I have a confession: I love miniatures. I always have. My nana had a cool dollhouse at her place when I was a little kid, and that’s where my love of little things started. Sadly, when she moved from her house to an apartment, the dollhouse was moved, suffered water damage, and had to go.
Cue the Sarah McLachlan music and sad puppy eyes.
But I rallied. I coped. I turned to Polly Pockets for comfort and never looked back. Except I did. I was lying in bed one night – as a full-grown adult, I might add – and for some reason, thoughts of my old dollhouse popped in my head. I thought to myself, “I really miss all the mini things. It sucks that my dollhouse was ruined.” Then, I asked myself, “Who says I can’t have one now?”
Not a damn soul.
I really didn’t care that I was 25 and wanted a dollhouse. You don’t have to be a kid to have toys. Growing up is for suckers, anyway.
Since you’re reading this blog, you probably know my dollhouse didn’t turn out all cutesy with gingham curtains, floral-patterned wallpaper, and antique furniture. A haunted dollhouse was what I wanted – one with ghosts, blood, pumpkins, madNESS, MAYHEM, HUMAN SACRIFICE, DOGS AND CATS LIVING TOGETHER! MASS HYSTERIA!
What can I say? I was excited.
My haunted dollhouse journey began with a plan. I found the kit I wanted from Hobby Lobby (where else?).
Ain’t it pretty? I liked that this one had three stories and an extra attic because what’s scarier than an attic?
Yeah, a basement. I know. Don’t be a smartass.
Anyway, I was bored one Sunday and wanted to create a plan of action, so I converted the pictures to coloring book format and had a little forgotten fun with my markers and crayons. These pics aren’t in color, but I didn’t have access to a color scanner at the time, so just use your imagination.
I planned on putting the whole thing on plywood because a cemetery seemed like a necessity. The inside was a little harder to plan out on paper because I knew it was going to be more of a make-it-up-as-I-go thing. The planning stage was a lot of fun but not as much as actually building the house. But we’ll go into that next time.
Tune in on the next DIY Wednesday for the next installment of “The Tale of the Haunted Dollhouse.” You’ll be glad you did.
It’s time for another DIY tutorial! Since I shared my love of PVC pipe last time, this week I thought I’d talk about another one of my favorite project materials: Papier Mache.
When my love of Halloween prop DIY began, I ate up everything I could online. There are so many awesome Halloween blogs out there with so many great projects that I felt a little overwhelmed but so excited about the possibilities. Although I looked at every Halloween blog I could find, my three favorites for inspiration were (and are) Stolloween, Pumpkinrot, and Spookyblue.
I fell in love with all the cool, creepy props the artists had made, especially the scarecrows. I liked the scarecrows so much in fact that I decided I would try to make one, too.
One of the first steps when doing a papier mache project is to create a base. This could be a number of things, whatever you can use to create the shape you want. I wanted to make a large pumpkin head, so I used a large plastic grocery bag filled with newspaper. To get the pumpkin ridges, I used masking tape to create the right shape, and for the stem, I used a rolled up piece of a magazine secured with masking tape.
Like so.
After the base has been made, it’s time to make the glue. There are so many recipes for this stuff online. Choose whichever one works best for you. For mine, I mixed flour and water at a ratio of 1 to 4, and then added some white Elmer’s glue and some liquid starch because I read that it would help the mixture adhere to the paper more easily and create a stronger hold.
Next, it’s time to get messy.
Take strips of shredded newspaper and dip them in the glue mixture. After they’re completely covered, start laying them over your base, making sure to create a thin layer over the entire thing and allowing it to dry a bit before adding a new layer. It’s best to do multiple layers for a stronger prop. I think I used about seven layers for my scarecrow head, but you could do more or less depending on what you’re going to be doing with the prop.
Next up is the detail work. After my scarecrow head dried, I removed the newspaper and bag from a hole in the bottom. You can use your own judgment to decide whether or not you need to do this step. If you’re not going to cut into your prop, you can probably skip it. Since my scarecrow wouldn’t be scary without a creepy face, I drew an outline on the form and then carefully cut out the mouth, nose, and eyes with a craft knife.
