Altered Dress Form

Have you notice all the dress forms popping up all over the place? They have become a very popular item in all sorts of design elements. They are on cards, on fabrics, clothing, even school supplies! I’ve seen them used as jewelry stands and album covers – they are everywhere! They certainly are popular in the crafting world too.

Would you like to add one to the decor in your craft room or perhaps a special spot in your home? Let me show you how I created an altered 3D dress form using some digi goodies and some finds from my local craft store.

For this project you will need:

dress form and base (if desired)
digital papers
adhesive
ink
paint
glue gun, scissors
ribbons, flowers, lace and other embellishments as desired

To make this project, I used a paper mache dress form that I found in the clearance aisle of the craft store. I knew that I wanted it to be on a stand, so I searched the store to find something I could use. I found an unfinished wooden candlestick ready for painting! Sorry I forgot the take a photo of it before I painted it! I think this will make a great base for the dress form.

I picked up a few other items at the craft store to use on this project. I found some really cute miniature wooden spools in the dollhouse aisle. I’m making this dress form for a swap that I am in. The recipient is a seamstress, so I’m giving it a sewing theme.

I also used papers from the Golden Harvest kit by Mari Koegelenberg and Danielle Engebretson. I love the rich colors and tones as well as the textures to the papers in this kit.

Using some inks, I added some color to the raw dress form base. The tissue from an old sewing pattern made a perfect covering for the dress form base. I used Mod Podge Hard Coat to adhere it. The inks showed through beautifully!

I created a double-sided print using two of the papers from the kit. I printed one on each side of some Epson Premium Presentation Matte paper.

After cutting the paper into strips. I laid them out along side each other, slightly overlapping the edges. I then stitched part way down those edges using my sewing machine. This created the material that I used as the skirt.

Using some strong adhesive like Glue Dots Continuous Line, wrap the skirt around the waist of the form. I curled the front edges of the skirt back to give it a bit of flair.

Measuring tape ribbon seemed just the right touch to use to wrap around the waist and as an additional accent to the top of the dress form.

To dress up the candlestick base, I painted it, spritzed it with some Glimmer Mist Bronze and attached lace. The cup of the candlestick was filled with Styrofoam that I glued in place using my glue gun. I used the glue gun to attach the dress form to the candlestick base as well. I finished off the bottom edge of the dress form with layers of lace and some roses made from satin ribbon.

This image gives you a better look at the subtle bling that the Glimmer Mist spray gives to the base. I also created little charms to hang from the lace. I beaded some crystals and pearls and hung them with a thimble and pair of scissors.

At the top of the dress form, I attached a yo-yo that I made from some fabric scraps to the one shoulder. I created jeweled pins using some crystals and pearls and secured them to the yo-yo. I topped it off with a coordinating button. I made a necklace for the dress form using a heart shaped yo-yo made from other fabric scraps with pearls that I stitched to the center. I pierced the yo-yo in the upper corners and secured jump rings. I ran a length of chain between them to drape the necklace around the neck. Some paper flowers and lace complete the top.

On the side of the dress form, I hung some thread spools. These are those miniature wooden ones that I found in the doll house section of the craft store. I wrapped some DMC embroidery floss around the spools, attached mini safety pins by Tim Holtz and hung them from the measuring tape ribbon using jute twine.

It’s really getting a seamstress feel to it, isn’t it? On the opposite side, I placed another decorated pin in the skirt as well.

A touch of lace at the shoulders seemed to give a nice finishing touch. This view of the back of the dress form really shows the way the strips of paper lay together for the skirt. It still allows the pattern of the paper to show yet provides so much flexibility and dimension.

This dress form is on it’s way to it’s new owner. But, I fell in love with it while it was with me. I think I’m going to have to make one for myself!

Happy crafting!

Cathy

Altered Dress Form

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