The Art of Darkness

Ramen Ho-Tep, the Cheap Mummy

February 11th, 2014 by Cobwebs

Muslin MummyA couple of summers ago the Shadow family vacationed at the beach, and one day we wandered into the year-’round Christmas shop that all beach towns are apparently required by law to have.* The store had a small Halloween section which I automatically gravitated toward, and one of the display items was a little bendable fabric-wrapped mummy…for $45.

I thought, “That appears to be a wire armature covered with muslin, which is about $2 worth of materials. I bet I could make that.” And the other day I finally got around to it. So this is my cheap knockoff version (hence his name).

Mummy 1

 
You only need two materials: Bendy wire and fabric. (Click the thumbnails for larger images.)

I had some plastic-coated wire left over from another project; it was a bit thin so I doubled it. If you have a thicker-gauge wire, you can just use one strand. Bend a long piece of wire in half; this is the head, body and one leg. Wrap the middle of a shorter length around the “body” up near the head for arms. Wrap one end of a second piece a bit lower for the second leg. Bend the tips of the arms and legs at a 90-ish degree angle for hands and feet.

 
Mummy 2

 
Cut or tear some fabric into thin strips. I used some plain white cotton that I had lying around, which tears nice and straight; just make little cuts along the edge and then tear from that point. The strips I used were around 1/2″, but you can use larger or smaller depending upon the size of your finished mummy.

Tie the end of one strip to the wire armature somewhere and start wrapping. When you get to the end of one strip, knot on another one and wrap over the knotted spot.

 
Finished Mummy

 
When done, stick the final loose end under the wrapping. If desired, secure it with a touch of fabric glue. That’s all there is to it.

I made the torso on mine a trifle long, but since these take around 20 minutes to put together (and you can always unwrap it if you really hate it), it’s easy to experiment.

 
Zen Mummy

 
Since they’re bendy, you can change their pose as the mood strikes you.

 

Fun! Super-easy! Make a whole army of these guys and let them lurk around the house. They’re also a really great make-your-own favor project for kids’ parties, and since they can be bent to hold signs they’d be a fun placecard at dinner parties.


*No, really. There is some bizarre symbiotic relationship between beach tourist destinations and Christmas shops. I have yet to encounter one without the other.

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