Coffin lids

I wanted to use to some scrap plywood I had kicking around and decided to make a new coffin lid for my graveyard scene. I found a really cool weathering technique online and wanted to share it.

First I cut out the shape and then cut it into strips then nailing it to a few support boards.

Obvious this looks to new!  The method I used was balsamic vinegar and steel wool in a jar with a tight lid (mason jar) . Let it sit over night (I hate waiting, I’m anything but patient) and then brush on a few coats. Doesn’t look like its doing much but after a few hours looks like this.

Props Props Props!

Well Building season is well upon us.  Planning underway (Although I don’t think it ever really stops) The stores are starting to roll out their Halloween stuff although the majority of them won’t release their stuff until back to school is over. I’ve been to Michael’s this year and their stuff disappoints, not only wasn’t there anything really cool there, but the prices seem to have really gone up, yes, they have their 50% off coupons but even then, it seemed like a little much.

I was at Costco and they had a few things out, seems it varies on location as I’ve seen a few people posting on the CHA homepage and Halloween forum different things.  I took home a 4.5 Ft Taking Tombstone (Barley fit in my trunk) made my day, I was so excited to get home and show the kids.  I’ve Finished some work one a few tombstones I had started on and put together two more fence panels for the front lawn. I’ve got the itch now and want to keep going. 

Yesterday I placed an order for beef netting from Trent Mills in Tennessee, I’ve always go compliments on the spider webs and the work I’ve put into them, this year they will look very different from everyone else’s I can’t wait to see how it works with everything.

 

Spirit Finds and Prop work Cont’d

Saturday was a road trip day to the nearest Spirit Halloween store, I picked up a few new goodies / additions for the lawn,  One of the things was something I had wanted to make come alive for awhile, was my Electric chair.  It has an electrical box on the side with a throw handle but didn’t really do anything it was just a static prop.  Spirit had this electrical box with a  working throw switch that had live wires that would move make noise and some led lighting. Unfortunate part is it’s plastic, I may move it over to the metal casing after this years haunt but it’ll be a great addition to the prop.  I also grabbed a 3ft Brown collapsible coffin, this is something I’ll set off in a distance or can stand up and not worry about it crushing someone. 🙂   There’s a new wooden coffin coming soon, but I’ll post about that when it arrives hopefully by thanksgiving.

I had thought about purchasing another Skeleton this year,  I have currently 3 Costco pose able Skeletons (Slimm, Slimette and Slimmer,  **Kids named them**) , I had corpse one last year and kept the other two in the same condition they were coming out of the box.  I had some left over PVC and saw a post about making one out of PVC and Zip ties. So I gave it a go. I modified the original plans to not use coat hangers and go with chicken wire for the ribs and instead of using pantyhose I used thin plastic for flesh.  Next is painting but here are some progress pictures.

Lastly some finished stones,  There are still 4 more in progress as I have a fairly large lawn, I’d like them to be more symmetrical this year rather than just randomly placed then it just looks like chaos rather than a graveyard.

Props, Props, Props!!

This past week I have been working on my PVC / Cemetery fences, they were destroyed last year in a wind storm, so it was a good time to work on them. I found the frame on them was too flexible so I had changed the outside 1/4″ PVC pipes to 1/2″ PVC pipes to make them more stable. I also changed the tops of the fences from this gothic look to the traditional spade tops.  Pictures below.

Jason was also changed from last year from his orange jumpsuit to regular clothes and I had monster mudded his head to give it that more burnt messed up looking Jason skin on the back of the mask, previously it was just black. It has been dry brushed with two different colors to make the details pop but this picture doesn’t display that.

Now that labor day is behind us, seems all the stores are really rolling out the Halloween stuff now, Dollar stores are fully stocked Wal-Mart is starting.  Not that I really need much from these, the dollar store is always good for plastic chains etc. I plan a trip to Spirit Halloween this weekend on a road trip with the special girls in my life, I’ll be like a kid in a candy store.

The props begin

Today I started working on a Halloween prop,  a late start this year as I usually start building in July. I worked on a prop I had built last year that I wasn’t satisfied with.  Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th.  Last year he was sporting a orange D.O.C jumpsuit although this definitely caught peoples eye it wasn’t as true to the movies.

This was last years Jason (2015)

This is Jason for 2016.. Still need to work on the hands but its almost there.

I was going to start on a few Tombstones but couldn’t fit the foam sheets into my car. Next time! I first used Foam tombstones last year, they were a lot of fun to work with, with a dermal.  The ones before that were all made out of wood, They were heavier harder to stand up but once they were in the ground they were solid.

Stay tuned for more Props….

 

Halloween Props…It begins

May brings nice weather, which brings yard sales and people purging Halloween props and or antiques or weird things I can had to my haunt, couple years ago a found an antique Sythe, there was a antique place down the street that wanted $75 for one.  I found one a week later at a yard sale for $10. My youngest son and I walked across town with our new find.  Next weekend the town I live in has an annual community yard sale every May long weekend, (Victoria Day, Queen’s birthday) Generally falls around the May 24 weekend. I never believed it when I first moved in the neighbors were saying how massive it was every couple of houses had one, the parking lot downtown by the stores is full of small vendors and people selling stuff and the lions club sells peamale on a bun.  My kids enjoy it too, its a chance for them to purge some old toys and make a little bit of money for something new, they’re usually after me to buy them every sort of food that’s for sale too.  I’ll be on the look out this year, looking for older lanterns at add to the haunt.

I have the tops of the fences for my cemetery fence I’m going to modify just need to grab some larger PVC pipes and black spray paint. Here is a pic of the top.

I plan to cut the arch off the top so the spikes are just out then add them to the fence I already have made, I think it’ll be a cool look.  Stay tuned for more progressed photos.