Freaky Funghi

 

3 weeks into July and I hadn't started on a single new Halloween prop making me quite obviously, ghastly behind.  Well cue testing positive for COVID and I suddenly had more than enough time on my hands.  Hoarding enough craft supplies to stock a small Michael's proved very wise on my part as I had no problem tackling an idea I'd been bouncing around for a bit - mushrooms.

There's a picture in my head of a witch, walking around her lair plucking ingredients for her next potion from jars and pots, scooping up bones and plucking feathers from birds, and snapping off bits of plants growing right out of the walls and floor.  There's a single post so I thought it would be grand if a creepy vine twisted it's way up with glowing gorgeous, and poisonous, mushroom sprouting.  I'd seen a few videos on making mushrooms from fairy lights using hot glue so I was halfway there.  

There are some nice vine options available but I settled on using fake plants one would place in a terrarium as I thought they might stand up to being outside for 30 days.  They're also quite easy to bend into just the shape you want.   

What you'll need:

• Fairy Lights (I like these from Harbor Freight)
• Terrarium Plants
• Hot Glue Gun (preferably one with Hi/Lo setting)
• Glue Sticks (I prefer the glue that dries somewhat opaque)
• Wax Paper
• Outdoor Acrylic Paint: Daisy Cream, Marigold, Tiger Lily Orange, and assorted Greens

I googled images of "beautiful poisonous mushrooms" because you know how I like authenticity.  We all love the classic bright read with white spots look but worried they would potentially come across cartoonish.  I liked the look of the conocybe filaris but there's some other wonderful options for inspiration.

Start by stretching out one of the vines and positioning it into your desired shape.  You'll still be able to adjust it somewhat afterwards but best to get it as close to what you want to start.

Begin wrapping the end of the string lights around the vine and create stems by pinching together sections of the wire and giving it a twist to keep it in place.  Best to have a light bulb at the end/top of each so that each mushroom cap glows.  I did a few that didn't and while they're still pretty, they're just a touch less cool.  You've got some creative freedom here - you can make clumps or spread them out, make rows or rings.  Whatever feels right.  The string can be long so you can always work you way back up if you get to the end.  This is what it'll look like:

With you glue gun set on low, begin adding glue to the stems.  It doesn't have to be perfect!  I worked my way top to bottom on one side and then turned and did it again on the other side to get decent glue coverage.  The low setting prevents drips and allows more control.  Here's what it looks like now:

Quick note: on the small/short stems I added extra glue to the top to create small caps.  The process for making the caps makes these smaller ones a bit tricky so it's easier to just build it up directly on the stem.

Caps!  Now this had a learning curve for me, the timing has to be just right to work properly.  Using the Hi setting, make disks of glue on the wax paper, different sizes and only a few at a time.  One the glue has cooled enough to peel up from the paper but not too much that it can't be manipulated, peel up the disk and using your finger or the end of a pen, press on the center and mold the disk into a cap.  Like I said, there's a curve here - sometimes you'll peel it up too soon and it'll be too sticky and other times you're too late and you can't shape it.  Hold onto these!  They can be used later to figure out your paint.

After making a few caps of various sizes, let them dry fully and reset your glue gun to Lo.  If the glue is too hot for this next step it can melt your cap.  Either add a drop of glue to the inside of the cap or to the stem and position the cap.  You don't need too much glue and again if it's too hot, you run the risk of the stem piercing the cap.

Repeat the cap making and placing process until all stems have caps.  It should look something like this:

Now these glow quite nicely just on their own and were so magical I almost stopped.  Check it out:

Time to paint!  Start with the stems and similar to applying the hot glue, do a pass from one side and then again from the other.  No need to be perfect here or worry about complete coverage,  I focused mostly on hiding the copper wire.  After that dries it's time to apply the first coat of paint to the caps.  Starting with the lighter color, work your way from the center out to the edges of each cap.  It's hard to hide the brush strokes so might as well make them work for you.  Here's some close-ups of the first coat:

Once the first coat is dry, go back with the darker color again starting in the middle but cutting the strokes short so there's a lighter edge.  Add layers as desired, it's beneficial to paint with the lights on to get an idea of the ultimate effect.  I was happy with just 2 coats of the darker color:

And there you go!  I couldn't be happier with the result and look forward to scaling up for a floor to ceiling post that inspired this to begin with.  I think these would be great for centerpieces and mantels or even wedding centerpieces.  And as for realism, check out this comparison to a shot from CBS Sunday Morning my husband found hauntingly familiar.

