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

Creepy Curtain: New and Im-BOO-ed

 

I've been using the trash bag method for my creepy curtain for years and figured this Halloween would be no different.  Spent 3 hours prepping panels, starting the clothesline & threading the first panel on.  Within minutes the wind had whipped the strands into intricate, knotted braids and they were caught up in the roof shingles & gutter.  So much for that.

Time for a new plan: burlap!   It's rather inexpensive if you buy it from the home improvement or garden store, around $12 with tax for a 3'x24' roll.  As with the trash bag method, plastic clothesline works great for this and also won't break the bank.

Tie of one end of the clothesline to an eye hook and then begin threading the other end along the long end of the burlap, weaving it in and out every 4"6" and about 1.5" - 2" from the edge.  Working in 3' sections, slide the the fabric all the way to the start and anchor in place with a piece of electrical tape.  Each section should then be "anchored so the weight of the burlap doesn't cause the line to sag too much.  Eye hooks are great for this but I was able to thread the line through the gaps in the boards of the eaves.   Repeat this process until you've covered the desired area and tie the clothesline off to another eye hook and tape the burlap to the line.

Starting at either end, use sharp scissors (I used my fabric scissors) and cut strips upwards towards the line, stopping with around 3"- 4" to spare.  The strips can be assorted sizes, I varied between 3"-8" so it wouldn't look too perfect.  After cutting a few strips, use your fingers to poke, pull and stretch imperfections into the burlap.  You can fray the edges as well but bear in mind if this is up all month long, the burlap will naturally start to fray so anything you do to it will get exaggerated.  You don't want to wind up with burlap threads all over the yard and little hanging from the eaves.

And there you go!  It was fun to watch it evolve over the month, getting creepier with each rain.  They weren't impervious to wind - I had to use a stick every day or so to unhook strips that had blown up onto the roof or were tangled in the gutters.  But that also made them look ever better with time - the rain gutter goop was so icky and fabulous!

The burlap can be dyed as well if you'd rather have a different color.  Dark greens and black both look great.

Thrifty Thrills: Part Boo

 

I'm not shy about my general dislike for most mass produced Halloween props.  Too much of what is out there is poor quality and overpriced.   Part of my Halloween mission is to lure people away from these options and into the world of creating your own which I guarantee will wind up both way cheaper and way cooler.  Sometimes I have a clear idea what I want to build when I'm scouring through thrift stores but it's far more likely that I'm going in blind, just looking for cool things that speak to me.

You may remember the metal sconce I picked up at a thrift store for $5 2 years ago seen in my Thrifty Thrills post.  Still looking for large open spaces to figure out how to use the $3 boomerang I also found that day.  Anyone with boomerang throwing knowledge, please reach out.

I knew at the time I'd work this into some sort of skull candle thing but with the move I didn't have a chance to get to it.  Until now.  Super easy and total cost is under $20 (not including the candles.)  I see metal sconces at thrift stores all the time so that shouldn't be too hard to come by.  Home Good or other off-price stores would be another place to look but may not be as inexpensive as a thrift store.

I glued 2 foam skulls from my skull stash (they're always significantly marked down end-of-season) to the spiked candle bases.  I cut the bottom off 2 water bottles for "candle holders" which I had done before for the Gothic Window and glued them to the tops of the skulls.  They help hold the foam back and create the perfect sized cup for the candle to sit in.  

For the Spray Foam I use Great Stuff Gaps & Cracks.  It doesn't expand as big as other formulas and if you can find the Natural Color it'll help down the line when painting.  Trick to this part is a little goes a long way.  You might want to practice on a piece of cardboard to get a feel for how little you have to squeeze and how much comes out.  You can build it up so start small.  I fill the space around the water bottle base first and work my way around, allowing the foam to drip down the sides & filling in gaps.

After the foam dries I added the classic glue gun glue drips as I think this makes the foam look less like a a whipped convection and more like wax.  Anywhere the foam is a little too smooth and perfect I add drips and I extend foam drips with a little glue.  

Once dried, it's time to paint it all an off white color like the candles.  I use DecoArt Patio Paint and cover all the white and glue.  Here's some side by side's of the two skulls, one already painted the other still exposed foam and glue.  You can see the water bottle bases as well.

Ack!  The jar!  Almost forgot about that.  I didn't like the gap left at the back of the skulls so I glued a Witch's Jar from my stash to the sconce.  I love when hoarding pays off. 

