Making a Duct Tape Dummy

I finished up my duct tape dummy this weekend, and I'll be working on editing the video of making it soon.
I've been thinking a lot though about how to make a permanent dummy for myself, kind of like the one I built for my husband. I used a tutorial on the Stan Winston school for building the dummy and it was kind of a pain in the butt to build. I learned a lot the process but there are definitely some changes I want to make. I found a great Eva foam dress form tutorial on KZbin, but it has some problems; mainly there's wasn't any compensation for the thickness of the foam so the shape got slightly distorted. I would also like to have arms and legs for my dummy but the arms at least one leg removable. I have some ideas, it would be a whole experimental video in itself. But for now, the duct tape dummy will do, and I want to get making some new costumes!
links.kazplay.com
I'd love to feature your work if any of my tutorials or patterns for your cosplay like in this video: • Showing off YOUR work!... Send an email with "community feature" in the subject line to [e-mail] to be included
Chapters:
00:00 intro
0:29 Wrapping in plastic
3:46 1st layer of duct tape
8:17 2nd layer and cutting
12:44 Stuffing

[@LampP0st]

*puts in my stash of suit/costume tutorials that I plan to use as the ultimate tutorial combo as I assemble my first project in the years to come*

[@KazplayVideos]

Sounds like an exciting project! getting started is the hardest step!

[@LampP0st]

@@KazplayVideos I've been wanting to make a fursuit for years so I've just been gathering knowledge. You're definitely an inspiration and once I have somewhere to actually work (clearing out my basement for this) I hope to start!

[@TheLionessAndTheLoom]

plastic wrap method is personally my preference. it's easier to cut you out of and isn't so restricting.

[@karinereiserdiamond4205]

As a fursuit maker I’d say that I hate when clients use this method, because half the time the dummy breaks during the construction of the suit

[@TheLionessAndTheLoom]

@@karinereiserdiamond4205 You need to use more layers of tape. 1 layer won't be able to handle being stuffed.

[@midnashadow8439]

As a drag queen who makes her own costumes for performance…this is exactly what I need because it’s so hard to make elaborate costumes when I don’t have a base… so thank you 😖

[@KazplayVideos]

It's so hard to try and do it without any kind of form!

[@pawssum]

Let's be real, anyone who isn't afab, exactly 130 lbs and 5'5-5'8" really needs this, because there's no such thing as off-the-rack clothes that fit right unless your body type is just painfully average. I've gotten so tired of looking like crap because I'm a little heavier and without a mannequin, adjustments have been such a serious pain. I'm done sending clothes back over and over, I'm just gonna spend this whole holiday season getting a proper sewing setup in gifts.

[@tekk8428]

I just made mine tonight using this guide. Wriggling out of the dummy after cutting legit feels like you're molting. 🤣🤣🤣 Came out great, tho. Thank you for the guide!

[@KazplayVideos]

Awesome!! Glad it came out. Molting is a great word for it XD

[@tekk8428]

@@amandahurst6692 With only one person helping, it took us about an hour and some change. And that was with me tearing pieces of tape until we got to my arms. More people = less time (obviously 😅) but regardless, you DEFINITELY want something to support your arms! I used two mop handles. 🤣

[@KazplayVideos]

@@amandahurst6692 I def agree more people helps a ton, mine took about 3hours of taping with one person helping and filming x_x

[@zerodadutch6285]

I have to thank you for this tutorial. I've made one other duct tape dummy before and it didnt quite work how I wanted but after seeing how you stuffed yours it made more sense and the one I currently have is working much better. Although we went about it in a slightly different way with a paint suit rather than plastic wrap.

[@KazplayVideos]

You're welcome! Glad it helped. I almost went the paint suit route too I opted for plastic last minute

[@blizatrex]

A set of carpool friends to use the fast lane.

[@KazplayVideos]

Not a bad Idea, hah!

[@karlfimm]

Very good video. I've done a Duct Tape Dummy (years ago) and seen many tutorials, but this one had quite a few tips I hadn't seen before, such as marking the feet location and using string to mark the waist.

[@tobybudgie]

You know that episode of phineas and ferb where buford reveals that he has molds of all of his friends? This feels kind of like that

[@KazplayVideos]

😂

[@karipentzin6063]

.. I've never seen this kind of stuffing as been the stuffing myself inside the several layers of duct tape.. more or less 4-5 layers normally on me.. I guess next time that coverage needs to be saved for the future.. your work is really most interesting..

