Severed Ear Cloche

$5 - $10 (based on 2020 prices)
Makes one display

Among the last builds for the laboratory theme was a series of small cloches containing a single specimen – an ear, an eye, and teeth – which served as small details placed among the larger towers of equipment. Featured here is the ear version (see the eye version here).

• One plastic cloche with detachable base (roughly six inches tall)
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic silver*
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat beige*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat pink*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 0.44 oz. bottle of clear nail polish
• One to two feet of red yarn
• One 3/16” wooden dowel
• One vinyl ear

1. Cut the wooden dowel into a three-inch section. Depending on the height of the cloche, you may need to adjust this measurement. Then, use a 7/32 bit to drill a hole into the base’s center and glue the dowel at a slight angle in the opening. This will allow the ear to face slightly upward in the display for better visibility.

2. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, build up layers of black and metallic silver spray paint to give the base and dowel the look of steel. It works best to apply a base coat of black followed by 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.

3. Once the spray paint dries, create a wash of brown paint and use it to add a level of grime to the prop, allowing the liquid to settle in the crevices.

4. On a newspaper-lined surface, apply three even coats of beige paint to the ear. Then, give it a smudging of pink, focusing primarily on the tips and along the curvatures of the helix and tragus. Use your own skin patterns or those found in a medical textbook for reference.

5. Pain the entire inside of the ear red, ensuring the paint gets into all of the creases. For depth, you can build up layers of varying hues, starting with a darker shade and working toward lighter colors. Following this, use a brush with splayed bristles to apply a smattering of red paint around the wounds and up the sides of the ear. 

6. Position the ear on the top of the dowel, allowing it to tilt slightly upward, and glue it in place. Depending on the height of the cloche, you may need to play with its placement or shorten the dowel so it fits properly under the enclosure.

7. Cut five two-inch strands of red yarn and glue them in the opening of the ear to form a tangled mess of veins. Try not to overthink their placement because a random pattern will look gorier and more unsettling. After the glue dries, coat the inside of the ear and the yarn with the clear nail polish to give them a glossy appearance and lock the strands in place. You can also use a glossy decoupage medium for this process if the fumes from the nail polish become too overpowering.

8. Cut additional strands of yarn and, working from the opening, spread them across the rest of the ear and down the dowel onto the base, using a needle or fine-tipped object to spread the fibers outward. Once you have achieved your desired look, coat the yarn in the nail polish akin to step seven. 

9. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, stain the cloche. Start by applying a thin coat and patting it with paper towels to produce a hazed appearance. Then, brush the edges to create the illusion of grime buildup. You want to refrain from making the coverage too thick, though, because it can obscure the ear inside. 

10. After the stain has dried, reattached the cloche to its base. For additional detail, you can embellish the prop with a specimen tag or biohazard label to cater it to your haunt’s theme. 

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