Creation Hack: Plastic Bag Molding

I was going through our plastic bag drawer a while back, and couldn't get in more bags to fit. We were severely overstocked. So I went online and decided to get crafty, looking for ideas on what to do with them. A lot of the concepts talked about ironing them together to make pattern fabric, but I have no iron or board for doing such things. So, I thought about other things. One of the downsides of using real spikes on cosplay costumes is that sometimes they aren't allowed into public places due to safety concerns. So, I started messing around with making plastic ones. I would cut the bag into strips, skewer the end onto a wooden kabob stick, and then wrapped the plastic around until it formed something resembling a cone. Then I took a lighter and heated up the plastic a bit, shaping it with my fingers bit by bit. Yes, I burnt myself a few times. No big deal. If you want to try it without possibly burning yourself, you'll have to figure out your own method.

After a bit, the plastic became quite hard and pointed. My mind went from spikes to teeth. Like an Uruk-Hai cosplay. So I covered the plastic spike with black sharpie marker, and continued to shape. The white cracks in the plastic is where it split after applying the marker. The ink seemed to set pretty well. None of the spikes pictured are over an inch long, but I like the basic concept. I will start playing around with designs and colors combinations to get the desired look. I am thinking a mix of yellow and brown plastic for nasty orc teeth, with red and black veined in as well, to indicate rot and blood. The possibilities are endless honestly. I also did some beads and some wire sculpturing reinforced with plastic bag molding. I am still attempting an actual rotting flesh look.

This piece is a combination of cardboard and the plastic bags, made as a small tile for tabletop combat gaming, or miniatures gaming. Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer 40k, or just random sculptures for that matter. The plastic can become a bit difficult to work with after a bit, so fusing pieces requires patience and heating knowledge. Disclaimers on this, you need a well ventilated area if you want to avoid headaches like the ones I got for not using a well ventilated area, and there is a risk of burning yourself. Proceed at your own risk and have fun doing it. I would like to see posts of what people do if this inspires them.