Thread: How can I improve the Christmas Tree Shop Grim Reaper?

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I bought a Grim Reaper from Christmas Tree Shop a week or so ago. For the $ not bad but I think it could us a few improvements. However, I am not good at certain things & do not want to break it.

Let me put it to ya this way! I tried to help my nephews
mod their nerf guns so they'd shoot better & they didn't
work after that. I BROKE ALL 3! Followed directions too!

No idea on how to post pics so I hope someone knows what Reaper I'm talking about. Any help would be much appreciated!

Probably would need to see a pic of it first.

Yeah, a picture would be helpful. I revamped one of the LTD reapers last year and I was very happy with him. If the one you bought is similar, it may help you out.....

Modified LTD Reaper

If you look at my Halloween 2009 pictures, there are some shots of the finished reaper there.

As soon as I saw your post I became curious and today I finally got to Christmas Tree Shop to start doing my Halloween shopping. It begins there EVERY year.... II too decided to buy their reaper as it was a hell of a bargain.First: Thanks for the heads up. A life size animatronic (NOn inflatable)was the one type of prop we didn't have.
Here's a few of the thought me and the wife came up with... (I guess you could say we have a five year plan...lol.)
We try to use some props different every year. So...

Year One: The reaper is rather impressive at 6ft talll. BUT if black fabric or cardboard with feather wings were added it would be a 10ft plus VERY impressive figure. Feathers, a little glue and its a winged angel of death. How to do this.: The motor and frame of the reaper will NOT support a lot of weiight and would be a strain on the motors so... attach the wings to something solid (like a wall) and move the reaper up against it so it appears the wing are attached to the reaper. A flood/spot from the front would make wings cast a shadow even taller producing an ominous giant death figure.
2. Pirate reaper. The reaper is all done in black. Add a light weight pirate vest, a priate hat. An eye patch that is translucent. Replace scythe with a sword and hes multi-tasking...lol. We have an inflatable gemmy pirate ship, chestm, and various props to set around it.
3. The Red Death: Add some light weight red/bloody fabric that you can get at JoAnns or for that matter any wild red material. Pour artificial blood all over ground around figure and scattter various skulls and a bag o bones at figures feet.

4. One of the four horsemen of the apocolypse. lIKE THREE BUT HORSE BONES SCATTERED IN. Again sweeping creepy wraps of translucent fabric draped loosely (etherially) around figure. I think the HORSEMAN theme might even extend to putting a partial paper mache horsehead on top of Reaper as a mask. Literal horse-man!!! This would only be an upper face mask as the REAPER has a working mouth.

I have more but hopefully these are a few helpful suggestions. Cait

PS: One last thought. Red Death. Stand reaper in a small pool. Rig a small powerjet aquarium pump to suck the food colored (blood) water half way up the reaper(well below electrical/electronics). The reaper will then drip massive ammounts of blood down its garment into the pool of blood where it will be recycled again and again. Again floaty styrofoam skulls could be in the pool bobing evilyin the semi viscous liquid. Simce the pump will be drawing water from the bottom of the black painted kiddie pool you can put all sorts of disgusting things that will float but not get sucked up into pump. Yes, I know. I don't think like normal people...lol. Cait

There's lots of things you can do to spiff up any prop but in my response i missed the most obvious way:
Simply add some effect lighting (color spots/strobes) and or a little fog. Nothing makes a prop like this one look more expensive and creepier on the cheap. A little ambient atmosphere can go a long way. Underlighting is also very creepy. Just a quick thought or two.
Cait

Hope this helps.

Thank you all so much! I cannot wait to try your ideas! . By the way! How do I post pics on here?!