PVC pipe | The Fright Owl

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:

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.

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.