Thread: Easy Prop for First-time Builder??

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Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a first time prop. I'm thinking of trying my hand at building my first one and want to know what will be an easy but still cool looking addition to my decorations. Keeping in mind please that I'm no carpenter so easy is the key word here,

Thanks

PVC people are very cheap and easy to build for static props and can add a lot to a hunt. Air cannons are another easy to build item with great scare power if you want to try your hand at something pneumatic.

Tombstones are always easy and there are lots of tutorials on this website.

I would (and did) start with tombstones........if you screw them up (hard to do) it isnt a major loss of money.

Use PVC to make a body frame of a zombie, then throw some clothes on it with a mask on top.

Use a shiatsu massager (find tutorial in the Tutorial section) to make a Grave Grabber.

PVC candles.

Direction Sign (check my album).

Or just cruise through the Tutorial section at all the different props that are out there. Very easy to follow instructions and pictures. Most are relatively cheap, too!

As tombstones have already been suggested, I'm going to recommend trying your hand at making a groundbreaker.
They need not be complicated affairs with ribs and bones showing everywhere.
A basic timber or pvc frame under an old shirt bulked out a little with newspaper or grocery bags and with a zombie mask or polystyrene skull on top will give you a decent looking prop.

You can move on to more complicated designs as you get the hang of it and gain confidence.
It also gives you the chance to try and experiment with different techniques such as weathering and corpsing.

Whatever you choose...Good luck and be sure to post some pics!

My first year I knocked my husband out with a frying pan and "propped" him up next to a tombstone but he wouldn't quit whining. The next year I started doing pvc people and this year I'm doing a true paper mache/corpsed groundbreaker. I'm keeping the frying pan handy in case it doesn't come out right.

Originally Posted by Not-so-sunny-lane

My first year I knocked my husband out with a frying pan and "propped" him up next to a tombstone but he wouldn't quit whining. The next year I started doing pvc people and this year I'm doing a true paper mache/corpsed groundbreaker. I'm keeping the frying pan handy in case it doesn't come out right.

Ah yes! the trusty frying pan ranks right up there alongside the dremel and a bottle of Temazepan in the prop makers arsenal!


(My daughter once bet my son that he wouldn't dare "happy slap" me over the head with a frying pan while she fimed it on her cel phone.
She now has the loud "BONG!" and subsequent howl of rage and indignation as a ringtone...)

I'd say a mud man! They are simple and pretty much a no brainer!

If you are asking what kind of prop will actually give you the most bang for your buck in terms of actually scaring people, I'd go with monster in a box. Any box will work, even cardboard, so all you need to do is make a piston or offset bit to put in the drill and anchor the whole thing to a cinderblock. Instead of a motion sensor use a manual switch. (Foot switch for a xmas tree works great.) I've built many of the standard props and the monster in a box is the only one that gets a scare every time.