You’ll Flip Your Lid for this Silk Flower-Covered Head Art Piece
Here’s an idea that will raise your spirits and your hair! Rearrange a Goodwill-found silk flower arrangement to upcycle a mannequin head into a blooming art piece. The new look of this lovely lady is creative, colorful, and certainly campy.
Here’s How:
1. Hunt for a head
As I think about this blog, it certainly sounds a little creepy as we invite readers and followers to hunt for a head! While I was gifted this female mannequin head by a friend who knew I would do something fun with it, Goodwill does have sculptures that are busts of people/heads, so this is not totally out in left field. Always start your projects by seeing what Goodwill has on hand to transform and repurpose. Also, you might consider stopping by a beauty supply store to pick up a Styrofoam wig holder/head, too, to transform.
Don’t lose your head thinking about where to find one for this project!
2. Find your florals & your good at Goodwill
As you look for your good at Goodwill, keep your eyes open for silk flowers to repurpose for this unique DIY project. You might come across them as part of arrangements in vases and pots that you can deconstruct and reuse. Also, flowering wreaths are a great option, too, to look for and pick up at Goodwill. The wreath’s flowers can be repurposed, too.
While at Goodwill, consider rounding up your sale at the end. The extra pennies you give to Goodwill, in addition to your purchases, go to help this important nonprofit organization help our local community. We all win while shopping at Goodwill! You get great items and low prices and help others—now that is using your head in a smart way, for sure!
An Upcycler’s Event—Be on the Lookout
My art studio and community joined forces this Spring for another very successful and fun “Art Supply Swap Event” in Washington, DC’s Brookland neighborhood. Folks were invited to come by to share/donate/give/swap their unwanted and unused art supplies. We had many wonderful items, including the collection of silk flowers featured here. This free event allowed us all to share and swap items while meeting wonderful and creative people.
We look forward to partnering again soon for the next swap event! Keep your eyes on Finding Your Good’s social meeting for details when they are available.
3. A “beehive” hairdo will make you a believer, too
This mannequin head’s elegant face plus its long neck added up to needing a hairstyle that would give her some height. Remember those beehive hairdos your Mom or Grandmother wore back in the day? Popular in the 1960’s, it was a big hair style that was elaborately teased, sprayed and piled high.
To give your mannequin head a base for the beehive, secure a small cardboard box or other lightweight yet sturdy item on top with hot glue and an electrician’s or duct tape. Keep going higher by putting a paper coffee cup or empty plastic water bottle on top of that, again using hot glue and strong tape to hold it in place. As Dolly Parton once said, “The higher the hair, the closer to God.” Never disagree with Dolly!
4. Begin with your biggest blooms
Use your hot glue gun with great care and start applying your biggest blooms to your box/cup/beehive structure. Position the larger ones around the head so each side has several. Based on your flowers’ construction, you may need to use your scissors to trim and cut their bases (where the fake stems go into the silk bloom) so they are flat when secured in place.
Safety Tip
Always be careful when using your hot glue gun, especially if those younger DIYers are helping with this project. I did burn myself after putting a flower in place and using my finger to ensure the pedals touched the glue. Ouch! Avoid some pain and learn from my error by enlisting a small plastic knife or unsharpened pencil to push the pedal into place.
Design Idea:
To make the final look of your transformed mannequin head art piece look intentional and well-planned, consider selecting flowers and plant parts in a matching color scheme. In my Art Supply Swap collection, there were silk flowers in whites, pinks and purples so they were picked then placed in spots around the beehive structure, so they looked balanced. These tones matched the mannequin’s lip color and scrap fabric pieces covering her shoulders.
A summer-themed look would be so wonderful with bright yellow and orange tones, especially if your collection of silk florals includes sunflowers. An all-white look with silver and sparkling accents could make this lady a lovely part of your winter holiday décor.
5. Fill in the blanks with flowering buds
After you have secured your larger flowers and a big leaf or two in place, then use the smaller buds and blooms to fill in the blanks. Keep moving your head around—both your own and the mannequin’s—so that the various shapes, sizes and tones are sprinkled throughout the look.
6. Add interesting accents
A beaded butterfly was added to help frame her face and its colors complimented her blooming beehive beautifully. Consider reusing old brooches, earrings, necklace pendants, buttons, belt buckles and other items (often found at Goodwill, too) to add some shimmer and surprise to your lady’s luscious, leafy locks. You could event go full force with your transformational talents by using old house keys, doll parts, tiny toys, holiday ornaments and even small paint bushes to add whimsical glee to your gal.
7. Give her a new name and a new home
Every masterpiece needs a title, right? Maybe this flowering female art piece could be named Rose, Iris or Daisy? What do you think?
My first thought of where this beehived beauty could go is in the front window of a beauty shop. You can easily imagine her greeting patrons as they come and go. She will look regal and right at home anywhere your place, too. Position her prominently in your living room to keep an elegant eye on family members and guests. Place her stylish self in your bedroom with accessories like jewelry holders and boxes to link up with her floral fashion.
Right now, she gives her gorgeous gaze over the plaza outside my art studio serving as inspiration for thinking outside-the-box and to remind me to get out of my head when creating my next DIY/upcycling project!
Similar Reads:
Similar Reads:
- This Pride, Make A Rainbow Connection at Goodwill
- DIY: How to Paint a Chair Pair to Show Your Pride
- DIY: Let Your Light & Support Shine with Pride-Painted Lamps
Tim Kime
Artist, Motivational Speaker, Life Coach
