Acetone will eat away at your styrofoam, and while that’s not exactly what I would call a newsflash here, but Creativeman uses it to great advantage in his instructable on how to use this to create really good looking granite lettering.  This is a great way to create a sandblasted stone sign for use on cemetery columns, or to add depth to your tombstone, and it requires only the most rudimentary of skills.   The process is simple.  Cut your pre-printed letters out with an exacto knife, glue them to your styrofoam, and then spray paint the styrofoam.  It’s literally easier than breathing, but it adds a great level of detail to your lettering or sign.   Items needed to complete this include: Styrofoam Printout of your letters (each letter cut) Elmer’s glue Spray paint containing...

If a zombie can take the time to dig its way out of its grave, the least you can do is make sure he’s got some appropriate looking clothes, right?  And if you’ve taken the time to build a Full Sized Zombie Prop, or just plan on becoming the zombie yourself, you should probably pay equal attention to the clothing since it’s a major part of your zombie’s appearance. If you want truly realistic looking zombie clothing you’re going to want to give Robertb7864’s video a look.  This twenty minute trek through zombie clothes modification features a full five minutes dedicated to Robertb7864 taking a belt sander to a shirt.  The end result is pretty great looking, though, and is way more authentic looking than you’d achieve by tearing or cutting the cloth yourself....

If you’re looking to build a full size zombie that you can leave outside you’re going to need something that is a little more solid, and once again, Dr. Kreepy has just the tutorial you’re looking for. The lower body is framed using 2 x 4’s for legs attached to a 1 x 6 waist while the spine, shoulders, and arms are crafted out of PVC.  After the frame is in place you’ll need to bulk out the torso and the legs.  You can certainly wrap the legs and body with foam and duct tape it tight, or you can use the Dr. Kreepy method and use balled up newspaper or plastic. When mounting it you can use a plywood base and screw the legs to it, otherwise you can grab a pair of old boots and throw in some quick drying cement.  You’ll need to add your favorite mask and a pair of prop hands if they’ll be visible.     Items needed to complete this include: 2 – 2×4 approximately 35″ 1 – 1 x 6 appoximately 17″ 1 – 20″ 2 x 4 6 pieces 3/4 PVC 4 – 3/4″90 degree PVC 3/8″ or thicker 2′ x 2′ plywood Old clothes Skull or mask Duct Tape Newspaper or foam Screws  ...

I’ve got to tip my hat to Nightrideproductions from the HalloweenForum, who has proof that literally everything you own can be incorporated into your next prop build.  This Quick and Easy Armature is built using a tomato cage and is all you’ll need to get a few more last minute zombies popping out of your cemetery without exerting much effort along the way. You’ll start by flipping your tomato cage so the largest circle is on the ground and then bend the two side wires so they form shoulders and arms.  The third and final wire should be bent inward and then up 90 degrees so the styrofoam head can slide down onto it.   The newspaper and duct tape should be added around the shoulders and arms to add a little body to your armature before adding your mask and shirt, but that’s pretty much all there is to it.  Bend the wires back into place when your done using it and it’ll be ready for the spring tomato crop.   Items needed to complete this include: Tomato cage Styrofoam head Tent stakes Newspaper Duct tape Wire...

There’s something completely unsettling about a decrepit looking old lady slowly rocking back and forth in her chair.  If you know a decrepit looking old lady then you’re half way there, but if you don’t, you can always follow ScareFX’s tutorial and make your own Rockin’ Granny prop. What you’re building in this tutorial is a self contained rocking mechanism that you’ll build your Granny on top of.  The frame is built of 2×6 material with the wiper motor mounted vertically.  A piece of aluminum flat bar connects the wiper motor to a piece of 2×6 that is connected to the base via a 4″ hinge which will allow it to rock back and forth when the motor spins. The upper part of the Granny is built on the 2×6 that is hinged by connecting some 1″ PVC to the 2×6 and then creating some shoulders with the 90 degree elbows and adding some sections of pool noodles over the PVC for the upper arms.  You’ll need to add some prop hands if they’ll be visible. The lower body is connected to the base and consists of a PVC T connection which connects some 1″ PVC to two 90 degree elbows and forms the legs.  Again, you’ll need to add some prop legs if they’ll be visible.  Once your mechanism and skeleton is complete, the entire device is connected to the rocking chair with clamps to prevent it from flying forward once it gets rocking. After you’ve got everything clamped down it’s time to put the Styrofoam head on it and you’ll probably want to put a mask on it as well.  Oh, and don’t forget to put some clothes on Granny!     Items needed to complete this include: Rocking Chair Wiper motor 4′ of 2×6 board 4×4 post cap & brackets (or...

