Make Your Own Dress Form

[@Dashingdiva73]

I did it! Boy, it is humbling to see once it's off! No more burgers for a while! ahahah! Thanks for the video! It was helpful!

[@vc6289]

i agree with robin below, 2 layers is sufficient (about 1.5 rolls of duct tape). the oversized t-shirt is good because you want the length, but it should be fitted by stapling down the side seams and underarms. excess fabric should be trimmed away. your first strips of tape are at the waistline and hemline to secure the shirt. then, taped in even distribution, not from the hem up. my other suggestion is to use crumpled newspaper stuffing rather than polyfill, since polyfill doesn't compress well and is too lightweight.

[@2degucitas]

Veronica Cho All really good tips.

[@guinnberger2681]

My husband thought it must be cheaper to buy a commercially made dress form... until I told him the prices I'd seen online! Plus, there's no wasting time trying to get the form adjusted correctly: it's already made to order. I will definitely try this. Thank you for sharing the technique.

[@HHSGrad65]

This was done on the Carol Duval Show in packing tape the paper tape used in wrapping mailing packages and came out stiffer. and it stood up by itself after removing. Wish I could find the episode...Loved Carol Duval, I think it was on the ion network...

[@idealsmith7034]

Betty Couponder ☺ oh yes Carol Duvall, luv her! miss her, haven't seen her show in many many years.

[@JessieRadfordJocoExplorer]

I've seen quite a few of these tutorials so far, but I believe you are the first to come up with the hanger idea. That would be perfect for storage

[@santaclaus2883]

This is WONDERFUL. I have been wanting to make a Santa Suite FORM (dress form - lol). Duct tape comes to the rescue again! Thank you.

[@thefayyazis]

One strip around the middle after stuffing would help hold it together while you tape the seam up and down...

[@soniaraine1943]

This video was very helpful. I combined tips from this and 2 other tutorials and paid close attention to several comments. I used an unfinished lycra dress which ended up keeping me from being hot. I measure 36 - 29 - 41 so cutting me out of it took quite a bit more care but it turned out wonderfully. I had 2 people helping me and it took just under 3 hours. Plan to do one for bottoms in the near future.

[@AravahStar]

What a neat idea! I wonder if stuffing with old news paper would make it firmer...and it seems like it would be easier to tape up the back center prior to stuffing. Thanks for haring this!!!

[@wiccanvirgo]

Thanks for sharing this! This was a really thorough, well-explained tutorial. Very easy to follow!

[@rosalinarocha786]

Wow...going to make my own body form..thanks for the amazing video!

[@digitaleva]

Interesting alternate take. I know that I'm looking into this for my upper body parts for plate armor.

[@reneeroberts3303]

I have been researching dress forms and a really good one cost 300.00 and up. This is worth trying.... someone said us plaster instead of duct tape. all ideas are good ones. trial and error i am going to try this but before i do i will do more research on this. Thanks for sharing this I found it very interesting....

[@leananshae]

BTW, duct tape comes in colors, so you can have a prettier form!

[@adriannabowles8152]

I cant wait to get started on making this! I'm making my prom dress and one of these will make it so much easier! (For the top part at least, the bottom is no problem!)

[@sigridkutz4468]

Is the measurement the exact same as your body after you added 5 layers of tape?

[@masterpage69420]

I'm a guy, I'm gonna do this for the foam cosplay armour I'm making for myself.

[@themachfivepets997]

realJAMES good idea!!

[@Mittzie]

I’m making on for my husband and a new one for myself for armor made with real leather and fur. (Making another for myself so I still have my original for making alterations to clothing while I work on the others) I do my own patterns for armor so it takes a while, I do the first draft in a foam and then use it as a pattern on the leather. Works great for custom pieces and for cosplay you can likely just go with the foam prime and paint to what you need it to be.

