Jarred Monster Head

$20 - $25 (based on 2020 prices)

Makes one jar

 

The sightless clown mask worn by the scare-actor at the end of 2019’s haunt proved unnerving for some guests and was an aesthetic I wanted to replicate in 2020’s haunt. Using similar techniques, I fashioned a jarred monster head with a similar appearance to sit among the towers of equipment comprising the laboratory.

• One human-size plastic skull
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black*
• One set of resin false teeth
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• One yard of white fabric
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the fabric
• One yard of thick, black thread
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One eight-inch glass jar
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• One yard of white cheese cloth

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the skull two even coats of black spray paint. This will provide a uniform base coat in case portions of the prop appear through the cloth.

2. Glue the fake teeth onto the skull to create a gnarled grin. For additional grime, you can use wood stain to make the teeth appear rotten.

3. Boil enough water to completely submerge the fabric 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 cloth in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours (long enough to give it a slight tint) and scattered the coffee grounds over the top to add spots. Remove the cloth from the water and allow it to dry.

4. Cut the fabric into a square large enough to cover the skull (mine was 18” x 20”) and glue the fabric to the skull’s jaw to serve as an anchor. After determining where the cloth will rest over the face, sew stitches along the areas that will cover the eyes.

5. Starting at the front of the skull, glue the cloth to the prop. I found that this process 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.

6. Once the glue has dried, cut an opening along the mouth to reveal the teeth and shred the edges of the fabric. How much of the grin you want to show is entirely up to you: you can trim out portions for just a few to peek through or, as I did, create a larger opening to display the entire smile.

7. Detail the facial features with a wash of brown paint, focusing on the nose and the mouth. You may want to experiment with the consistency prior to doing this: the more water you add, the fainter/lighter the wash; the less water you add, the deeper/darker the wash.

8. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint the jar 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.

9. Using the procedures in step three, coffee stain the cheesecloth (for the time-pressed haunter, it might prove more efficient to stain the two together or use a bundle of off-white creepy cloth). Once the cloth has dried, ball it up and place it inside the jar’s base. You want the cloth to be noticeable after the skull has been placed on top of it, so you may need to play with its arrangement before placing the specimen on top.

10. After the cloth is situated, add the skull, positioning it so it is prominently displayed. You can embellish the prop further with specimen tags, worn labels, or a broken biohazard seal around the juncture between the jar and lid. 

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