WIth all the spider tutorials that we’ve been posting lately, isn’t it about time you see where they all come from?  The answer, of course, is from Spider Egg sacs, and Voodoo Willy from Halloween Forum has a great tutorial on how to create them.  These egg sacs are crafted using chicken wire wrapped in polyester batting to form the mass of the prop.     The ping pong balls are then glued to the surface of the egg sac and the entire sac is painted.  After its dried up the webbing is dipped in latex and stretched around the egg sac.     They’re easy to produce and are a creepy finishing touch to any haunt that has a giant spider.   Items needed to complete this include: Chicken wire Wire cutters Ping pong balls exacto blade Hot glue gun polyester batting (the thin kind) Spider webbing Liquid latex airbrush acrylic...

If you’ve ever needed to purchase a cauldron for a haunt you’ve probably been disappointed with your purchasing options.  They’re tiny.  I mean, so tiny that a baby witch would feel uncomfortable using them.  So your best option is to craft your own cauldron.  I’ve seen several really good tutorials on how to build your own cauldron, and Old Man Bakke has a pretty good one posted over at HalloweenForum.  I must admit that when I first saw the cardboard, hot glue gun, and duct tape I was reluctant to continue, but by the time I reached the finished product images on page 7, I was sold.  The size is what I would expect that a couple of old hags would use, and it looks completely realistic.     What I like best about this tutorial is that it was a completely fluid tutorial.  If you follow the posts you’ll see that during the creation of this tutorial a user posted a link to some photos from Dave The Dead’s aging technique tutorial that really helped make this into the finished product that it became.  Most of the time tutorials don’t get better on the fly like this one did.   Items needed to complete this prop include: Large rope handled bin (rope removed) Heavy duty cardboard Duct tape Hot glue gun Paper Mache Spar Varnish Round towel rings Oatmeal & sand / water & glue...

Ulcerative has posted a great video of  the perfect frame for a hangman prop.  When the attached wiper motor is turned on the flailing effect is supreme, and even though it’s just a PVC frame in the tutorial, you can more than visualize the awesome effect you’ll get when you clothe the frame and light it for effect.  If you don’t want to get into pneumatics, but still want a great visual, this is definitely one you’re going to want to try....

If you’re looking to make a creepy entrance to your haunt you may want to take a look at the Skeletal Sonotube Columns tutorial that Effie posted at HalloweenForum.     These columns are really simple to make and would easily make an eerie entrance to a cemetery, dungeon, or mausoleum.  All of the pieces of this puzzle are easily obtained and the best part is that Effie actually planned to use the empty sonotubes for storage at the end of the season!     Items needed to create this include: Sonotube 10″ x 4′ (Sonotube comes in many diameters and heights, 4′ being the most easily obtainable at Home Depot, but you can get 6′, 8′ and 10′ heights as well) Century Novelty Plastic Skeleton Heavy pressboard Foam pipe insulation Spray...

Ok, I’ve seen a couple of animated Ouija boards on the net, but DaveintheGrave from the HalloweenForum has the most detailed tutorial on how to make this prop I’ve ever seen.  It’s broken down into two parts, with Part 1 focusing on how to prep the box that will house the guts of the Ouija board prop, while Part 2 details the mechanics of the prop.  DaveintheGrave utilizes a small vent motor for this prop, and breaks down the motor instructions into two additional tutorials for further clarity (Motor Part1, Motor Part2).     There is a link to the video of this prop in action at the beginning of Part 1 of the tutorial, and as you will see, this prop is worth the time spent making it, it looks...

Terra from HalloweenForum has posted a great video tutorial on how to achieve an incredibly realistic wood grain look that can easily be applied to your styrofoam projects. I’m blown away at how realistic it looks and how simple it is....

Madmax at HalloweenForum has a great tutorial on how to make a Breathing Grave prop that you’re really going to dig (ridiculous pun intended) .  The effect is subtle, looks great, and when viewed at night with proper lighting, is sufficiently creepy.  When you see just how easy this prop is to craft, and how inexpensive it is, you’ll want to put them in front of all your tombstones!   Items needed to create this include: Vent Motor 11′ – 1×4 power supply 12VDC 300mA 1 Yard Burlap paint, 1 spray can or latex house paint 22″ threaded rod (1/4″) 6 nuts 6 lock washers 12 screws 2 Cams (1/2″ PVC with a cap)...

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...

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...

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.    ...

Fans of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion are no doubt familiar with the ghostly footprints effect that is projected early on in the ride in the M.C. Escher style room with the upside down stairways.  Since approximately 2010 I’ve seen the good folks over at HalloweenForum.com hashing out various ways to achieve this effect, but it appears that VexFX have actually made it a reality.  With the Ghost Steps routine it is now possible for home haunters to project a set of ghostly footprints in a pre-programmed path of their choice that actually dissolve after a few seconds.  You can download the flash based app for offline use, or navigate to their site and create your Ghost Steps on the fly.  You can change the size, color, rotation and style of footprint as well as move and rotate the projection surface to get it completely accurate to the surface you’re projecting onto.  This software is too cool to pass up, and is a visual delight....

  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!...

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...