How to turn Barbies into Doctor Who Weeping Angels

Guest post by anthropolywog
#Do It Yourself#crafts#Doctor Who#dolls#repurposed wedding decor

Weeping Angel Barbies

I don’t like Barbies and I pre-apologize to those who do, but I took an inordinate amount of pleasure in hacking up, hot gluing, and morphing Barbies into something that causes horror: the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who!

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…

Weeping Angel Barbies a

You will need:

Step one: Undress your Barbies.
Undress your Barbies.
My Barbie's arms did not bend, this meant I needed a cutting tool…
My Barbie’s arms did not bend; this meant I needed a cutting tool…
…and something to hold said Barbies. And a wicked sense of humor!
…and something to hold said barbies.
And a wicked sense of humor!
And a wicked sense of humor!

Weeping Angel Barbies h

Then I made doll stands, using these little round plaques…
Then I made doll stands, using these little round plaques and dowels cut to size.
I drilled a hole in each plaque, then filled it with hot glue and stuck a stick in it.
I drilled a hole in each plaque, then filled it with hot glue and stuck a stick in.
Then I used hot glue to mold the hair buns to match the hair of the Weeping Angels on the show. Here they are lined up with their hair buns drying.
Then I used hot glue to mold the hair buns to match the hair of the Weeping Angels on the show. Here they are lined up with their hair buns drying.
Then glue the dolls to stands to make them easier to work with. I found it useful to glue both their bums and their feet to the stand.
Then glue the dolls to stands to make them easier to work with. I found it useful to glue both their bums and their feet to the stand.
Attach arms in a variety of poses: weeping, just opening up, and stretching out for someone…
Attach arms in a variety of poses: weeping, just opening up, and stretching out for someone…

Weeping Angel Barbies n

Then dress them up!
Then dress them up!

Weeping Angel Barbies q

Weeping Angel Barbies r

To get that carved and depressed look of the Gothic statues, I used a bottle with 50-50 water and Elmer's glue and sprayed them down. The one on the left is dry and the one on the right is sprayed.
To get that carved and depressed look of the Gothic statues, I used a bottle with 50-50 water and Elmer’s glue and sprayed them down. The one on the left is dry and the one on the right is sprayed.
The wings were the single biggest time suck of this project! It took five people hours of work to put them together with feathers and cardboard. Other folks have simply used hot glue on card board cut outs to make the feather look happen. It's up to you. I think mine came out creepier and a little more real looking due to using real feathers.
The wings were the single biggest time suck of this project! It took five people hours of work to put them together with feathers and cardboard. Other folks have simply used hot glue on card board cut outs to make the feather look happen. It’s up to you. I think mine came out creepier and a little more real looking due to using real feathers.

weeping angel barbies wings

Then it's time to apply the primer. I highly recommend a spray box to catch the overage!
Then it’s time to apply the primer. I highly recommend a spray box to catch the overage!

Weeping Angel Barbies y

Weeping Angel Barbies z

Eventually I was convinced that enough primer could be applied without making them look like Adipose and I hot glued the wings on.
Eventually I was convinced that enough primer could be applied without making them look like Adipose and I hot glued the wings on.
I finished the priming and started spraying them with this natural stone look paint.
I finished the priming and started spraying them with this natural stone look paint.
Because their faces kind of faded out, I used an ultra fine tipped Sharpie to bring their mouths and eyes into sharper focus.
Because their faces kind of faded out, I used an ultra fine tipped Sharpie to bring their mouths and eyes into sharper focus.

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There were a boat-load of pics taken with the angels — everyone had fun moving them around.

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…

DSC_6193

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DSC_6196

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Guest Post By: anthropolywog

I'm a stupidly busy blogger and a Pagan priestess, and my husband and I are Medieval Recreationists. I am the owner/creatress of The Stitchkateer. I help people to express their inmost selves through unique Made to Measure garments for all occasions!

