How to Make Halloween Props

Guide Note Decorating for Halloween doesn't have to cut into your checkbook. Making your own Halloween props is an easy way to save money and still have the scariest yard or house in the neighborhood.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Garbage Bags
• Paper Mache
• Stencils
• Cheesecloth and Gauze
• Body Parts
• Ghosts
• Stuffed Dummies, Monsters and Skeletons
• Spiders and Spider Webs
• Tombstones
• Witches
• Conclusion
• References

Halloween Prop Tips

1. Paper mache can be used to create all sorts of creatures.
2. Dipping cheesecloth in white dye will make it glow under blacklight.
3. Stencils are a great way to make different illusions.
4. Making a life-sized monster in your yard can be done using PVC pipe or wood.
5. Trash bags are a great way to make spiders and ghosts.

• by Darcy Logan

Introduction

• Halloween is associated with all sorts of interesting creatures such as bats, cats, witches and ghosts. This page has two major parts to it. The first part talks about various methods and details about projects that can be used to make props including:
  1. 

     (Creative Commons photo by Sharon Terry)
     Garbage Bags
  2. Paper Mache
  3. Stencils
  4. Gauze or Cheesecloth

• The second part of the page discusses some of the more popular figures. This section also has links back to projects listed in the first section as well as links to more advance projects and to templates or stencils for them. Figures included on this page include:
  1. Body Parts
  2. Ghosts
  3. Stuffed Dummies, Monsters and Skeletons
  4. Spiders and Spider Webs
  5. Tombstones and Graveyards
  6. Witches

Garbage Bags

• Garbage bags can be used to make all sorts of durable creatures for your yard that have the added benefit. Giant spiders and floating ghosts are two of the most popular uses for garbage bags.

Garbage Bag Spiders

• You can turn almost any large black garbage bag into a spider. For this project you will need several large black trash bags.
  1. Create the body by stuffing one or two large black garbage bags with dry leaves, newspapers or balloons.^{1 2}
  2. If using only one bag, fill the bag partway, tie the bag tightly and then fill the bag up the rest of the way to create a sectioned body.² Trim off any excess bag.
  3. If using two bags, fill one up so it is almost full and tie it. Flip it so the knot is at the bottom. Then, stuff a second bag so it is smaller than the first, tie it and secure it to the body using black electrical tape.¹
  4. Legs for the spider can be constructed using cardboard or additional trash bags.^{2 1}
  5. Use paint or construction paper to make the face.²

Garbage Bag Ghosts

• Ghosts can be made using white trash bags, balloons, fishing line and a permanent marker.
  1. Inflate the balloon.
  2. Take your trash bag and turn it inside out.³
  3. Place the balloon in the trash bag.
  4. Tie the bag just below the bottom of the balloon.⁴ It should fit tightly over the balloon. You can use a piece of fishing line and tie it loosely around the trash bag just below the balloon.³
  5. Draw a face on the balloon with the marker.
  6. Make a small hole at the the top of the bag and insert the string.⁴
  7. If desired, tie pieces of fishing line to the bottom corners of your garbage bag to give your ghost "arms."³
  8. Secure the "ghost" to a tree or other location.

Other Garbage Bag Projects

• There are a few other creatures that can be made using trash bags including:
  1. FamilyFun: Vampire Bat
  2. FamilyCorner.com: Spooky Garbage Bag Cats

Paper Mache

• Paper mache (or papier mache) is an inexpensive way to make Halloween props. All you need is flour, salt, water, newspaper or colored tissue paper, and acrylic paint. You will also need some type of form. What form you use will depend on what you plan on making. Before you decide on a projects, however, you will need to know how to make the paste.

• Good paper mache paste should be the consistency of a thick soup or a little thinner than glue.^{5 6} You can use regular flour, but unbleached flour is supposed to work better.⁷
  1. Mix flour and water until it is a little thinner than glue or like a thick soup.⁶
  2. Add about a teaspoon of salt to the mix. The salt will help prevent mold.⁸
  3. You can add a little white glue to make the paste stronger.
  4. Stir the mixture until you have dissolved most of the lumps.

• An alternative recipe is to boil about five parts water to one part flour.⁹ Let the mixture simmer three minutes.⁸ Then add a teaspoon of salt and let it cool before using.

Paper Mache Heads

• You can use paper mache to make heads for various projects. For the form, you can use any of the following or something similar:
  1. 

