The Dimmick Family's Halloween Haunt
Props
Halloween Props
Graveyard Candles
Oct 27th
One of the candle clusters out in the yard without the flash. Awesome!
To add to the creepiness factor of the ambience of our haunt I wanted to have a lot of candles sitting around lighting the headstones and walkway. I bought a couple dozen battery-powered tealights that flicker like real flames off of Ebay from Zest Candles. I bought a 10′ piece of 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe and was able to cut about 22 4″, 6″ and 8″ pieces. I sanded all of the black writing off of the pipe, then filled them with expandable foam. When the foam was thoroughly dry I cut the excess off, then pushed the foam down to allow the tealights to sit inside the pipe with the “flame” exposed. I then used hot glue to make the “wax” drips down the sides. I was going to paint the pipes with UV reactive paint, but I was pleasantly surprised that the hot glue was already reactive and we think it looks cooler to have just the drips glowing and not the “candle” part.
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- 1 1/2″ PVC pipe cut and sanded.
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- Filled with expandable foam.
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- The foam cut and pushed down into the pipe.
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- Applying the hot glue.
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- Applying the hot glue.
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- Looking good.
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- They turned out better than I had hoped.
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- One of the candle clusters out in the yard.
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- One of the candle clusters out in the yard without the flash. Awesome!
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- Notice the spots of orange from the candles throughout the graveyard.
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- With the flash.
Wood Pallet Graveyard Fence
Oct 25th
My graveyard fence for this year was easy to make and free. A local classifieds site had a listing for free wood pallets from a company down the street from where I work, so I picked them up after work one day. It is super easy to make. Here’s how I did it.
I first laid the pallets out and marked the first in each row at 30 inches.
I then attacked each row with the saw making sure to make the ends random and jagged.
I used some of the scrap pieces of wood as stakes to prop the "fence" in place.
An over-exposed shot to show some of my test lighting. The fence throws some great shadows all around the yard and sidewalk.
I’m happy with how this year’s fence turned out. I plan on getting rid of these after Halloween, so I don’t have to store them. They were easy enough to make that I could do the same thing for next year, but I have BIG plans for my fence for next year. Stay tuned. 
“Scaretaker” & Pumpkin Monster Head Bases
Oct 22nd
“Scaretaker”
The “Scaretaker” will be a creepy old man standing ominously in my graveyard, leering at passersby. This is just the base of the head/face.
I wrapped a foam skull with aluminum foil then applied the papier mache.
After 3 layers of papier mache I cut the paper and foil off and then put it together with tape and glue. I made the neck at this point too. I then applied 2 more layers of papier mache.
Pumpkin Monster
This creature will be emerging out of one of my papier mache pumpkins. This is just the base of the head/face.
Same process here. Wrap skull in foil, then apply layers of papier mache.
An experiment in carving teeth from insulation foam.
“Scaretaker” Hands
Oct 22nd
I’ve been meaning to put a post or two on the progress of my “Scaretaker” of my graveyard. If I can find the pictures on my wife’s computer, I’ll post them. Last night I worked on the hands. They needed to be strong, so they will hold the weight of the lantern I got for it and maybe a shovel or other prop.
I used the wires from an old wire pantry shelf we took out a few years ago.
I made the palm out of cardboard and cut the fingers individually. I slid the wire down inside the cardboard and used hot glue to hold it in place.
I shaped the cardboard a little and used hot glue to hold it in place.
I used expanding foam to bulk up the fingers and hands.
When they’re completely dry I will carve and sand the hands to shape them, then I will apply a few layers of papier mache to make them hard.
Hallowindow Projections
Oct 22nd
After experimenting with the Grim Grinning Ghosts the other day, I was curious about projections in windows. Hallowindow.com has some great animations made specifically for window displays. I got the “Eye of Fire” and “Ghosts” downloads and tried both. I first tried them in the downstairs window. The green ghosts looked way cool, however, with Trick-or-Treaters coming to the door, they’d see the projector and it would diminish the effect. The Eye of Fire looked really cool in my upstairs window. Here are some pictures of what it looked like. I tried it with a blacklight illuminating the white sheet and without. I will probably do it without the blacklight for Halloween. What do you think looks better?
Shot to show window placement on house.
Eye of Fire with blacklight underneath.
Eye of Fire without blacklight. Flash on camera went off too.
