Made this dress form from a tutorial found with Pinterest located at this link: http://prudentbaby.com/2010/06/hot-mess/diy-duct-tape-dress-form-2/
Never wanted to invest in a dress form because my top is in the range of one dress form where my bottom fits in the range of a different size. Besides that, my weight fluctuates a lot so this seemed like a great way to have a dress form without shelling out a lot of money. This project was fairly easy to make, just requires some time.
The tape can get expensive if you buy all 50-60 yards in decorative duct tape. I recommend maybe doing a base layer in cheap black or silver and then once you cut the form off your body and stuff it, do a top layer in the duct tape color of your choice.
The expandable foam posed a problem for me. In the end I had a few spots on my form that were really hard from the foam, and some that were squishy where the foam didn't reach. I think if you plan to use it, buy the super expanding foam, and squirt it in as you stuff, not just at the end.
For the stand I wanted to use PVC because it seemed cheaper than the umbrella stand. However, I had to buy a 5 way PVC pipe connector online because that type of connector is not usually used in actual plumbing work, therefore not carried at Home Depot or Lowe's. I got mine at the following website and it was delivered in less than a week: http://www.formufit.com/pvc-5-way-crosses/
Good Luck!
Inexpensive and and quick flexible molds you can use to make cabochons, charms, and more!