Mummy Hand

$20 - $30 (based on 2019 prices)

Makes one hand

Part of 2020’s twisted carnival theme involved Dr. Victor’s Oddity Museum, a collection of bizarre artifacts meant to resemble the curiosity exhibits customary in turn-of-the-century travelling shows. To achieve this, I crafted a bevy of familiar oddities, from mummified mermaids to shrunken heads. For this particular prop, I wanted to create a sideshow staple: a mummy hand. Despite its lengthy process, the prop was surprisingly easy to produce and, if the ambition is there, would make create place cards for an Egyptian-themed dinner, with each hand holding a placard with the guests’ names.

• One 4” x 6” frame
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in nutmeg
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in blue*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in metallic gold*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in metallic silver*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in orange*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in turquoise*
• One 3/16” wooden dowel
• Three to four feet of steel wire
• One latex skeleton glove
• Two yards of white 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*
• Four jeweled spider rings
• One piece of 8” x 11.5” cardstock with specimen labels printed on it
• At least four tablespoons of black tea (e.g. Darjeeling, Earl Gary, English Breakfast, etc.)
• One pan large enough to soak the cardstock
• One foot of brown twine

1. Remove the backing and any glass from the frame and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, apply an even coat of black spray paint. Although I used one coat, you may want more depending on your desired coverage. Keep in mind, though, that this is the base coat and much of the black will be covered by the other paints.

2. Detail the frame with an Egyptian-themed motif, including hieroglyphs written in red paint. You could mimic deigns found in historical artifacts or create your own patterns.

3. Form an armature for the hand with the dowel and steel wire, using the dowel as the forearm and the wire to fabricate fingers. This will give the hand a sturdy frame and allow you to bend the fingers into various poses. It might prove beneficial to trace the outline of the glove onto cardboard or paper and use this template to properly size the armature.

4. Give the arm bulk by building up layers of fabric around the fingers, palm, and forearm. You can achieve this by crunching up small squares of cloth and wrapping larger strands around them or utilizing quilt batting. As with step three, an outline of the glove on cardboard or paper can help guide this process.

5. Cut one side of the glove in half, running the slit from the base to the top of the palm and insert the armature into the opening. You may need to apply a little force to guide the padded structure into the glove. Do not exert too much force, though, as it may tear the latex. If you need, trim parts of the padding to allow for a smoother insertion.

6. Glue the seams together, center the hand onto the backing, and paste it in place. For a sturdier hold, consider using superglue. You can also fashion a stand by cutting a hole in the backing large enough for the dowel to fit in and gluing it into position.

7. 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 fabric from the water and allow it to dry.

8. Tear the fabric into strips and wrap the hand and backing. You do not want the props to look pristine, so do not overthink your application and try not to aim for even strips and uniform coverage. Likewise, for visual interest, leave one or two strands free to dangle down the sides.

9. To enhance the aging process, dust the hand with a light coat of nutmeg spray paint. To give the illusion of dirt, hold the can over twelve inches away from the prop and make quick flicking motions. You can also apply a flecking of black paint and smears of brown.

10. Carefully slip the hand through the opening of the frame and reattach the item to the backing. For display purposes, glue the frame in place and, if you want, cut a 4” x 6” square of black craft foam and adhere it to the bottom of the prop to protect surfaces.

11. Shorten the legs on a jeweled spider ring, paint it gold, and glue it to the pinky of the hand to decorate the prop.

12. Repeat the process in step eleven with three additional jeweled spider rings, shortening their legs, cutting off their bands so they sit level, and painting them gold and silver to decorate the base and frame.

13. Boil enough water to completely submerge the cardstock and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I found that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the cardstock into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the loose-leaf tea over the top to add spots. Remove the cardstock from the water and allow it to dry. I elected to stain the cardstock with tea rather than coffee to give the label a hue which contrasted with the coffee-stained fabric. You, of course, are free to just stain the cardstock and cloth with either tea or coffee to save time. After the paper dries, cut out the label, leaving a small boarder around its edges, and roughen its surface with sandpaper.

14. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, punch a hole into the top of the label and use a strand of twine to attach it to the prop.

15. The wire armature can be used to position the hand into whatever pose you desire. For example, you can create a paper scroll using the aging techniques in step thirteen and have the hand hold it in a firm death grip.

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