Want to create an impressive looking spark effect for your haunt that’s absolutely harmless?  Bradsboobarn has a video tutorial on how you can achieve this effect and it’s easier than you think.     If you take one thing away from this video, it should be that in order to achieve this effect safely, you’ll need to utilize a car battery charger, and not just a car battery.  Using a regular car battery in place of the battery charger could potentially cause the battery to heat up and explode.   Items needed to complete this include: Chain link fence Jumper cables Car battery charger Long metal object...

I’ve never really watched Dr. Who, but I’m sure glad that MacabreRob over at HalloweenForum has because the “Blink” episode of the British television series gave him the inspiration to build two life-sized angel statues for his haunt.  To say that the statues are constructed out of paper mache and expanding foam insulation really underscores the amount of work that went into these. Several coats of paper mache were carefully coated onto a mannequin and then cut and removed in sections.  After they were carefully pieced back together, 1″ wood boards were inserted to add some support and it was filled with expanding foam insulation.   The wings were created using a similar technique with the form created using styrofoam and then coated with paper mache.  MacabreRob went even so far as to cast his daughters face in alginate to provide for the face on Angelica, the passive angel.     Once the bodies were complete he dressed them in robes made from bed sheets and thoroughly coated them in monster mud.  Both angels turned out amazing and it’s really cool to see a family working together on a Halloween project.  It’s definitely an intricate build, but if you can pull it off you’ll have the best looking cemetery in the neighborhood.  ...

If you’re a fan of The Wheel of Death prop but don’t want to create something quite as heavy duty then the Rotisserie Motor Torture Rack that Toktorill constructed may be just what you’re looking for.  This torture rack relies on an inexpensive lazy susan and a 110v rotisserie motor to spin a cardboard wheel.   The cardboard was covered with a woodgrain patterned self-adhesive contact paper, which looks remarkably realistic.  It’s a fairly simple prop to create and looks fantastic, just make sure it doesn’t get wet.     Items needed to complete this include: 110v Rotisserie motor Lazy susan Cardboard Assortment of 1×2 & 1×4 wood Woodgrain patterned contact paper Victim for...

You’ve built your fence, carved your tombstones, and even built a grave grabber to put in your cemetery.  Job well done, but if you want to add a touch of that “freshly buried” look to your cemetery you do have a couple of options.  You could dig down about 2 inches into your yard removing the top layer of nicely manicured green grass and mix up your dirt until it’s nicely mounded, or you could follow the tutorial provided by Adrian McCarthy on creating Halloween Graves. His method utilizes a beach towel, some chicken wire, and some potting soil.  No need for a shovel or grass seed when you’re done!   Items needed to complete this include: an old beach towel brown fabric dye spray glue potting soil or mulch chicken wire or newspapers several 3-inch nails (optional) tombstone (optional) skeletal hands and feet...

If you’re in need of some stone or brick panels for your haunt, you’re definitely going to want to check out the tutorial that HIY Productions created.  This tutorial takes you through the process of creating brick panels out of styrofoam from start to finish.  The tips provided in this tutorial are invaluable if you’re planning on creating any sort of stone or brick for your haunt.  The finished product looks amazingly real....

