custom pez

who wouldn't want their own head on a stick? my very supportive aunt asked me to do some custom pez of my cousins for christmas.  it's a little bit tougher to get likenesses of kids than adults, at least for me, but i think i got all of their basic characteristics that helps distinguish who each pez is.

since i use clay to make the custom heads, they become very top heavy. i've dropped them a dozen times, luckily without breaking or cracking, so that shows how durable they are. although if they hit at the wrong spot, there could be some damage. nick's hair was made of little pieces of clay coming out from the head, so that was much more likely to break off if it were to fall onto a hard surface. an easy way to prevent any accidents is to mount the pez on a heavy stand, possibly cement (as i've used in the past for other 3-dimensional projects.) here are some process shots of these two pez.  nick was made from homer simpson, and mikala from belle (beauty and the beast.) i just needed to figure out the best way to work with the existing pez to make it fit the new character. forunately for these two, i was able to use the pre-existing clothes and neck and work around it.  in my first attempt at a pez (tym pez), i had to carve and cut the pez to create an easier shape to work off of. 

to avoid damage, my aunt put each one in a pez container. unfortunately nick didn't quite fit well thanks to his cookie monster hat, but here's mikala, beaming in her fancy christmas pez stand!

i really enjoy making custom pez dispensers, so if anyone is interested, feel free to contact me!  i plan on making more, of myself, of cartoon characters (that don't already exist on a dispenser), of whoever else i might feel like making.  unfortunately my time may become limited in the near future. it's likely that i'll be working.. full time.. for the first time in years. more on that later, but in the mean time, love yourself or others by ordering some special customized pez !