Skull Bird’s Nest

$25 - $30 (based on 2016 prices)

Makes one nest

This idea emerged when a friend visited in September to witness the haunt’s progress. She made a passing comment about a bird’s nest fashioned from a skull and the creative spark immediately ignited. Over the course of one weekend, I transformed her idea into a reality. Although the prop looks complicated, it is rather easy to assemble.

• One cheap, plastic skull
• One newspaper
• One to two yards of burlap
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• One to two yards of dark-brown twine
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in black*
• One small, plastic skeleton bird
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• Four or five dried sticks
• One 1.75 oz. bundle of tan raffia
• One ½ oz. bag of feathers
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*

1. Cut the top off of the skull. For visual interest, create jagged edges. To make this process easier, purchase a skull made from thin plastic. If it helps, trace the outline of your cut with a marker first.

2. Densely pack the inside of the skull with newspaper. Since this will be the base for your nest, you want it as firm and level as possible.

3. Cut the burlap into a square large enough to amply cover the skull. For my version, I used a medium-sized skull and cut the fabric into a 2’ x 2’ square, which gave me extra fabric for mistakes.

4. Starting at the back of the skull, glue burlap to the prop. I found that 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.

5. Before you glue the fabric to the face, thread twine along the areas which will cover the eyes and mouth to give the illusion that these have been sewn shut (trust me: it is easier to do this while the fabric is still loose as opposed to once it has been glued down).

6. Glue down the remaining burlap and fold it into the cavity at the top of the skull. You may have to trim the edges if you are left with too much fabric.

7. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint the inside of the cavity black. For added detail, smudge the edges with black paint.

8. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, stain the bird. I began by giving it a light, even coat with a foam brush. After that, I applied heavy amounts of stain 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 Jacobean because it gives the bird a brown, rotten appearance. Once you have achieved your intended look, allow the bird to completely dry. I let mine sit outside in the sun for three days.

9. Once the bird has dried, glue it into the center of the cavity. I used hot glue, but you could always use superglue for a sturdier hold.

10. Fill the nest with sticks, raffia, and feathers. I used hot glue to adhere all of these objects, but, as with the bird, you could use superglue. You could also add fake eggs, a feast of crawling insects, or some severed fingers.

11. Brush black paint around the skull’s features to add depth. Focus your attention along the edges of the mandible and maxilla, along the curve of the zygomatic arch, and within the nasal and orbital sockets.

12. For added interest, cut a hole in one of the eyes and glue raffia into the socket.

13. I intended for this prop to sit on a crate in the haunt’s display (add a little weight to the base to prevent it from being top heavy). If you want to hang it, you could punch a few holes along the top of the skull and use the twine to dangle it from a tree limb.

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