Works Referenced
For 2020’s laboratory, I wanted to elevate the level of blood to enhance the mad scientist theme. From jars of bloody specimens to trays of gory experiments, many of the builds were caked and splattered with blood. For this prop, I wanted a container of discarded organs to sit beside the operating table. Although I removed the bucket’s handle, you can keep the item intact and use it to hang the vile contraption from the ceiling above visitors’ heads or on a shepherd’s hook to line the walkway.
1. Trace the outline of the bucket’s opening onto a sheet of cardboard and cut it out. To give the illusion that the bucket is full, the cardboard will sit near the top and create a fake bottom for you to adhere the organs. You may need to gradually trim the circle until it sits as low within the bucket as you would like.
2. Once the cardboard is trimmed to fit at the depth of your liking, glue it in place. If you plan to display the prop outside, add weight to the bottom of the bucket before this process. This will prevent the prop from being top-heavy and tipping over.
3. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, build up layers of black and metallic silver spray paint to give the bucket the look of steel. I found it works best to apply a base coat of black to the entire prop and then add the sliver, working in quick bursts to allow parts of the black to remain visible. You can also touch up portions with additional blasts of black if the silver becomes too heavy.
4. Boil enough water to completely submerge the copy paper and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the paper in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the coffee grounds over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry.
5. After the paper dries, cut out the label, leaving a small boarder around its edges, and roughen its surface with sandpaper. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, glue the label to the front of the bucket.
6. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the bucket a dusting of brown spray paint to replicate dirt. To achieve this, stand a foot or two away from the item and make wide, sweeping strokes with the can. You could also apply a flecking of black to enhance the appearance.
7. Position the brain mold and heart on the fake bottom and, once you have achieved your desired placement, glue them down. You want to provide enough space between them to allow the foam to expand.
8. Spray the insulating foam into the open spaces of the bucket to create the guts. Try not to overthink your application. A random pattern produces the best results. Also, keep in mind that the foam will expand as it dries, so do not apply excessive amounts which will overtake and consume the organs.
9. After the foam has thoroughly dried, cover the bucket in a plastic bag and tape off any gaps with painter’s tape. Then, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the brain, guts, and heart a base coat of black spray paint before building up layers of glossy red (the black base coat will help give the red a deeper tone to mimic blood). Akin to step three, you can always apply bursts of black to the prop if the red becomes overpowering.
10. After the paint had dried, glue a random assortment of severed eyes and fingers into the fissures of the guts. I elected to do this after painting the organs to prevent the items from being lost among the red; however, you can add them before step nine for an even gorier mess.
11. Remove the painter’s tape and plastic bag from the prop and use glossy red acrylic paint to create a dripping effect down the sides of the bucket. If the tape removed part of the silver paint, you can cover that up with the red paint.
12. Depending on your level of gore, the prop can be enhanced further with swarms of maggots crawling across the surface of the bucket or swarming along the organs.
*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.
Works Referenced
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel. “The Choice, I.” The House of Life: A Sonnet Sequence. 1881. Portland, ME: Thomas B. Mosher, 1903. 74.
Rossetti, William Michael, ed. The Poems of Dante Gabriel Rossetti with Illustrations from His Own Pictures and Designs. London: Ellis and Elvey, 1904.
____________________
Part of 2019’s twisted carnival theme involved Dr. Victor’s Oddity Museum, a collection of bizarre artifacts meant to resemble the curiosity exhibits customary in turn-of-the-century travelling shows. To achieve this, I crafted a bevy of familiar oddities, from mummified mermaids to shrunken heads. For this particular build, I wanted to fabricate a pair of props reminiscent of the headhunting trophies seen in vintage horror movies from the 1940s and 1950s. Additionally, to give them a sense of provenance, I attached labels to their stands claiming they originated from the pygmy tribe (a nod to films like Fury of the Congo, The Lost Tribe, and Pygmy Island).
1. Cut two 9” x 15” squares of burlap. Depending on the size of your skulls, you made need alter the measurements. You want enough fabric to cover the entire skull. I found it easier to cut the material slightly larger than I needed to give me additional length for error.
