How to Make a Mannequin Cheap and Quick to Sell Your Clothing

A friend of mine was complaining about not having a mannequin to take pictures of her clothes to sell online.  With the increased ability to make money from your home with little more than a mobile device I came up with the idea of making her own mannequin.  Clothes are harder to arrange unless they are on a mannequin and they are expensive to purchase.  I put on my thinking cap and came up with an inexpensive way to tackle this project.  You will need the following:  Bed Pillow (any size will work, I used a queen size), A broom or mop stick off an old mop (any kind of sturdy tall stick will work as well), A padded push up bra any type for a female torso however if selling male clothing you can eliminate this, two solo cups any color and Duck Tape (any design, I used black or beige).  Start by putting your stick on the outside back of the pillow centering it and taping once around the entire pillow to make the waistline and hips at the middle of the pillow (pull tight to create a definite waistline area.  Do not place the pillow inside the microfiber poly as it will not hold steady.  Once you have created the waistline start taping the duck tape in 24" pieces up and down the stick. Take the push up bra and put it on the torso stuffing with old mismatched socks.  Start criss-crossing with duck tape and continue until the entire piece is covered with duck tape much like paper mache' only you are using tape.  Once you run out of a roll do not throw away the tape cardboard circular holder this is your neckline.  Place the round piece at the top of your pillow in the middle for the neckline.  Get another roll of duck tape and start taping it in a criss-cross to secure and then make it smooth with tape.  Next the only thing left will be the arm pieces.  Take each solo cup and secure with tape on each side.  Wrap the pieces with tape, secure and smooth.  Once finished you will have a mannequin which cost under $10 possibly less if you have the material laying around the house.  You can then cover with any type of sheet using a clip in the back for displaying jewelry, scarves etc.  or use without covering for clothing.  You can also embellish with ribbons etc.  Props up nicely against walls or door for taking great pictures of your clothing items.  Below is the picture of a nice double breasted coat, jacket and necklace is shown with sheet draping and ribbon embellishment.  Get creative and be sure to post any additional ideas you have. The entire project take a couple of hours at most.

Home Decor At Best

There is nothing worse than having a tall wall upon entering a home that needs to be filled with something.  Now the question is what will that something be?  One of the best solutions I have found for showing definition on a high wall is paint.  Always go with a paint that is darker than the rest of the walls, this lessens the size of the wall.  Next you will need to put something on the wall, this will depend on your decor.  Grouping things together is the best choice.  I am not a fan of family pictures for decor, although some do like this look I would suggest that you stick with matching frames.  Grouping things by category works best.  For example, if you are working with french country, wood and metal objects work best in groupings.  Contemporary decor would need to be clean lines such as shelves in groups with objects which have lots of color.  Traditional decor is usually done with one large object such as an ornate mirror or wall art.  Have fun with it, try out different things.  Get creative, look around your house, garage and closets.  Do not go with the norm, for example, if searching for a rustic look head outdoors.  Cut some branches and bundle them together with a ribbon on each end bringing it to the center for hanging.  Use an old wooden door knob to hang it from found at most junk and thrift stores or flea markets.