Dressing the Mannequins
The Set Up
Lay out wooden artist mannequins and surround them with loose parts: playdough, fabric scraps, wool, sequins, buttons, beads, pipe cleaners, anything that feels like it belongs in a teeny costume trunk!
The more unexpected the mix, the better. Thrifted fabric and old costume scraps are especially brilliant because they already carry a bit of history and character.
The Making
Start adding bits and pieces until the mannequin has a whole new personality.
Maybe it ends up in a cape, maybe it sprouts a crown of feathers, maybe its arms get wrapped in coils of playdough. Bend the mannequins into poses and suddenly they feel like performers, superheroes, dancers, or statues. The best bit is that nothing is fixed. You can strip it back, swap it around, pass it to someone else, and the character shifts again (and again!).
Variations
Use the dressed mannequin as the subject for a drawing session. Pose it, light it, and sketch what you see.
Materials
Wooden artist mannequins
Playdough or plasticine
Fabric scraps, ribbons, wool (thrifted pieces are wonderful)
Sequins, buttons, beads, feathers, pipe cleaners
Any other loose parts you love