What’s more creepy than those two little girls from The Shining?  How about imagining the creepy dolls those girls would play with!  I expect that they would look something like the zombie dolls that Cyclonejack from HauntForum creates, and he’s been nice enough to create a video detailing exactly how to make them.  They look amazingly creepy and the only real cost involved is the doll and some paint!  If you have a creepy little girl in your haunt, be sure to make one of these for her, because nothing says “abnormal” quite like a little girl that would play with one of these!...

Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios has a fantastic tutorial on how to make some really realistic looking meat hooks out of plastic hangers.  You’ll absolutely love how easy they are to make and the cost for a dozen is next to nothing.  All that’s left to do after this tutorial is attach your favorite gored up body parts and hang them from the ceiling....

I’m not sure who to credit this tutorial with but I suspect it goes to Jeff Davis.  Regardless, the Demon Skeleton tutorial from the Davis Graveyard site sure looks incredible.  I don’t think I could make this look as good as Jeff did, but it really makes me want to buy a budget Bart and give it a shot because the finished product is really cool looking.  I can just imagine how it would look at night lit up!  The first line of the tutorial sums it up, though, “This is NOT an easy project”....

“Calm? Calm? Do murder and calm go together? Calm and murder? Murder?” -Luther Heggs   In 1966 Don Knotts posed that question, and fans of the Ghost and Mr. Chicken have been laughing at his classic portrayal of Luther Heggs, intrepid reporter ever since.  If you’re at all familiar with the film you’ll recall the classic scene where Luther comes across the portrait of old Mrs. Simmons that he had just seen intact five minutes earlier has been pierced with a pruning shears and is dripping blood, the exact way she was murdered 20 years prior.  Luther’s conniption fit upon seeing this is pure comedic gold, and he drops like a leaf, out cold.  I’ve always wanted a house like the old Simmons Mansion, and with Chris’ tutorial of the Bleeding Portrait, I’ll be one step closer.     It looks to be a little bit of a tricky build, but would definitely be a crowd pleaser in any haunt. Items used to create this include: Picture frame Portrait (one that you can cut up) Small water pump Flexible tubing Tray for blood Blood Varnish        ...

If you’ve ever used the stretchable spider webs that everyone sells you know that they sometimes don’t stay stretched quite as nicely as you’d like them to.  Well the tutorial below from the Dapper Cadaver might be just the solution you’re looking for.  I originally found this video in a post on HauntForum, and I strongly urge you to read the posts associated with it.  The Dapper Cadaver uses 3M 90 spray adhesive to get the webbing super tacky, which results in a highly flammable finished product.   The group over at HauntForum have weighed in on some suggestions to combat the flammability, but do use extra caution if you are going to attempt this.  Despite the fact that this is a pretty permanent and highly flammable solution, I have to admit, it does provide some quality looking cobwebs....

Every now and then someone builds a prop that you look at and immediately wish you had the talent to pull off the same build.  That’s exactly how I felt when I saw TwistedUK’s Circus Freak Puppeteer tutorial.  It’s not that the frame and motors are overly intricate, but the clay work that went into the crafting of both clowns (and shoes) is what really tells me I’ve no chance of building something nearly as nice as his.  Of course, if you can find some premade items that would work you could always eliminate the clay, but you might not get as good looking of a finished product.  I’m filing this under Motorized Props, but I really feel like there should be a Prop Showcase category because this one definitely deserves more than just a cursory glance.     Items needed to complete this include: Child Mannequin Hair dressing practice head Wiper motor Large piece of chip board 1’thick One pack of DAS clay 3/4′ plastic tubing Sea fishing line 3 blue LEDs 1 1/2′ length of wood 1 sheet of plywood More patience than I...

Serialc0d3 over at HalloweenForum.com has a great tutorial on how to build your own Vortex Fog Chiller for very little cash.  Now, there are many containers you can use when building your own vortex fog chiller, but reusing a Tidy Cat Litter pail is the ultimate “green” project.  Additionally, the finished product looks remarkably familiar.       To complete this prop you’ll need the following:   Tidy Cat Litter Pail Few ft of 2 in. PVC 2 in. PVC Elbow Few ft of 1/2 in. PVC pipe Some sort of metal mesh or chicken wire to hold ice Epoxy of your choice (I used Oatey Epoxy Putty) Krylon Fusion Paint (optional) Nozzle for Drain Hose (optional) Drain Hose (optional) Tools for cutting the materials And of course, you’ll need a fog...

Rchassel over at HalloweenForum.com has a good tutorial on how to use styrofoam boards to board-up your windows.  They’re inexpensive, look great and are lightweight enough that they can be held in place over your windows using very thin straps!     Items used to create this effect include: 1” thick extruded polystyrene foam insulatio Gorilla Glue Straps to anchor the board system into your windows Paint Behr Faux...

  I gotta admit, when I first watched Casa Fear’s tutorial on how to build a simple pneumatic ground breaker at HauntForum, I didn’t think the finished product was going to be worth the effort.  The frame of this prop doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that it’s going to stay in one piece, let alone be creepy looking.  Boy was I wrong.  And that’s what’s so great about this prop.  It’s simple to build, won’t break the bank, and really results in a great prop.   The quick jerking of the cylinders creates a nice startling effect that you just don’t get from a standard ground breaker.  So if you’ve got your head wrapped around the pneumatics, the rest of this prop should be smooth sailing for you.     Items needed for this prop include: 6′ of 2×4 2 pneumatic cylinders 2 foot brackets 2 rod clevis 2 clevis mounting brackets 2 – 4 way solenoid valves 1 prop controller 4 – 3″ hinges (wrist/elbow) 2 – 2.8″ hinges (shoulders) 12 carriage bolts (attaching cylinders) 10 flat phillips bolts (hinges) 2 hex bolts (shoulders) Locking nuts/washers for all bolts Plywood for base  ...

