'Carol' from 'Where the wild things are'(Movie) Costume

Step 9 The Head

The head is a big job. It's basically a frame of pvc pipe and chicken wire covered in papier mache. I actaully based the major dimensions of the head on a hula hoop. 2 hula hoops or pvc pipe in the same size lashed together with wire at right-ish angles and then two extra bits of pipe lashed on to support the back of the head - see the pictures below. Chicken wire is then clipped to the right shape and lashed onto the fram with twine. In the pictures, as noted, the chicken wire covers the head from the back of the neck to the top lip. There's some basic shaping done on the face portion, but the nose and brow will be added in as sculpted foam later. Chicken wire is not easy to work with, it's sharp and it springs and it's dirty. That's why I find it easier to cut it into smaller bits and attach them together. If you do get scratched, disinfect thoroughly. Maybe consider a tetanus shot?

Now to cover the whole thing in paper. I'm sure there are other papier mache instructables so I'll just cover this basically. Get lots of newspaper and tear it into strips. You can make a paste out a mix of 1part flour to 5 parts water brought to the boil stirring constantly. Also add lots of salt to stop it from going off. Let it cool and you can start to cover the head. You're also going to need a lot of paste - probably more than a gallon. don't be too worried about putting too much paper on, it shouldn't increase the weight of the head too much and more is better. Equally, you can get away with as little as 2 layers (1 inside, 1 outside) in most places.

When you're papering, try to do the inside and the outside together. Paper will stick to itself, but not to the wire so well. Dip two strips of paper in the paste, smooth off the excess and then lay them against each other on the inside and outside. It doesn't need to be exact, but smooth the paper round any bumps and features.

My suggestion is to fully paper the face and then cut the eyes out later to be sure they are in the right place. Cut through the paper with a knife and then snip the wires with wire clippers