Halloween Prop Building For The DIY Home Handyman and Beginners Alike
Would you like to put your home handyman skills to the test this coming Halloween by learning how to make your own Halloween props? If you're the DIY type and you enjoy scaring the kiddies at Halloween, I've 'dug up' some great links to all sorts of scare the pants off of 'em yard props and 'killer' decorations that you can build yourself. 
I'm talking about skeletons (Bucky's), torsos, hands, flying crank ghosts, skulls, zombies, spooky audio effects, lighting and fog techniques (some very detailed), demons, gargoyles and all manner of creatures and devices.
Some of these Halloween props are simple enough for beginners and others are rather involved but well worth the fun of building them yourself for a fraction of the cost of store-bought.
Come along as you prepare to greet your guests properly for Fright Night!
Many of the following links to DIY Halloween props will show you step-by-step how to create some awesome homemade stuff, many times with ordinary materials that you'll find around your home, at the home improvement / hardware store and at many art supply stores.
If you want creative ideas for homemade props, then I think I can help you out. All you need to do is take notes and prepare for a little trial and error. Whatever you decide to build, try it out and give yourself enough time to work out the kinks in preparation for the big night.
Let's start off with a link that shows how to make Monster Mud from Terror Syndicate. If you venture to the bottom of the page you'll see 3 links to Home Haunter's Prop Building Handbooks for sale. Here's how to make a fog head and how to build a creepy candle set fixture. They also have Dark Soundscapes, Home Haunters Handbook on DVD, and more. There's also tons of photos of props with descriptions.
The ULTIMATE Halloween DIY Project Links List - Halloween MonsterList
The MonsterList of Halloween Projects List is probably the most comprehensive list on the web featuring around 800 different links to individual pages (some good...some bad) showing how to make your own Halloween props and decorations for your yard and home. Go to the bottom of the page for even more links specifically for the Do-It-Yourselfer. Awesome, awesome DIY gateway link!
This a Home-grown Yard Haunt taken to the MAX!
Brewster Yard Haunt: There is a homeowner and some neighbors in Brewster, NY that have teamed up together to create a yard haunt that will not soon be forgotten by all that visit. He shows how he created some of the better props and such. Here's a close-up look at the props that they have on display with descriptions of each. Also, it'd be well worth your time to check out their photo gallery of creative Halloween props when you're done here.
Here are just a few of my favorite photos from their yard haunt.
top and above photos courtesy of Brewster Yard Haunt - thanks Kevin!
Join a Halloween DIY Prop-building Forum to work out the kinks
Here's a link to a forum of other like-minded DIY characters, such as yourself, where you can get help with your project(s):
Terror Syndicate's Methodz of Madness.Org Home Haunter's Forums
Another how-to haunt forum worth checking out...Haunt Forum
You will need to register but that's how most forums operate.
Here is one example of how to make your own Halloween scarecrow from Uncialle's Halloween Darksite. How about a few Jack o' Lantern tips and tricks from Uncialle's Darksite.
The "Original" Flying Crank Ghost Instructions
Building haunts with compressed air and pneumatics brought to you by Phantasmechanics: Home of the Flying Crank Ghost. It's an award-winning site. Not for beginners.
Hauntingly good Lighting Techniques
Skull And Bone offers methods for haunted yard lighting techniques and diagrams to get the visual effects just right.
Corpsification - an art and a science combined
You can't buy a corpse (I hope not anyway) but you can make one. You'll need a 4th quality skeleton, better known as a Bucky. Visit Bucky's Boneyard, the " Halloween crypt of bargains from Anatomical Chart Co.". The fine art of corpsification is explained in detail by the good folks at Wolfstone. There are various methods of corpsification and they provide links to a few sites that show you how.
Halloween Tech
Wolfstone has a fantastic web page labeled as a "Halloween Technology Roadmap". Basically, it's a DIY haunters' heaven (or hell, in this case). Props, sound, lighting...it's all there for the taking. They've also got an index of Halloween prop projects.
Here are a couple of links for DIY props provided by S.C.R.E.A.M., short for the Student Club of Realistic Effects, Animatronics and Make-up, a network of students (all grades and ages) who are interested in special effects and pursing a career in the industry.
Related: (found these via Brewster Yard Haunt...thanks)
- Creep Crafters has some Animated Projects and some Static Projects for the advanced do-it-yourselfer.
- Devious Concoctions can show you how to build your own...well...check 'em out.
- Halloween Creations has many, many very cool homemade props and the pictures that show how it's done. Not to be overlooked...
- Ghoul Skool Props How-To
- The Yard Haunter: Tons o' Tips
- Haunters Hangout has links to personal how-to web pages listed by project type. Take 'em or leave 'em.
This post will be ever-changing so check back often.
I would like to speak with someone about a sponsorship for our 2010 paranormal and horror film convention. Please contact Jennifer Harless at (276)608-8223 or hhconvention@yahoo.com Thanks
Awesome site & neat props I like two the most and may make something like them because most sites I been to have the props that can take months to build and I don't have months to build props for our family haunted house really it's hard because most props can take 3 to 5 months building just a waste ! But keep up the good work !!!!!!!!!!!!!
love the site. i would have to say one the best i have visited for halloween prop building.