     (Creative Commons photo by hydra arts)
     A plastic skull.¹⁰
  2. A Styrofoam wig form.¹¹
  3. A balloon.¹²
  4. A pumpkin shaped lantern.¹³

• Once you have your object, you are ready to begin.

1. Cover your work area with plastic to protect it before you get started.
2. If desired, cover the object with aluminum foil to make it easier to remove.¹⁰ This won't be necessary if you are using a balloon.
3. Cut strips of newspaper about 1 inch wide.¹²
4. Cover the shape with the strips of paper dipped into the paper mache paste.
5. Use Styrofoam to add features to your face, if desired.¹¹
6. You can also add features using purchased mashed paper mache such as Clayrete.¹³
7. Once the project is done, you can decorate it with paint and cut it off the mold.^{11 10}

Paper Mache Ghosts

• Ghosts are easy to make. You will need a balloon, paper mache paste, a cup or bowl, plastic wrap, and either newspaper and white paint or white tissue paper.^{14 15 16} Here is how ghosts can be made:

1. Inflate the balloon.
2. Cover the cup or bowl with plastic wrap.¹⁴ This will be used to hold the balloon in place while you work.
3. Cover the balloon completely with several layers of paper mache and newspaper or with several sheets of white tissue paper.^{14 16} Make sure the strips hang down below the balloon.
4. If using newspaper, you can cover your ghost with large sheets of white paper or it.^{15 14}
5. Remove the balloon once the project is dry.¹⁴
6. Secure it to a tree or similar place using string.¹⁶

Other Paper Mache Projects

• Paper Mache can be used to make other creatures as well. If you want to make a large figure, you can use chicken wire to create your form.¹⁷ For inspiration, check out some of these other projects that use paper mache:
  1. Kids' Turn Central: Bob-ity Bat
  2. About.com: Paper Mache Spider  
  3. CryptoHauntology: Torso and Ribs

Stencils

• Using stencils is an easy and inexpensive way to create a variety of illusion in your home. If you have never created a stencil before, check out Mahalo's How to Make Printable Halloween Stencils. Once you have your stencil, you can use them to decorate your home. Some creative suggestions on how to do this include:
  1. Use them to decorate your stairs.¹⁸
  2. Have spiders crawling over a window sill.¹⁹
  3. Attach them to paper honeycombs.²⁰
  4. Make your hallway into a bat cave.²¹
  5. Create a shadow of someone who isn't really there.²¹
  6. Illuminated onto a wall.²²

• Don't think that you are limited to paper. Black craft foam sheets can be used to create bats and white packing foam can also be used to create ghosts.^{23 24} Templates can also be used to create window decorations and luminarias.

Window Decorations

• You can use templates to make a variety of different window decorations. The simplest images can be added to any window by cutting it out of static-cling black window film for car glass.²⁵ You can also purchase transparency film for copiers or ink jet printers and simply print the image onto the film. If you rub the film to your head, you will create enough static electricity to adhere to any window (according to Martha Stewart).²⁶ You can also use double-sided tape.

• For an even bolder image, create a large image using thin black poster board.²⁷ You can also create spooky looking curtains by doing the following:
  1. Trace the outline of your image onto a large sheet of paper to create a lifesize image.²⁸
  2. Cut out the image. Use this as a template to transfer the image onto white cotton-polyester fabric.
  3. Fill in the image with black or dark-gray house paint.²⁸
  4. Once the paint is dry, cover the image with chiffon. Pin or stitch the two pieces together and hang the curtain on a window (with the chiffon side facing out.²⁸

Luminarias

• Stencils can also be used to create into luminarias (also spelled luminaries) to light your home or walkway. Luminarias can be created in different ways.
  1. Use a brayer and black ink and stencil the image on to brown paper bags. Then, fill the bags with an inch of sand and insert a votive candle.²⁹
  2. Instead of ink on the paper bag, you can cut out the image so the candle shows through the bag.³⁰
  3. Use acrylic paint on empty glass jars to create a more durable luminaria. Paint the inside of the jar white and add the image to the outside of the jar.³¹

Cheesecloth and Gauze

• Cheesecloth and gauze are great to use make spooky ghosts, mummies and even spider's nest.³²

• 1. Soak the cheesecloth in white RIT dye or RIT whitener and the cloth will "glow" under blacklight.^{33 34}
  2. You can use laundry starch to give the cheesecloth some structure.³⁵
  3. For even more structure, use white glue.³²
  4. For the head of your ghost, you can use any of the following:
     1. A Styrofoam ball.³⁶
     2. An old coat hanger.³³
     3. A plastic skull.³⁴
     4. A balloon.³⁷
  5. If desired, decorate your ghosts with fun foam and other objects.³⁸