If you have some serious crafting skills and a ton of ambition, you too can create a Flying Witch prop just like the one that Otto Dieffenbach created.  Or you could just watch the video of Otto’s prop and marvel at his creation.  Seriously, this prop is one of the coolest builds I’ve ever seen, it turned out amazing, but the third sentence of the tutorial pretty much rules me out from ever attempting it: “This is a difficult build and should not be attempted by a newcomer to the hobby. There is a lot of wood work involved. You may want to find a friend with superior build skills if you are a newcomer.” I’m not even sure I could find a friend with enough moxy to try to build this, but if you can find one, the full tutorial is posted over at the RCgroups.com website.     Items needed to complete this include:   Frame Broom Flyer cutouts in 6 mm Depron (available from Hoosier Cutout Service) Two 0.196″ OD x 0.125″ ID x 40″ Carbon Fiber square tubes (Midwest Products) One 0.125″ OD x 0.060″ ID x 40″ Carbon Fiber tube (Midwest Products) One .034″ x .121″ x 40″ Carbon Fiber strip (Midwest Products) 1/8 inch plywood sheet 1 ft x 2 ft ¼ inch plywood sheet 6 x 12 inches 8 Sheet metal screws 8 x ½ E-Flite Sea Fury retract landing gear (Optional) Master Air Screw 3 blade 10 x 7 propeller Two packages of Dubro micro pushrods #852 One bag of 15 Dubro Hinges #117 Two 1 7/8 inch wheels (Parkzone T-28 or F4u) Clear Gorilla Glue Foam safe CA and activator 5 minute epoxy 30 minute epoxy Paint Electronics: At least a 3 channel full range receiver Three...

If you’re a fan of projected Halloween displays there’s a good chance that Scaremation has an animation in their catalog that will appeal to you.  These inexpensive animations can easily be rear projected onto a plain white bedsheet and incorporated into your haunt, or used just as a cool effect for the trick or treaters.  Setup is a snap and the digital files are loopable for hassle free operation.   http://youtu.be/hIwiEFnKLO4 Scare-1: Rough Night, 4 minutes (Loopable) – Price:$45   http://youtu.be/B21czGK1FmQ Scare-2: Mansion Parlour 1, 4 minutes (Loopable) – Price:$20 (anniversary pricing)   http://youtu.be/6F6H0A9Gsxc Scare-3: Window Slammer, 1/2 minute – Price:$10   http://youtu.be/P2Bg4JH4MJg Scare-4: Skeleton Zombies!, 3 minutes (Loopable) – Price:$35   http://youtu.be/9NUBpZBuiZI Scare-5: Spider Lab, 3 minutes (Loopable) – Price:$45   http://youtu.be/l-dqFwef3AQ Scare-6: Underworld, 4 minutes (Loopable) – Price:$45   http://youtu.be/DsI5qkc9gdw Scare-7: Spectre, 55 seconds (Loopable) – Price:$20   http://youtu.be/1u-TqHsLQcI Scare-8: Zombie Slammer, 1 minute (Loopable) – Price:$25   Scare-9: Mansion Parlour 2, 8 1/2 minutes (Loopable) – Price:$45 http://youtu.be/jUEr3cLoc1U Scare-10: Gorewall, 3 minutes (Loopable) –...

I love mini LED spotlights, and they truly don’t cost that much to buy, but if you’re anything like me (is uber-frugal better than saying cheap?), it’s hard to justify paying for something that’s pretty simple to make. There are tons of tutorials online to guide you through the process of making your own LED spotlights, but none of the tutorials I’ve read have so clearly articulated the process as the video tutorial posted below.  And with that being said, it should come as no surprise that it was created by Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios.  ...

I’ve never considered wearing artificial nails, and I’ve never actually had a reason to want to.  Those are things I used to say prior to coming across this video tutorial from KlairedelysArt.  The fact of the matter is that if you’re taking the time to do you own makeup, you’re probably already doing your hands as well, but if your willing to take the time to do your nails, the results can be truly gruesome.  I must admit, the beginning of this video is hard to stomach, but well worth it....

