Makes ten bottles
In 2018, I arranged to do a Frankenstein theme; however, plans for my parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary postposed the idea and, in 2019, the venue’s decision to go with a creepy carnival delayed the concept even further. These pill bottles were part of my first efforts in 2018 to build the haunt (and a way to do something with all of the medication containers from my cholescystechtomy). For visual interest, use a collection of bottles in various sizes and, if you want to utilize them as food vessels for an asylum or hospital display, employ the aging technique found in the instructions for the worm jar rather than the wood stain method in step two.
1. Thoroughly wash and dry the bottles. If there is any sticker residue, use rubbing alcohol to remove it (soak a paper towel in the solution, let it sit over the area for a few minutes, and wipe away the remaining glue). After cleaning the bottles, roughen their surfaces with coarse sandpaper to help the stain adhere.
2. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint the bottles with the stain. I discovered that applying a thin coat and patting it with paper towels produces a hazed appearance. Likewise, brushing the rim and base with a swift downward motion creates the illusion of grime buildup.
3. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the caps two even coats of metallic spray paint on their exterior surfaces and a coat of black spray paint on their interior surfaces. To achieve a nice coverage, select a paint which adheres to plastic.
4. After the paint has dried, dab maroon paint onto the caps. I used an old paintbrush with splayed bristles; however, a sponge or paper towels will work well. Concentrate your application on areas where rust would naturally form, particularly along the edges.
5. Once the maroon paint has dried, repeat the process with brown paint. During this application, be careful not to cover too much of the maroon paint.
6. Complete the rusted patina by applying a slight flecking of black paint. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside.
7. Boil enough water to completely submerge the paper and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I found that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the paper into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the loose-leaf tea over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry.
8. After the paper dries, cut out the labels, leave a small boarder around their edges, and roughen their surfaces with sandpaper. You can also crumple the paper to produce creases.
9. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, glue the labels to the sides of the bottles. You can use olive or vegetable oil to add further stains. I discovered that applying a small amount of oil to your index finger and patting it on the paper works well.
10. Reattach the caps to the bottles and, if you chose to do so, embellish them further by filling the containers with swarms of insects or covering their surfaces with bloody handprints.
*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.
Makes one sign
Part of 2020’s twisted carnival theme included an assortment of poster-size signs meant to resemble the attraction advertisements customary in turn-of-the-century travelling shows. Although they had the same basic attributes to maintain a uniform appearance when they were hung on the sides of the tent, I wanted each to have their own unique look. For this one, I repurposed the feathered tribal mask I made in 2018 for a theatrical troupe in an effort to both save time as well as make use of a build which no longer had a purpose.
1. Pour enough water to submerge about half of the fabric into the pan, add several drops of black paint, and thoroughly mix the solution. You may want to experiment with the consistency prior to doing this: the more paint you add, the deeper/darker the wash; the less paint you add, the fainter/lighter the wash. How murky you want the colorization, of course, all depends on your chosen aesthetic. Add the fabric and allow the wash to stain portions of the cloth. The longer you allow the fabric to sit in the mixture, the darker the stain will become. Once the burlap has reached the level of grime you desire, remove it and let it dry overnight. Once fully dry, repeat the process with the red paint. For additional levels of filth, you can add washes of browns, greens, and yellows.
2. Trim the burlap to 22” x 32”, stretch it across the foam board, and glue it in place. I found it works best to glue one side to serve as an anchor and then work the fabric from there, ensuring the surface is as smooth as possible. Although I gave myself a one-inch border to work with, you may want to leave additional fabric to give you more leeway.
3. Using a darning needle, thread the twine along the outer edges of the board. Since the fabric is already attached to the foam, this will give the illusion that it is haphazardly sewn on. You want the needlework to look messy and uneven, giving the sign a disheveled appearance.
4. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, dust the sign’s surface with black and brown spray paint to give it a cohesive level of age. You want to create the illusion of dirt, so a random application is best. I found that holding the can roughly twelve inches away from the sign and making quick passes produced the finest results.
5. Position the mask on the board and glue it in place. Depending on how large you plan to make the sign’s lettering, you may need to play with its placement beforehand.
6. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the letterboard letters an even coat of black spray paint. Although I only used one coat, you may want more depending on your desired coverage. Keep in mind, though, this is the base coat and much of the paint will be covered up by other colors. Once the paint has dried, give the letters an aged patina by gently brushing brown, gray, and white paint over their surfaces. Try not to overthink your application. A random pattern is ideal.
7. Arrange the letters on the board and glue them in place. Akin to step five, it might work best to pre-position everything on the board to determine their desired placement before permanently affixing them.
8. For additional detail, do not use the letterboard letters to spell out every word or all words in full. Rather, emphasize certain words or parts of words by using red paint to write these elements. For this step, you want the wording to be haphazard. To achieve this, exaggerate curves, create sharp points, and elongate certain aspects. You could also write letters backwards and deliberately misspell words. Keep in mind that the sign needs to be readable, so try not to overdo your artistic flairs.
9. Use steel wire to create a hanging loop and attach it to the back of the sign. You can further enhance the prop with strings of bones, ears, and fingers.
*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.
We watch'd her breathing through the night,
Her breathing soft and low,
As in her breast the wave of life
Kept heaving to and fro.
So silently we seem'd to speak,
So slowly moved about,
As we had lent her half our powers
To eke her living out.
Our very hopes belied our fears,
Our fears our hopes belied –
We thought her dying when she slept,
And sleeping when she died.
For when the morn came dim and sad,
And chill with early showers,
Her quiet eyelids closed – she had
Another morn than ours.[2]
Works Referenced
Hood, Thomas. “The Death-Bed.” The Complete Poetical Works of Thomas Hood. Ed. Walter Jerrold. New York: Oxford University Press, 1911. 444.
Milbank, Alison. God and the Gothic: Religion, Romance, and Reality in the English Literary Tradition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.
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[1] Milbank, 209.
[2] Hood, 444.
$15 - $20 (based on 2018 prices)
Makes one spray
The Dia de Los Muertos portion of 2017’s haunted house required dozens of wreaths and flowers for an intricate funeral scene. For this version, I decided to replicate the large casket sprays common in funeral floral arrangements and repurposed the wire frame from a Valentine’s Day wreath to achieve the typical heart-shaped motif. To unify the haunt’s theme, I also incorporated the color schemes from other props, namely blues, pinks, and yellows.
1. Remove any decorative elements from the wire frame. Although I elected to use a heart-shaped design, you can use the common circular form.
2. Separate the flowers and leaves from their stems. Although you could do this while you glue them to the wreath, I found that performing this step beforehand made the following process much easier. Plus, it gives you a clear idea of exactly how many of each item you have.
3. Use hot glue to adhere the leaves to the wreath. For visual interest, build up layers and vary the color patterns so that leaves with the same hues and shapes are not concentrated in one area. If the artificial flowers did not come with enough leaves to provide ample coverage, you can add bulk with leaves from garlands.
4. Repeat the method in step three with the flowers, fluctuating the color patterns so similar blooms are not clustered in one spot. You may want to play with the arrangement first before gluing it in place. Additionally, keep in mind that you still want portions of the leaves to show through the flowers, so it is best to start from the center and work outward. You may want to reserve a dozen leaves from the previous step for backup foliage in case the floral portions become too heavy in some regions.
5. If you plan to hang the item, you can create a hanging loop with wire. Since I rested it atop a coffin, I finished the floral array with long strands of lavender and wisteria which slithered along the casket's lid.
