All told this, project took: six Barbies, two cans of primer, two cans of Stone paint, four bags of feathers, less than half a yard of fabric, miles of hot glue (get the big bag of hot glue sticks), and a shit-ton of patience. However it was so worth it!
Here’s how you can hack your Barbies into Weeping Angels…
You will need:
- Barbies (or cheap Barbie-esque knock-offs)
- Primer
- Natural Stone Krylon paint
- Cutting tool (I used a rotary cutter)
- Something to hold the Barbies in place
- Small round wooden plaques
- 1/4″ dowels
- Hot glue
- Fabric — I found crinkle cotton was a good way to get the drape I wanted.
- String
- Spray bottle filled with 50/50 Elmer’s Glue and water
- Cardboard
- Feathers
- Ultra fine-tipped Sharpie
Our photographer went to use the restroom, and came out saying, “That’s not right — you can’t watch what you’re doing and keep an eye on the weeping angel at the same time!”
And so they began to move…
Related posts:
- The Doctor is back! Let’s celebrate with Doctor Who-themed home goods
- My Star Wars, Doctor Who, Harry Potter rainbow living room
- A collection of Doctor Who yarn projects that are cooler than bow ties (which are really cool)
This is so cool! If I ever have a Doctor Who party, these definitely need to be part of the decor! Thanks for the tutorial 🙂
I adore this and have just messaged my Whovian brother in all caps on Facebook with my blessing to do this to any Barbies of mine he may find remaining in my parents’ house. Also, I love your handle, anthropolywog, and will totally be checking out your etsy store because you are clearly amazing.
I don’t know what era of Barbies you may have lying around your house from your childhood, but you might do well to research them before you deconstruct them, even if they are in less than great condition. Lots of older Barbies are pretty valuable, and I would hate to see valuable dolls ruined when they could be sold to someone who will love them, and with the money you could buy cheapies to be creative with AND still have cash left over, or at least make enough to fund the project. Just a thought.
Some times here in CA USA you can find old barbies in yard sales or junk(antique) stores. But thies kid’s toys are not expensive even from Target and sometime they go on sale! I think an Angle is worth a Barbie any day folks! If you get real crazy a company in UK has permission from producers to mold and re-create life sized Angles. But to ship from UK to me here in the states is $$$$$ so I had to give up. These are great! Wonder if there is a larger sized doll to work with like this?
This is, hands-down no-kidding, the scariest post I have ever read on the OBE. Doll surgery AND Weeping Angels!?! Um…I’ll just be here, peeking over the back of the couch…
But it’s a super awesome tutorial! Thanks, anthropolywog. Your Etsy shop has pretty clothes, too. I’m coveting that waterfall bustle you made. 🙂
Very cool project! Those are NOT Barbies though, just cheap similar-sized dolls (not collector or even Barbie lover will ever cry for those). ;D
I would add aside from not ruining a good toy, buying a cheap dollar-store style doll like you did might be better as material – Barbies are made of more resistant rubber and plastic and probably harder to cut and carve!
However…. should you get your hands on baity (so beaten up they are craft-grade) articulated dolls like Barbie Fashionnistas, Monster High, Liv or the newer Bratz, you could have skipped the arm modifications and just posed them the way you see fit.
Oh I know they aren’t real barbies. But they are pretty close. Honestly there is one other tutorial out there that my google fu turned up. Even the bendy arm Dolls have to be dismantled because they don’t tend to bend in the right direction(s). Yeah I’m considering if I can offer these in my shop as some sort of accessory/home decor, but realizing the copy right issue. Meh. I can simply share the tutorial far and wide so folks can make their own. I often have trouble focusing on just one kind of art as I’m silly crafty in lots of ways and lots of things tweak my interests.
Awesome idea however Mattel takes a dim view of selling modified barbies. ..they once sued a shop on the Castro for selling drag queen ken
I don’t think they do..not any more. On Etsy there are 100s of modified Monster high dolls!
This is a great tutorial, and I love all of your detailed photos! Yes there are a few of these types of tutorials out there. I also use a lot of the exact materials (although it’s very important to me to use actual Barbies). Yours is the first I’ve seen with actual feathers for the wings. Here’s mine from 2011: http://wich-crafts.blogspot.com/2011/03/dont-blink.html?m=1
Yay for more angel armies!
If you soak the arms in hot water for several minutes they become pliable and you can bend them. After bending in to position you want, plunge them in cold water (ice water) to re-harden the plastic.
I boiled the Barbie’s and it worked out great. Thanks for the tip, its going to come in handy for my dead dolls. 🙂
It occurs to me that we could use most of these techniques on a manikin to create full size angels. Has anyone tried that?
You can also use a heat gun to do this but you must be very careful and stay back a bit with oven mits!
Regarding sales on Etsy as far as copy righting issues are concerned, I see people selling prints and car decals and such all the time on there, and it seems all they do is credit the character to its franchise. I think you’d be good to sell these on the shop site (and I’d be a definite customer!)
This is amazing!!
You win the internet today, ma’am. I would make these if they didn’t terrify the crap out of me.
This is the best thing ever done by anyone, anywhere.
Fantastic! Those are so cool, than you so much for the tutorial, my Whovian family would just get TOO much pleasure out of making these!!
HELLO SWEETIE!!!!
This is tremendous!
I would like to use this idea in my flower garden. How do the dolls take the heat, rain, snow?
I would just like to add that the pic with the Barbies lined up with their hair drying is HILARIOUS.
I am totally making one of these and using it as an “Elf on the Shelf” for my daughter. I feel like that will be amazing, and give her plenty to talk about in therapy down the road 🙂
Good job but…These are not Barbies they are cheaper teen dolls. I think it is a good use for them. Barbies are a much better quality although if they are plyed with.op.shop dolls… why not. I collect Barbies. 🙂
That is just the best thing anyone has ever done, ever.
had you thought of getting some kind of putty or something to fill in the elbow cuts? I really love the looks of these and was thinking they would be hilarious to put into my friend’s kids doll house.
THIS IS SPECTACULAR!!!!
awesome post had me intrigued ….here’s my little homage to Barbie http://lifeindegrees.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/bad-barbie.html
I might just have to make these for my wedding! Thanks!! 😀
This is fantastic! Great job!
Are they water proof, and was it just a fabric bag you used for their dress?
I think I love you !!!! ——— what a great use for those *leftover * Barbies that just aren’t in good enough condition !!! ——– I have soo many pieces and parts this will be a craft for my Gran-daughter and I !! Thank you !
Just wanted to let you know that next time…if there every is one, you can use boiling water to re-mold the arms into a different position. Basically you hold them in boiling water till they are flexible and then put them into the shape you want and hold them there while they cool off. When cool, it will hold the new shape. Cool idea though…maybe I should make a few and leave them around my daughter’s room. When she finds them she will freak…buahahahaha…oh..sorry.
YOU. ARE. EPIC.
You have nothing to worry about, these aren’t real Barbie’s these are dollar store knock offs so your cool. lol and these are awesome.
Wow this is awesome!! Really want to add this to our reception and our Dr who friends will enjoy and everyone else look on mystified.