# Build Outdoor Halloween Monster Props



## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Smaller Foam Pieces (Picture 1): Add the smaller detail pieces like teeth, tongues, tentacles and hair once the basic structure of the monster is carved down. First shape a piece of foam to fit onto the part of the monster it will be glued onto. Then draw out, cut and shape the piece on the workbench.

Hanger Wire Support (Picture 2): Cut pieces of hanger wire and stick into the area where the monster and new piece will meet.

Glue in (Picture 3): Add glue and push the piece into place.










Carving and shaping done for body of the monster.










Hardware Cloth: The monster may need wings or something similar that must be thin but strong. Enter hardware cloth. An evil... err...I mean awesome material that can be bent (with a lot swearing and blood loss) into the shape you desire. Really, it's great stuff but is like wrestling an alligator to get into shape. A PVC frame, zip ties and needle nose pliers will help. Oh, and work gloves! The cut ends of hardware cloth are like needles and will poke at every chance they can get.

Cut the general shape needed using kitchen shears or tin snips. Roll one edge around the PVC pipe and zip tie in place. Start shaping the hardware cloth. Needle nose pliers are great to help pinch the cloth into a bend. The edges of hardware cloth bend inward but not outward. For outward bends, cut notches in the cloth to help open it up. There will be a gaps left but will be covered up in the later Cheeseclothing step. When able, attach the cloth to the opposite PVC frame.










Adding More Shape: Two things to help add shape:

Caulk: Can be used (built up in layers) to make a spine or ridge.
Foam Snow: Great stuff to fill in gaps. Put on some foamboard glue, press the snow on and let dry. May have to be done several times.










Fill Seams: Apply wood filler with a paint scraper to fill in seams and smooth with a gloved hand.










Cheeseclothing: Cheesecloth is Terra's cheat for fiberglassing. It unifies and strengthens the surface of your monster without the hassle of fiberglassing.

Don some latex gloves and dip a large square of cheesecloth into Drylok and squeeze out excess. Open the cloth and press onto the monster starting at the top. Use some extra Drylok at the top to help hold in place. Press smooth being careful to pull out the edges so a seam wouldn't be left behind. Paint on a nice layer of Drylok and move onto the next piece. Continue to do this until the monster is covered.










Tendons/Veins (Picture 1): Tendons and veins are a tiny accent but communicates rippling monster-like muscles. Stage thin long strips of cheesecloth on the monster where tendons/veins would be. Google muscle men pictures (fun for me) or horse pictures to help get a sense of where tendons/veins usually are.

Dip the strips into Drylok, squeeze out excess and press into place. Brush on some additional Drylok to help smooth the transition.

Holes (Picture 2): Use a Dremel to cut out any accent holes in the hardware cloth item (like wings) to add more of a monster vibe to them.










Cheesecloth Accents: Bits of cheesecloth dipped in the Drylok is good for hair-like items, torn or hanging skin. Stick in some wire for support if there isn't gravity to help.










Check for Holes: Do a final check for any pin holes prior to painting the base color. A good technique is to turn on the rope light and turn off the room lights. Check for any place where light is leaking out. Seal up with wood filler.










Paint Base Color: Use a paint sprayer to paint the base color if the monster is large and/or intricate like this one. It allows to get into the nooks and crannies easier than with a brush. Use flat exterior latex paint for this step.










Large Lit Areas: Cap large lit areas with flexible opaque sheets of plastic. This template plastic is great for that and can be found in the quilting section at Jo-Ann's: https://www.dritz.com/product/clear-template-plastic/

Attach the plastic to the foam using caulk. Pin in place until dry. Stuff in wadded plastic wrap like pictured above if the light needs to be diffused more.

Use Instant Glue to glue an additional piece of plastic if the end needs to be capped (like a hoof). Finish sealing it up with silicone so it's still invisible. Make the additional piece of plastic bigger than what's needed because it can be trimmed back after drying. After all this is dry, put on another layer of caulk where the edge of the plastic meets the monster. It can be textured to make it look more like skin. Additionally, smear some more silicone on the entire surface of the plastic to make it even more thick and opaque.










Cut Light Scars: Look at your reference picture of the rope lighting placement and mark out the light scars. Cut out with a drywall saw. Remove additional foam inward at an angle until good light is showing. This is the horse's eye.

Redirect Light: Had a problem with the eye placement and where the rope light was (didn't line up). A solution could be to use a piece of bendable plastic mirror (shown above) to reflect the light: https://www.amazon.com/Q-Bics-Flexible-Plastic-PROTECTIVE-Sticker/dp/B01BU99K6E










Make a Ridge & Paint (Picture 1): Carve a shallow outer ridge of the light scar using a hobby knife. This will create a 'shelf' for the opaque plastic to be set into without falling into the body of the monster. Paint with the color of the light. Let dry.

Cut out Plastic (Picture 2): Hold up a sheet of Heavy Duty Template Plastic: https://www.dritz.com/product/heavy-duty-template-plastic/ on the scar and trace out the shape. Cut out, test to fit and adjust using a hobby knife.










Silicone in Place (Picture 1): Place a thin bead of silicone on the 'shelf' and push the plastic in. Hold in place with toothpicks embedded into the foam if the plastic won't stay bent around a curve. Let dry.

Caulk, Smooth and Paint (Picture 2): Place a final barrier of caulk over the edges and finger smooth to blend in. Let dry then paint over with the monster's base color.










Paint Details (Picture 1): Paint with a brush some items like the tongue, horns and teeth.

Airbrush Details (Picture 1): Add muscle definition using an airbrush and thinned light colored paint. Use black for detail lines like ridges on horns. Use red to make tiny veins. A combo of red and yellow for flames. It's endless what can be done here. Let the imagination run wild (wine helps).

Glossing (Picture 2): The final step. Use clear gloss in the airbrush (or brush on) to add a wet, live look to some parts of the monster. Focus on the mouth and wings or any place that would look good shinning back.










Whew, done. DRINK!












On Halloween emerging from its Hell Hole:







Thanks for reading the tutorial. Hope it was helpful










How to secure in graveyard: Because this is so tall that it is wise to secure it. There are almost invisible ropes tied to tree stakes all around. This also helps your peace of mind that burglars would have a heck of a time chucking it into the back of their pickup.


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