Donkey Head DIY

To go along with the horse head I made for the school play, we also needed a donkey head. I don't think I've made anything that looks this ridiculous in a long while.

This build took about 15 hours to make, and cost about $50 (and a lot of pain in my hands).

Step 1:

-Rattan

-Waxed thread -

Worbla or some sort of material to strengthen parts of the rattan.

-Old clothes, pelts, ribbons, buttons, leather

-Hot glue and a hot glue gun.

Step 2: Skeleton

To begin with I sketched out the size of my mannequin head on a sheet of freezer paper so I could get an idea of how large the head would be, then I drew a donkey head around it. I also drew in the lines where circles of the rattan (rattan is a flexible wood commonly used for weaving) would go. I measured out the lines and used the formula, diameter x pie, to find the size of the circumference for the circles.

Next I took a piece of rattan and looped it into the correct size circle, and wrapped the circle in the waxed thread. I did this for every line I measured. I labeled the circles by the size in inches with masking tape

I wrapped 2 pieces of rattan together with waxed thread. I did this 4 times. I started by crossing them at the snout then I tied the rattan to the circles I had made. I used my pattern as a guide, and measured the distance between each rattan circle.

I did not use rattan circles on the next part, instead I used a few more wrapped rattan pieces (like I used on the snout) together and draped the over the top of the head.

I wrapped the top of the skeleton in worbla to give it strength.

Step 3: Fabric

The back of the head was covered in two grey pant pockets.

Half of the side of the head was covered in a pant leg.

The front of the head was draped in two plaid sleeves crisscrossing each other.

The snout was covered in a bandanna, a white strip of fabric, lace, and a pants pocket.

The top of the head had a child's hat glued on it.

The eyes of the donkey were made out of two scraps of leather. I glued a leather tub above the eye as an eyelid, and strips of leather below the eye. A silver button made up the iris of the eye.

I used hot glue to secure all of the fabric, and the eyes onto the head. Most of the time I folded the fabric over the skeleton to secure it better.

Step 4: Ear

I cut out an ear shape from a cereal box (it was about 12 inches long), and glued it to a strip of fabric I salvaged from one of my pant legs. I folded the fabric over then glued on rabbit fur. I trimmed away the excess.

Step 5: All Done

This thing is so unphotogenic (is that a word). Hopefully it will suffice for the play!