My girlfriend came up with what seems like a really good idea to me. I have been trying to think of a way to make realistic looking hides without having to sell my kidney. She suggested paper mache. It consists of flour and water, which as far as I know would not harm the snake, I am going to ask my vet this afternoon too. We could mold it around anything, and make it look however we wanted, as well as paint it, decorate etc with foliage and hot glue. Also, we could embed washers, marbles, etc to add some weight. Let me know what you all think.