Chateau GRRR
follow us
log-in to check your messages
register log-in
 
OPTIONS:
add to favorites
rate & comment
submit your own
edit your own
email to a friend
print
Book of the Dead DVD Holder
This year at the old family Xmas since money is tight for everyone, we opted to draw names and give one gift to just one person instead of going broke getting everyone gifts. I drew my sister-in-law's name and learned from my brother that she liked Army of Darkness.

Not knowing if she had seen Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2, I figured I'd get her the full set of three films. But that felt a little boring and with just one gift to fuss over, I was able to come up with something with a little more pizzazz.

A handful of felt, some faux human skin, and several hours later, she also had a fine Book of the Dead to store her new film set in. And there was room enough in the box for plenty of candy too!

You might notice that this Book of the Dead looks a little different from either of the books used in the flicks. Yes, well. I have the untamed Washington wilderness to thank for that one. With no Internet and limited cell coverage in these woods, I had to run from memory. Plus I like that it's easily identifiable as the Book of the Dead, but it's got a little unique character to it as well.

It was a lot of fun making this DVD container, and my sister-in-law seemed to love it! It took about 3 hours to complete. If you decide to make your own and have any questions, feel free to give me a shout.
SUBMITTED BY: cryptkicker
SUBMITTED ON: January 5, 2011
TYPE:
Indoor
AGE:
Adult
MATERIALS:
1 black hinged photo box with compartments
1 yard brown faux fashion leather
1/2 yard black felt
1 small square red felt
1 small bottle green glow paint
3 table tennis balls
hot glue gun and glue
paintbrush
razor knife
scissors
pencil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Here is the document container before any modifications. This one is called @the Office Document Box, but I can't find it anywhere on line. Check WalMart (ugh).
2. Here's an interior shot of the box before any modifications.
3. Place the DVDs inside the container in the location you'd like them. Lightly pencil around the DVDs to mark where you’d like the interior walls that will hold the DVDs secure.
4. Glue the retaining walls into place. (optional: If you’d like to be fancy, cut a finger hole in the bottom of one wall so the DVDs may be easily removed without up-ending the whole container)
5. On the top of the container, pencil the outline and details of the face. Be creative. This is your Book of the Dead, so make it exactly like one of the originals or make it unique!
6. Cut 11-12 some felt of any color into 1/2” x 3” strips. Stripe the strips of felt with hot glue and quickly roll the strips into flattened pieces. These will be the base for the teeth that will cause them to be raised.
7. Shape each tooth by snipping the edges off with the scissors. The teeth don’t have to be exact as they’ll be covered with felt in the next step. With hot glue, affix each tooth to the top of the container where you’d like it.
8. When all the teeth are glued in place, cut a piece of black felt large enough to more than cover the area of your Book’s mouth. This piece will be the inside of the mouth. (optional: you can use red or any other color of felt for this that you like) cover them with hot glue.
9. Slather the upper teeth with hot glue, making sure to get all around each tooth. Quickly, before the hot glue cools down, lay the piece of felt on top of the teeth and work it around the teeth sides. Once it’s secure, do the same to the bottom teeth. Once the felt is glued over all the teeth, glue the felt around the edges to the container so none of the felt can be lifted from the container.
10. Cut a table tennis ball in half then carefully slice it as shown so there are several roughly trapezoidal flaps. These will be the tops of the teeth. Cut each flap off and, using the scissors, round the corners to the desired shape of each tooth. Do this until all the teeth mounds have a corresponding tooth top.
11. Cut another table tennis ball in half to use as the eyeball.
12. Paint the eyeball and all the teeth using the green glow paint and let them dry. It may take several coats to get a desirable effect. Once dry, glue all pieces into place.
13. Glue a small strip of red felt to the container over the squinting eye and the nostrils. If necessary, re-draw the squinting eye, nostrils, and any other details.
14. Using left-over felt, begin creating some dimensionality for the face. Do this by applying glue to the container, then placing strips of felt over the glue and, before it cools, bunching the felt on itself. Create nose ridges, eye furrows, and a rim around the mouth this way. There is no wrong way to do this part. Only a few areas of dimensionality are needed as the final faux flesh covering can also be manipulated for texture.
15. Spreading the faux flesh material on the floor or a large tabletop area, place the container so the material will wrap around the top and over the sides with ample to spare and cut the faux flesh material to size so it’s easier to work with. BE CAREFUL not to cut it too small though.
16. Begin gluing the faux flesh material to the container by drizzling hot glue on the top-most part of the face. As you lay the faux flesh material onto the glue, pinch and crinkle it so it adopts its own texture.
17. Continue to glue the faux flesh material over the face working your way down. Be careful not to glue over the eyes, nostril, or mouth. When gluing the material around the mouth, cut the material directly above the mouth opening into an “X”, then cut the flaps of the “X” in half and half again until the flaps are very thin.
18. Cut these flaps back close to the edge of the mouth, but leaving enough length to fold the flaps under themselves to form the lips. Do the same with the table tennis eyeball area, the squinting eyeball, and the nostrils.
19. Glue the over-hanging faux flesh material to the spine of the container, and the other three sides. Cut off the remainder of the material, but do it in jagged chunks so the hanging material looks more like torn flesh.
20. When you’re ready to gift your Book of the Dead, fill the extra compartments inside with movie theatre candy like Whoppers, Twizzlers, and Junior Mints!
COMMENTS:
 
96