Skeleton in Your Closet

Skeleton in the Closet
By Deb Roberts
Every family has a few skeletons in the closet, and this time of year, it’s always fun to show them off! In my family closet, we have Old Aunt Harriet. If the truth be told, Aunt Harriet had a taste for wine, but no one liked to talk about it. Of course, Aunt Harriet never admitted to it either, but at least one family photo caught her in the act. As long as we’re exposing a family secret, we’ll also share how to make this cute Halloween mini.

Supplies:
One small wooden hutch from a craft store
One plastic skeleton
Small dowel cut to fit inside of closet for hanging rod
Small wooden hangers
Bit of lace for dress
Accessories such as a parasol, hat, shoes and bottle of wine
Black and grey paint
Glue gun
Begin with painting your wooden hutch. Since I was going for a Halloween look, I used black followed by a dry brush of grey to age the closet. You can use your own choice of paint colors to fit your mini décor. Paint the dowel to match.
Place the hangers on the dowel rod and glue it in place. Be sure the dress is already on the hanger since it’s hard to reach into the space once the hanger is on the rod. (Quick tip: if you don’t have a mini dress handy, use a piece of lace tied with a bit of ribbon to give the form of a dress) Tuck the parasol in the corner.
Now it’s time to begin reshaping your skeleton so it will sit nicely in the closet. Using a sharp pair of scissors or your EZ Cutter, cut off the arms just above the elbows and the legs just above the knees.
Bend the upper arms at the shoulder joint so they are pointing outward.
Using the hot glue gun, glue the lower legs onto the cut edge of the upper legs, giving the legs a natural looking bend.
Place a dot of hot glue on the outer edge of the left knee and press the left arm against it to hold it in place.
Glue the forearm onto the elbow joint, so that it appears that the skeleton has its arm wrapped around its knees. Place another dot of glue on the right knee and hold the hand in place, slightly bending the fingers.
Glue the right lower arm to the elbow joint, hand raised as if waving.
Then add the hat. Aunt Harriet always wore hers tilted at a rakish angle. (She was such a character!)
Now your skeleton is ready to be placed in the closet, seated on the floor. Add the wine bottle next to it, and you’re all set!