If you’ve ever wanted to build your very own grave grabber but didn’t think you had the skill to get it done right, take a look at this tutorial posted by Kevin Kennedy on the Haunt101 website.  This prop is simple to create and looks awesome in any graveyard environment.  Unfortunately, some of the links in the tutorial are dead, but they’re relatively insignificant to the tutorial and the mechanism should be enough to inspire your creativity.       Items needed to build this include: 9’ of 1” x 1/8” aluminium flat stock 36” wooden dowl 8 – 8/32” x 5/8” machine screws 24 #8 SAE washers (you could use nylon washers) 8 – 8/32” nuts with nylon threads a low speed high torque motor 1 spooky head 1 pair of spooky hands along w/ coat hanger and spray foam Some of the assorted lumber every haunter has lying in the back of their...

Discozombie over at HalloweenForum.com has come up with a great way to give your PVC creations moveable joints.  This technique is so simple to do, but really gives your creations an added level of realism.     Items needed to create this include: PVC Heat gun clamp sander or grinder drill Bolts Locking Nuts...

Created by Jeff, aka Noah Fentz, of thecreepyhousenextdoor.com this tar pit monster tutorial could prove to be a very difficult and noxious project, but it sure is a cool idea.  All you need are a “duct taped” body cast, a styrofoam head and some roof tar. If you’ve never used roof tar, a word of warning, it’s very sticky and is not easily if ever removed (also see the disclaimer on the bottom that was pulled from Noah’s tutorial for extra emphasis).     *DISCLAIMER- Flashing cement is flammable and highly combustible . All tar props are for outdoor use...

Jimmyzdc over at HalloweenForum has posted an awesome tutorial on how to make your own PVC candles.  It’s super simple, and when you pop some battery powered tealight candles on top of them you’ll be free to create and put out as many candles as you want without having to worry about setting your haunt on fire.       Items used to create these include: 1 1/2″ PVC Pipe – Full length 8-10 ft pipes Great Stuff Insulation LED Tea Lights Hot Glue Gun 1 1/2″ Forstner Drill Bit Rustoleum Spray...

Instant Monsters over at HalloweenForum has posted a great tutorial on how to make your own Web Spinner using some easily obtainable items and a drill.  The cobwebs that this thing puts out look amazing and would make most spiders jealous.  They’ll require some serious cleanup, but if you’re looking for a realistic web, look no further.    ...

This prop tutorial is an oldie but a goodie.  I first saw Mr. Chicken’s Madame Leota tutorial when it appeared on HauntForum.  He moved it to the Mr. Chicken’s Yard Haunt blog quite a while ago and it deserves to be featured because of the great job he did on it.  Positioning of the projector on this prop is just as essential and tricky as creating the form inside the globe and will make or break this effect....

The Devil’s Workshop blog has posted an awesome tutorial on how to build what is possibly one of the best looking Cauldron Creeps I’ve ever seen.  Seriously, I wouldn’t have a problem paying them to make this for me because it deserves to be in every haunter’s yard.  This tutorial was for the original Cauldron Creep, constructed in 2009.  The videos are spectacular.     Items needed to create this prop include: 20 ft 1/2″ PVC 8 1/2″ PVC “T”s 4 1/2″ PVC 90° 1 5rpm motor (for head action) 1 Monsterguts Wiper motor 2 ultrabright LEDs Red and Black electrical wire small gauge 2 monsterguts eyball blanks 1 foam skull 1 large “bag of Bones” from biglots Creepy Cloth 1 can Greatstuff 1 can Black spray paint 1″ drywall screws 5′ 2×4 plumbers tape ATX power supply...

  Fangoria over at HalloweeForum.com has a great tutorial on how to make easy, cheap and ultra realistic eyeballs.  Trust me, this one I’ve succeeded in doing, and they turn out fantastic every time.  You’ll need the following supplies: A package of ping pong balls Deep Red blood color gloss paint Yarn the same color as the paint A printout of iris from the web A tweezers A scissors A paintbrush Clear nail polish/Nail hardener – make sure whatever you use that it is glossy, gloss makes them pop!...

      This is a project that I spent a lot of time working on and when you get it right can be a superb effect for your haunt.  I never seemed to get mine working as smoothly as Timothy Ewing seems to have, but with his tutorial you should be able to do better than me.  You’ll need a round steel shaft the length of your books, some aluminum stock, some screw eyes, rubberbands, a small motor (I used a wiper motor), and of course books!     I’m still hatching a plan to do this effect with mini-linear actuators, but until then, go with Tim’s Haunted Bookshelves blueprint.  ...

Loach160 over at HalloweenForum.com has posted a great tutorial on how to make hot burning coals without the heat.  This effect looks great with a witches cauldron above it and is super simple to create (I actually think I might be able to do this one).       Items used to create this effect include: 1 string of 50 orange LED Christmas lights 1 can expanding spray foam 1 12 inch square piece of wood or plastic 1 can black spray paint masking tape assorted plastic bottle tops and/or bottoms box cutter or...

For the longest time I struggled with how to build a simple Flying Crank Ghost.  The guide at Phantasmechanics.com (R.I.P.) seemed ridiculously complicated to my simple mind.  Then I found Dr. Kreepy’s YouTube videos and everything clicked.  My FCG might have even flown had the party I was building it for not been cancelled, but that’s another story.    ...