2. Starting at the front of the skulls, glue burlap to the props. I found this step works best if you move in stages: apply a layer of glue to one section, hold the fabric down until it sticks, and then repeat the process. You may need to apply ample amounts of glue in the eye sockets and nasal cavities to get the fabric to hold their forms. To aid in step three, do not glue down the fabric around the mouths.
3. Determine where the burlap will rest along the shapes of the mouths and sew a series of Xs into the fabric with twine. Don’t worry if your patterns are not perfectly aligned or symmetrical. You want them to appear rustic.
4. Continue gluing the burlap to the remaining portions of the skulls. Akin to step two, progress in stages and apply sufficient amounts of glue to help the fabric stick to the features of the skulls.
5. Once the glue has fully dried, give the burlap a light dusting of nutmeg spray paint to simulate dirt. To achieve this, hold the can roughly twelve inches away from the surface and make quick flicking motions. Likewise, gently brush black paint along the features of the faces and within the openings of the eyes and noses.
6. Accent the eyes by gluing a small stone into the opening of each cavity. The color rests entirely on your chosen aesthetic for the prop. You can make a subtle statement will darker hues or a bold contrast with bright, shiny pebbles. For a sturdier hold, consider using superglue.
7. Cut the yarn into twelve-inch sections, braid them, and embellish their ends with beads and feathers. Like the stones in step six, your choice of colors for all of these items is contingent on your haunt’s theme. You can use earthy tones as I did or create a polychromatic display with wild hues.
8. Glue the braided strands to the crowns of the skulls. For visual interest, do not cluster them all in one area. Rather, disperse them evenly along the heads for a more unified appearance.
9. Measure and mark the center of the plagues and use a 15/64 bit to drill a hole in the wood, allowing it run about halfway through the plaque.
10. Insert the dowels into the holes and glue them in place. For a sturdier hold, consider using wood glue. The dowels I used were six inches long, which gave the props a nice height. For your version, you can elect to go longer or shorter to fit your haunt’s needs.
11. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the stands an even coat of bronze spray paint. You can apply additional coats; however, keep in mind this is the base coat and much of it will be covered by the aged patina.
12. Begin the aged patina by building up layers of green paint: grasshopper, hunter green, and olive. You want the metal to appear oxidized, so focus your application on the areas that would be exposed to the elements and work from dark to light. I found that applying small amounts of paint to a stippling sponge and patting it lightly on the surface works best. You may want to practice on a piece of cardboard first, though. Complete the aged patina by applying a light speckling of orange spice and surf blue to the surface. As before, use a stippling sponge for this application and keep its coverage to a minimum. You want the colors to accent the oxidization and not be too overpowering. Also, give the stands a 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.
13. Trace the outline of the bases onto the blank sheets of copy paper, cut out the outlines, and glue them in place. To make the paper appear even more decrepit, crinkle it and create holes before adhering it to the bases. You can also pat on of olive or vegetable oil for stains. If you want, cut two 4” x 4” squares of black craft foam and adhere them to the bottoms of the stands to protect surfaces.
14. Using the 15/64 bit, drill a hole into the base of the heads and slip them onto the dowels. For storage purposes, you can leave them detachable or, for more permanency and support, glue them in place.
15. Trace the outline of two tags onto the cardstock and cut them out. Gently brush their edges with brown paint to give them an aged appearance, write their provenance, and punch holes into their tops.
16. With two small strands of twine, tie the tags to the dowels. For an alternate look, you can cut the cardstock into simple rectangles to make plaques and adhere them to the base of the stands.
17. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, stain the rat skulls. I began by giving each one a light, even coat with a foam brush. After that, I applied heavy amounts of stain to the ends and patted away the excess with paper towels. You want the color to build up in the cracks and fissures. Although you may use whatever color of stain you desire, I chose red chestnut because it gives the bones a fresh, meaty appearance. Once you have achieved your intended look, allow the skulls to dry. I let mine sit outside in the sun for three days.
18. Glue the skulls to the centers of the heads. To make them sit flat (and for added aesthetics), I removed the mandibles. After this, use the back of the skulls to fashion headdresses with the remaining feathers, building up layers and spreading the plumage out for a fuller look.
19. The trophies can be enhanced further with other details, such as seashells or chicken bones, to cater the props to your haunt’s specific needs.
*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.
