How to Make Your Own School Mascot Head | Make:

By David
Time Required: 30 to 40 hours (maybe longer :)

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This guide will show, step by step, the basic procedure for building a lightweight foam and fur school mascot head.

Steps

Step #1:

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Begin by cutting and stacking squares of upholstery foam until the desired width and height is reached. Using a marker, lightly sketch out the design you wish to carve. Do this to the sides as well.
Next, begin hollowing out the center space, starting from the bottom and working upwards layer by layer. Be sure to continually try the pieces on as you go to achieve the desired space inside.
Continue to enlarge the interior space, matching the pieces to one another as you go along.

David

Goli Mohammadi

So awesome, Lynne! Do you have pictures of it posted anywhere?
brad

what kind of foam? (how dense, etc….) and where did you get it?
Swagga Killem

Where do you get the foam from??
- Lurker
  
  Any major fabric store,
Brianna

what did you use to cut it out and shape it?
Claire

This is absolutely fantastic. Are you by any chance interested in a commission?
Lurker

Tips from my experience:
1 – Make sure you put the fan in facing the correct direction. Otherwise it blows your CO2 back at you and you can get dizzy fast.
2 – The eyes don’t have to be carved straight back. If you widen the hole as you go, it allows for better vision. (If you’ve ever carved a pumpkin and done this so the candle shows better, you’ll know what I mean.)
3 – Hide as many air vents as you can get away with. The ears are a great spot for hiding a vent. The sides and back of the head are great too – the vent will probably show but it won’t interfere with pictures too much and the kids don’t care.
4 – Add in two large loops of elastic to go under the arms. It makes the head a little more difficult to put on but ensures that it won’t fall off. Decapitated mascot = crying children.
5 – When you’ve done everything you can possibly think of to make this thing a little cooler – it’s not enough. DON’T tell your volunteer mascot just how bad it can be. DO tell them to hydrate ahead of time and give plenty of breaks.
Jess

I just wanted to say Thank You for the wonderful instructions! They were perfectly detailed and extremely helpful. [This “Mother Bears Pizza” mascot head](http://i.imgur.com/qhsfxNs.jpg) was my first attempt at this sort of thing and it turned out great! Cheers!
Kazakara Heim

Can you please tell me where you got the foam from? And please tell me how much it cost! I would really appreciate it! Please and Thank you :)
- EmilieRead
  
  You can get upholstery foam at some fabric stores–check their website first to see if they carry it. It is expensive! They usually sell it by the linear inch.
  - Kazakara Heim
    
    Can you recommend any store for me? I’m not sure where to go or how much :/
    - EmilieRead
      
      I used to buy it at a local store that closed. :( You can get it by the sheet at Joanne.com, but it is expensive! The cost is based on density, so you’ll want to get the softest foam that will do the job. I would check out your local fabric or craft stores’ websites first, to see if they carry any. If none of them do, you might still convince someone to buy a sheet to sell by the inch or the foot to interested parties, so you don’t have to buy an entire sheet yourself. As far as how much goes, that would depend on the size and shape our your project. If there is a store that carries it, they will probably be able to help you work out how much to buy, as well. Good luck!
    - EmilieRead
      
      Maybe Jo-Ann? I don’t know what stores there are in your region. You could also try looking for “fabric stores” with your city’s name in a search engine or in the yellow pages of your phone book. You could also go to the library and ask a librarian to help you search.
- Janesaw
  
  I’m a professional costumer, and I swear by Foambymail.com. They carry multiple types of medium and high density foam, ship fast if you’re willing to shell out a little extra, and have good customer service and return policies.
  - 201BK
    
    Was just visiting that website you shared, but it’s fairly confusing for someone who’s completely new to this stuff. ^^;; Which type of foam would you usually purchase for this sort of project?
Laurie Videl Lynn Blackwell

Where did you get those round screens for your mask? Also do you have any tips on making a dome mask for a character?
- Janesaw
  
  You can get black window screen from a hardware store and cut it to the right shape. I stitch it to a piece of vinyl with a cutout for the eye hole to reinforce it and get rid of any sharp or pokey edges.
Denine

I am trying to repair the foot part of a bulldog costume. The very bottom of one is gone, They use a material similar to flip flops. I have no idea where to go for this?

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