Filed under: diy, haunted house, how to, props
Cut fabric the length of the arm. Drape it over the foam. Tape at the shoulder. Staple the overlapping bits under the arm together.
Cut some foam to fit the chest cavity. Stuff it in the chest. Wrap it with some tape to hold it in. 
Measure the ground to the top of the head. Measure out that much fabric and double it. Cut that much fabric off. Fold it in half length wise. Cut a hole for the head. Drape the fabric over the mannequin.
Take the edges along each side and staple them to the 2×4 that forms the upright leg/torso.
Put a mask on it or add some foam and put some fabric over the foam like a hood. 
Done.
I really like this design, it is fast and cheap to make if you use repurposed materials. I made 10 of these guys in about 2 or 3 hours.
Tags: carpentry, diy, haunted house, how to, sets
Permalink Comments (0) Michael Smith Jan 6, 2009
Filed under: diy, haunted house, how to, props
I needed a small army of guys for a hallway in this year’s haunted house. As finding people to work the HH has always been a problem in the past, I needed to recruit some non living help. 
What you’ll need:
scrap 2×4′s
screws
foam
duct tape
landscaping fabric
saw (I used a circular saw)
screw driver (I used a cordless drill)
knife to cut foam (I used a $10 eclectic knife from the big box store)
stapler
hammer-tacker or staple gun
Note on measurements. The results of this project will be seen in the dark by people who are (hopefully) startled. Don’t worry about being precise.
For each guy you will need to cut the following.
A 2×4 for the shoulders. I roughly measured mine from shoulder to shoulder and cut a 2×4 to that length.
Two vertical pieces to make the mannequin tall. I roughly measured from the floor to my shoulders. Then cut two 2×4′s to this length.
One piece for a waist. Again, I measured my waist and cut a piece that long.
Two feet. I again guestimated what it would take for the guy to not tip over and cut two.
A 2×4 scrap to put the head on. I was using costume masks, so I measured one from the base to the top and cut a 2×4 down to that length.
Stand your two vertical lengths upright. Put the waist bit about waist high and screw it in.
Put the shoulder bit across the top and screw it down.
Put the feet on.
Toenail the head bit on.
Cut an arm-length of foam. Mine ended up being 4 inches x 4 inches by the length of my arm. Tape one end of it on top of the shoulder. Tape is cheap. Use enough tape. Repeat for the other arm. 
More in the next post.
Tags: carpentry, diy, haunted house, how to, props
Permalink Comments (0) Michael Smith Jan 2, 2009
