Pages

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Wander: DIY Jack Skellington Bow Tie Disney Craft

One of my favorite times of the year is here: Halloween!

I get pumped up about the Halloween season, a.k.a. fall or autumn, as soon as the month changes to September. This is what I put up during the first week of September:


Truth be told, I love all the seasons. By the time one is ending, I'm ready for the next. I have favorite activities and feelings associated with each. The only one that stands out in my mind is spring; it's the only one I'm not super excited about each year. 

Today, I have a DIY craft for my fellow Disney's and Tim Burton's The Nightmare before Christmas fans.

See how to make Jack Skellington's bow-tie, using materials you probably have lying around the house! The method used is similar to my DIY Mickey Mouse Ears project - Take a look after the jump!



What You'll Need


Materials 

  • Corrugated cardboard
  • Black and white Crayola Model Magic or other lightweight, air-drying clay
  • Acrylic paint - black and white
  • Clothespins, safety pins, or 1" elastic band (enough length to loop around neck) and velcro

Tools 

  • Pencil
  • X-acto knife (or scissors)
  • Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
  • Paintbrush

How To


  1. Print out my DIY Jack Skellington Bow Tie Template (.pdf), here

  2. Cut out the shapes. Set aside bat's head shape. 

  3. Use the template as a stencil and trace the bow tie shape onto the cardboard. 

  4. Using an X-acto knife or scissors, cut out the bow tie. I prefer to use a sharp knife like an X‑acto because it helps prevent smashing the corrugation (wavy insides of the cardboard) near the edges where I'm cutting. 


  5. Use a hot glue gun to fill in the edges of the corrugated cardboard to make a smooth(er) edge. This just gives it a more finished look, rather than the raw, open edge of the corrugated cardboard.


  6. Paint the cardboard and hot glue black. 

  7. While the paint is drying, mold the black clay into a bat/cat head shape. Use the bat's head portion of the template as a guide for the shape and size. 

  8. Use the white clay to make two small almond-shaped ovals for eyes and stick them on the head.

  9. Let the clay dry per its instructions.  

  10. In the meantime, if the paint on the bow tie has dried, use hot glue to draw stripes on the bow tie


  11. Once the hot glue has cooled, carefully paint the stripes white. I used a opalescent white after the first coat of plain white, for a bit of shimmer, because who doesn't love a little shimmer? ;) 


  12. Once the clay has dried, use hot glue to attach the bat's head to the center of the bow tie

  13. Depending on how you'd like to wear the bow tie or attach it to your attire...

    • Hot glue a clothespin (or two) or a safety pin (or two) to the back of the bow tie so that it can be clipped/pinned to your clothes. 

    • Measure a length of 1" elastic band that will comfortably fit around your neck. Then, fold over and glue or sew the ends of the band to prevent fraying (optional) and attach velcro to each end for easy fastening and unfastening. Finally, hot glue the bow tie to the elastic band. 
And you're DONE!


Rock your Jack Skellington bow tie for Halloween, for costume day at the office or school, or out on the town during the Halloween season!

Until next time, stay excellent!

1 comment: