How To Make Snakes

I decided that being Medusa for Halloween was a great idea. Making snakes should be easy... right? Turns out it's kinda tricky. So for anyone who would like to make a snake in the future, I've basically done all the R&D.... But be forewarned.... It's a lot of work.

Miss Kay's Instructions for making snakes:

1. Get some snake fabric.

My fabulous sister Cherry found shiny snake material for me at JoAnn's. 1 yrd = $5

2. Make a template. (each square is 1"x1")

3. Trace template onto newspaper, alternating directions, and then pin newspaper to fabric and cut out. (This takes up most of the fabric... about 21"x3')

4. Each piece of fabric is used for one snake. The wide end will be used for the head of the snake.

5. Use the remaining fabric and cut it out like the template below. This material will be used for shorter snakes and some tails.

6. Take on piece of material and fold in half, wrong side out.

7. Sew one seam approximately 1/2 inch from edge of fabric.

8. Sew another seam parallel to the first seam, approximately 1/4 inch from edge of fabric.

9. Cut out tongue (I panel felt: 50¢)

10. Center the seam at the wide end. Put your tongue in between the layers of material pointed down. Sew a few stitches at the top so both the tongue and the fabric stays in place.

11. Place a template for the snake head over material and sew around edges. (This is the hard part. Don't be afraid to go back and sew spots so that the head is symmetrical. Not all your snake heads need to look the same.)

12. This is what you want it to look like. The seams should extend off the fabric and it's fine if the material is a little bumpy. It won't make a difference after the snake is stuffed.

13. Cut off excess fabric.

14. Turn right side out.

15. If you want your snakes to be bendable, take use some 18", 20 gauge floral wire as a support. (It's green, BONUS! I package = $1) If the wire is a smaller gauge then it won't be strong enough to support the snake.

16. Shimmy the wire down between the two seams.

17. As a filler I just used styrofoam pellets from an old beanbag chair from Goodwill = $3.

(So I live about 2 miles from Goodwill and had borrowed Cherry's bike that has rack on the back. I succeeded in strapping the beanbag to the side of the rack [Cherry's daughter was riding on the seat on top of the rack] and riding all the way home... It must've been a spectacle to behold.)

18. Fill snake with pellets

19. Sew the bottom closed.

20. Hot glue on some black felt eyes and you're done!

After I was done making all the snakes and tails I had my lovely sister attach the snakes to a mesh cap. Hot glue rules!!