For the finishing touches, I used spray paint and dry brushing to give my scarecrow head some color and creepiness. Pieces of dried cane from my husband’s grandmother were used to make the scarecrow body, fastened together in a T-shape with tape and twine. Lastly, I draped some creepy cloth over the arms to flesh it out a bit.
Voila! Scarecrow.
Sure. It might not be the fantastic creations of Spookyblue and Pumpkinrot, but although it might not measure up to those guys, I was pretty damn pleased with the final product. Plus, it was my first attempt, and practice makes perfect. I even got compliments from the trick-or-treaters that came to the house. I call that a success.
I’m already looking forward to making some new creepy things this year. There aren’t many days left until Halloween, so I better start planning now. What about you? Are you planning on any cool props this year? I’d love to hear about your creations in the comments!
PVC pipe. If you haven’t played around with this stuff, you’re missing out on some fun. It is so versatile. Just type PVC Pipe in Pinterest and feast your eyes on all the cool things you can do. You can find everything from garden watering systems to a homemade ball pit for kids to organizational projects for the home. And of course, you can use them for Halloween props!
I never knew how much I loved PVC pipe projects until I saw a picture of a zombie prop frame and decided to try my hand at it. I got my project list, headed to Lowe’s, and ended up with this just a little while later:
You’ll have to forgive the low-light pic, but just look at this cool thing. It was my first prop project, but it definitely wasn’t the last. Check out these fun monsters I also made with a PVC pipe base, some masks, clothes, and foam heads:
Sitting Monster Base
Sitting Monster
Kneeling Monster Base
Kneeling Monster
Reaching Monster Base
Reaching Monster
Feasting Monster Base
Feasting Monster
If you want to try some projects out for yourself (and I know you do), just go to your local Lowe’s or Home Depot and check out their selection. The pipe itself comes in multiple sizes, and there are fittings of different angles to make your wildest dreams come true!
Okay. Maybe not your wildest dreams, but you’ll be able to do some pretty cool stuff with it. They’re like adult tinker toys. Seriously. It’s so fun.
Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started:
Draw it out.
The only art skill you need for this is basic stick-figure drawing. Drawing your prop first and counting the angles and connection points helps greatly with knowing how many fittings of each type you need.
For example, this is my sketch for the large standing prop:
An artist I am not. But you really don’t have to be. Draw the basic shape of your prop. For this one, I just wanted him to be standing straight with a slight bend to his arms, so it was very simple. For props that need strange angles, just draw them to the best of your ability. These are the guides I used for my monster props in the pics above.
Monsters 1 & 2
Monsters 3 & 4
See? More complicated but not impossible.
Use yourself as a guide to determine how long you need each section to be and write that down. Add all lengths together, and that will tell you how much PVC pipe to purchase.
To easily determine the type and number of fittings you need, use a different color pen and circle where pieces of pipe connect. The basic types of fittings available are 90-degree elbow, 45-degree elbow, 3-way elbow, tee, and cross. There are other types in stores, but these are the basic ones you will most likely use. After you’re finished, count all the circles for each connection. Now, you know how many of each type of fitting to buy.
BUY A PVC PIPE CUTTER.
There’s a reason this one is in all caps. A PVC pipe cutter makes these projects go so much more smoothly and cleanly than using anything else. I tried using a hacksaw the first time followed by an extra small rotary saw blade. It sucked. PVC dust went everywhere, and that’s just not healthy. You can buy one of these cutters at Lowe’s or Home Depot for cheap, and it makes all the difference. Other tutorials recommend the hacksaw, but I’m super partial to the pipe cutter method.
Make it sturdy.
PVC pipe fits pretty snuggly by itself in the fittings, but over time, the pipe can loosen, which can cause your prop to fall or possibly break apart. If you want to make your props permanent, use PVC glue found at any hardware store. Or you can use them on select fittings to keep your props a little more stable but still able to be deconstructed easily.
I don’t use the glue much because I like to be able to take my props apart completely. When you have as much Halloween stuff as I do, space is a big deal. So I use screws. Small wood screws inserted into joints can make all the difference, but you’ll still be able to break down your prop for storage.
Be creative with other materials.
Use your imagination to make your props bigger and better by combining these projects with other prop-making materials.
Create a full base for a large-scale prop by wrapping chicken wire around a PVC pipe base and adding papier mache.
