Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Heirloom Santa Claus Transformation from Cheap Tree Topper to Adorable OOAK with Candlestick Stand

I had this cheaply made tree topper Santa Claus with a porcelain head and hands and a plastic cone that was crushed.






I purchased him secondhand (in this condition) because I liked his porcelain head & hands, plus his coat and garland. I felt I could give him a few touch ups to make him more adorable!

First, I removed the entire broken cone and foam. Then I found a dowel that is approximately the same size as a taper candle and glued it inside the hole in the neck of the porcelain head.

I tried several of my candlesticks out for size (I collect wooden candlesticks) and I tried him out on some brass ones as well (but I really like those for displaying my glass tree toppers and ornaments) and I thought the proportion of the one I ended up with was the best for this Santa. Since the dowel sticks down in the candlestick like a taper candle, the Santa can easily be removed and the candlestick can be enjoyed all year!

Next, that ridiculous beard HAD TO GO!

I thought about keeping it without an additional beard, but I had just disassembled another Santa and I tried his beard made from a lamb pelt on for size. PERFECT!

Usually, I paint their faces, but I was working on several projects at the time I made him so I decided to leave his face in its original cuteness. However, I recommend adding that personal touch to your own Santas!

So...if you have some cheesy or damaged cone Santas who could use some dressing up...I recommend you try out this technique!











Monday, August 6, 2018

OOAK Porcelain CrEePy Clowns Dolls by Geri G. Taylor 2016



Sadly, I have been remiss in posting anything interesting on my blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't had a creative daze or two!

My CrEePy Clowns have become another fun way to repurpose and create one of a kind art from mass produced porcelain clown dolls.

Rusty

One of my very first repaints was a 12" Dynasty porcelain clown. But I went the direction of the Gothic Girls and they took up a lot of my creative time.


My second clown was an adorable music box! He and the rest of CrEePy Clowns featured in this post are my 2016 series.

I purchased some common Heritage Mint clowns that stand about 16"-17" and a few Dynasty dolls that are up to 20". I try to keep my costs low but generally, these dolls costs about $20 plus shipping online and they are hard to find in second hand stores.

Patches
Patches
I prefer a couple of the Dynasty molds. One is a hobo (especially without the ball nose)and the other is a circus clown like the one I used on my first CrEePy Clown. I also prefer clowns that can be bald because they don't have the hole in the top like porcelain dolls that need inset eyes and I can choose to add hair or not. I also like molds with ears.

Tex
Tex
Chuckles
Chuckles


Ziggy
Bobo
Bobo
Ziggy

Dinky
Dinky