Where do you imagine these spores popping up at your haunt?

101 days till Halloween...

Dark Shadows

 

What to do with big, gaping vertical spaces other than investing time and space into big, vertical props?  Fill the void with shadows!  A low rent version of some of the projection FX that blends some of the new "technology" with some old school ingenuity.

The old place had lots of old growth hedges and trees that I never worried too much about height when it came to decorations.  If anything, I was hanging stuff down rather than building things up.  The new abode however recently had undergone a remodel, leaving the curbside clean and tidy and minus full grown plants.  I'd stand back taking in the new set up and fixate on these massive gaps from the bottom of the curtain to the tops of the props.  As much as I love Halloween, storage is always in the back of my mind as I dream up new stuff so how to fill these 6 foot gaps of reality that were interrupting the whole illusion?

I turned to a favorite source of inspiration - nature.  I had a small stash of Manzanita branches leftover from the new scarecrow so I leaned them up against the wall and uplight them with an Orange Fire & Ice light.  The result was even more than I had imagined.  The following night I took the little one on a short hike to my Manzanita branch source and we hauled out some lovely, twisty fallen/cut branches that were a solid 6 feet.  Total cost: the light, that's it!  And no need to hold onto the limbs, each year we can go on a new adventure and create a spooky effect with a bit of nature spiced with light.  Check it out!

During the day, the limbs look like a creepy, dying garden,
perfect witchy landscaping.

At night, the shadows climb the walls like the thorny
bushes a wicked stepmother might incant

Swamp Lamps: Alluring Illumination

With containment comes time.  Lots and lots of time.  I worry what the future is going to look like.  When October comes, will we feel safe and comfortable going from house to house, drawing close to each other, hands diving into a shared bucket of candy, without fear of deadly germs?  I know it seems silly to think about but it's the normalcy of traditions like Halloween night I miss.  Heck I miss even the freedom of thinking about silly things.

I figured the best therapy would be to plug forward as if all were going to be the same and get to prop making.  I have a long list of stuff I want to try and managed to somehow start 3 all at the same time.  The first to completion (or near completion at least) are these gobsmacking swamp lamps I found via Pinterest & the Halloween Forum.

You can find the instructions here.  They're well written and clear; I pretty much followed them to a tee.  What I posted here are actually the 2nd and 3rd pass at the project.  I kinda messed up the first one when I got to the painting step and I could kick myself.  It's vitally important to use a wash or water down your paint.  It's what gives it the more natural look vs just some craft paint on CelluClay.  And take your time, layer the paint.  You can always add more but you can't take it away.

This was my first time using CelluClay and I LOVE it.  What a fantastic product!  If you haven't used it before, I suggest starting at the base of your lamp where you can experiment and hide "mistakes."  I decided to go over the CelluClay with water using either my finger or a paint brush to smooth it out in an effort to match the smoother texture of driftwood.  I used the CelluClay to bulk up areas, built "bridges" between the bamboo - anything to hide the distinctive look of a tiki torch.

Be patient with the paint, slowly building up the color
for greater realism. 

My daughter and I gathered the wood and some of the shells on a beach trip, the rest was stuff from my stash.  Shark teeth, shells, beach glass....honestly I had a hard time stopping, I just kept thinking of fun things to add.

The shark teeth were found "panning" at a pumpkin festival.
My daughter did gems, I wanted fossils. We both were happy.

Like the "seaweed!"  At first I was going to add moss but then started to worry it would just dry and eventually fall off.   Switching course, I dyed some cheesecloth green (I did two pieces, soaking one longer than the other to get different shades) and then cut small squares.  After pulling at it a bit, stretching it out, I used matte Modge Podge to adhere it to the sides.  I gently brushed more Modge Podge in other areas of the cheesecloth to give it a wet look.  The result is somewhere between seaweed and fishnet, either of which works just fine for me!