Add thickness and depth to your props by using chicken wire or cardboard under clothes/costumes.
Foam pool noodles can be used to flesh out arms and legs.
Use spray paint directly on the pipe to make cages or “steel” pipes in your Halloween display. There are just so many options.
Combine different sizes of PVC pipe with wire and cardboard to make other body parts. For instance, with some thick-gauged wire, cardboard cut in the shape of my palm, and masking tape, I made these creepy, skeletal hands and arms.
So get out there and try some fun projects of your own. There’s no wrong way to do it. Unless you don’t use a PVC pipe cutter. That’s just dumb.
Let me know your successes with PVC pipe in the comments! And be sure to check out my other DIY tutorials, including:
I love Halloween, but that does not mean I have an all-inclusive attitude toward Halloween things. I have drawn a definitive line at the cutesy stuff. Halloween is meant to be scary or, at the very least, dark and mysterious. I don’t want to look at Halloween things and think “Awww! How adorable!”
Unless you’re talking about little trick-or-treaters. I had at least 3 Elsas come to my door last year, and I thought they were precious.
Anyway, I say this to tell you that my prejudice against the cute almost made me miss out on a pretty sweet deal. A few years ago, my husband and I were at Lowe’s two days before Halloween, and they were clearancing out their merch to make way for Christmas stuff. I only glanced at their dwindling selection. One of the clearanced items was an adorable (read: nauseatingly cute) life-sized, animated witch, complete with pastel pink striped socks, cute little boots, and pink ribbon in her bodice and hat. She was also wearing a brightly-colored tutu.
That’s right. A tutu.
Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with me, and I began to move along, but my husband stopped me. Like me, my husband can’t pass up a good deal, so he’s always on the lookout for a sale. He noticed a sign that said clearance items were an additional 75% off their already 50% marked down price. That meant that this cutesy, originally $150 witch was now $20.
*Record Scratch*
Halloween prop-making was still new to me, so my first thought hadn’t been how to make this work. Those thoughts were just, “Ew. Cute. No.” But after finding out about the crazy low price, I started thinking about how I could improve it. I mean, $20 for a life-sized prop is a freakin’ amazing deal, and I couldn’t pass it up. I knew I had craft paint to up the creep factor and a few black capes I could use to cover the skirt at home. So $20 and some change later, we were loading that baby up in my car.
And this is what she looks like now.
Pretty sweet, right? She’s been greeting trick-or-treaters at my front door for the past two years, and now I never turn down something at first site.
I love severed heads. Not real ones, of course. I love the fake kind, and I experience quite the thrill when I finally get to check out the selection at Spirit Halloween and Halloween Express each year. I usually buy one myself, and then my mother-in-law gets me one for Christmas. It’s a tradition that I’m pretty fond of and one that makes my MIL one of the best in history. Does your mother-in-law get you severed heads for Christmas? I didn’t think so.
Anyway, I love getting a “commercial” creepy head, but there’s a certain charm in the homemade stuff. A few years ago, we moved from an apartment to our house, and with the added space came a new-found love of making props. So even though I already had a pretty decent head collection at that time, I thought I’d try my hand at making one myself.
This is how I made my very first DIY severed head Halloween prop.
Materials
Foam Head (any size you prefer)
Craft Knife and/or Metal Carving Tools
Prop Teeth
Hot Glue Sticks & Glue Gun
Assorted Paints (blood-colored + any other colors you need to create your vision)
Plastic Eyes (optional)
Twine/Thick String (optional for hanging heads)
Ice Pick/Long Screw Driver/Thick-Gauge Wire (optional for hanging heads)
Step 1
I started by purchasing a foam head from Hobby Lobby that using one of their 40% off coupons. (Aside from being a horror fan, I’m also a big proponent of getting the best deal, so I try to buy as many of my supplies on sale or clearance as possible.)
Hobby Lobby has a few varieties of heads to choose from – female, male, and faceless – so you can choose whichever fits your project best. Although the faceless ones are creepy on their own, I wanted mine to be pretty big, so I went with a male head.
Step 2
As you can see from the pic above, my next step was to draw out the features I wanted for my severed head. I wanted it to be gross, and keeping both eyes just wasn’t an option.
