1) Start at the "neck" area. Use a 3/4" 4-way cross connector. From the top of the cross, attach a short piece of 3/4" PVC. This is where you attach the head. I use the standard Styrofoam wig heads, they fit perfect.

2) From the sides of the cross connector, attach 2 pieces of PVC to form the "collar bones". At the end of the "collar bones", attach a 3/4" 90 degree joint. This forms the "shoulders".

3) From the bottom of the cross, attach a length of 1" PVC for the "spine". I opted to go up in size to the 1" PVC for the "spine" and "legs" because I found that the 3/4" tended to bow a bit in longer lengths. Use a 1" to 3/4" adapter to connect the "spine" to the cross connector. It just slips on the top on the 1" PVC and will then fit into the bottom of the cross.

4) At the bottom of the "spine", attach a 1" 3-way "T" connector. From the sides of the "T" connector, attach 2 pieces of 1" PVC to form the "pelvis". A the end of the pieces, use 1" 90 degree joints to form the "hips".

5) To complete the "arms" and "legs", continue adding 3/4" or 1" PVC from the "shoulder" and "hip" joints.

**On the "arms", you can use either 90 or 45 degree joints depending on how much you want the arms bent. You can also use the 45 degree joints at the "shoulder" instead of 90 degree joints. This will allow for your figure to have more outstretched arms. I have a flying Dracula and he is holding out his cape using this method.**

**The "legs" can be either straight or bent depending on how it will be positioned. If you make one that will be sitting, just use the 90 degree joints for "knees".**

6) To fill out the figure, I bought a roll of foam rubber from a discount store. I cut pieces out and rolled them around each section of the "arms", "shoulders", "legs" etc. The foam attaches easy with duct tape. The wrapping tension of the tape will allow for contouring of the limbs. For the main body, I cut out a "torso" shape from plywood. I attached it to the "spine" with screws. This gives more of a base to wrap the foam around instead of just the PVC, plus it saves having to use alot of it.

7) To make the figure stand, cut 2 pieces of heavy 2x10 wood about 18" long. Get some old shoes or boots and attach them to the pieces of wood, easily done with screws from the bottom side of the wood and then up through into the heel and toe of the shoes. Screw a 1" end cap inside the shoe at the heel area and then slip the ends of the "legs" into the caps. The weight is sufficient to stabilize the prop, although you may need to add some weight onto the stands if the prop is going to be outdoors and subjected to wind.

**An alternative method to attaching the shoes to the wooden stands is to pound sections of rebar into the ground. You can then slip the "legs" over the rebar without any shoes or drill holes with a hole saw through the heel of the shoes and slide them down first. For figures that would be set up on cement or a floor, you'd have to use the wooden stands.**