[@LilMissFangirl]

I think I once saw a tutorial where they used plastic wrap first, rather than an old shirt. Like 3 or 4 layers of plastic wrap and then 3 layers of packing tape. Either way, this is super helpful, who wants to spend upwards of $150 on something you can make for much less and have it personally customized? :)

[@mjlfineartgmailcom]

After watching several you tube video tutorials on how to make a duct tape dress form/mannequin, I found this one to be very helpful. However, I thought that I would make a suggestion for those of us who are on the plus side. A friend helped me to create one last night. We had a difficult time with my waist line because the tape kept rolling. I have a small waist compared to my hips/stomach and my rib cage/breast region. Due to the tape rolling up and the t-shirt pulling up and not staying down either along with the additional taping to get it nice and smooth there it caused the waist line to be too large. To fix this problem we cut slits in the side waist and front waist (like darts) and pulled it in until my waist size was correct. It worked quite well and did in fact end up being shaped very much like I am. Now, I'm thicker in the front then in the back so I mostly pulled those area in so that it would mimic my body shape. You need to consider your body shape when deciding where to take it in. I also had trouble across the top of my chest region because as we tapped it pushed up my cleavage which caused an area that would not pull tight. So we did the exact same thing from about the middle of my bust line up to my neck and pulled that area in and re-taped it closed. Then we stuffed. I believe that I am going to have to make the foam core smaller around the bottom of the form however because is it sticking out too far when it should be slopping in. You can see the harsh line of the edge of the dress form when you put on a pair of paints. I'm not shaped like that. LOL!

[@keikotheone1]

that's messy stuffing... but its a good concept. I would do it with more attention to detail. just because it is a less expensive way to get a form doesnt mean you have to be messy.

[@kanapojake]

Yey! Will definitely make it now, no excuses!:) Thank You:)

[@MrMperry9740]

I am going to do it for myself also. I wasn't it for skating outfits and I will have my skating partner duct tape me, but I'm thinking of also coating over the duct tape with something to make it hard, not sure yet but I will find something to use

[@edb2731]

So Im a man and am doing this. Dont know why they think its so odd haha. I am making a dress for myself though not a shirt or trousers; the girls in this video seem to be convinced thats all men can wear! Hehe 😊 thanks though, I had the idea and googled it, very helpful video!

[@cherylschladoer5694]

Pretty clever. Now to find someone to help do this! I've always wanted one, but hesitated to buy one 'cause they're a bit pricey.

[@leananshae]

cheryl schladoer ...and never a perfect fit either

[@idealsmith7034]

cheryl schladoer ☺ yeah, im thinking i'd really have to trust the person i asked to help. i mean.....the cutting part could go wrong.

[@robininoregon8079]

Six layers? WTF? 2 layers MAX is all you need. PLUS... You MUST use a FITTED t-shirt, preferably with a high neck. Otherwise the dressform will not be an exact size, due to t-shirt material bunching. smh

[@diannaa6189]

Robin in Oregon and a good fitting bra to define bust and waist.

[@LJSask]

Agreed

[@TheJogolandGroup]

Love the idea, but is it possible to pin fabric to the form? Seems the duct tape would be hard to pierce and the batting wouldn't hold the pins in place securely.

[@themachfivepets997]

This is pretty cool! Dressing and undressing myself is awful when sewing.

[@funky2foto]

My husband and I made a DuctTape form of my son. Needed it to do a costume while he was away at school. Took a few hours to do neck to ankles. Not bad for our first time. Definitely let my husband tape the front of him, while I taped the back and sides. Great project for me and my husband. My son was bored beyond belief, but he got through it ;-). With that done my husband poured in some concoction that expands and hardens, and made a bonafide mannequin of my son. Good times, good times.

[@idealsmith7034]

funky2foto ☺ it sounds like u r living the dream, u r good parents, u have a patient son and a lovely family ☺ Best Wishes to You and Your Family. thanks for making me smile.

[@emanuelakasonicc]

hi , this is wonderful, how many bags of polyester batting did you use for staffing ?

[@natalielapalme8978]

What about around the neck? For blouses or any other kind of shirt?

[@eatdaisies]

Oh wow, that missed high-five almost killed me.

[@prettypinkcontroller]

I thought I was the only who noticed!

[@yaldarahmani9323]

That high five was the BEST thing I have ever witnessed in my 14 years of life

[@saeedh24]

LMAOOO

[@feliciapops8427]

veri nice n came out just perfect.i love it and will get one too.thanx alot.

[@melodyofpsalm9468]

But the thing is, by the time you buy all the duct tape and the stuffing, you could have probably have paid for a store-bought dress form....but it does look like fun!

[@TheSoulCollector13]

It's easier if you use cling wrap instead of a t shirt... makes arms and shoulders easy

[@jazminmiller5512]

Oh nice job I really liked it I loved it :-)

[@sigridkutz5170]

Try using butcher tape ( you can get it at a local butcher store, they use is to secure the paper wraping). It works a lot better and it's easier to put on. The glue gets activated only when pulled across a wet sponge. It also keeps the shape much better and pins don't get sticky.

