Looking for Costumers for Headdress Advice

[EvilEmpryss]

Hey everyone! I'm branching out from sewing to more advanced costume making and I need some advice. I know we've got lots of quilters and some theater folk round abouts, so I'm hoping you guys can steer me in the right direction.

I'm sure everyone has at least seen the trailers for the movie Maleficent? I will be making that absolutely gorgeous, iconic black Maleficent costume from the curse scene. The dress, the staff, all that I can do no problem. I've never done anything more complicated than wigs and simple prop headpieces like a butcherknife through the head, though.

I've been researching some costuming resources to make those horns, but I could use some experienced advice before I start pouring cash into things that won't work. I've considered doing a sculpture and making a casting, but I can't figure out what would give me the appropriate detail without weighing a ton. That, and while I've done sculpture, I've never done casting. I'm not afraid to try, though!

I've considered something like paper maiche, but it won't have the durability I want. Worbla, Wonderflex, and fosshape all seem like good options, being able to be worked with heat to hold a lightweight and rigid shape and Worbla and Wonderflex seem like they would be able to hold the horn details I want and be able to be painted to look realistic, but these are expensive and I am hoping someone here has worked with them before I plunk down that kind of money.

Yes, I know there are already people on Etsy and such making the horns, but I want to test my own skills and have a set all my own. That, and I'm hoping that this will be my first entry into a convention costume contest, and you just don't compete with pre-made pieces if you want to win.

Thanks in advance!

[EvilEmpryss]

I thought about that, but I've used spray foam for other things and it isn't at all smooth when you're finished with it. By the time I add a covering to smooth it, it will be too heavy to wear on my head for hours. The same goes for crafting clay. I may use the clay for the molding of a set of horns to make a cast, but I have enough neck pain to need to look for something I can balance better.

[Ellain]

I read a book recently that addressed a similar project. The crafter (Svetlana Quindt) carved pink insulation foam for the basic shape, then covered the horns with Worbla before painting them. The final result looked awesome.

[AccountingDrone]

Hm, traditionally henin [the pointy ice cream cone princess hat as well as a number of other shapes] were traditionally made of a number of things - ranging from <very expensive> wire mesh, to stiffened fabric made of coarse horse hair [think that heavy brownish grey mesh used for bargello] that had been formed into cones or rondels and then stiffened with fishskin glue. [after formed and let dry thoroughly then you cover with fabric and embellish]

Here is a basic how to for the princess henin that you can point out to the wearer on how to foundation your hair to wear a henin without it falling off all the time.

[TheSHAD0W]

Let me drop this here...

http://imgur.com/hswqCWU

source

[Kittish]

I think the expanding spray foam stuff would probably make a decent base, shape it , smooth it as much as possible (sandpaper maybe), then use some spray adhesive and cover the forms with fabric. Smooth surface appearance plus light weight.

The pic Shadow linked looks like the horns are covered with lightweight leather, or possible a satin type fabric. Even looking at movie stills for the actual headpiece, the horns are covered (looks like the entire headpiece is very lightweight garment leather), so using fabric covered foam might work out.

Brain flash (on my part)- the green styrofoam you see that's used for anchoring silk flower arrangements would probably work really well to carve the horns from (the more plastic looking stuff with larger holes, not the dense fine grained blocks). Stuff is pretty sturdy, lightweight, and is sold in big sheets in many places. Might have to carve the horns in sections, but it's also easy to glue this stuff to itself. You can get a relatively smooth surface with it, then cover it with fabric or leather. Would also be fairly easy to run a wire through the middle, up the length, bent to match the curves to serve as structural reinforcement, wouldn't need anything too thick or heavy there.