$60 - $70 (based on 2020 prices)
Makes one patient
- One life-size hanging prop with arms, head, and shoulders
- One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat beige*
- One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
- One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
- One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat cream*
- One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat coral*
- One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
- One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in glossy maroon*
- One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in glossy red*
- One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in metallic silver*
- One 0.44 oz. bottle of clear nail polish*
- 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 flat brown
- One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat olive
- One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in glossy red
- One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic silver
- One 20” x 30” foam board
- One 12 oz. can of insulating foam
- One plastic ribcage
- One human-sized plastic heart
- One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
- One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in red chestnut*
- Two feet of 1/4” clear plastic tubing
- Four feet of 1/2” clear plastic tubing
- Five feet of plastic chains
- Three plastic syringes
2. Detail the wounds with glossy red paint and use a stippling brush or a brush with splayed bristles to smatter it along the edges. To give further depth, deepen the blood with a glossy burgundy or maroon.
3. Color the band and staples with metallic silver paint. Then, drip streams of glossy red paint down the sides of the band. How much you apply depends on your chosen aesthetic: you could have just a few to serve as a slight accent or dozens for a gorier mess.
4. Give the teeth a base coat of white paint. Once it dries, apply light layers of cream, brown, and black to make them appear rotten. For further detail, darken the inside of the mouth with glossy red paint.
5. To make the mouth appear wet, coat the inside and teeth with one or two coats of clear nail polish.
6. Wrap the head in plastic to protect it from the paint and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, distress the figure’s clothing with a light dusting of black, brown, and olive spray paint. You do not want to make the coverage too thick, so hold the can roughly twelve inches away from the clothing’s surface and make quick passes.
7. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, build up layers of black and metallic silver spray paint to give the foam board 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.
8. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the board a light dusting of brown spray paint to simulate dirt. As with steps six and seven, hold the can over twelve inches away from the surface and make quick flicking motions. Once the paint has dried, run watered-down brown paint along the upper edge, allowing the liquid to naturally run downward.
9. Once the figure’s clothing has dried, cut open the back of his outfit, clip the wire attaching his left arm, and remove the appendage. Then, use the padding from the severed limb to give the right arm extra bulk. If you want the patient to possess both arms, this stage can be ignored; merely use extra padding to give both arms added mass.
10. Position the patient on the board and glue him in place. You want to allow plenty of room for the intestines, so situate his head and shoulders toward the upper portion of the board.
11. Spray the insulating foam into the opening of the patient’s chest to create his intestines. 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 the prop.
12. Beginning with a base coat of black spray paint, build up layers of glossy red paint to give the guts depth (the black base coat will help give the red a deeper tone to mimic blood). Akin to step seven, you can always apply bursts of black to the prop if the red becomes overpowering.
13. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, stain the ribcage. I began by giving it a light, even coat. 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 red chestnut because it gives the bones a fresh, meaty appearance. Once you have achieved your intended look, allow the bones to completely dry. Then, randomly drip globs of hot glue along the surfaces of the bones. This will give the appearance of dripping tissue once the paint is applied.
14. Repeat the processes in step twelve with the ribcage. For the time-pressed haunter, you can skip the wood stain and just paint the bones; however, I found the stain gave the prop an additional level of detail which enhanced the gore.
15. Repeat the methods in step twelve with the plastic heart and, after it dries, position it in the chest where it would anatomically sit, gluing it in place.
16. Nestle the ribcage into the opening, ensuring the clavicle bones align with where they would anatomically rest on the figure. It might prove helpful to consult a medical textbook for this step as well as the placement of the heart in step fifteen.
17. Glue the straight jacket down, conforming it to the outline of the body. After this, cut off the left arm, rip open the jacket to expose the innards, and glue the fabric in place. For visual interest, tatter the edges.
18. Smear glossy red paint along the edges of the jacket’s openings and randomly across the fabric’s surface. How much you apply depends on how bloody you want the prop to appear.
19. Cut the 1/2” tubing into two twenty-four-inch sections and run them, along with the two-foot section of 1/4” tubing, from three of the heart’s valves to the board, gluing them in place and using silver paint to make them look welded to the board. For further detail, smear glossy red paint across the tubes.
20. If the chains were not already black, give them an even coat of black spray paint and then build up layers of brown and red paint for a rusted patina.
21. Remove the plastic wrapping from the head and string the chains between the board and the headband. You can also wrap the chains around the figure’s arms, neck, and shoulders to give the illusion he is lashed down.
22. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint the syringes with the Jacobean wood stain. I discovered that applying a thin coat and patting it with paper towels produces a hazed appearance. Then, dab the surfaces with the red chestnut wood stain to create spots of dried blood.
23. Determine where you would like the syringes and, using a 5/32 bit, drill holes into the patient’s head and neck, inserting the syringes and gluing them in place. Following this, paint the junctures where the syringes meet the prop with glossy red paint.
24. Use the remaining chain to create a hanging loop for the prop. If you plan to use the chain itself to suspend the item, I recommend replacing the plastic version with a heavy-duty metal. I added a hanging hook to the back of the foam board which affixed the prop to the wall and used the plastic chain to give the illusion it was suspending the item.
25. Depending on your haunt’s theme, you can enhance the prop with additional details, like a biohazard label or a mortuary tag.
*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.
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