[@GregKrynen]

I need to be duct taped for a form of myself. I have discovered the joys of fitted shirts, and costumes.

[@townsendstephen]

This is great. Thanks. As you said at the beginning, Tailor Dummies are expensive. This is not.

[@shellyslioneyes]

SUGGESTION: A TURTLENECK LONG SLEEVE SHIRT WORKS PERFECT. JUST CUT THE PART OF THE TURTLENECK THAT FOLDS OVER OFF SO IT ONLY COMES UP RIGHT UNDER THE CHIN. THEN THE SHIRT IS TIGHT ENOUGH TO NOT BUNCH UP UNDERNEATH AND THIS WAY YOU HAVE A "neck" ON YOUR DRESS FORM FOR DESIGNING CLOTHING OR ALTERING, ETC. THIS WAY, THERE IS NO NEED FOR A HANGER. I WATCHED ANOTHER KZbin TUTORIAL ON MAKING THE BASE AND BUYING A DOWEL ROD SO YOU CAN HAVE A COMPLETE DRESS FORM THAT STANDS UP BY ITSELF. IT IS A PERFECT DRESS FORM LIKE THE EXPENSIVE ONES THAT YOU CAN BUY (ONLY BETTER) BECAUSE IT'S YOUR SHAPE, WITH YOUR OWN CURVES. MOST OF US ARE NOT A PERFECT 6 OR A PERFECT 16. MY MEASUREMENTS FALL INTO A SIZE 6 ON TOP AND AN 8/10 ON BOTTOM AND DUE TO A FIBROID I HAVE A LARGE WAIST/TUMMY AREA THAT APPEARS TO BE A SIZE 12 ACCORDING TO PATTERN MEASUREMENTS, AND A LONG BACK/WAIST MEASUREMENT THAT AMAZINGLY PUTS ME IN A SIZE 16! WHAT??? IM DYING TO MAKE A DRESS BUT WILL HAVE TO EITHER MAKE A DRESS FORM OR MAKE EVERY PATTERN IN MUSLIN FIRST OR BOTH. I HAVE SO MANY PATTERNS AND SO MUCH MATERIAL THAT I HAVE PURCHASED OVER LAST 3 YRS SITTING IN A BOX DUE TO THE FACT THAT I LACK THE KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO "GRADE" A PATTERN FOR MY FLAWS. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM BUYING CLOTHES. IF CLOTHES FIT HIPS/WAIST/TUMMY AREA, THEN IT'S WAY TOO LONG AND NEEDS HEMMED 2 INCHES AT LEAST AND HUGE IN ARMPITS/BUST/SHOULDER/SLEEVE LENGTH. UGH. FRUSTRATION. AND I LOVE DRESSES, NOT SEPARATES SO BUYING DIFFERENT SIZED TOPS VRS PANTS/SKIRTS IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. ALSO SEPERATES GENERALLY COME AS A SET AND COST MORE THAN A SINGLE DRESS AND DUE TO MY HEALTH, (I HAVE A TERMINAL ILLNESS), IM ON A STRICT FIXED INCOME SO IM SO RESTRICTED FINANCIALLY THESE VIDEOS SAVE ME FROM LOOKING COMPLETELY HORRIBLE AT MY WEEKLY DR'S APPTS. WHY LOOK HORRIBLE JUST BECAUSE I FEEL HORRIBLE? LOL. SO I HOPE MY ADVICE CAN HELP SOMEONE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE. :) ANYWAY, WHAT IS THE POINT IF YOU HAVE THE FORM BUT IT DOESN'T STAND UP BY ITSELF? DOWEL RODS COME IN DIFFERENT LENGTHS AND SIZES AT ANY HARDWARE STORE AND LOWES AND HOME DEPOT WILL CUT THE WOOD FOR FREE. ANYWAY, IF ANYONE MADE IT THROUGH MY NOVEL, I APPRECIATE IT AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY ADVICE FOR ME, IM HAPPY TO RECEIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TIPS. THANKS :)

[@MsPure4life]

can you use old fabric strips to make the shoulders firmer??

[@CRUDE360]

i dnt think u kno wat u r doin, firstly the bust definition wasnt done correctly u just slapped tape on when there is a technique, below the bust downward shld have been done first secondly u cant stuff it with out taping up the back first you are ruining the natural shape and tangling up the tape. but the hanger was a good idea thumbs up 4 dat. i recommend yall watch some more of these b4 tryin.

