Think this will work? Could use some reference pics too.
Howdy everyone!
I becoming a bit of a Halloween DIY nut, or so my wife thinks, and want to add some new props to the front yard. I'm trying to play nicely with the wallet (aren't we all) and had an idea while strolling through Lowes this weekend. The ToTs in the neighborhood cap out at age 5, so I am continually being reminded to keep things "age appropriate." As a result, I thought I'd make some spooky forms and leave it to the kids to decide how scary they are on Hallow's Eve.
So... walking through Lowes, decide to try and make some hunched over, ghoul/reaper/some kinda spooky type thing. Thinking along the lines of a witch, or LOTR wraith hunched over stalking through the yard. Maybe only 4-5' tall if standing up-right. But hunched over. The main reason being, I don't want to have to worry about the body/face/hands inside of it. Also, it gets really windy and wet around Halloween here in Indiana, so I have to keep things low to the ground and staked to keep them from blowing away.
I'm thinking of trying this out and wanted your thoughts. I grabbed some copper pipe insulation on the cheap ( think pool noodles, but for pipes) to use for backbones/shoulders/forming, and some landscaping tarp to use for the cloaks. I am going to use zip-ties to secure the piping as needed, and maybe add in some PVC for the base. I don't mind the top being wobbly in the wind b/c it'll give some animation to the prop. I chose the landscaping tarp/weed barrier thinking it's fairly weather proof, and it gets tattered, all the better.
I was going to make the hood thrown way forward...looking at ground basically, and shred strands of the weed barrier to attach various places. Finally, I want to sandbag some of the corners of the cloak to keep them grounded.
Anyone see major pitfalls with this? Anyone tried using weed barrier cloth before?
Thud, landscape fabric is a favorite of prop makers as its cheap, easy to work with, usually black and has a rough texture sometimes.
A lot of people use what is called "monster mud" for their creatures. Its bascially drywall compound and paint mixed together, I think the ratio is 50:50 but it can vary depending on your preference. Anyway you basically coat the fabric with the MM and let it dry...taking care to make folds and such as it dries.
I'm of the school that says that kids should be scared until they cry, and then scared some more. Now the mothers may not like it, but it will leave a lasting impression.
That is how I was raised on Halloween and I didn't turn out too bad. Kids need catharsis too.
Actually, my friend's 5 YO LAUGHED at my yard display last year!! He's really into pirates (which happened to be the theme de jour, check my album) and thought the pirate skeletons were a hoot! He wasn't at all frightened by the dead guy in the coffin, the graveyard, the staked heads, or really, anything... I don't do the "blood and guts" gore, but my display is usually pretty graphic. The point to my post is to not worry toooooo much about the scare factor. Seems like the kids today actually like it just as much as we did!
BTW, I love the lawn cloth. It drapes really nicely, looks great in the daytime or the dark, is cheap, and really easy to use. Plus, you can just pitch it at the end of the night!
I may be wrong here but.....doesn't the black landscaping cloth bio-degrade over time with the right conditions?(moisture etc?). I use the stuff in my displays as well but not in something as lasting as a prop, i have used it for the backdrop for my display etc. Wouldn't burlap work better as a base cloth for your creation or even better, a cloth you can get from a fabric store? I used cheesecloth on my FCG and it worked great, it's also very easy to die a nice dark colour.
Hello fellow Hoosier! Most of my TOTers are very young too and are never scared of anything I put out. If you pay attention to their faces as they walk up your drive you will see they only see that bowl of candy you are holding...LOL!
I may be wrong here but.....doesn't the black landscaping cloth bio-degrade over time with the right conditions?(moisture etc?). I use the stuff in my displays as well but not in something as lasting as a prop, i have used it for the backdrop for my display etc. Wouldn't burlap work better as a base cloth for your creation or even better, a cloth you can get from a fabric store? I used cheesecloth on my FCG and it worked great, it's also very easy to die a nice dark colour.
Yeah, I am pretty sure it will breakdown over time, based on the amount of cruddy IN weather exposure it gets. However, I think it will play into my favor if I can get this thing to look the way I want. If it is a hunched-over witch/reaper/troll/ghoul type thing... something like this Life Size Cloaked Reaper < Halloween Props < Fright Catalog, Inc.
Then getting tattered or shredded would be an upside for me. Just toss that layer on top of a new layer for some raggedy looking creature.
Again, this is all pending my rookie ability to make something that looks like a hunched over creature on a small-ish budget. Might have to delve into the world of PVC pipes. *gasp*
Along these lines, I've used burlap for outside purposes, and it weathers great...yes, it does degrade a bit, but that all adds to the effect.
Thud, my experience has been that pool noodles (piping insulation) are great for arms and perhaps skinny legs...but, as fabric drapes, the effect for a hunched back becomes difficult...each bit of piping insulation becomes noticeable, and it looses the "realism"...
Something I've had good luck with is chicken wire and soft foam...the chicken wire gives a continuous support, and the foam gives a smooth, rounded look, which can be modified to look a little lumpy, like shoulder blades or whatever.
Even without the foam, I think the chicken wire (or any kind of mesh you can bend and shape) may give the look you want (and the framework underneath can be and look like anything...it's all covered by the prop anyway).
__________________ Hell is an eternity of getting up at 4am to nothing but decaf coffee... - Professor Ashfield
Living in southern Indiana, I understand about our weather. You'll definitely want some substance to your creation. four or five years ago, after setting up all month, we had a fierce wind storm come through a couple hours befor show time. It blew stuff (staked to the ground with rebar) over and even broke a few hand made tombstones. Lite is nice. But don't forget the cloth will act like a sail. A lot of my props are styrofoam (easy to shape if a little messy) and Monster Mud. I've found several layers of MM towork pretty good. If it isn' thick enough it will get holes poked in it easy. Also I put a layer of clear cote on to keep the rain off. Hopefully helpful.
Think this will work? Could use some reference pics too.
Jim
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