[@KazplayVideos]

We ended up with 4 layers from overlapping the ducttape strips on each layer

[@CeeGeeFursuits]

I also stuff the DTDs I get with newspaper! we get a new one every few days over here in germany, so I don´t think I´ll run out any time soon

[@KazplayVideos]

Color me jealous! Haha

[@pawzclawzcreations17]

TO HELP THOSE WHO NEED IT WITH AMOUNT OF DUCTAPE Coming from a 5ft 5 female bean with a binded chest and a "medically healthy" weight and making an average digigrade leg and accounting for the 2nd wrap if ductape to cut off for patterning YOU WILL NEED 3 ROLLS OF 50MM BY 50METERS OF DUCTAPE! THAT IS ENOUGH FOR SIMILAR SIZE / STATURE AND IS A ROUNDED UP CALCULATION OF WHAT I HAVE USED FOLLOWING THIS TUTORIAL!

[@GeneralSpeer]

With regards to newspaper, or the lack there of, newsprint can be an alternative =)

[@KazplayVideos]

@@GeneralSpeer yes you can! But I'll still mourn the loss of free stacks of newspaper from my neighbors and family

[@GeneralSpeer]

@@KazplayVideos I feel that 100%

[@RoseDeNoire]

I love this tutorial! thank you.

[@KazplayVideos]

You're welcome!

[@jasminearabia84]

Could you make one and spray foam inside, using it merely as a mold? Home Depot sells Great stuff spray foam! I'd like to see a tutorial and see how it comes out.

[@KazplayVideos]

Kind of! I made my husband's dummy that way, I HIGHLY recommend this tutorial because there are extra considerations to make make with a ridged dummy. Great stuff would be a pain in the butt, better off buying a better expanding foam www.stanwinstonschool.com/tutorials/how-to-body-cast-create-custom-mannequin-on-a-budget

[@haleymosley9265]

This was very helpful! Thank you!

[@KazplayVideos]

You're welcome!

[@hellothere7456]

16:50 soft plastic (especially plastic bags) are non recyclable and often clog the machines at recycling centres

[@KazplayVideos]

There are collection bins here specifically for plastic grocery bags to be recycled so I'd hope they have some kind of process to recycle them. But maybe they get directed to the garbage like most recycling lately too

[@hellothere7456]

@@KazplayVideos Oh cool. If they are being recycled then that's awesome. Nice to know they aren't completely going to waste. Shame they don't have those where I am but at the same time I'm not surprised because UK leadership hasn't organised their priorities in years.

[@thisisme64T]

I wonder how well expanding foam would work to fill the form...

[@KazplayVideos]

I've done it with a dummy made from many many more layers of masking tape! It's more dimensionally stable (no stretching) than duct tape so it hold the right shape better.

[@emilybee6246]

Great tutorial! Do you have any advice for transporting/shipping your DTD if you're getting a commission from someone?

[@KazplayVideos]

Great question! I would make sure that your markings are super clear (and add your name/character name too!) especially the registration marks across cut lines. Try to lay your tape as flat as possible to minimize curling and sticky residue. It's okay to fold it up fairly tightly in order to keep shipping costs low. Last of all make sure you get tips directly from your maker, they may have some different preferences!

[@emilybee6246]

@@KazplayVideos Thank you so much!

[@micflynn1]

Hi Kaz, I'm wondering on stuffing the suit, Have you ever thought about using spray foam? You know the stuff in the can or you mix for filing cracks, it expands and produces quit a bit of pressure as it does. I'm wondering if you seal up the arms ends where hands are, cut small slits in arms stick foam straw in slit and spray if it would "puff up" the suit as it expands??

[@KazplayVideos]

As a matter of fact, I have made a dummy with expanding foam! there's a great tutorial about how to do it on Stan Winston School. I think using cans of spray foam would be a nightmare, so I recommend getting a gallon kit from Smooth-on. You just mix two parts together and pour. I also reccomend using 6-10 layers of masking tape, it won't distort as much, but you'll still want to work in small batches with the expanding foam and try to hold the correct shape as best you can. You can see the dummy I built in my goatman videos. Keep in mind since the dummy will be rigid, you will need to cut off and create pins for the arms and legs to even be able to get costume pieces on. It took a ton of extra work to build, but it's worth having. I decided to just make a simple one for me this time because of time constraints.