Body Parts

• No Halloween could be considered complete unless you had a few spare "body parts" laying around your house. There are all sorts of recipes to create the effect. Having a jar of eyeballs or other body parts sitting around is a favorite Halloween prop. Here are some suggestions on how to do this:
  1. White wooden balls and a few paint pens can be used to create eyeballs.³⁹
  2. A plastic doll that is painted and placed in a jar of colored water can create an interesting looking alien.⁴⁰
  3. Vegetables placed in jars (either with or without water colored with food coloring) and labeled also make interesting looking organs. Try using fennel or a gourd for the heart and cabbage for a brain.⁴¹
  4. Print out an image and insert it into a clear tube for a very simple effect.⁴²

Shrunken Heads

• You can create creepy looking shrunken heads from apples that are guaranteed to smell better than the real thing. Here's how you do it:
  1. Peel an apple.
  2. Coat it with a mixture of cup lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of salt.⁴³
  3. Using a potato peeler, carve out a face (eye sockets, ears, nose and mouth).⁴⁴
  4. whole cloves for the eyes and rice grains for the teeth.⁴³
  5. Let the apples sit on a wire rack in a warm dry place for two weeks. If you need to speed up the process, them into an oven set at the lowest temperature.⁴³

Hands

• You can make hands very simply by stuffing gloves with newspaper, fiberfil or plastic bags.⁴⁵ Another method is to use coat hanger wire to make the hand.⁴⁶ The hands can then be covered in paper mache or masking tape and then painted.⁴⁷

Ghosts

• Ghosts are very popular at Halloween and is essential when decorating for the season. The classic way to make a ghost is to tie a white sheet over some type of round figure.⁴⁸ Often times, children will tie white facial tissue over suckers to make their own edible ghosts.⁴⁹ If you want some more inventive methods to create ghosts, try any of the following:

(Creative Commons photo by Dan McKay)

• 1. Use lightweight white craft wire and white tissue paper to transform lemons into movable ghost.⁵⁰
  2. You can create transparent ghost ornaments using string, white glue and waxed paper. Make a ghost shape out of a piece of string or yarn on a waxed paper. Then, fill the area with glue. Use a stick or spoon to smooth out the glue. Let it dry overnight.⁵¹
  3. Create transparent ghosts by cutting out two pieces of waxed paper into a ghost shape. Lay one of the cutouts onto newspaper and sprinkle with glitter. Place the second shape on top. Cover both pieces with newspaper and iron them together.⁵²

• • More examples of how ghosts can be made can be found in these sections Garbage Bag Ghosts, Paper Mache Ghosts, Luminarias and Cheesecloth and Gauze sections.

Stuffed Dummies, Monsters and Skeletons

• If you need a few "victims" for your Halloween decorations but all your friends have disappeared, then you may want to construct a stuffed dummy. Dummies can be used to create witches, monsters, serial killers, etc.

• To create the armature or "skeleton" of your figure, you can use either PVC pipe or wood. You can also use other objects such as a step stool.⁵³ For some examples on how this can be done, check out the following sites:
  1. CryptoHauntology: PVC Armature
  2. FamilyFun: General Bone E. Part
  3. About.com: Make a Stuffed Dummy
  4. FamilyFun: Little Trick-or-Treater  
  5. ScaryGuys: Hockey Mask Guy
  6. FamilyFun: The Witch and Her Cauldron

• Once you have the structure, you simply need to cover it with some old clothes or an old costume and add a head and hands. Heads can be made using masks or by creating your own head using paper mache. Hands are covered in the body parts section.

Rotting Corpses

• You can transform any plastic skeleton into a rotting corpse using one of two methods to cover the skeleton:
  1. Cover it with bread clay. Bread clay can be made by mixing five slices of white bread (without crusts), 3 tablespoons white glue and a few drops of dish soap.⁵⁴ Then protect it by covering it with a sealant.
  2. Use a can of spray foam to fill in the skeleton and then cover it with brown paint.⁵⁵

Spiders and Spider Webs

• Spiders can be created in a variety of ways. One of the easiest methods is to use Styrofoam and pipe cleaners.⁵⁶ However, you can also use pom-poms instead of Styrofoam.⁵⁷

(Creative Commons photo by Sharon Terry)

