If the above lantern strikes your fancy, you can learn how to make one in Volume 14 of School Arts magazine. While we’re on the subject of vintage reading material, let’s check out The Anchora of Delta Gamma to learn about a haunted attraction from 1968 called the “Mystic Mansion.” The October 1985 issue of …
Tag: How-To
Oct 11 2018
Make Your Own Man-Eating Plant
The term “man-eating plant” is kind of misleading. Pop culture has shown time and time again how these fictional plants are more than happy to eat women. Come to think of it, they often snack on animals much larger than what your standard Venus Flytrap, sundew or pitcher plant could ever hope to digest. I …
Oct 10 2018
Quick Makeup Tips and Costume Ideas IV
The above improvised pumpkin costume by Will Hart (better known as CthulhuWho1 in some circles) shows how one can create a great costume without spending a lot of time or money. Personally, I recommend wearing a green knit hat or headband with a “stem” attached rather than taping one directly onto your head. DIY Halloween …
Oct 07 2018
How To Make A Prop Chainsaw
Do you need a fake chainsaw for Halloween and require something with more heft than a papercraft version? Fear not! The Prop Master’s Handbook has posted a tutorial on YouTube which shows how you can make a fairly realistic one for very little money: This also gave me a great idea for a haunted house …
Sep 05 2018
The Edge of Time
The basics of aging paper are absurdly simple- use tea to stain the fibers and allow the sheet to dry. Like many others, I learned that method in grade school and have been using it with minor variations for decades. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it does a reasonably good job of reproducing the browning …
Feb 14 2018
How to Make a Bloody Valentine’s Day Card
Did you wait until the last minute to get a card for Valentine’s Day? Or perhaps you’re waiting to celebrate until sometime later in February to take advantage of all the clearance sales and easier reservations. Whatever the case is, the special horror fan in your life is certain to appreciate a homemade bloody Valentine. …
Jan 17 2018
Making A Magic Potion
I wish I could think of a better title for this than “Making a Magic Potion”, since there’s blessedly little potion swilling in “Call of Cthulhu”. Putting that aside, this is a quick and easy technique for creating a swirling, iridescent liquid that looks great as a potion, bound spirit, or fuel inside the reaction …
Oct 22 2017
Make Your Own Spooky Sound Effects II
It’s been a few years since I last discussed how to make custom sound effects and I have been spending that time seeking out more sound effect ideas. Speaking of last year, remember how I noted how one could imitate a cricket using only your mouth? Fred Newman’s MouthSounds has detailed directions on doing so …
Oct 16 2017
Inexpensive Theremin Substitutes
Ah, the theremin. Its otherworldly electric noises have made their way onto the soundtracks for countless horror and science fiction movies. It even turns its use for anything related to outer space is scientifically accurate! It’s a shame they can be so pricey. Building your own can lessen the expense, but it’s an intimidating task …
Oct 12 2017
Quick Makeup Tips and Costume Ideas III
I found this image of a costumed woman while looking through Amazon’s preview images for the 1922 edition of Dennison’s Bogie Book. Crêpe paper costumes like this were popular in those days. Although saying the costume is “crêpe paper” is somewhat misleading, as the image clearly shows a woman wearing the paper portion over regular …
Oct 11 2017
How To Make Fake Crows
I first learned about crow hunting while looking up information about creating crow caws for an upcoming article about making spooky sound effects. More specifically, I learned about it from the suggested videos in the sidebar. Any surprise one may have about people hunting crows for food vanishes upon learning the phrase “eating crow” has …
Oct 04 2017
Tricks and Treats VIII
Want to make your own “Electric Jack O’Lantern” for Halloween? As you can see, it’s all too easy! William J. Le Petomane is offering downloads of “Johann Sebastian Bunsen Burner (in D minor)” and “I Lost My Heart and Soul (at the Monster’s Ball)” on a “Name Your Price” basis. But act quickly, because this …
Jul 17 2017
Glowing Fungi
Following up on last week’s post, here’s the finished (for now) version of the glowing fungus prop. Each of the stalks is a length of foam pool noodle slashed with a razor knife and then hit with a heat gun to form the twisting, organic skin. They were then bound into a group using zip …
Jul 16 2017
It Glows
Remember the heat treated pool noodle experiments from last year? I’ve been fiddling around with them again, adding a string of LED lights inside the central core of the noodle. The final prop still needs some tweaks, but the effect is pretty cool. This article originally appeared at Propnomicon. This work is licensed under a …
Oct 29 2016
Tricks and Treats VII
Wondering what this article’s illustration is supposed to represent? It’s a “Jack-o’-Lantern Lamp Shade” and it’s very easy to make if you want one for yourself. Other fun vintage projects include the “Witch Wheel” (just be sure to use a light source that’s safer than candles) and little decorative pumpkins made from dough. “Cornstarch Play …
Oct 28 2016
Quick Makeup Tips and Costume Ideas II
I want to discuss a few things before I get to the main subject of this article. It turns out my first article on this subject had a lot of broken links. I have since fixed everything and threw in some new material to make up for it. Also, the “Quick” in the title is …