Trading tips for dark displays and prop production.
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By jen d.
#42362
So I've been gifted a set of test tubes to incorporate in my Halloween displays, and I'm racking my brain trying to figure out a way to display them. They didn't come with a stand of any sort, and they are rounded at the bottom. Anyone have experience in displaying test tubes? :)
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By jen d.
#42372
They're probably about an inch in diameter. They're the Martha Stewart test tube favours.
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By jen d.
#42375
Thanks for the tip... i'll have to see if I can find something like this!
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By mesmark
#42380
What about just making one? It seems like a $2 project and about 30 minutes once you have all of the pieces.

You just need a small plank. Cut a wide top and bottom piece and 5 short thin supports. drill through the top piece and if you can sand down a small circle for the bottom of the test tube. I have a little ball sander drill attachment so that would be quite easy.

Add the support legs on the ends and one in the back middle. Use a small tack sized nail. Stain and brush on some black and gray paint randomly to make it look aged.

The worse of a job you do putting it all together the better it will look :D

Leave it out by the porch light to get an authentic spider web on it :)
User avatar
By jen d.
#42450
The last thing I built using any sort of power tool was a garden spade in shop class. hah. Guess there's no time like the present. I foresee the prop building bug to emerge from this project! Thanks mesmark. :D
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By mesmark
#42502
I should say drilling the holes for the test tube probably won't be that easy. Your standard drill set doesn't come with an attachment that size and most people don't really need a 1" diameter drill bit.

Another option might be to hotglue some twigs together, maybe use a skeleton hand for the base.

Or drive 4 long nails slightly into a hand prop. Add some drippy red paint for blood where the nails went in. Using string or thin thread make your "ladder" between the nails to hold the test tubes.

Is it just a prop or will it be handled? Are you planning on having drink shots or something in your test tubes?

See what you can do. Like I said, I imagine the worse it looks, the more real and creepy it will look.
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By jen d.
#42505
Ohhh I quite like the hand/nails idea... I think I have something that will work perfectly!

Dadja, there is a medical supply place just down the street from me... I'll do some asking around. :)

And as luck would have it, my brother and his wife just came back from a trip to the US, and brought me a bag full of Halloween baking goodies. It so happens that Wilton makes a set of 'test tube' sprinkles, that come in a rack of four... which happen to perfectly fit the Martha Stewart test tubes! Talk about reading my mind! However, it does only fit four... and I have eight of the things... so this hand prop might be just the thing.

And yes, its just a prop... no shots or anything like that. :)