Whether your haunt is in a warehouse somewhere, or just in your garage, you’re eventually going to need to build some wall panels for it.  Luckily, there’s nothing tricky about framing walls, especially if you follow Hawthorne Manor Haunted House’s tutorial on building wall panels.  These panels are made of 1×2 furring strips with 2×2 cross bracing, and black sheets.  Once you’ve got your panels built you can configure and connect them however you want using some three-hole flat brackets.  They’re easy to build, go up easily, and (if you’ve got the room) store easily in your attic....

Writing the Necronomicon may take you a lifetime, but creating the cover for this ancient tome isn’t that difficult if you follow the tutorial from Zombie Nations. You’ll start by pulling the paper off of a photo album until you’re down to the cardboard.  Create your basic shapes for the back cover using some Super Sculpey sculpting compound and then continue to cover the entire page.  Once you’ve got the entire page covered you can use a little turpentine and an artists brush to smooth out the Sculpey.  Once the turpentine dries you can add some wrinkles and other finer details.  Once dried, put it in the oven at 250 degrees for about 30 minutes and once its fully baked, coat it with some black primer.     The front of the Necronomicon created in this tutorial pretty much follows the same procedure as the back cover.  You’ll use your Super Sculpey to create the face and then continue to cover the entire cover with Sculpey.  You’ll need to smooth it out using turpentine, then cook it and prime it.  Once you’ve got both side fully primed with the black paint you’re going to apply a base coat of brown to both covers.  Once complete, you’ll be brushing some thinned down dark brown acrylic paint to it.  This will settle into the cracks of the book and you’ll finish it off by drybrushing a lighter brown over the entire book.  The eyes can be painted using whatever color scheme you see fit to use.  When completed lightly spray the entire book with some Spray Matte Fixative.     The book that was created in this tutorial turned out amazing, I wouldn’t mind having a copy of the one pictured above.  Rest assured, though, that...

Spider Hill Prop Works has posted a great video detailing the framework for their Swaying Zombie prop.  This silent film is meant to be more of a companion to the full Swaying Zombie Tutorial they put together which details the build.  The parts list included details everything you’ll need to get this up and running and contains many of the pvc fittings and articulating joints that they sell. The frame consists of a plywood base with two pvc legs attached that connect to another plywood base that forms the waist.  The wiper motor is mounted on the waist plywood and a swivel assembly is created out of pvc that connects the upper body of the zombie to the drive arm of the wiper motor.  This will eventually create the swaying motion for your zombie.  It’s a pretty intricate build that will require a delicate hand when setting up.  The tutorial is well laid out with great images and descriptions to give you everything you need to get your zombie swaying short of a hula hoop and some extra brains.     Items needed to complete this include: 10.5 feet of schedule 40 1 inch PVC pipe 4 feet of schedule 40 ½ inch PVC pipe (6) UMB-1 Universal Mounting Bases (2) ST-1 1 inch PVC slip-T fittings (1) Schedule 40 1 inch PVC cross fitting (1) Schedule 40 1 inch PVC T fitting (2) Schedule 40 1 inch PVC 45 elbows (1) Schedule 40 1 inch to ½ inch PVC reducer 12 Volt wiper motor with 5 volt power supply wiper motor bracket (hauntedparts.com) Approx. 25 #10 x 5/8” self drilling screws (1) ¼” x 20 x 3 ½” hex bolt (4) ¼” x 20 x 1 inch hex bolts (1) ¼” x 20...

There’s nothing scarier than a good two way mirror prop, except of course paying for the two way mirror, which can be downright terrifying.  Thankfully, Gila Privacy Film can help you turn a piece of glass into a fully functional two way mirror for at least an eighth of what you would drop for a manufactured two-way mirror.  It’s available at Home Depot and other home improvement stores and comes in 3′ x 15′ rolls (you’ll want to pickup some of the Gila Window Film Application Solution and a squeegie as well). HalloweenAlliance has put together a nice video tutorial on the entire process, which is overall a pretty simple project.  You will definitely want two people for this because peeling the privacy film apart can be a tricky solo proposition.  Getting the bubbles out can be frustrating, but it’s not impossible and if you’re persistent enough you can create a flawless looking two way mirror.     Items needed to complete this include: Piece of glass Frame Gila Privacy Film Gila Window Film application solution...