Possessed Angel Figurine

$35 - $40 (based on 2023 prices)
Makes one stack of books

In 2023, I was commissioned by a local theater to serve as a consultant and prop builder for their production of The Haunting of Hill House, which was based on Shirley Jackson’s novel. Being a fan of the books since I was a teenager, I jumped at the opportunity and spent several months creating a collection of items to decorate both the house depicted on the stage and the cemetery created in the lobby to greet patrons before they entered the theater. For this prop, I built a companion for the creepy doll with books prop to adorn the set’s bookshelf. The director wanted the angel to subtly spin during one of the scenes, so I attached it to a synchronous motor to achieve the effect. It was my first time creating a moving prop and, if I were to redo the project, I would elect for a larger item because the figurine proved too difficult to see from the back of the audience.

• One large decorative storage box (11” x 8.5” x 2.9”)
• One small decorative storage box (8.5” x 6.5” x 2.1”)
• Three to four sheets of white tissue paper (20” x 20” per sheet)
• One 4 oz. bottle of decoupage medium
• 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 orange*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat turquoise*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in glossy white*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in metallic copper*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in metallic gold*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in metallic silver*
• 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*
• Five LED candles in varying sizes
• One hot glue gun and glue sticks
• One 3 rpm synchronous motor with a 7 mm coupling connector
• One 50/60 Hz lamp cord
• Two wire nuts
• One 7 mm coupling connector
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One six-inch plastic angel figurine
• One six-inch section of black ribbon

1. Remove any decorative elements from the boxes to give them a smooth surface. Then, tear the tissue paper into small sections and roll them into tight balls. You want to create as many wrinkles as possible. Working in sections, apply a layer of decoupage medium to the box and then a piece of tissue paper. Leave their edges loose during this step because it will help to fashion creases during step two.  

2. Once the entire box is coated with tissue paper, apply a second layer of decoupage medium to fully adhere the paper to the cardboard. During this step, you will want to ensure there are plenty of wrinkles to give the leather texture. Also, fold the excess paper over the covers’ edges and glue it down for a cleaner appearance.

3. After the decoupage medium has dried, apply an even coat of white paint to the boxes. This will give them a uniform base coat to cover any images or writing and prevent them from showing through on the leather.

4. Once the white paint dries, give the boxes three washes of brown paint followed by a wash of black. You may want to test 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.

5. To give the leather fuller depth, paint the boxes with the wood stain, applying a small amount to a paper towel or sponge and patting it onto the surfaces. I used Jacobian and red chestnut to add variety, but you can use the same color for each box to produce a uniform look.

6. Beginning with a base coat of black, stipple silver paint on the sides of the brown book and gold paint on the sides of the red book to make them look like worn goldleaf. Like step five, you can use the same color on both books for a unified appearance.  

7. Decide how you want the books stacked and where you want the candles. Then, trace the outlines onto the books. For visual interest, I clustered the candles together in towers, but you can place just one lone candle on the top book for an alternate look.  

8. Cut out the openings, ensuring they are slightly smaller than the outline to prevent the candles from slipping through. After you do this, use painter’s tape to wrap the openings’ edges to stop the cardboard from continuing to fray. You can also use black duct tape or electrical tape for this process.

9. Position the candles above their corresponding holes, ensuring you still have access to the power switch and battery compartment, and glue them in place. Then, use hot glue to build up layers of wax. The process works best if you move in stages, applying one layer at a time and allowing the glue to dry between each application. Also, I found that pumping the glue along the top of the candle and allowing it to naturally run downward creates the best results.  

10. Give the candles two to three coats of glossy white paint. You can always use an alternate color to cater the prop to your haunt’s chosen aesthetic or use multiple hues to make it look like a random assortment of candles.  

11. Use a 13/64 bit to drill a hole into the back of the lower book and feed the power cord through the opening. You want to be able to hide the cord, so it needs to enter the prop in the back or another spot that will not be seen by the audience.  

12. Using the same bit, drill a hole in the base of the top box and through the lid of the bottom box. Then, run the cords for the synchronous motor through the opening and use wire bits to connect them to those of the power supply.  

13. Determine where the angel will sit atop the upper book and use a 1/2 bit to drill a hole large enough to accommodate the coupling. Following this, wrap the edge of the opening with painter’s tape to prevent the coupling from catching on the cardboard.

14. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the coupling connector and angel figurine an even coat of black spray paint. This will help mask the coupling if it shows on the final product and give the angel a base coat to apply the aged-copper patina.

15. Starting with a stippling of copper paint, build up layers of orange and turquoise to give the angel the look of aged metal. How heavy you apply the patina depends on your aesthetic: you can go heavy for an extremely weathered look or light for a softer touch of age.

16. Once the paint dries, glue the coupling to the base of the angel and black ribbon around the inner circumference to hide the machinery. You do not want the ribbon to catch on the cover, so it needs to be about an eighth of an inch above the surface to still cover the coupling but not drag.  

17. Attach the coupling to the synchronous motor and position the angel on the upper book, ensuring it can spin freely without snagging on the cover or surrounding candles. Following this, assemble the books and glue them all in place. For a sturdier hold, consider using superglue rather than hot glue or tacky glue.

18. The prop can be enhanced further to correspond with your haunt’s theme. For instance, the names of the books can be written on their spines or a swarm of insects can be glued to the covers.  

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