I was inspired by the rubber origami instructable to play around with Plasti Dip. One of the things that I chanced upon turned out to be a great deal of fun and so I'm posting it here in order to spread the cheer.

This is a quick and dirty way to make your own bendy stick figure toys. They provide hours of fun and entertainment. Really.

Step 1: Go Get Stuff

To do this you will need:

- any metal wire that will hold its shape when you bend it
- tinfoil (optional)
- Plasti Dip (available in any hardware store)
- a hot glue gun (optional)
- a drying rack (or something to hang a wire from)
- a well-ventilated work area

Step 2: Be an Intelligent Designer

Create any stick figure person or creature that you can envision using the wire (and tinfoil).

Just make sure that from one of the feet (or other extremity) you leave at least 8" of extra wire for dipping your finished creation into the Plasti Dip.

You can fashion your creation into shape simply by twisting it all together or by using the hot glue gun method shown below. Anything goes in terms of creature design so long as it will stay together long enough to be dipped into the Plasti Dip.

You can create large flat surfaces by attaching tin foil over enclosed gaps before you dip it (such as done to the head of one of the bendy figures in the image below).

Step 3: The Elixir of Life

Go to your well-ventilated area and position your makeshift drying rack (I used an old shopping cart as my rack).

Open the Plasti Dip.

Basically, all you need to do is follow the directions on the packaging which says to insert whatever it is you want to coat at a rate of 5 seconds for every inch until fully submerged and then remove it at the same rate.

Dip your creature and then hang it to dry upside down by the excess wire. Be careful not to get any of the Plasti Dip on you when it's wet (if you do, wash off immediately).

Leave it for thirty minutes and then come back and dip it a second time. Leave it again for thirty minutes.

When you come back next, cut off the extra wire. Carefully wrap this extra wire around the opposite end of the figure and dip it so that it only covers the little spot you just made by removing the wire from the foot.

Let it sit for 4 hours.

Step 4: FUN FUN FUN!

After the full 4 hours has passed take your stick figure off the rack and commence playing with it.

If you're anything like me, this is good for hours of self-amusement.