2 meter (6 foot) needle

[AllisonR]

Hi folks. Diving into mixed media (don't know whether to laugh or cry yet!)
I'm making an installation with a giant spool of thread (spool will be painted wood, thread will be rope), buttons (will be fabric covered foam) and a needle.

I can not figure how to make the needle. My first thought is wood, painted silver. I could make the long part out of a round rod of wood and sand down the end into a point. But the top part is more difficult. It is like two round bits coming into the middle - but they curve into the middle in a flat oval-ish shape - well, look close at a needle and imagine it is really big and then you know what I mean. How would you make this? It does not have to be wood. But it has to be strong enough that it won't break easily (so not paper mache....) Ideas?

[Rose Queen]

What about polymer clay? You'd have to bake it with a heat gun, since you couldn't get it in an oven, but that might work.

[Eraethil]

What about the foam that is used to make fake rocks in amusement parks? You could create a simple form for casting to get the dimensions right, then carve and sand it down to needle shape and paint it. Wish I knew the name of the foam for you. Not sure if it is used exclusively for decor/props.

[Cyndi L]

Foam covered in shiny vinyl tape? Make it a carvable closed-cell foam.