How to Make a Skeleton Man From Debris

You’ve always wanted a skeleton in your yard for whatever reason. Perhaps it’s Halloween. Perhaps you live by a graveyard. Perhaps you’re weird. Whatever the case, you can make a skeleton man from debris. This will give you a one-of-a-kind creation, unlike all those cookie cutter skeletons that grace your neighbors' yards.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pieces of debris
• Wire, pipe fittings and other connectors
• Snips
• Paint
• Painters tape

1. Decide where you want him. Indoor skeleton men can be made of everything from cardboard pieces to hunks of fiber. Outdoor skeleton men should be created out of weatherproof materials. Your skeleton man can be all one material, such as metal, or a mixture of several different debris types. Indoor skeleton men have the most options, as you can use glue to secure the pieces. Outdoor skeleton men should stick to bolts, nails, wire and other connectors that do not melt in the sun.

2. Gather your materials. You need four main sections--his head, his torso and his limbs. The head is the most important part and can also be the most creative. It doesn’t have to resemble a skull in the least. It can be any type of debris that can sport a face. The torso is best as a tube-type item into which you can insert the limbs. Old gate posts, wooden stakes or other long, lean items work well for arms and legs.

3. Prepare your debris. Debris is notorious for being dirty, dingy and often corroded with crud. Hose off your debris, especially hollow limbs, to dislodge any crusty stuff and get all the bugs and mud out of long tubes. Use steel wool to remove any really crusty stuff or just leave it to add character.

4. Lay out the framework. Once you have all your materials, lay them out to create the skeleton man so you can see how you are going to attach them together. In an all metal man, two very long fence posts can be secured with metal pipe fittings for the legs. The tube-like torso can be slid over the leg attachments, leaving one post sticking up so you can secure the arms, again with pipe fittings and wire. The head can be secured with more wire, nails or by snipping tabs at the base of the skull and wrapping it around the arms.

5. Paint him. For an easy skeletal look, paint your man all one color. Once the base coat dries, place strips of painters tape in a bone arrangement. Use long strips down the arms and legs for bones, a single strip for the breastbone and smaller strips coming off the breastbone for ribs. Small squares of tape make up the vertebrae. Two circular tape shapes create the pelvis. Use tape to create his face. Press all the tape firmly in place and paint with a darker color, or mélange of darker colors. Allow to dry and peel off the tape.

6. Prop him up. If your skeleton man is very sturdy, you can dig holes in the yard for his legs and bury them high enough so he doesn’t fall over. He will be greatly aided in any setting by propping him against a fence, wall or post. You can also sit him in a chair or lounge him on a lounger. Beautiful.

Tips & Warnings

• You can gather debris at junkyards, home stores or even your garage or basement. Also search construction site dumpsters for great options.
• You’ll feel most accomplished if your debris is all found for free.
• If you have a welder, this is a great tool for securing metal skeleton men together.
• Snips allow you to cut holes in the torso to insert a long tube for the arms.
• Wear gloves or be extremely cautious if working with sharp materials, like jagged sheet metal.