Life-sized Spider Cocconed Body

I got this idea from the following you tube video after googling  "how to build a human spider coccoon" I had to look for a inexpensive and realistic method before I found one I liked and there weren't very many out there so I took ideas from the video and mande my own version. This is how I did it and all the people in the neighborhood love it! Here's the video link to help you along and you'll get the idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWNMgZFHEfE&feature=context-gfa

Step 1: Materials and Tools List

for each cocconed body you will need:
1 150' roll food plastic wrap ( $1.99 at Winco  or Fred Meyers for a 200' roll)
2 rolls 750' clear plastic mailing tape ($3.99 for 3 at Fred Meyers)
1 8' 2" X2'" board ($1.69 Home Depot, I already had)
1 4" X 6" X 1/2" piece of plywood (in my scrap box)
8 1" deck screws (in my cofee can full of fastners)
1 1 1/2" eye bold, washer, and nut ( Home depot $1.19)
white and tan spray paint (Wal Mart $1.29 each, I already had)
1/2 bag Halloween spider webbing ($.99 at the Dollar Store)
1 styrofoam skull ( $.99 at the Dollar Store or up to $6.99 at Fred Meyers or Spirit Halloween, I had 15 already)

Total cost $ about $13 to $14 if you have to buy everything.My cost since I had materials on hand was $6.00

Tools:
Scisors
Hand saw or skill type saw
Drill with 3/8" bit and drill driver bits
measuring tape

Step 2: Get Some Help and Wrap Up a Volunteer of Have Someone Wrap You Up

The first step is to find a person to wrap you up or to find a volunteer willing to stand still in one place for one to 3 hours, depending on the person size to be wrapped. Start out by laying plastic wrap on the floor in a size that is about 6" larger than the persons feet being wrapped, with about 6 to 8 layers ( DO NOT CUT!). Next have the person stand in the middle of the plastic wrap and fold the wrap over their feet. Begin wrapping the person around the feet then working your way to their neck overlapping each layer by about 1/3rd to 1/2 the width of the roll. Don't just wrap in a circle and press all the plastic down to work out the wrinkles so the wrap is tight enough to stick well to its self but allows the person to breath comfortably.

When you get to the shoulders wrap up and over the shoulders and also use a crisis-cross pattern like used on suspenders to cover the shoulders. Don't wrap more than half way up the neck. After the shoulders are wrapped continue wrapping back towards the feet again until all the plastic wrap on one roll is used. (more or less is required depending on the size of the person being wrapped.

Step 3: Tape Time!

Now you can cut the roll of plastic if you didn't use the whole roll. And the real fun begins Again without cutting the tape wrap the person over the plastic wrap with the clear mailing tape overlapping each wrap by 1/3rd to 1/2 the width of the roll of tape. This is vital to keep the form stiff and provides a shell to work with to hold the form. Wrap from the top of the feet all the way to the shoulders and base of the neck, just like in the picture. You want to use a wrap around the entire body. After this wrap is complete you want to tape a second layer using strips of tape going up and down the person. Be sure to keep pressing out the wrinkles of the tape as you add more tape. Each layer of tape needs to be about 90 degrees to the previous layer. this method adds lots of strength and is vital to the shell, kind of like making a "tape carbon fiber". Cut strips as necessary, alternating and overlapping the ends so that you do not end up with a weak line across one area of the body.  The last layer of tape is a final wrap around the body like the first layer of tape.

Step 4: Free at Last!

 Now with a sharp pair od scissors very carefully cut out the person from the wrap. Start at the persons neck and cut through all the layers of plastic wrap and tape, down the spine and between the persons legs to the heels. This one cut releases the person and will keep the form in its shape when the person wiggles out of the coccoon.

Step 5: The Shell

This just shows the shell after the person has been released

Step 6: Building the Internal Frame

Measure the height of the person from the bottom of their feet to the base of their head where their spine connects whith the bottom of their head. This is the length of the spine board.  Measure the width of their shoulders and verify be measuring the width of the shoulders in the shell. This is the length of the shoulder board

Measure 8" from one end of the spine board and place the shoulder board across this line on the long side of the line and draw a second line against the edge of the shoulder board. Cut just less than half way through the spine board on both lines, then make many cuts between the lines to clean out the material to make a wide groove for the shoulder board to fit.

Measure the shoulder board and divide by 2. this is the center of the shoulder board, mark a line on the center and place the spine board over the center mark of the shoulder board. Next mark each side of the spine board on the shoulder board. again, cut just less than half way through the shoulder board on both lines, then make many cuts between the lines to clean out the material to make a wide groove for the spine board to fit into the groove of the spine board. Pre drill a pilot hole in the center of the 2 boards if desired then screw one screw through both boards, (I like to use Gorilla glue on my wood joints but it's not necessary.)

Drill a 3/8" hole in the center of the fot board, this is for the eye bolt to hang the coccon from. Next, drill a pilot tole through the foot board and bottom of the spine board and screw the foot board to the bottom of the spine board, adding glue if you like for a stronger joint.

Step 7: Frame in the Shell and Painting

Carefully slide the frame into the shell sliding the foot board into the feet of the shell first. Now the frame is inside the shell. Screw each shoulder of the shell to the shoulder board to secure the frame into the shell. Turn the entire shell and frame assembly "on its head" and punch a small hole through the feet through the hole in the foot board and insert the eye bolt through the shell and board. secure with a flat washer and nut. Turn the shell and frame "back on its feet" and tape the zipper cut closed using strips of tape across the cut then 3 long pieces down the cut to close the shell. I didn't get a picture of painting the shell, but all I did was lightly spray paint it white then use just a little tan for some contrast and make it look aged. The tan stripes went around the body from side to side to add to the wrapped look of the spider webs.

Step 8: Adding the Head (skull)

Attaching the head was very simple, after painting the body, place the skull right on top of the spine board and add a rolled up piece of plastic wrap around the neck under the skull. Tape the skull onto the body with more plastic tape and again use about 3 layers of tape to continue the cocconed look throughout. Don't paint the head if you want it to show through the webs. The photo below shows the shell not painted. I placed the head on before painting then painted the body. But you could do it either way. After I added the head I wrapped the entire shell and head in Halloween spider webs to complete the cocconed look of the hanging body.

Step 9: Hanging the Coccoon

Use some 1/4" white cloths line type of cord to hand the cocoon from its feet in a tree or your haunted house use white to look like big spider webs.