[Rigormortor]

Bought the skull lantern as im working on building 2 of the cemetery ghouls..... im working on a few differen't
props right now. Start now or be left out when Halloween comes.

Going to build 2 of these. Have the wood and fabric....

 

[stick]

I like the cemetery ghouls and look forward to seeing them being made.

 

[Hearse driver]

I Love the cemetery ghouls! the floating effect really is killer, especially with the right lighting. I'm also using this design as inspiration for my projection project.

The lanterns are perfect, I cant wait to see pics of the progress!

 

[debbiedowner67]

Is there a how-to for the ghouls?

 

[Rigormortor]

I havent found one but there are pics if you search on the internet, you can build them out of pvc or wood.
Im going with the wood as I already bought the materials. Im going to make mine about 7 feet tall and build
a base out of some 2 by 4's in an "H" pattern.

 

[Rigormortor]

Ghoul pics I found online. Not my pics but they show how to build them......

 

[debbiedowner67]

What do you think the black material? is?

 

[Rigormortor]

As I remember reading about this one guy said he used chicken wire fence to form the head and shoulder area and covered it with the black
fabric you can get anywheres at halloween time in the stores. If you have a fabric store local you can really use anything black.... I have a few packs
of this im going to use.

 

[Hearse driver]

I have read several different how to's for these ghouls over time. It is common for the back portion of the under structure that supports the hood to be made out of Monster Mud with chicken wire frame. You can also use a paper mache type material if you want them to be a little more light weight but this would be less weather resistant if they are going outside.

If you are planning on putting them outside, building them on a pipe that can be slipped over a steak driven in the ground will avoid the need for the H supports.

This helps add to the floating effect in a close up situation...

 

[Rigormortor]

I have read several different how to's for these ghouls over time. It is common for the back portion of the under structure that supports the hood to be made out of Monster Mud with chicken wire frame. You can also use a paper mache type material if you want them to be a little more light weight but this would be less weather resistant if they are going outside.

If you are planning on putting them outside, building them on a pipe that can be slipped over a steak driven in the ground will avoid the need for the H supports.

This helps add to the floating effect in a close up situation...

Yes very good advice..... I might go with the pipe (PVC) as you mentioned so you can drive in a 3 foot fence post, the green ones you can get
at home depot, lowes...etc.... then that will give the free floating effect really nice...... im going with the chicken wire fence and fabric. I will just
keep my fingers crossed that the dreaded rain stays away. we have had a good track record as only 1 rained out Halloween in the last 5 years.

 

[Gym Whourlfeld]

You might need to call the utilities company to mark where your gas, phone, electric wires might be buried, some of them are not very deep at all.
If they mark wrong, you puncture it='s their fault, if you don't call (no mark0 you puncture it,guess who pays then?

 

[Rigormortor]

Yes that is a good point. The fence posts I have been using are 4 feet tall and you step on them and drive 1 foot in the ground, too easy.
I have been using them in my front yard for the last 5 years when I set up props etc..... I have a large front yard and haven't hit anything which
is good

 

[nosefuratyou]

Really like that ghoul concept. 7 feet sounds like a good height. Tall enough to be impressive . Could you use black plastic over chicken wire for the inside. and maybe spray it flat black? I wonder if you could put a black screen scrim halfway back in the hood and stencil on a faint skull face with reflective paint. Just enough to pick up some stray light.

 

[Rigormortor]

All concrete pillars are made. Built 8 of them. I will have a pillar then an 8 foot section of fence then pillar etc.....
Going in from of my house with 2 sections 30 feet each side. Walkway up the middle. Getting ready to start painting them.
Will start tomorrow. Painting gray of course then will spray black watered down to give the old effect. I have most of the wood
cut for the fencing but with it snowing heavily and the weather at 20 degrees and lower for the last month I haven't done anything
with the fence but cut the tops into points. Still alot of time but progress is moving on.

 

[xLawfulevilx]

I really like the skull lantern! Really liking the progress in general though.

 

[TosaTerror]

Great, as if I didn't have enough ideas for Halloween 2016 already. Thanks to this thread, I now have to add one of these to my list of things to make before October. This will be an awesome addition to my graveyard, but I might scale it back a little just because I don't have a very big yard. So maybe a 4' mini ghoul

Way to twist my arm

 

[Rigormortor]

Ok painting the Pillars has begun. I am using some left over house paint we have. My pillars are made of cardboard boxes I
got from the post office. The bottom box I cut up the 2 by 4's from the wood pallets I collected to make the wood fencing. I cut and
nailed them together and slid them in the box and sealed it up. So the pillar will be bottom heavy for sure. I will next mix black paint
with water and spray with a hand bottle to let the watered down paint run down the pillar for an aged look. I know being cardboard
they will not last in bad weather but they were free so I will keep my fingers crossed for good weather when the time comes. On top of the
pillars im putting a skull and they will be attached by velcro strips. I built 8 pillars. Im going to put 1 pillar then an 8 foot section of fence, then
pillar then fence. I have 2 areas to cover each 30 feet wide. More pics to come........

 

[nosefuratyou]

Seems a shame to do all that work and have to pray for dry weather. If you hadn't already painted them I would have suggested some bedliner spray. That would have waterproofed them somewhat as well as giving them texture.
They do look nice and the whole setup will look great but I would be bummed if they melted on Halloween.

 

[Rigormortor]

I know with the weather but our TOT is only 2 hours from 6-8 pm. If it is rainy I can cover them and uncover when the time comes. We are 1 for 5 for rain
in the last 5 years so we have favorable conditions most of the time. Im planning on putting them out on the Monday day of..... we will see what happens.....

 

[TosaTerror]

Started on one of the ghouls over the weekend. I basically used the pictures from above as a blueprint. Mine will be about 5' tall framed out with PVC pipe. I have it about 90% complete, just waiting on the white Halloween cloth to arrive in the mail later this week. Once that's on It'll be pretty much complete (minus the lantern).

I have a feeling that once I attach the lantern to his hand, it will bend the PVC completely forward making it top heavy. So come Oct, I'll probably have to anchor his head (attaching fishing line to the back of his head and anchor it to the ground behind him) just so he stays upright. I'm up for ideas if there's a better way. I thought about pouring cement down the pipe to make it sturdier, but the PVC pipe opening might be too small for that.

I took some pictures along the way, I'll post them when I'm it's complete.