[@Jargonfox]

Thanks for the vid, gonna be making my first dtd in a month or two. Have you tried out using any sort of a painter's protective outfit sort of a thing instead of plastic? A cheapo, usually single use white overalls thing, one you'd then just cut after applying the duct tape just like with the plastic. I mainly ask since I'm wondering how the methods compare in your opinion, iiif you have experience on both (or any other) ways to do a dtd that is.

[@KazplayVideos]

Painters overalls can work great, especially if you are careful around the zipper. The disadvantage is that it can build up a lot of bulk around your body. So depending on how you plan to use your dummy, that could be an issue or not.

[@Jargonfox]

@@KazplayVideos Ooh yeah, I kept thinkin about the zipper, will need to be careful there and with the bit of bulk too. Planning on making a fursuit with some muscle padding on the upper body, got a preeetty good idea on how I'll do things buut yeah, the extra bulk I'll need to keep in mind if I go with the overalls for the dtd. Thanks for the response!

[@KazplayVideos]

@@Jargonfox oh and you have to be extra careful around the crotch and armpits, just make sure you get it close as possible to your body first

[@stephonjones4734]

papper shredder : turn everything into confetti and pack that shit ;3

[@KazplayVideos]

Good idea! A dummy filled with all my old tax papers XD

[@Grayves_X]

Do you think expanding foam (for like insulation) would work as stuffing?

[@KazplayVideos]

It could work, but I'd you go that route I would use masking tape and a minimum of 5 layers of tape so the expansive force won't distort the shape

[@hellscratch0303]

Furry suits for you and your husband

[@comfortme]

sounds like you’re sentencing them to make fursuits against their will

[@brianalvarado1876]

My boyfriend and I are going to do this! How long would you say it took to do this?

[@KazplayVideos]

If I remember correctly it took 3-4 hours. It would help a lot to have an extra pair of hands. Invite a friend over with promises of pizza and it'll be done so much quicker XD

[@brianalvarado1876]

@@KazplayVideos so true LMAO thank you for the input!

[@Fabicynder]

how many tape did you use in meters? I'm going to buy 100m of tape and hope it's enough

[@KazplayVideos]

Let's see, a yard is three inches shy of a meter... The little colored rolls of tape were 20 yards each, I used 2 and it wasn't enough for my whole body. I'm 5'2" so on the short side. Hope that helps you calculate!

[@avsfan5227]

How moveable are the arms amd legs?

[@KazplayVideos]

It depends on how tightly you pack it. It's a balance between holding it's shape and being flexible enough to bll put clothes onto it. But you should be able to get most all clothes onto it. Sometimes I have to bend the arms quite a bit to get a garment onto it.

[@tutydyfruty1702]

How do I make a dummy for someone not available? Like, if someone makes a commission for a full body suit and are halfway across the world?

[@KazplayVideos]

They would have to make it themselves and ship it to you stuffed, then you stuff it.

[@tutydyfruty1702]

Oh ok, thanks

[@jennylinddennis7119]

I needed one for anger issues😅

[@Winters_dream55]

How many rolls of duck tape did you use??

[@KazplayVideos]

I would guess about 100 m total? I didn't keep track honestly. I used two small rolls (20m) of the teal color and it couldn't cover my body once. The rest I used was duct tape I had on hand

[@Certawin]

🤔 hmm guesses a mummy. Due to all the wrapping practice. 😆

[@KazplayVideos]

good guess, but not correct ;)

[@epm675]

Please tell me how many meters of tape you spent on this work?

[@KazplayVideos]

Probably around 120m I'm sorry I didn't keep exact measurements!

[@blackandwhitewolf203]

Do we have to put a second layer of duct tape

[@KazplayVideos]

Yes, if you want it to last

[@blackandwhitewolf203]

@@KazplayVideos ok thank you because I want to make a fursuit and want to make it last longer

[@KazplayVideos]

@@blackandwhitewolf203 right, 2 layers is a minimum, but if you overlap each tape piece by at least half on each layer, which is in reality 4 layers of duct tape which should hold through the process of making a fursuit. More layers will help it last even longer!

[@anthrobones]

i passed while doing this- lol

[@KazplayVideos]

It is A LOT. Next time I need to do it with more helping hands, faster the better

[@ghoste3991]

Yes but HOW DO I ADD THE FOAM.

[@KazplayVideos]

Just pin it on!

[@jessalynnkasianczuk]

I'm 11 am I old enough to make an fullsuit?

[@KazplayVideos]

Any age is great for being creative! :)