[@MFProductions]

Just wondering it seems like this would ADD to her body. What I mean is, say she is going to make a dress or something for cosplay, and you just put 6 layers of duct tape on her, now her dress or what ever she made would be a size to big. Is it making sense what I am saying? So the added inch or so of duct tape to her body does not mean its her true body anymore, but bigger.

[@DANTICVS]

This guy would. Cosplay

[@kristinabrooks9468]

Laughing at the "filling with polyurethane" :)

[@PCQueen56]

I was wondering the same thing, Jennifer A. Should you wear a good bra before making the the duct tape form?

[@mototigg]

How long did it take in real time to make this?

[@tonyiakiano5580]

i made this today .I had noone to model for me so i had some boxes put the shirt on with a bra lol stuffed it then taped away.worked pretty good considering will stuff if tomorrow and then im done

[@tootifrooti1101]

how do you keep batting from coming out of the bottom????

[@themachfivepets997]

Also, i know it wouldtake forever to dry- but i feel paper mache would work better. Then take paint over the body mold to harden it.. Just sayin.. I could be wrong though.

[@RocLobo358]

You're going to be miserable waiting for that to dry. You might also give yourself hypothermia

[@suzirida1]

use shrink wrap or pallet wrap loads quicker and same effect really

[@nicholmcintyre]

I was curious to know if anyone has used anything besides the batting? I'm asking because I have a box worth of news papers and was thinking of scrunching them up to use as stuffing. Do you think that would work?

[@gabearaya3768]

I think it would😄

[@EurydiXe]

Look up Tish Chamber's duct tape dress form tutorial. She used newspapers, but she said that they alone weren't really sturdy enough.

[@Dee_Just_Dee]

It could. You know what might work really well, if you have a ton of them? Plastic shopping bags like you get from Walmart and Target. I have yet to try making a dress form with them, but for a couple of years, my archery group stuffed big rice bags tightly with shopping bags, and they were nice and firm. I'd say another possibility, if you have enough of them, would be old T-shirts.

[@kklollypop]

I just did it and the result came out well. It made it stiff and very sturdy. The form is able to stand on its own, too. Only thing to be wary of is having a heavy base so the form doesn't topple over when you mount it.

[@shereviews8999]

+Aggrogator you can make the base out of wood. my question is how much tape did you use?

[@ByzantiumCA]

good tutorial ... but it for all the duct tape, effort, and quilt batting ... it might be cheaper to just get a cheapie one on Amazon or whatnot ... wonder how many rolls of duct tape and packs of quilt batting they used?

[@caelidhg6261]

Can you do this and then hang this over a smaller 50 dollar dress form?

[@TheeKrazyvirgo]

What about those of us that are chesty? how do we define the tah-tah's?

[@mouthskid]

how long (about) did this take?

[@kathyschultz9940]

Fantastic idea. Ty!

[@MsCjmaxi]

I would have liked to seen a demonstration for a more curvy body because it would be more realistic, and would show how to deal with more challenges.

[@ravenholliday2162]

you are so right.

[@violetsilver6188]

What do you mean more realistic? Are you saying she's not a realistic woman? ...

[@katrinapolson6564]

Honestly, I see a custom dress form as being more beneficial for women who do lack a fuller bust. Seriously, she's a living person - how is her body unrealistic?

[@tarininathaghoridurgadevi]

she is simply saying that she would like to see how to tape the bust area.. . meaning the breast.

[@starkeybiz]

I've seen other videos for bigger woman and I doesn't really see any challenges per say. You would just need a little more duct tape and maybe shorter strips to accommodate properly taping the curves. But not really much of a difference.

[@MarnoPitout]

Love it 🤗

[@magnoliasouth]

I don't know what the fascination was about men not wanting to be duct taped, but I've a sneaking suspicion that if they have a wife willing to sew him clothing, he's probably going to be okay with it. Either way, I like this. I read about a similar method in a sewing book, but they used Kraft gummed tape.

[@laurillalemar5004]

SO WONDERFUL I GONNA MAKE THAT NEXT TIME!!11

[@leananshae]

As a Vermonter, it occurs to me that a duct tape suit could be a great emergency method for keeping warm.

[@monsooniphone]

I'm a Dressmaker, Seamstress, Tailor & Corsetière & I can't find a large mannequin anyway where in England. This is why I'm taking a new manning & covering it with my news skin. Lol

[@teomeiqi89]

whao!! such gd idea! thanks a lot! :D

[@katsygirl28]

She seems to be having trouble with the duct tape.

