Mary Poppins Umbrella

I needed a prop for a Mary Poppins themed photo shoot that I was working on. So where does one find a custom, parrot headed umbrella? The craft store of course

I'm a huge fan of Super Sculpey. I use it in many of my creative projects. It's easy, durable and forgiving.

So my first steps where to flesh out a head. Start with a general head shape, ad the larger features then decide how detailed you need to be.

I baked it low and slow until hard then gave the whole thing a white wash with some dollar store craft paint. I then screwed a plate to the bottom to make it easier to manipulate. Once dry, I spray painted it white so that I'd have a nice blank slate to start with.

I used the same crappy dollar store paint to finish up the painting. I'd recommend using better brushes and paints if your prop will be seen close up.
Snap the hook of a dollar store umbrella, drill an appropriate sized hole. Crazy glue in place and you're ready for a jolly holiday. I'd love to hear your comments and suggestions on this project. Let me know what you think.