How to Do Props for a Halloween Haunt

The Headless Horseman is a scary addition to any haunted house.

Whether making props for a commercial haunted house or your own home version, you do not need to purchase a lot of expensive decorations and equipment to make your haunted house terrifying. Besides hiring actors or friends to dress up in scary costumes and act as live props, utilize Styrofoam to create an array of props, such as zombie heads, fake intestines and skull birdbaths.

Things You'll Need

• Styrofoam head
• Knife
• Twine (optional)
• Paper towels
• Container
• White glue
• Fake teeth
• Gummy eyeballs
• Water
• Old Halloween wig
• Polyurethane
• Red paint
• Old birdbath
• Styrofoam skulls of assorted sizes
• Candy dispenser skulls
• Plastic bone props
• Putty apoxy
• Glow sticks (optional)

Instructions

Zombie Head

1. Use a knife to cut eye sockets and sunken-in cheeks on the Styrofoam head. Attach twine to the head as veins if desired with glue.

2. Glue fake Halloween/monster teeth to the head's mouth area. You may have to trim the teeth to fit the head.

3. Rip several paper towel sheets and dunk them in a container of one part white glue to three parts water to make papier mache. Squeeze out the pieces and attach them to the head. Use the papier mache to mold ears and eyes first. Allow to dry overnight.

4. Glue strands of hair from a Halloween wig (any color will do, though black is always spooky) to the head. Use the wig to create eyebrows as well. Glue gummy eyes to the sockets (the type you get from a gumball machine or a Halloween store). Paint blood over some of the papier mache areas.

5. Spray a few coats of polyurethane over the head to water-proof it.

Skull Birdbath

1. Set an assortment of prop skulls (find them at any Halloween store) on an old birdbath. Experience with different-sized skulls before attaching them to make the skull sculpture you want. Use candy dispenser skulls for filling in gaps.

2. Glue the skulls to each other and to the birdbath following your design decision.

3. Attach large plastic bones (find them at any Halloween supply store) with putty apoxy to the underside of the birdbath and work your way down.

4. Paint and decorate the skulls and bones. Use fake blood on some of the skulls, and try adding the green goo from glow sticks to the birdbath water to make it appear "radioactive."

Tips & Warnings

• Use fog machines to create eerie ambiance.

• Create "floating skulls" using Styrofoam skulls. glow-in-the-dark paint and fishing line.

• Use Styrofoam peanuts, twine and red paint to create intestines and guts.

• Paint all props in a well-ventilated area.

References

• Halloween Haunted House: How-To Projects and Tips
• Spooky Lake: Birdbath Fountain