When the paint was all dry I thought it looked a little flat so I used some leftover brown wood stain and dabbed it into some holes and cracks as well as dry brushing areas.  It added the depth and aging I was hoping for and again, used something I already had laying around and needed to use up.  Check it out:

• Sconce = $5
• 2x Skulls = $2
• Spray Foam = $2.88
• Paint = $2.29

      TOTAL = $12!!!!!!

18 Days till Halloween...

Prey and Decayed

 

Skeleton animals fill shelves every Halloween and had yet to impress me much.  There was a level of appeal but they were still to manufactured for me.  Meanwhile, my birdcage collection had grown and what to place inside was still a mystery.  

In the Halloween aisle at Michael's it hit me like a freight train - make it molt!  I could hide the fabricated look of the skeleton under some strategically placed feathers.  Grabbed a vulture skeleton on sale, 2 packs of black Maribu Feathers some Beacon glue and headed to the workshop.

Before......                       ......After

Pretty straight forward process of picking out the right size, shape and placing them where they line up with the bones and body shape.  I started off thinking I would just put a few but the more I added the better it got.  Finding a good balance of bare spots and plumage is the key.  

Initially I planned to keep the head bare but then remembered I had some red & black suede in my fabric stash that would look stellar as that leathery, pink vulture head that so recognizable.  Lucky me I had 2 different reds that I laid next to each other to give more depth & character.  I also frayed the edges to make it easier to wrap the pieces so they laid flat and looked more realistic.  You could also use felt or even just paint it.  Or leave it bare skull, it all works when it comes to zombies.

I dug 2 red beads out of my bead stash for the eyes.  Was hoping for something black that would catch the light but no luck.  Red does the job more than well enough.  Checked my reference photos one more time and realized they had black toe nails so slapped some outdoor black paint.  

I'm a little tempted now to dig out some faux fur to add to some skeleton rats.  I love this is a 100% craft store DIY project.  I can get discouraged each season with the new props - so much is either "been there, done that" or uninspiring.  It can make me think I've plum thought of all there is to be conjured up.  Moments like this Zombie Vulture get all the creative juices flowing again.

There's just something about an exposed spine
that makes me flutter

52 days till Halloween...

Dawn of a New Scare-a

 

New house, new era!  New era/new scare-a...get it?

We've settled into our new house which brings with it the need to rethink my entire haunt.  What do I have that worked at the old house that will work here?  What won't?  And what new thrills can I create for all this new space?  It's a blank canvas and I've got plans.  Side note: today was the first day I was outside, in the driveway, working on Halloween in all it's glory.  I wasn't 100% sure how the new neighborhood would receive me.  Back at Little Pearl, tinkering away like this elicits delight from those in the know.  No one here "knows" yet.  To my delight, I had a car stop, windows rolled down and a giddy "oooooh so scary!!"  "It's so beautiful!" They asked if I was an artist.   Such an uncomfortable question for me.  Yes...?  I mean, when it comes to Halloween props, sure?

A mom pushing a stroller also stopped, big smile and lots of questions.  She informed me it's a good street for Halloween; lots of kids, good trick-or-treating.  She has no idea how calming that was to hear.  I come in hot with Halloween.  I dread that going poorly.  Anyway...

First up - a scarecrow for the garden. I've been obsessed with Pumpkinrot's mind-bendingly amazing scarecrows for ages and did my take on his 2004 Scarecrow  (100% credit them for my inspiration). 

There's lots of great aspects to this guy but top of the list for me is that it can be dismantled into smaller pieces for storage.  Instead of a 10' scarecrow peeking over the fence year round, it can be broken down - chest cavity, arms, head, base & post) and stashed away.

Supplies can be gathered from the DIY Store, Dollar Tree, the Craft Store, your backyard and your stash.  I had a lot of this already around from other projects - my hoard is my go-to for troubleshooting when I have a new prop I'm working on.  I don't always know *exactly* how I'm going to achieve each detail but surrounded by the detritus of my Halloween crafting, inevitably an answer emerges.

Supplies List:

• Rope Handle Tub
• 1x 50 lb bag of Concrete
• Sand
• Treated Tree Stake
• Pre-Cut 2"x4"x2' Pine Board aged (SOS/Steel Wool Antique Wood treatment)
• 2" Wood Screws
• 4"x 2' Black ABS Pipe
• Over the door hooks, narrow/not too wide (similar to this)
• Sticks (I used Manzanita for it's color and abundance in my area)
• Zip Ties, assorted sizes
• Coiled Wire
• Raffia
• Jute string
• Plastic Skull
• 33.8 oz Plastic Water Bottle
• Black Spray Paint
• Glue Gun
• Duct Tape
• Burlap
• Foam pipe insulation
• Creepy cloth or other fabric
• LED String Lights (with remote!!)
• Glue Gun
• Snips
• Scissors

Before we get started you'll need to make the base & uprights first to be able to build the rest.  I made 2 uprights (tree post + pine board).  I work better with my feet on the ground so one upright was shorter, around 5 feet while the other is the full 10' pole.  I built the chest piece, lined up where the arms should go, draped the fabric & worked on the head all on the 5' upright.  When it came time to build the "legs," I simply moved all the parts to the taller pole so that I could line it all up without pieces from one element getting in the way of another.  See the very end of this entry for how to construct the base & upright.