Seaweed clings to the outside as light illuminates the creepy
interior of the lamp base

Last note, I realized too late on my first one so remedied it here - it's really incredible when the light is able to find it's way DOWN through the bottom of the jar.  It illuminates the space adding even more visual interest.  I try to keep the tape and CelluClay to a minimum on the underside of the jar.  To cast light both up and down, I taped two LED votive candles end to end.  

This is not an afternoon project.  I worked on mine over days, if not more.  It takes time for things to dry.  And if you're like me, you'll keep thinking of new ways to make it cool thus drawing it out longer.  But man is it worth it.  I still can't believe I made something so cool!

Be safe, we'll be haunting together soon...I feel it.

211 days till Halloween...

My daughter knocked this one over, snapping all the sticks
above the lip of the jar.  After a cry, I got some wood glue and
got to work.  You would have never known, would you?

Threshold of Terror

The mood you've built outside can quickly be killed by a neglected, brightly lit interior.  Don't let all your hard work go to waste - hide the Keurig, it's haunting time!

Start by pretending you're a trick-or-treater, standing at your front door.  Literally go stand there, get down on your knees for a proper kids-eye view.  What areas of the interior can you see from your vantage point?

Now you know what areas you need to address.  Close off doors to areas you don't want to deal with if needed.  Keep it simple by just turning all but one light off and replace the bulb with an orange one.  Light some candles and place them in area trick-or-treaters see from their vantage point at the front door.  

P.S. - This means YOU have to get in on the action, too. Dress the part.  Compile a costume out of clothing you own, from second hand & thrift stores or invest in something from a quality shop like Historical Emporium that you'll use, and will last, for years to come,. Just don't answer the door in sweatpants.  I beg of you.

Use Command Toggle Hooks and safety pins to hang a black sheet or a creepy curtain just inside the door to create a false foyer.  

Again using Command Toggle Hooks, hang a tan or cream colored sheet to mimic the walls of a tomb and add a mummy, planter or urn, cat and some incense.   Burlap works great for this, too.

String caution tape across openings or plastic sheeting (Command Toggle Hooks, again) and wear disposable coveralls to hand out treats. Feeling really creepy? Fling corn syrup dyed red with food coloring against the sheeting and illuminate with a back light.

It doesn't take much to keep the fright flowing from the outside in.  I tried to stick with ideas in the same vein as my Home Improvement Haunt or Thrifty Thrills decorating tips to keep costs and clutter to a minimum.  

Check out my post about choosing a haunt theme for more ideas.

Grandin Road Mummies and lighting branches
in a darkened room is more than enough intrigue

The blackbirds never come down. All year. Ever.

This mantle can be seen thru the front window. Flicker bulbs in
the sconces catch the eye and add a haunted house flare

18 days till Halloween...

Sinister Souvenirs

Sometimes a prop is right under your nose for years before you see it.

I love Tulum, Mexico and back in my pre-toddler, single days, I would escape for solo trips every May to lay on the beach and never get to half-assed plans.  If you've ever been to the Yucatan, you've likely seen the gorgeous Jellyfish lamps, crafted locally.  Regional gourds and jicaras are combined with seeds, seashells, stained glass and blown glass to make these stunning lamps.

They are works of art and you can't help but feel a sense of dreamy, ocean side bliss sitting under them as they sway in the salty air, projecting their designs on the walls and ceiling.  I picked up a few on one of my trips many years ago and had them hanging on a back patio in an effort to bring that same peace to my backyard.  A house renovation retired them to the garage where they hung, unappreciated for years.

Fast forward to last year when I had picked up 2x 2-hook Shepherd's hooks on the cheap during OSH's blowout sale.  I had hooks and little to hang.  I hit the garage to see what I could find, looked up and bam, there they were.  The Jellyfish lamps.

Now these things are happy, summer vibe inducing wonders.  They're also made out of natural materials, have hanging tentacles of shells and wood, and it's a hanging (points!) light (points!)

With the help of an orange light bulb the warm ocean breezes were quickly replaced with a crisp fall wind and I had myself a bewitching new prop.

I found some online if you can't make it to Mexico.  There's a wide price range and some are not as budget friendly as the one's you can pick up from the many vendors all over the Yucatan but I suppose it's far cheaper than a trip.  Perhaps we all just can dream of a best case scenario: a trip AND lamps.

27 days till Halloween...