baking paper under the heads works fab! Grab a strip of newspaper, dip it into your gluey mixture, slide it between your index & middle fingers to get rid of the excess & smooth it onto your head
8

completely cover the head with a layer or 3 of gooey newspaper…& then unleash your creativity...
9

using bits of soaked, ripped, torn & twisted newspaper sculpt as many 3D details as possible – having a photo of your victim...erm...subject in front of you as inspiration really helps with the realism-potential…
10

grab some tissue paper (phonebook pages work fab too!)
11

gently apply a top layer of tissue paper goo to your heads (this helps to smooth out the rough edges) then pop them on a baking sheet
12

bake on your oven’s lowest setting for about 30 minutes – checking every 10 minutes – *haul them out at the first sign of burning
13

wheeee! You could move onto the final step now but it’s a good idea to let the heads get thoroughly dry overnight…
14

The fun finale begins with brushes, paints, an old plate-for-a-palette & a can of spray varnish
15

give everyone a base coat with their basic skin (or fur) tone
16

start adding the features…
17

go crazy with the facial traits – more detail = more realism: rosy cheeks, bright white smiles, nostrils…
18

eyebrows, eyeliner & don’t forget the twinkle (2 lil’ white dots added to the pupils)
19

highlights streaked through hair & fur add another groovy ‘realistic’ dimension
20

happy with your heads? take ‘em outside & blast ‘em with spray varnish (makes dusting-them-with-a-damp-cloth a breeze)
21

for the absolute, really, truly, last step search for some no-longer-needed accessories from each of the humans (or animals) your heads are based on
22

…and your trusty glue gun
23

pierce mommy’s ears, dab a small amount of hot glue onto the hole & insert the earrings
24

cheap false eyelashes are awesome! They come pre-stickied so simply attach them to the eyelids & apply a thin line of hot glue with a toothpick for extra strength
25

slip baby’s hat onto her head, slice it up the back, glue it to the top, trim off the excess fabric & stick down any loose edges
26

trim the arms of Daddy’s glasses & attach with a small drop of glue above each ear
27

for easy hanging simply cut a hole in the back of the heads & hook ‘em onto a nail in the wall – or – give your little mousie a canvas & let her prepare a funky backdrop to house the creepy family...
28

a bit more hot glue to attach them & hang ‘em up!
29

Finished!