I started with the easiest bits the paws and used two different skeletal hands from a Halloween store
I used sheets plastic canvas, the painting palette (It's going to be used to defuse the led's to make the eyeballs as well as the rat incisors), a 2 pack of sponges for padding, and the blue led lights for the eyes.
I used this with some yarn to form the basic head shape, blocked out the mouth and eye sockets
I put in the front teeth and reshaped the lower jaw to be more ratty, and mounted the leds
I made the basic eye form. I used a clear plastic presentation folder and cut them into rough eye socket shapes. I then marked off where the LED's would sit
Next I used the socket forms to cut out the bottom forms from the lens of a pair of cheap sunglasses. I cut away most of the overlapping plastic from the socket form and punched out the hole for the LED. To smooth the jagged edges of the led hole I used a candle to melt it down slightly. I then hot glued the sunglasses to the socket form.
finally I used a black sharpie to color the socket form
Next I used hot glue to set the white dome from the cheep plastic painters palette over the led.
Then I covered the skull in paper mache in even layers before allowing it to dry.
I covered it in gloss white latex paint
I made a black felt pouch, and sewn it into the nasal cavity. I then ran lengths of 50 pound test fishing line threw the frame which I anchored in the nasal pouch.
now for my rats ass I used a 4 foot length of fairly stiff ribbed plastic tubbing (I wanted to use Metal Romex for it's poseabilitly but I couldn't find any) some scrap leather and 8 stud screws
after a night if me bending the tubling straight enough, while leaving a nice bouncy curl at the end. I used the midle from a CD spindel to put a tapered end on the tail. Then I used the screw studs to fasten one piece of scrap leather to the end of the tubing. Using a a wood screw as an awl I made holes threw both peices of leather along the top and bottom edges. I then double stitched it with two lengths of 50 lbs test fishing line (the same stuff I mage the whiskers with) I left the sides open so I could slip it onto a belt.
I used the same white latex to paint it as the skull. as well as some black to separate it into vertebra
