Thread: Freebie Ideas to create great props.

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I am wondering if anyone has come up with a list of items that can be used as props that can be come by for free. I have several in my list but I am wondering if anyone else has something to add.
To start it out I've made up the list according to what I have found and were.

White/Blue 55 gallon drums-- I have gotten many for free from Craiglist, but I have also gotten them from Laundry mats and car washes (These need to be cleaned very very well, Take them to a DIY car wash and hose them out there. The car Wash Water is not on the same system as the local sewer and they recirculate wash water after its filtered in most cases so it is very Enviro Friendly. Bottling companies also have them and often will give them away when their space becomes limited. Food grade 55 gallon drums are usually only able to be used once and so if the container isn't shipped back for recycling in a set amount of time the companies usually try to off load them at Cheap or free rates.

"Ball/Bead styrofoam--- Check constuction sites they often have tons that they plan on tossing. The foreman will usually just let you have it. This also goes for Pink and Blue insulating foam. Though you can only hope for scraps of those... Even I wouldn't give that way in whole sheets... LOL

Wire Spools.--- There are various sizes of wooden wire spools that a person can get for free. Check with your local Electrical supply store or electric company depending on your specific needs. Also Home Repo or Lowes (yes I know I put the R in Depot.) Not every one will be willing to let you have them but most often you can get the ones that are at the end of their life as wire holders but are still in great shape.

PVC Piping--- Again construction sites. Talk to the "foreman" but again my best suggestion is get dirty. After hours if it is not a locked site dive the dumpsters. You might find something I haven't mentioned.

Of course I'm probably repeating what you all already know but I haven't had the opportunity to read all thousand + posts. so... I'm thinking if anyone has suggestions for freebie prop supplies or dirt cheap at the very least post them here.
Newspapers for paper mache can of course be scrounged from recycle bins.

Alright... Any suggesstions?

Real corpes! Any cemetary has them! Just need a shovel and a look-out for the police! FREE!

Foam blocks from places that sell small trailers, used to stack the trailers in shipping, can be carved into barrels, heads or whatever. they are about 14"x14"x24"

Foam that ships medicine to keep it cold.It is the white bead foam that is pretty awesome when aged.I find it on the curbs.

The possibilities are endless. I am always grabbing onto any junk that looks good. Everything from old appliances to old clothing to bedsheets and blankets.
One great find is not a new one for me. Go to any factory that uses sheet metal for manufacturing. The metal gets shipped in on flatbed semis with 2x4's in between the sheets. They are the reject lumber from the tops of the trees, so they don't have square corners. They are usually in 10 foot peices and can be cut down to whatever I need. In fact I built a house using these rejects for the wall studs.
Old pallets work for a lot too, but are limited to the size.
I also collect old tubing, copper and plastic, old PVC pipe pieces, any large pieces of styrofoam from anyplace I can find it.
Face it, I am a hoarder!

Pallets... we build walls with them.
Carpet tubes... usually can get all you want from carpet centers. I've used those for all kinds of things. Cut them down the center and use the halves on each side of a mosoleum as a great way to give it some character. Use as pillars. Use to look like large sewer pipe. I used one once to make a floor lamp... on and on.
Old chain link from fencing companies. we got about 50 ft of it for free and used it for dividers. Although the fencing company gave ours for free since we are a non profit fund raiser. So I dont really know if this would normally be free . Of course sheets from hotels... at grocery stores, go to the fruit and vegetable isle and talk to the manager about the foam dividers that are in pallets of apples. I dont know if all the stores have those but one of the main grocery chains in our state have them. We stapled them on the walls in a room that was an alien room. It looked awesome! they were even black!

The trick I have found is not to have a vision for a design then go looking for junk, first find the junk then get the vision. Build the props to fit the junk. I figure if I grab some junk somewhere like on my dumpster diving trips then decide I don't have a use for it, it can be thrown away. I sometimes think people are afraid of taking free junk thinking they will be stuck with it. Free junk is not a white elephant, if you don't find a need for it, throw it away.
I have many boxes of junk just waiting for the idea to strike.

I think styrofoam heads are cheap.

Watch the asian restaurants that ship in fresh seafood. They have 3'x4' styrofoam pieces that are great for building a castle.

I look in dumpsters in office parks for old computers, from these I get stepper motors, power supplies, and LED's. A veritable treasure trove of goodies all in a nice neet metal box.