[@SaraSkovdal]

@mototigg When I made one, it took me about 4-5 hours. (:

[@violetsilver6188]

no, that stuffing is not good! The form is all over the place and no longer fits her body shape!

[@alexisclark4936]

Poor Bugs Bunny 😢 but this is cool I was looking for a dress form but now I can make one 😁

[@MeepMeep88]

Lol... Didn't need that many layers of tape. Now it doesn't even look like her.

[@Noneya1994]

My fiancee has offered to do this Xd Will make a video for it

[@TheCornerSan]

Cardboard or moar duck tape?

[@SquiggleBunny]

duct tape solves 1/3 of the worlds problems

[@grandy2875]

yep.. gaffe tape, 8 gauge fencing wire, a lump of 4x2, a hank of rope and cable ties will fix just about anything...oh, and a pair of pantyhose makes a great emergency fan belt :)

[@hannahjean5310]

i am making the manikan right now

[@Makedonid94]

+ Cover it with paper mache it will be more strong!

[@Noneya1994]

Well I suppose you could place a fabric over the form so that pins could hold to it.Shouldn't be that hard to accomplish.

[@fullgalss]

BEST THING SINCE FREASH BAKED BREAD!!! thanks,

[@SaronJoy]

Very helpful!

[@roseacid]

I got the video of my husband being used for the duck tape do you want to see it still lol

[@callieblackmon5487]

Loved it

[@bunnyballerina1]

love it!

[@gnnn2819]

I recommend getting a pair of cheap medical scissors. That way you don't cut the poor duct taped person!! You can get a pair at a uniform store for less than $10 or on Amazon.com for cheap too. They are surprisingly useful for other crafts so it is worth the investment.

[@MaraschinoMary1]

+G Nnn Great idea! They are called bandage scissors.

[@jennyfahhh]

she keeps saying polyurethane which keeps throwing me off, lol. i sealed mine at the bottom flat with duct tape and stuffed it with poly-fill from the top. this kind of thing moves around too much to hang, so i made sure to pay good attention to the bottom so it can stand up on a table.

[@lexlannev]

I made one and I passed out so it got ruined

[@sofiacheuque8943]

no entendí nada de lo que dijeron pero igual lo haré 😃😃

[@Lucy-fn9rj]

how DO you know?!?! :)

[@tinypasta1]

what if you are a chesty lady??? how are we supposed to do this to make the boobs look right?

[@jfree1998]

You should wear a normal bra, not a sports bra that flattens you and you will need to cut the tape into small bits shaping the tape around the boobs, think Madonna cone bra, lol

[@tinypasta1]

jfree1998 lol i am just now seeing this, which is good because im actually starting it tonight! thanks for the advice

[@TheBiganaconda]

THANK YOU

[@russellgodbolt6375]

I'll be your duct tape mannequin you can keep me like that for us my life at work

[@WalneyCol]

gummed brown paper tape leaves DIY manequins far more rigid than duct tape ones

[@claudiaschimmer1607]

Do not attach tape to a wooden table or you will pull off the finish...ask me how I know..

[@devildogpete]

2:04. REJECTION!

[@genesispena4129]

HAHAHAHAHA

[@cherylschladoer5694]

Mr. T wreath making

[@sewhappy2sew]

This will work but the T Shirt was way too big.

[@dadbintheadmin]

Old newspaper would probably be cheaper too!

[@JaneDoe-vp1fp]

The patches from doing so-on my dining room table are large ugly ones! I’m logged in under different name./ Google ID

[@jolenegoodwin2129]

Love It

[@SweetTea-Stephens]

That girl was sooooo damn annoying. It's not weird at all.

[@rcattig]

So, I found this video useful but there are a lot of joking comments about how unwilling men are to participate in sewing-y things or how silly it might be. I'm a guy who has been making his own clothes for ages and who had a friend make my form as well. Sewing isn't just a women's domain, let's not forget. It should be noted that when doing a pants-style form it is very easy to almost tip over because there's no way to balance yourself without hips, waist, or groin flexibility.

[@Knotmaul]

How many men want to be duct taped? All of is nerds that have full body suits of Super hero armor... I need to make a full body duct tape mannequin for my Iron Man suit lol

[@monsooniphone]

I'm fat & have been doing this today.

[@TheBerry15]

The commentary makes me feel awkward for being a man watching this...

[@Noneya1994]

She said to duct tape the bottom