Let's break it down, top to bottom.  First up, THE HEAD...

You'll need your skull, plastic water bottle, spray paint, duct tape, burlap, jute string and string lights.

Cut the top of the bottle off and set aside, you'll need it later.

Here's the Instructables I used to make the plastic skull out of a milk jug but you could also use a store bought skull as long as it's hallow.  Mine are open at the base so if yours isn't, start by cutting a hole in the bottom big enough to put your plastic bottle through.

Spray the eye sockets of your skull with the black spray paint so they'll stand out under the burlap hood.

Use duct tape on both the inside and outside of the open edge of the bottle.  This beefs it up a bit making it more stable.  Slide the bottle into the base of the skull.  Now you have a head & neck!

Use your glue gun to secure the skull to the bottle.  I like to allow the glue to drip down between the two and then flip it over so it comes back towards the seam to ensure it's really, solidly on there.

Good solid glue gun seal

Now you could just plop this on the pointy end of your pole and be done but there's something about it hanging down at a bit of an angle that's just creepy.  To achieve this, slide the head on, leaning it forward, until the point of the pole touches the bottle "neck."  It tends to land right about the duct tape line, so approx 2" in.  You can see the angle and where the point lands here:

The point is just above the upper edge of the tape

Mark this spot with your finer and then cut a small hole.  I used my extra sharp Fiskers Micro Tip Pruning Shears, I use them for everything except pruning.  If your pole doesn't have a sharp point you can stick a plastic thumbtack in the top to act as a pin.  I plan to duct tape over the hole and cut into it again to ensure the hole doesn't grow bigger as the head moves around.  Oh yeah, I should mention, the head moves in the breeze since it's not nailed down.  Very fun.

Okay the lights - I hadn't initially planned on this but Harbor Freight had an inexpensive set at the check-out and I couldn't resist.  The effect is very cool so I'm pleased I went with my impulse.  

Easy, Peasy Lemon Squeezey LED lights

The coil needed to be made smaller to fit inside the bottle but once in, I could fit the whole string and the batter back in the cranium.  Remember your plastic bottle top?  Grab it and shove it up inside the bottle to keep the string lights from falling out.  Like this:

Kind of hard to see but that black bulky thing
is the battery pack and the bottle top is pointed upwards

Cut a small piece of burlap, about 18"x18", drape it over the top of the skull and secure with the jute string.  No harm in cutting the burlap on the larger side and then trimming it up to get just the right look you desire.  Use the black paint to spray the eyes again.

Here it is, in all it's glowing glory...

Time for the CHEST CAVITY:

This here was my first "moment of genius while trying to meet my "must be able to dismantle" requirement.  How to build a full rib cage without permanently attaching the stick -OR- having to build it then break it down each year.  Solution?  Over the door hooks!  I found mine at the Dollar Store and apologize for not taking a picture of it first but it looked a bit like this, only black:

I wish mine had these screw holes, love the added extra security

Now the fun begins; you'll need your door hooks, sticks, zip ties, coiled wire & raffia.

Working one stick at a time, attach them to the hooks using the zip ties (or coiled wire).  I liked the zip ties because I could just snip them if I wasn't happy with the placement.  I did my best to try to both hide the hooks and keep everything towards the front so that I wouldn't get hung up taking the chest cavity off the upright.

Note only one branch hooks over the top, otherwise
the back is free of obstructions

After placing a few sticks, wrap the raffia around your zip tie connection points to hide them.  Raffia reminded me of decaying tendons and I could match the colors of the Manzanita whether it was still fresh orange red or already aged brown.

Don't add too many sticks without wrapping them.  It's far more difficult to wrap when they're stacked deep, like some twisted game of Pick Up Sticks or Kerplunk.

Door hooks clearly visible from the back...

Not as much from the front

Close up of raffia over zip ties

A drape or coat further helps cover the mechanics of the door hook.  I plan to go back and wrap raffia around exposed metal and perhaps tuck Spanish Moss in for more movement and decay.

Next up, ARMS!