• If you want to create giant spiders, using garbage bags is one of the easiest methods. However, other methods and supplies can also be used including:
  1. A Gallon milk jug and black foam insulation tubes.⁵⁸
  2. Chicken wire, fabric and cooper tubing.⁵⁹
  3. Black helium balloons.⁶⁰
  4. Foam and black plastic tubing.⁶¹
  5. Metal coat hangers, aluminum foil and black electrical tape.⁶²

Spider Webs

• If you don't want to purchase artificial spider webs at the stores (and real spider webs is just too creepy), there are a couple methods you can use. If you have a low-melt hot glue gun, try this method:

1. Place several hot-glue pads around the area.
2. Using your glue gun, place a dime-size pool of glue on one of the glue pads.
3. Place the tip of the gun into the glue and quickly pull the gun over the object.
4. Rest your gun on another pad and repeat steps 1-3.
5. Continue doing this until you have the desired effect.⁶³

• If you need a lot of spider webs, another method you can try involves using rubber cement, a power drill and an old fan blade. For directions on how to make this device, you can find them on this website.⁶⁴

Tombstones

• Halloween tombstones are a great way to decorate your lawn for Halloween. There are numerous ways that they can be constructed. By far, the most popular method is to one of the following materials:
  1. Styrofoam.⁶⁵
  2. Foam board.⁶⁶
  3. Polystyrene insulation.⁶⁷
  4. Foam insulation. ⁶⁸

• Tombstone shapes are then cut out using a jigsaw or hacksaw, carved and painted. You can make the tombstones stand up in the yard by drilling holes in the bottom and inserting metal posts or wooden dowels.⁶⁸ For some examples on various shapes and designs, check out any of the following links:
  1. FabulousLiving.com: How to Make Realistic Tombstone Halloween Decorations
  2. Ghosts of Halloween: Tombstones
  3. Halloween Tombstones: How to Make Your Own Tombstones
  4. HGTV: Halloween Tombstone
  5. MarthaStewart.com: Tombstone
  6. Haunt Warehouse: Gravestones
  7. Twisted Vision: Tombstones
  8. Hedstorm Productions: Tombstone Templates | Epitaphs

• YouTube: How To Make Tombstones for Halloween (Time: 15:17)

Witches

• If you want to create a full body witch, check out the section on Stuffed Dummies, Monsters and Skeletons. You will also find examples of witches in the Stencils section. If you want to create the image of a witch that has crash-landed by your home:

1. Choose a crash site.
   1. A sturdy tree is a popular choice, but you can also create a crash-landing on your lawn using the same design.^{69 70}
2. Fashion a fake witch's head.
   1. Make "hair" by tying off a bundle of cut yarn at one end.
   2. Fasten the bundled end to the witch's hat.
      • - If you're feeling fancy, spring for a fake wig rather than yarn.⁶⁹
3. Fashion the witch's arms and legs.
   1. Stuff a pair of socks or old sweatpants that will stick out of your crash site.
   2. Pack them firmly with wadded up plastic shopping bags until they stand freely.⁷⁰
   3. If necessary, you can also use pieces of plywood as a frame for the legs.⁶⁹
   4. Cover the arms with a dark pair of gloves and legs with an old pair of dark boots.
4. Fasten the legs, head and limbs together.
   1. Attach the individual pieces to an anchor piece of wood or cardboard.⁷⁰
   2. You can also simply anchor the individual pieces directly onto the crash site.⁶⁹
5. Place a cape over the witch's body.
   1. Use either a store-bought cape or a plastic garbage bag as the cape.^{70 69}
   2. Drape the cape over the rest of the body. It will cover up your construction methods, and make the lump look like the poor, misdirected witch.

Conclusion

• Now that you have created your Halloween props, all you have to do is sit back and wait for the first victim, or rather "trick or treater" to come by. While you are waiting, check out some of Mahalo's other pages like How to Carve a Killer Pumpkin, How to Make Delicious Caramel Apples, How to Make Your Own Haunted House, How to Plan a Kids' Halloween Party, How to Plan a Killer Halloween Party and How to Trick or Treat Safely.

