in progress: Liberty Crown
This Statue of Liberty crown was made for a man walking in this year's
Atlanta Gay Pride parade. The headdress was made by using parts of old wool felt hats
and foam core board. I also used a product called Sculpt or Coat to stiffen and seal the
pieces. Sculpt or Coat is basically a really thick white glue that can be diluted with water
and used in a number of ways in costume construction. Most of the headdresses I've
built are made using the same basic techniques outlined here.
I start by cutting the brim off an old wool felt hat and trimming the crown of the
hat to fit around the face and over the ears. The crown is then stretched over
a wig block and two layers of Sculpt or Coat are applied to make the felt
stiff enough to support the structure to be built on top of it as well as
to seal it for painting.
The top of the crown and the vertical supports that form the "windows" are cut out of
foam core board and hot glued to the stiffened felt base. This crown was ment
to be stylized and exaggerated, so the base is oversized and rises higher than
the actual statue.
The brim of the hat is cut down and Sculpt or Coated. The pieces are then glued
to the base and twisted into spirals to form the hair.
The top of the crown with the radiating points is cut from foam core and the points are
made thicker and stronger with a second layer of foam core. The points are glued together
and masking tape strips are used to cover the seams and to keep the points from separating.
The top/points piece is attached to the top of the base and all the seams
are "caulked" with hot glue. Then the entire structure is Sculpt or Coated again for a
final seal.
The completed structure is now spray painted hunter green. There will be a
mist of bronze spray paint added over the green to complete the patina look
of the real statue.
The finished crown ready to go.