Headless Doll Prizes

$5 - $10 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes five dolls

Fabricating the pumpkin dolls left me with five headless bodies, since I only needed the craniums to finish the props. Not wanting to waste the materials, I transformed them into prizes for the carnival display as part of my office’s annual decorating competition. The entire process took less than thirty minutes to complete and, despite their easy and quick creation, they added a subtle level of unnerve to the overall display. In addition to their simplicity, the props are also rather versatile and can be made with a variety of stuffed animals.

• Five dolls with cloth bodies
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in red*
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Ten dried sticks in varying sizes
  

1. Remove the heads and any other plastic or vinyl appendages from the dolls (these can be reserved for alternate projects like the creepy doll wreath or the dead baby bassinet). You can also cut off arms and legs to amplify the creepiness.

2. Use black and brown paint to apply a level of grime to the props. If you don’t mind the mess, spread the paint onto the palms of your hands and use your fingers to smear it along the surfaces. Alternatively, a light dusting of black and brown spray paint can achieve the same results by holding the can over twelve inches away from the dolls and making quick flicking motions.

3. Utilize red paint to write words like fun, games, ha ha, laugh, play, and win on the bodies. 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, though, that the words need to be readable, so try not to overdo your artistic flairs.

4. Glue sticks into the openings of the arms and, if you want, the legs as well. Then, seal the other openings with glue. The size of the sticks rests entirely with you. You can create small, stubby appendages or long, gnarled limbs. If safety is a major concern, consider hanging the props in a secluded area where they cannot poke visitors or fabricate fake sticks by using the steps outlined in the pumpkin dolls instructional.

5. The props can be enhanced further with additional embellishment to complement your haunt’s theme, such as swarms of insects crawling out of holes. 

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.