Trading tips for dark displays and prop production.
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By mesmark
#105792
I wanted to make a spooky Patch Master scarecrow this year. So, I decided to use some PVC pipe and do one up sort of like we did the Grim Reapers before.

The plan:

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The construction was pretty simple. I used a PVC pipe frame, a foam wig stand for the head, and pool noodles to make the long creepy hands.

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I ran 4 wires down the pool noodle, slit it in 4 and then melted the pieces with a candle to get a wonky look. Then I painted them green. A light brown/tan probably would have been better.

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I found a good jacket for him at a recycle shop. It was a little expensive ($25) but was exactly what I was looking for. Any long raincoat or trench coat will work as well. The inside shirt was $2 and the pants were some old work pants of mine.

The hat is a tricky accessory to find. I bought a Harry Potter sorting hat 2 years ago and used that. (It was about $20 at the time I think.) I had to bend the brim up a bit but that’s about it.

I wanted to make a nice pumpkin face but for this year I just decided to use a cheap dollar store mask. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of options for good masks here in local stores… I should probably try Amazon 🤔

Using the same wire and burning technique on pool noodles, I made 4 creepy vines to go around my Patch Master.

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I painted those up and here is the final prop:

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The field around him will be dark on Halloween night with lighting on the ground pointed up at him. I’ll also have a speaker at the base playing some spooky forest music.

I made a tutorial video on this but I think just the hand and vine part is the only helpful bit :lol:

DeadKing, amandap80 liked this
User avatar
By mesmark
#105886
DeadKing wrote:
Fri Nov 05, 2021 3:43 am
That looks cool. Great job, and your costumes for this year are also nicely and cleverly done.. like it all
Thanks! We had a lot of fun and luckily the weather was perfect. It was sunny, warm and almost no wind 👻🎃

I did make one more YouTube video of the garden decorations. And it also has some night footage of the haunted graveyard.

#106322
Mark, I'm reviewing your scarecrow video because I'm contemplating building a new one for myself this year. The pool noodle hands are surely a good tip. That's a method I hadn't considered. If I try this myself, I'll share progress photos.

Loved the video of your Halloween garden too! I recognize a lot of your past props, but they take on a whole different look when displayed outside. The projections are super cool too. You're always an inspiration!
User avatar
By mesmark
#106365
Thanks! Last year was fun, doing something outdoors for the first time. I learned a few things and because of a huge spike in Covid here, we’re gonna have to do a garden party again this year.

The scarecrow hands worked out great. I wish I had had more time to get a proper mask together, but for most of the kids it was scary enough as it was.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with! 👻 🎃
#106375
One of the reasons I wanted to try to make a real scarecrow was because I wanted to place it in my back yard, in my pumpkin garden. But sadly, we had a very hot summer with almost no rain. My pumpkin patch got fried in the sun, and the drought resulted in no pumpkins. So I didn't bother making a scarecrow to protect my dead crops. :cry: Maybe next year!