Corpsing a Plastic Skeleton
Take a $20 hardware-store skeleton from cartoon-white to leathery, dried-out horror with melted plastic bags and a little patience.
Difficulty
Beginner
Time
An afternoon
Cost
$25–$40
Materials
- ✦Blow-mold plastic skeleton
- ✦Plastic grocery/produce bags
- ✦Cheap acrylic craft paints (black, brown, bone)
- ✦Mod Podge or watered glue
Tools
- ▸Heat gun (low)
- ▸Cheap chip brushes
- ▸Nitrile gloves
- ▸Drop cloth
The Build
- 01
Layer the 'skin'
Brush a coat of glue on a section, lay torn plastic bag over it, then gently pass the heat gun until the plastic shrinks and wrinkles onto the bone. Work in small areas.
- 02
Wash it dark
Once cool, drag a thin black-brown wash into every crevice and wipe the high points back. Instant decades of grime.
- 03
Dry-brush the highs
Lightly dry-brush bone color across the ridges so the skull and joints catch your scene lighting.
Safety First
Heat guns get extremely hot and plastic fumes are no joke — work outdoors or with strong ventilation, keep the gun moving, and never aim it at skin.