Comments on How to turn Barbies into Doctor Who Weeping Angels

  3. Love this idea and thanks for sharing the steps to make playscale Weeping Angels. They are one of the creepiest Doctor Who villains. Brrrr …

    I collect Barbies and other playscale dolls and action figures. This is a creative and fun way to use broken and/or stained figures.

    Might be possible to use some of the taller Barbie stands instead of the dowel and plaque. I’m also wondering if there are some ready made fashions that I could use as gowns.

    Thanks. If I work on this project, I’ll link back to you 😉

  4. This is wonderful! I’ve printed out your great instructions. So, I can use this to create all sorts of fun doll projects! Thanks so much for sharing this! Big Squishy Hugs!

  5. This is great. I am going to do this for my niece. She is a major Dr. Who fan. Granted it won’t be a 100% Dr. Who item, it’s still something different.

  6. Way back when, in art class, I made wings for a barbie doll by using a caulking gun. I smeared short (2″ max) caulking onto wax paper and let it dry. It ended up looking like little feathers, then I glued them onto a wing I made of … hmm.. I think I made the wing frame out of a wire hanger and pantyhose stretched over it. Cardboard would work well.

    I think that would work well for these wings as well – much smaller ‘feathers’, but it did look amazing when I was done. I wish I had a picture.

  11. If you want to make more interesting hair styles than just the buns, I used regular glue and straws to fashion the hair into huge banana curls. Take a section of hair, soak it down with glue, and wrap the wet glue section around a straw. Once the glue is dry, take the straw out. I also made one with what ended up looking like giant cinnamon buns all over her head (oops), and a string-wrapped braid that turned out very Grecian looking.

  13. I totally did this project and it turned out awesome! I ended up skipping the step when you spray them with glue because my spray bottle wasnt spraying, it was more streaming if you will, and by that point I was a woman on a mission. But I ended up getting most of my supplies at the thrift store. They turned out amazing, thanks for sharing!!!

  14. This is amazing and blowing away-ish and so past cool I don’t know what else to say. What an amazing idea and execution. Thanks for the detailed instructions but I fear it is too complicated for me so I’ll just enjoy it on your page.

    I hope this isn’t too dramatic for the no-dramatic comment policy. It’s just dramatically amazing.

    Remember, don’t blink!

    • Company in IUK that got permission to recreate life sized Angles! BUT… the cost to ship to me in CA USA was $$$ so I gave up on that! Good luck!

  18. don’t tell my bride!!! but i’m totally going to make a ‘crown’ of these for her dr who themed wedding bwhahahahaahahhahahahahaahah 🙂 i’m so excited!!!! just have to get the spray paint/primer next!

  20. p.s. THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! i just went through this tutorial and made some for the wedding i was photographing. 🙂 Amazing times, amazing inspirations…and VERY EASY!!! I took some liberties and ended up making a hat. It was super super fun.

    Here is a link to the photo of me wearing it!!!!
    https://flic.kr/p/pFhzPA

    The wedding was Time Travel / period wear / Dr Who themes!!!! 🙂

  25. I love Barbie, I have collected them for more than 45 years.

    With this said? Many people have redone Barbies into their own version it is called “OOAK”(OOAK is an abbreviation used to mean one of a kind. This abbreviation would be used by the seller to indicate that the item for sale is rare, unique, or a handcrafted original. ).

    So you have not done anything original. There are some fantastic remade Barbies out there and I own several.

    So the real point of my comment, is that you did not use Barbies, in making your OOAK Weeping Angels. You used generic dolls, I looked at the packaging and then the dolls in your post.

    They are neither from the Barbie Franchise, nor from the Disney Princess line (which is NOT Barbie, either). They look like cheap knockoffs, which I am sure they are, why would you work with dolls that are worth money?

    I really enjoyed your how to, and I will probably do this with my family, it looks fun and I can create a 10th Doctor and Amy Pond dolls to go with the whole.

    So there is no reason to fake apologize for using or abusing Barbie.

    Because you did not.

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