Step 3
I used a craft knife and some metal sculpting tools to pick and carve out where I drew my guidelines: one of the eyes, part of the scalp, and the base of the head to make it look actually severed. I recommend roughing up the base of the head for any head you create. We want realism wherever possible, people, and a clean-cut head just won’t – well – cut it. (I’m sorry. I hate myself).
Step 4
To give him a more realistic-looking mouth, I also carved out some of the area around the side of the mouth and jaw and used some fake zombie teeth that I bought at Spirit Halloween. The teeth were rubber and very easy to cut. They were also ridged on the back to make them easy to wear, so I sliced off the back to make them lay flat as possible to fit the head. I then used a hot glue gun to secure them in place. You can see in the pic below that my guy was already looking pretty handsome at this stage.
Optional Step (not pictured)
If you want to add eyes to your severed head instead of painting them on, there are many options for plastic fake eyes to find in your local Halloween stores. I recommend finding the hollow plastic versions that are easier to cut for this project.
Cut the eye in half with a craft knife and hold to your foam head in the position you want it. Trace the outline of the eye, and use your craft knife to cut straight into your foam in the approximate depth of your eye. Test the depth of your cuts with the eye before adhering to the head. When you’re satisfied, add glue to the inside of the eye, an then stick the eye edges down into your cut foam.
Tip: You could also use yarn, twine, wire, or something similar to stick to your head and eye if you want to go for that “just-popped-out-eye” look.
Step 5
After the glue dried, it was time to make it PRETTY!!! Pretty to me, at least. I already had a lot of paint on hand so I mixed some random colors together to get a sickly, partially-decomposed skin color. Like I said – pretty. I also mixed some red, black, and brown to get a realistic bloody color. I slapped my paint mixtures on until I got the look I wanted and – VOILA! – severed head!
You have a lot of options at this stage. It really depends on the look you’re going for. Be creative!
Isn’t he beautiful?
My zombie head has served me quite well these past few Halloweens. Another benefit from these foam heads is that they already have a hole in the base, perfect for sticking them on pvc pipe or dowel rods to make a full-body prop, a head-on-a-stake, or something else equally cool. I turned my severed head into full-body prop the first year. (See the tutorial here.) You can see by the sweet flannel shirt in the pic above that he was quite stylish.
If you want a great creepy project, I recommend you try making yourself a severed head of your own. It’s a cheap and easy way to up the scare factor in your home for Halloween. Plus you get the sense of accomplishment you feel when you make something with your own hands.
If Halloween isn’t your thing, it could be especially therapeutic if you make one to look like an enemy. No judgment. We’ve all been there.
I am a horror fan. If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you are, too.
FreeImages.com/AnnaGrist
I started this blog because I love to write, and as the saying goes, write what you know. I love scary movies, scary books, creepy history, horror survival video games, urban legends, cryptozoology, haunted houses, creepy crafts, and – most importantly (to me anyway) – Halloween. I also collect anything with a skull on it and keep a skeleton in my backseat. No, it’s not a statement on the importance of wearing seatbelts. It just makes me smile. And it gives me someone to talk to when I’m driving alone.
So, basically, I live and breathe horror. It’s what I love. It’s what I know.
I plan on posting at least twice a week to start. But who knows? Mr. Muse could attack at any moment. My topics will include:
Movie Reviews: Um, yeah. It’s a horror blog. What did you expect?
Halloween: So I’m a little obsessed with Halloween. I plan for it all year long. I’ll review local haunted houses, Halloween merchandise, special events, and any other Halloween-related topics that might pop up.
Lists: I’m pretty OCD (self-diagnosed), so lists are one of my favorite things. What kinds of lists, you may ask? One day I might rank my favorite zombie movies and then post a list of my favorite creepy video game villains the next.
DIY Creepy Crafts: I love being creative, and because my love of all things horror-related is pretty severe, I do a lot of creepy little crafts. One of my biggest projects is a haunted dollhouse (that used to have its own blog – very short-lived). I’ll post updates and pictures of the dollhouse as well as Halloween projects I’m working on.
Other Topics: I’ll also discuss creepy history, scary websites, video games, books, cryptozoology, urban legends, etc… I get distracted easily, so I don’t want to limit myself to one subject.
I’m excited to get started. I hope you enjoy my blog!
