Let's make a duct-tape-dummy!

In order to make your DTD, you need to have a friend to help you! This friend will do most of the work, like putting the duct-tape on your body and cutting it (gently) off! This should be somebody you trust because when the DTD is finally taken off, you will be in your undergarments.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:

1. 6 rolls of regular duct-tape or 2-3 big rolls, amount used depends on your size
2. a few paper towels
3. a set of painter’s cover-alls (from a hardware store), or thin pajamas*
4. sharpie marker
5. sharp scissors
6. to go to the bathroom first!! this may take a while.
7. a fan or cool room, you will get hot doing this!

* the clothing will get destroyed during this process so make sure they are not ones you care about.

If your pajamas have a top and bottom, tuck the top into the waistband.
Wrap paper towels around your wrists and ankles and tuck those into the pajamas too! This will help extend your DTD further down your body so skin will not show on your bodysuit.

You do not need to cover your hands or feet.
Please be careful about how tight elastic may be around your waist. You way want to cut elastic because it may distort your dummy.
Stand with your knees slightly relaxed and your arms held straight out.
You may have to stand like this for an hour or more so make sure you are not too uncomfortable!
If you need support, find tall furniture or something to rest your arms on. Try not to move too much when you are getting taped or the dummy may come out distorted.

You and your friend can do this together.

Begin taping the groin and inner thighs. Use strips of tape, do not use long strips or wrap the tape around using the roll. You want strips that are 6"-12" MAX. Make sure not to tape it too tight. This will be the basis for your bodysuit, and you don't want it to ride up between your legs or constrict your shape. Leave a little extra room around the groin and joints.

Next, have your friend tape your behind and further down your legs. Remember to not go too tight!

Soon you will have duct-taped legs! You're half way there! Remember to go all the way down to the ankle, right where your feet begin. This will insure no skin will show on your bodysuit.

Next your friend will begin taping your arms. Keep your arms straight out from your body. Start at the wrists and move towards the shoulders. You can start on one arm, move down across the chest, and get to the other arm this way.

Make sure to bring the tape right up against the end of your wrist, the beginning of your hand.

After the arms, chest, belly, and legs are done, you should be completely covered in tape!

Make sure that your tape goes up close to your neck so your fursuit body will not have too big of a gap between the body and the head's neck. You don't want it to be too tight of course.

Now your friend can begin to draw on the DTD with a sharpie marker!

Draw two lines from the neck down to the sides of the legs. Mark horizontal notches or x's across these lines. This will be the guideline for cutting the DTD off and piecing it back together later.

Next, lines or x's need to be drawn from the top of the shoulder/side of the neck to the wrist across the top of your arm! You should mark this with notches as well.

Finally, draw a circle where you want the tail to go. It should be somewhere on your lower back, a little above your tailbone, but not on your butt.

Your friend can now get you out of your DTD by cutting along the lines they drew on your body. This process must be done very slowly and carefully. As you cut you will see that the pajamas are going to be attached to the inside of the duct-tape. As the DTD gets cut away you will most likely be in your underwear!

Once the DTD is taken off you can air it out and then later tape it back together along the guidelines that were drawn on in sharpie.
Please make sure to tape it fully along the lines and not leave gaps.

When your DTD is aired out, taped back together, and ready, fold it up really flat and mail it to us! Some DTD's even fit in extra-large envelopes.

Shipping should be relatively inexpensive :)

You're all set!

Your DTD will serve as a blueprint for the body of your costume and provide you with a comfortable, stylish fit!