[Paint It Black]

I was thinking today about all the various props we have created with some pretty simple materials - starting with a tomato cage. We turned it upside down, bent some of the wires, and added a foam head on one, and pool noodles on the "arms." Grab a mask, clothes, and gloves, and you have a good filler prop or groundbreaker. I will show some of the examples we have done over the years. And hopefully, some of you can show any that you have made for more ideas to share with everyone.

The first one we made was a werewolf. Even though he was just a static prop, he startled many a person from his position at the short wall out front.

 

[Paint It Black]

We also made a ghoulish little greeter for the foyer.

A grave digger for the cemetery.

We added some guts made of great stuff and some flattened pants to make him look like he got run over in the graveyard, LOL.

And next to him, a really tall "groundbreaker" made with three tomato cages stacked on one another.

 

[Paint It Black]

We even used a tomato cage character for an upstairs window. This vampire was also illuminated at night with a black light and a strobe to call attention up there.

 

[xxScorpion64xx]

The placement of the werewolf was a great idea PIB

 

[Paint It Black]

My favorite tomato cage project was the clown I built with my grandson. He thought it was the greatest thing, to make his own prop.

 

[Screaming Demons]

I try to bump this thread up for newcomers every year before Halloween because it is such a great idea: http://www.halloweenforum.com/tutorials-and-step-by-step/91927-quick-easy-armature.html?highlight=tomato

 

[Paint It Black]

Yes! Screaming Demons, that is the tutorial I first saw a long time ago. Thanks for adding the link.

 

[Hilda]

Oh wow! Love all these!! I remember the grave digger. I think I snagged the photo and saved it before the ease of Pinterest! LOL
Oh working to build the clown with your grandson is precious.

Thank you for sharing. This is a great idea.

 

[ooojen]

It's sweet that your grandson got his own build, and your foyer greeter is hilarious!

 

[Saki.Girl]

Thanks for this post I think I will be picking up some tomato cages

 

[Oak Lane Cemetery]

You really can do a lot using tomato cages as a framework. This is the witch I made. Three cages stacked and wired together with the top cages wires covered with pool noodles to form the arms. I used plastic shopping bags to fill her out in the chest and hunch the back. Really inexpensive build that worked awesome and has held up for three halloweens now.

 

[HallowFear]

Amazingly simple yet it works !
Something i can get my kids to do for me.

 

[Paint It Black]

Nightfisher, you've got an excellent full-size witch prop there! Nice work. Thanks for showing her.

Hallowfear, it really is a good kids' project.