You'll need 2 sticks (at least) that ideally fork out at the end to create fingers & zip ties/coiled wire.  With the Chest Cavity in place, line the arms up and secure them with the ties/wire.  Key here is to ensure they don't interfere with the Chest Cavity while also lining up to create an illusion of one single piece.

The front stick is attached to the chest pack, the back
stick attached to the 2x4

The red stick is attached to the chest cavity. The brown
stick, the arm, is attached to the 2x4

Finally, LEGS:

The lower half of the body gets attached to the tree post portion of the upright, similar to how you attached the arms to the 2x4.  Again, be mindful of where the Chest Cavity sticks meet up with the "legs" as well as any pieces that might stick out and get hung up on anything else.  Extra long zip ties work great for this step and I used jute string instead of raffia as I needed to cover more area & make sure those sticks weren't going anywhere.  

When this guy officially goes out, I'll add more to the base, attaching them to the ABS pipe so it appears to be growing out of the base.

The final touch is the cloak.  Burlap would work, or creepy cloth.  I had this cool piece in a bin leftover from a Halloween costume I made years ago.  Lucked out it was just the right size.

BASE & UPRIGHT:

Spray paint the tub black (use grey highlights for a marbled look)

Glue the Black ABS pipe to the center base of the tub.  Mix the concrete, I did it directly in the tub.  Was it perfect?  No.  Does it do the trick?  Absolutely.  A 50 lb bag winds up weighing 100 lbs.  If that's not enough weight, and it may not be in a windy area, use bags of sand for the rest.  KEEP THE SAND IN THE BAG and just add the bag.  Easier, cleaner & it's lighter to move a few bags than 200lbs of concrete tub.  Let cure.

Meanwhile, age the 2x4 using my tried and true SOS pad & Vinegar method.  Use the 2" wood screws to attach the 2x4 to the tree stake - the top of the board should be approx 5'5" from the top point.  Put the skull on if you want to eyeball it just to make sure you like the proportions.

Treat Tables: Trick-or-Treat, Socially Distant Edition

 

Trick-or-Treating, what to do?!?  It's not what could be inside the treats that could be troubling this year but just the very act itself that is causing consternation.  I've seen that folks are offering drive thru ToT while other communities are trying, fruitlessly I suspect, to ban it altogether.  Yesterday I saw a fantastic TikTok from Jersey of a zip line delivery system that delivered treats for the kids, and beer for the parents.  Pure genius.  

Another option is the Treat Table.  Individually wrapped treats can be left out on a table for little goblin hands to grab and the right size table forces some social distancing between the treat giver and recipient.  And for a Haunter like myself it quite generously offers up yet another landscape for me to decorate.

My daughter's school is going this route, the kids will ToT to the different rooms, each classroom pod setting out a table with treats.  You just know I had to offer up my decorating services.  My goal is to have a different theme for each table.  One catch: I won't know until I get there what size tables I'm working with.  Each classroom will free up what they can, so it will be a mismatch of long, short, round, square which means I need to be able to adjust the designs on the fly.

First up, the Giant Monster Mouth!  Variation on a fantastic porch decorating theme you likely have seen before.  And easy peasy.

Materials:
Red plastic table cloth (I like the giant rolls you can find at supply stores like Smart & Final)

Tablecloth clips
Foam Core Board
Command Poster Strips
Ruler
Xacto Knife
Scissors

Pretty self explanatory from here.  Cut the teeth out of the foam core board using your knife and ruler. I cut one and then flipped it over and traced it so the two sides would match.  No need to be as exact, some random lengths, different sizes would also look equally monster mouth-y.

I cut the tablecloth to the desired length, making sure it went all the way to the ground to hide the table legs.

Attach the clips to the table, making sure they line up behind the teeth.

Finally, use the Command Poster Tape to attach the teeth to the clips.

I'm cutting out all sorts of sections of teeth so that I can do this on anything from a 4' to 6' table and have either teeth all the way across, or just side fangs like in the picture above.

Check back in the coming days as I add more designs to this post.  I was just so happy with my Monster Mouth, I had to share it straight away!

Tarantable!

I'm so in love with this Tarantable, I just giggle when I see it.  It turned out as good as I had hoped for despite some hiccups in my initial plan.  There's likely some more tweaks I could make to improve upon it more but for now...

