Bloody Popcorn Buckets

$10 - $15 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes two buckets

The company I work for has an unofficial decorating contest between offices. For 2017, we decided to pull out all the stops and decorate the entire building. One of the rooms was a twisted circus. Although I have never been fond of the killer clown theme, the concept did give me a chance to explore the circus idea without relying too heavily on clowns. Since the display went up in the middle of September and did not come down until slightly after the start of November, I did not want to use actual food. After toying with alternative ways to make popcorn (including a nightmarish experimentation with Great Stuff), I discovered that basic packing peanuts produced the best results. Also, to give the illusion that the baskets were fuller than my supplies permitted, I created fake bottoms.

• Two plastic popcorn buckets (roughly seven inches tall)
• One sheet of cardboard large enough to trace the outlines of the buckets’ openings
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• Three rubber worms
• About one cubic foot of white packing peanuts
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Two doll eyes
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat yellow*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in cherry cobbler*

1. Trace the outlines of the buckets’ openings on a sheet of cardboard and cut them out. To give the illusion that the buckets are full, the cardboard will sit near the top and create a base for you to adhere the popcorn. You will need to gradually trim the squares until they sit as low within the buckets as you would like.

2. On a newspaper-line surface in a well-ventilated area, give the cardboard a few even coats of black spray paint. I used two; however, you may use more or less based on your preferences. Once the paint has dried, glue the squares in place. If you plan to display the prop outside, you may want to add weight to the bottom of the buckets before this process. This will prevent the props from being top-heavy and tipping over.

3. Cut rubber worms in half and glue them to the cardboard. You want to give the illusion that they are snaking through the popcorn, so keep them long enough to remain visible once these items are finally added.

4. Make fake popcorn with packing peanuts. To do this, crush each piece gently between your thumb and index finger. Do not completely smash the items. You want them to maintain some fluff. For believability, vary the sizes by using both whole and half peanuts.

5. Apply a coat of glue to the cardboard and then a coat of popcorn. I found that building up layers of glue and popcorn works well to guarantee that each peace is securely attached to the prop. Continue this process until you reach the height you desire.

6. For additional detail, glue doll eyes, plastic insects, severed fingers, aged bones, or severed ears to the popcorn.

7. Brush yellow paint across the popcorn’s surface to simulate butter. Try not to over think your application (a random pattern produces the best results).

8. Smear the buckets with cherry cobbler paint. You could use a brush to flick blood splatter, make gory handprints with your own hands, or just smother the containers in a haphazard covering. Granted, this step is entirely optional. If blood is not your thing, skip this portion.

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