Faceless Girl Sign

$20 - $30 (based on 2019 prices)

Makes one sign

Part of 2020’s twisted carnival theme included an assortment of poster-size signs meant to resemble the attraction advertisements customary in turn-of-the-century travelling shows. Although they had the same basic attributes to maintain a uniform appearance when they were hung on the sides of the tent, I wanted each to have their own unique look. For this one, I used a flowery fabric to provide an unsettling contrast with the gore of the severed face.

• One 20” x 30” foam board
• One yard of floral fabric
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the fabric
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Three to four yards of dark brown twine
• One latex face mask
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in beige*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in coral*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in maroon*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in white*
• One package of two-inch letterboard letters
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 0.3 fluid ounce bottle of red food coloring*
• One 4 oz. bottle of clear, all-purpose tacky glue gel*
  

1. Boil enough water to completely submerge the fabric and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the cloth in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for four days and scattered the coffee grounds over the top of the fabric to add spots. Remove the cloth from the water and allow it to dry.

2. Trim the fabric to 22” x 32”, stretch it across the foam board, and glue it in place. I found it works best to glue one side to serve as an anchor and then work the fabric from there, ensuring the surface is as smooth as possible. Although I gave myself a one-inch border to work with, you may want to leave additional fabric to give you more leeway.

3. Using a darning needle, thread the twine along the outer edges of the board. Since the fabric is already attached to the foam, this will give the illusion that it is haphazardly sewn on. You want the needlework to look messy and uneven, giving the sign a disheveled appearance.

4. Remove the mask’s elastic band and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, apply three even coats of beige paint. Although I used three, you may want more or less based on your desired coverage.

5. Give the face a smudging of coral paint, focusing primarily on the cheeks, lips, and nose. Use your own skin patterns or those found in a medical textbook for reference. I discovered that applying a small amount of paint to your thumb and index finger and rubbing it onto the prop works well.

6. Smudge red paint around the eyes, lips, and nose and along the edges of the mask. To give further depth, deepen the blood with a darker red like burgundy or maroon. You will want to focus this final color in the crevices of the mouth, the folds along the eyes, and the openings of the nostrils.

7. Position the mask on the board and glue it in place. Depending on how large you plan to make the sign’s lettering, you may need to play with its placement beforehand.

8. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the letterboard letters and even coat of black spray paint. Although I only used one coat, you may want more depending on your desired coverage. Keep in mind, though, this is the base coat and much of the paint will be covered up by other colors. Once the paint has dried, give the letters an aged patina by gently brushing brown, gray, and white paint over their surfaces. Try not to overthink your application. A random pattern will produce the best result.

9. Arrange the letters on the board and glue them in place. Akin to step seven, it might work best to pre-position everything on the board to determine their desired placement before permanently affixing them.

10. For additional detail, do not use the letterboard letters to spell out every word or all words in full. Rather, emphasize certain words or parts of words by using red paint to write these elements. For this step, you want the wording to be haphazard. To achieve this, exaggerate curves, create sharp points, and elongate certain aspects. You could also write letters backwards and deliberately misspell words. Keep in mind, though, that the sign needs to be readable, so try not to overdo your artistic flairs.

11. In a plastic container (because the food coloring will stain, use something disposable or that you won’t mind dying), pour in your desired amount of clear glue gel and slowly add red food coloring to the solution until it achieves the sanguine hue you desire. To give the blood further density, add blue food coloring and mix well.

12. On a newspaper-lined surface, apply the blood glue to the prop and allow it to fully dry. You can use an old spoon or plastic utensil to strategically dripple the liquid along chosen areas (e.g. around the edges of the mask) or pour it haphazardly for a gory mess.

13. Use steel wire to create a hanging loop and attach it to the back of the sign. You can also embellish the prop further with clusters of insects crawling across its surface.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.