DIY Halloween Props, huge!

[gungatim]

pretty cool, I used to put on a pretty involved haunted house setup but quit a while back...had an electric chair that shot sparks out, chainsaws that squirted blood when you hit a corpse with it, pneumatic pop ups, etc. even bought some old graveyard movie props...it's fun when you can make grown adults pee their pants!

I actually ran into the guy a few years ago that runs/ran a pretty big well known professional haunted house setup near Chicago. it's a pretty interesting group of folks that are into it, and he said they actually work year round on it and is a full time job for several (and they make pretty significant profit too!)

 

[xyster101]

pretty cool, I used to put on a pretty involved haunted house setup but quit a while back...had an electric chair that shot sparks out, chainsaws that squirted blood when you hit a corpse with it, pneumatic pop ups, etc. even bought some old graveyard movie props...it's fun when you can make grown adults pee their pants!

I really should look into working at a haunted house as my creations will be seen by many more people. That is a really neat electric chair.

 

[xyster101]

Added my sign at the end of my driveway. I will take some night pictures this weekend.



Next up is inside the house. It will be less impressive as they are going to be smaller things. First up is a haunted clock that runs backwards, lights up, and has a soul! Made with a motor out of something, plywood, scraps of press board and bones from a store. I cut all the numbers by hand.

 

[gungatim]

I really should look into working at a haunted house as my creations will be seen by many more people. That is a really neat electric chair.

the back of the chair has a mesh metal paint roller cleaner from a bucket - $3 at home depot. there is a 12v car battery with jumper cables connected to it, when you pull the switch handle on the box, it scrapes across the mesh and sparks fly! a little dangerous but the effect was awesome...

here is a pic of my "stone" cemetery entrance...was a store prop I bought when a department store closed down. blow molded plastic in 5 separate pieces...you can get a lot of props like that if you look around at auctions...

somewhere I have plans for when I made a full size coffin from 1/8" luan plywood. you leave the front open, paint the whole thing flat black, and use a black piece of fabric weed barrier stapled inside with a slit running vertical. someone can be in the coffin and it appears empty until you step out of the slit and freak someone out...

you can also make lots of "poppers" using the storm door closer cylinders, or make your own from PVC pipe.

 

[motobilt]

So awesome. Was not what i was expecting when I opened the thread. You guys have the props on point!!!! Like it!!!

 

[Richard Cranium]

Gungatim, What did you mean by poppers? Thanks

 

[aka Larry]

Awesome work man! I love the realism. A couple of question for you:

1. Foam that thick isn't cheap around here. Where did you get it? Looks like an investment!

2. When I've worked with foam it makes a HUGE mess. Using a router is bound to make an even bigger one. Is it a b*cth to clean up afterwards?

 

[NUTTSGT]

You have more time/patience than I have . . .



I have two more done but not a picture of them.

fixed, I think

 

[NUTTSGT]

 

[NUTTSGT]

 

[xyster101]

Awesome work man! I love the realism. A couple of question for you:

1. Foam that thick isn't cheap around here. Where did you get it? Looks like an investment!

2. When I've worked with foam it makes a HUGE mess. Using a router is bound to make an even bigger one. Is it a b*cth to clean up afterwards?

Yes the foam is expensive and it was from Lowes. Each tower took 2 pieces of 3/4 foam at $16 each, plus 2x3 and 1x3 lumber, oops paint, and fasteners (lights were free). I figure $60 in each tower.
The tombstones are from 1 piece of 2" foam at $30 plus paint.
Each section of fence used 4 pieces of conduit, 2x4, staples, 2 cans of spray paint. I figure $30 each section with 6 sections.

Carving foam makes a huge mess. A hot wire makes less of a mess and maybe I should have bought one. I swept and leaf blew out the garage I worked in but there is still foam in the corners and under the tool boxes but it is a garage, not a living room. I will do a better clean up job in the spring.

 

[Responder]

Awesome work man! I love the realism. A couple of question for you:

1. Foam that thick isn't cheap around here. Where did you get it? Looks like an investment!

Construction site debris usually has plenty of pieces to use. Can cut the cost down a bit.

Great work on the "set" and now you have me thinking for next year!!

 

[xyster101]

I do have plenty of insulation foam from a roof renovation, but it has black fiberglass paper on both sides and that stuff is nasty to carve into. It was free, I don't want to deal with the fiberglass all over my garage and dogs.

My driveway divides 2/3s up and goes to a house that is for sale currently. People keep coming to my house thinking it is for sale, so I made a nice sign to help them go to house #200.

 

[akdiesel]

I do have plenty of insulation foam from a roof renovation, but it has black fiberglass paper on both sides and that stuff is nasty to carve into. It was free, I don't want to deal with the fiberglass all over my garage and dogs.

My driveway divides 2/3s up and goes to a house that is for sale currently. People keep coming to my house thinking it is for sale, so I made a nice sign to help them go to house #200.

Nice. That'al bring the house hunters.

 

[xyster101]

Time for some Toxic Waste barrels. I found some rectangle containers that had who knows what in them and a huge plastic barrel, free. I printed some hazard stickers and glued them to the containers and then hot glued some Christmas lights to them and installed a light socket inside the rectangle containers.



Cover the lights with some spray foam and let it cure.



Added some dry brush paint to make them look old.



Then stuck them at the end of the driveway by the cemetery.

 

[neonnblack]

Thts sooooo freaking cool

 

[gungatim]

Gungatim, What did you mean by poppers? Thanks

things that pop up with air cylinders. like heads from a hole in the ground, hands from a casket, that kind of thing...

lots of links to projects here; http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/

 

[IRQVET]

My neighbor is building a cool contraption. He is using motorized wheel and a rope tied to helium filled ghost mounted to his roof so it flies in circles about his house.

 

[xyster101]

Home stretch here. Worked on a "Zero the Dog" from Nightmare Before Christmas as that is our theme.

First made a form out of cardboard, covered it in fabric and then a water down Elmer's Glue. Took 5 coats.






Made the famous spiral from the movie from 3/4" foam. Sanded the edgs and painted it.





Started this two weeks ago, but is slow going with paper mache.

 

[xyster101]

Then it was on to some "Floating Candles". I used a plastic tube you put over a fluorescent light fixture, painted it white.



Cut it up to random lengths and used my hole saw minus the drill bit to make caps.



Added some hot glue for drips



Spray paint



Testing in the garage.

 

[xyster101]

Made a moon out of sprinkler hose and put LED lights on the inside. Covered it in fabric and BAM. 8' x 8' foam decoration.

 

[Strouty]

How did you do the floating candles? Looks great, love the theme.

 

[xyster101]

How did you do the floating candles? Looks great, love the theme.

You hang them with black thread. You can see fish line because it reflects the light, thread doesn't reflect light.

 

[xyster101]

Night time shots

 

[OCD]

That is an awesome display!!

 

[xyster101]

Had the Halloween Party which is what all this was for. Wife made the fabric parts and I made the head parts. Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas.

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Bathroom



Floating candles



Unfortunately I did not go around and take more pictures of the inside of the house. Next year it is time to add movement to the props!

 

[akdiesel]

Looks a great party and the props turned out great too.