Materials:

4 pcs 1" x 6' Pipe Insulation

Black Electrical Tape

Black plastic tablecloth

1 package Tablecloth Clamps

1 package large plastic ornament ball halves, 2x halves total

2 packages small plastic ornament ball halves, 4x halves total

Krylon Metallic Silver Spray Paint

Krylon Black Matte Spray Paint

Hot Glue

Sharp Scissors

Xacto Knife

Duct Tape

I can't find a link to the plastic ornament balls but they're in the DIY ornament section and they come in two pieces that are meant to then be snapped together.  The paint doesn't come out as shiny as the cap would lead you to believe so to keep the reflective effect for the eyes, I sprayed the insides of the balls rather than the outside.

I laid the half dome pieces out on a piece of cardboard, traced around them, cut it out with my Xacto and then gave both sides a quick coat of Black Matte Spray Paint.

To attach the domes, I used VERY hot hot glue on the inside lip of the dome and then flipped it over and into place, allowing the glue to drip down and dry, holding the dome in place.  I double checked they were on there good and added glue where needed.

By spraying inside the domes, they eyeballs stay perfectly
arachnid reflective

I cut the plastic table cloth so that it would just cover the top of the table and used the clamps hold it in place, keeping in mind these clamps would also serve to help attach the side legs.

The legs will depend on your table but basically I just eyeballed the first one, cutting the foam at the length and angle where I wanted the "knee" to be.  When you flip one the pieces you've just created, they'll line up and form the "bend" in the leg.  You may need to futz with it a bit to get the angles the way you want them and be sure to cut the end that attaches to the table at an angle as well so that it lays flush.

I first used hot glue to attach the two leg pieces together but the glue was so hot it was melting the foam.  The result was a partial attachment with some melted gaps.  So I grabbed some black e-tape and used that to cover the seam and it worked like a charm.

To attach the legs, I cut small pieces of cardboard, just slightly bigger than the diameter of the table end of the leg.  I slid this under the tablecloth clamp and then used e-tape to attach the leg to the cardboard, cover the bit of brown entirely to help maintain the illusion.  I extended the tape a bit beyond the cardboard as well to make sure it was on really good.

The front and back legs are easy - just cut the insulation to whatever the table length is and wrap the insulation straight onto the leg.

I used 2 of the metal clips at the front to attach the eyes to, sliding a piece of Duct tape sticky side out between the tablecloth clamp and the table that was shorter than the width of the eyes.  This turned out to be far more secure than I expected.  I'll likely add more tape when I set this up at my daughter's school because, well, 3-5 year olds.

One more angle, just for fun...

PS this is just a short kids table, the angle of the photo
makes it seem like a monster!

This is a simple one that would work in a variety of Haunt themes and I'm calling it, Sad Sack. 

Materials:

Garden Burlap

Manilla Rope

Cut burlap to length and then use the rope to hold it in place by threading the rope through holes in the burlap.  Cut strips and pull a the loose fibers to give it a more aged look.  Done.  You could also dye the strips with green and brown Rit dye to give it a swampy, mossy look. 

Witch Way to Treats?! Right here my pretties!

For this sweet sorceress, you'll need:

Halloween Themed Fabric

Pipe Insulation

Striped Knee Socks

2x Black Glitter Foam Sheets

Spool of Ribbon

Scissors

Hole Punch

With the exception of the pipe foam, I was able to get all of the necessary supplies ON SALE at Joann's.  Late Halloween shopping at 75% off is my kind of shopping although I have noticed they put the stuff out so early each year, it's already 30% off by October 1st.

I stop by the the remnant bin every trip to the fabric store, especially this time of year as there's often a bounty of Halloween prints at a fraction of the cost.  This time I found 2, a shiny purple and then a reflected black with shiny, opalescent dots.  Very witchy!

They had lots of color combo options for the knee high socks: black/orange, purple/black and green/black.  I bought them all, I just couldn't decide!

Using a sheet of plain paper, I drew up a basic outline for a boot and lined it up so the heel side was along the fold.  I lined this up with the foam and cut it out.  Make sure you keep the boot wide enough to wrap around the table leg but if it's a little short, you can always use more glitter foam to make a "tongue" for the shoe to help hide the sock.

Had to use my scissors to keep it from opening up
when I took the picture :)

I used my single hole punch to make holes for the ribbon shoelace.  My hole punch couldn't accommodate both sides so I did one and then did my best to line up the holes on the other side.

From there it's just a matter of lacing up the boots with the ribbon which I did by lacing up one side and then figuring out how much I needed to do the other side.  Be sure not to cut the ribbon too short that it won't make it around the table leg (I may have made that mistake on my first try.)

 

I had the pipe foam already on the table legs from the Tarantula so it was just a matter of slipping on the socks, sliding on the boots and draping the fabric.  I left the edges of the fabric remnants for the skirt raw as I know very few witches with tidy hem lines.