References for How to Make Halloween Props

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} FamilyFun: Trash Bag Tarantula
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} About.com: Garbage Bag Spider  
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} About.com: Ghastly Ghosts  
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Kidz Korner: Ghost Tree Ornaments
5. ↑ Deep Creek Times: Mask Making
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Commedia dell 'Arte: How to Make Commedia Masks
7. ↑ The Papier Mache Resource: Make a Papier Mache Mask
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} About.com: Paper Mache Paste Recipes
9. ↑ Buzzle.com: Paper Mache Masks  
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} CryptoHauntology: Skulls
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} The Witches Blair: Witch Face
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} About.com: Paper Mache Masks and Heads
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} The Moth Brothers: Giant Paper Mache Jackolanterns
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4} About.com: Paper Mache Ghosts  
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Kids Turn Central: Great Ghost
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2} MarthaStewart.com: Floating Ghosts How-To
17. ↑ About.com: Paper Mache Supply List  
18. ↑ MarthaStewart.com: Paper Mice
19. ↑ Michaels: Spider Silhouettes
20. ↑ Michaels: Cat and Witch Silhouette Decorations
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} MarthaStewart.com: Decorating with Paper Silhouettes
22. ↑ MarthaStewart.com: Candle Creatures
23. ↑ Kaboose.com: Swinging Bat Decoration For Home And Car
24. ↑ FamilyFun: Foam Ghost Decoration
25. ↑ Better Homes and Gardens: Spooky Window Scene
26. ↑ MarthaStewart.com: Scary Window Silhouettes
27. ↑ MarthaStewart.com: Witch Silhouette.
28. ↑ ^{28.0 28.1 28.2} MarthaStewart.com: Silhouette Curtains
29. ↑ HGTV: Skeleton Luminarias
30. ↑ Care2: Handmade Luminaria How-To
31. ↑ FamilyCorner.com: Ghost Luminaries
32. ↑ ^{32.0 32.1} FamilyFun: Spider Hatchlings Cheesecloth
33. ↑ ^{33.0 33.1} Derek Greenwood's Halloween Pages: Easy Wire Ghosts
34. ↑ ^{34.0 34.1} Ghosts of Halloween: Ghosts
35. ↑ FamilyFun: Gauzy Ghosts
36. ↑ BeJane.com: Create a Spook-tacular Haunted House!
37. ↑ Nephilim : Carnival of Souls: Spirits in the Trees
38. ↑ Plaid Enterprises: Bandit Trick or Treater
39. ↑ Michaels: Eyeball Machine
40. ↑ Derek Greenwood's Halloween Pages: Alien Specimen
41. ↑ MarthaStewart.com: The Haunted House Party
42. ↑ Derek Greenwood's Halloween Pages: Eyeball Tube
43. ↑ ^{43.0 43.1 43.2} FabulousLiving.com: Dried Apple Shrunken Heads
44. ↑ MakingFriends: Shrunken Heads
45. ↑ About.com: Make a Stuffed Dummy  
46. ↑ Haunt Warehouse: Grave Digger
47. ↑ Scott's Halloween Page: Scott's Corpse Hands
48. ↑ Halloween Prop Master: Dancing Ghost Ring
49. ↑ The F.U.N. Place Halloween Hangout: Crafts
50. ↑ FamilyFun: Floating Ghost
51. ↑ FamilyFun: Glue Ghosts
52. ↑ About.com: Transparent Ghosts  
53. ↑ FamilyFun: The Witch and Her Cauldron
54. ↑ CryptoHauntology: Bread Clay
55. ↑ Halloween Online Magazine: Halloween Props and Special Effects - Make a Rotting Corpse
56. ↑ FamilyFun: Styrofoam Spiders and Web
57. ↑ FamilyFun: Giant Hairy Spider
58. ↑ FamilyFun: Spooky Spider
59. ↑ DIY Network: Monster Spider and Spider Web
60. ↑ Today's Parent: Spooky Spider decoration for Halloween
61. ↑ Born2Haunt.com: Making Little Spiders
62. ↑ Derek Greenwood's Halloween Pages: Spiders
63. ↑ MarthaStewart.com: Quick-Spun Cobwebs
64. ↑ TheHorrorDome.com: Spider Web Spinner
65. ↑ FabulousLiving.com: How to Make Realistic Tombstone Halloween Decorations
66. ↑ HGTV: Halloween Tombstone
67. ↑ MarthaStewart.com: Tombstone
68. ↑ ^{68.0 68.1} Hedstorm Productions: Keebas tombstones
69. ↑ ^{69.0 69.1 69.2 69.3 69.4} Disneyfamily.com: Witch Crash
70. ↑ ^{70.0 70.1 70.2 70.3} National Geographic Kids: Decorate Your House for Halloween--Make a Witch