# How do I make a Crystal Ball????



## BreezeyGirl (Oct 14, 2004)

For our Halloween Haunting this year we're having a party with an equal mix of kids and adults (which at Halloween means they are ALL kids!)..The inside of the house will be appropriately spooky of course, with a mad scientist's laboratory in the kitchen and "haunted" living room. We plan to have the kids exit via the back door onto an enclosed porch that will be our fortune teller's den. After having his/her fortune "read", the child will then exit to the backyard which will be a complete graveyard that they must pass through to get back out to the sidewalk. Now...where I need some help is with ideas for making a crystal ball. I remember reading where someone made one with a round light globe, glow stick lights etc...but can't find the instructions now...Anyone have any ideas? Thanks and Happy Haunting!!


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## netsirk (Oct 6, 2004)

Breezy- do a search under Props category for crystal ball...the thread you probably saw then was for around 9-20-04. Some great ideas!


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

*BreezeyGirl*, I'm going to be a "fortune telling pirate" at our street's halloween party this year, and will be "reading" a crystal ball and passing out fortunes as well.

I'm using an inverted clear glass globe (meant for wall or ceiling mounted lighting fixtures) inside of which I'm going to place a small skull, or similar figure - the figure will be painted in black-light sensitive paint, and I'm hoping to pipe some fog into the globe as well (I'm going to be in a small, enclosed area, so the black-lighting will be close by).

Here's a link to one of the topics *netsirk* mentioned, for more ideas:
http://www.halloweenforum.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4080&SearchTerms=crystal,ball

I believe *Deadna* mentions the fluff and glowstick approach.


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## SomethingWicked (Sep 30, 2004)

I made a very simple one using an upside down piece of tupperware, spraypainted black, and a large acrylic globe that I got at Lowe's on clearance for $4. It's fairly opaque, so smoke wouldn't be visible inside. On the big night, I'm going to put some glowsticks in it.


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## john (Aug 9, 2004)

Take her doll away from her.
Sorry. I just can't pass up a straight line.

http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10056


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## john (Aug 9, 2004)

SomethingWicked - That looks great. I would suggest a test run on putting the glow sticks in. I tried the glow stick in the balloon. I put 2 of them in before I decided to pass on it. It just did not give the glow that you would expect. Of course it also depends on how dark the surroundings are. Just one less thing to stress out about on Halloween night.

http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10056


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## SomethingWicked (Sep 30, 2004)

John - thanks for the suggestion! I'll give it a go with the glow sticks beforehand, so that if it doesn't give off enough light, I'll have time to replace it with a pumpkin strobe or something. 

Thanks again!


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## CatMean (Jul 5, 2004)

somethingwicked-- I have the same setup except I have a light fixture underneath the bowl with light bulb inside it. It's a plug in unit and looks pretty good.


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Great Pumpkin John makes a very good point. Test your lighting under the conditions they will be viewed several nights in advance. Have back-up batteries and bulbs. Plan for every contingency.

Wolfman


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## MichaelMyers (Jun 2, 2004)

buy the Scream TV prop at a local spencers, has everything u need (well they are seperate) but its an awesome cyrstal ball effect

<<Ken
http://www.streetevolution.com
http://www.fearthespoon.com


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## barefootcountrygirl (Oct 1, 2003)

I read a post here a while ago that I am going to try. It said to use a clear light globe or round fish bowl ( I found both at a thrift shop), then put some fiberfill stuffing inside, sprinkled with glitter, and put a glowstick under the fluffy stuffing. It should glow like green smoke in the dark, and the glitter should reflect any light in the room, I hope...... I'm going to try it out when I get back from WallyWorld with a glowstick.

Yagottawanna!


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## BreezeyGirl (Oct 14, 2004)

Wow! Finally had time to get back here...(phew only 3 more days to go!) and read all your responses to the crystal ball question. Thanks for all the help! I found the fiberfill stuffing in a clear round light globe with a green glow stick inserted in the center gives off a hazy glowing appearance in almost completely dark settings. Just make sure any additional lighting in the room is very, very minimal and be sure to use a GOOD glow stick. I've made the base for the ball open underneath and with a little practice it's easy to slide the glow stick in and out while draping a shawl over your head and the ball. This way, the kid walks in and sits down...plain white ball, shawl over head and ball, insert stick and voila! Slide the shawl off and there's a glowing ball...of course the older kiddos will most likely catch on right away...but it's the younger TOTers that I'm playing to this year. We've finished our tombstones, caskets, fog chiller, ghouls and ghosties,bloody murder/shower scene for the bathroom (0ff limits to the really young kiddos. Kid friendly "Pumpkin Bathroom" created for them)...We're still working on the vampyr crypt, stone walls to cover the privacy fence, haven't even started on the Mad Laboratory yet...I think we took on a lil too much for the first year <sigh>...but LORDY I'm having fun!!!! Many thanks to everyone for your responses...all the ideas culled from the fabulous site...and Happy Haunting to all if I don't get back here this year!


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## ccscastle (Oct 5, 2004)

I don't know how to post pictures into these forums but my makeshift crystal ball in the halloween forum. I did what I saw about the inverted ceiling globe. I cut out stickers and put them all over then i sprayed the globe with white spray. took out the stickers then added some silver mesh to make hid the glow sitck. I think it is okay until i can create something that will glow on it's own. hugs cc

http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10161


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## Autumn_Dreams (Aug 30, 2004)

You can use a large round cover for a ceiling light, upside-down, set in a base of your creation. You may be able to find an old one at a thrift store.



"In nightmares our screams are silent, yet all fallen angels hear us on their way down." --E. Riddle

"Autumn whispers to me. It always has." --E. Riddle

The Corridors: Where Halloween is Forever
Autumn Whispers to Me


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## Autumn_Dreams (Aug 30, 2004)

> quote:_Originally posted by ccscastle_
> 
> I don't know how to post pictures into these forums but my makeshift crystal ball in the halloween forum. I did what I saw about the inverted ceiling globe.
> http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10161


Oops. I didn't see this post until after I posted. Also, Spencers has that thing that makes halograms on round surfaces. That would look great with one of those globes.



"In nightmares our screams are silent, yet all fallen angels hear us on their way down." --E. Riddle

"Autumn whispers to me. It always has." --E. Riddle

The Corridors: Where Halloween is Forever
Autumn Whispers to Me


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## Laknormn (Nov 1, 2010)

I realize this is an old thread, but this is where I looked when I was trying to figure out how to create my crystal ball this year (2010). Because I would be "wearing" my table and ball around work, I didn't want to use the globe light fixture for fear of it breaking or being too heavy. Instead, I used a 12" white balloon (only blown up to about 5 inches), a black plastic bowl (upside down with the bottom cut out but no jagged edges), a cardboard box with a slit cut into it and a runners light (you hook it onto your shorts when you run in the dark so cars/people can see you. It has multiple steady/blink settings). The only thing holding the "crystal ball" onto the table is the knot in the balloon that's pulled through the slit in the box. The force of it holds the bowl on also. You can easily lift up the edge of the bowl to slide the runners light in once you've turned it on to blink. I used fishing line looped to "wear" the table. For added effect, I created tarot cards that I had on the table and I few stuck in my top. I also had an iPod Nano playing Nox Arcana "Gypsy Caravan" through it's external speaker ~ perfect music. For added effect, you can also put plastic wrap on the balloon to make it look more glass-like (I forgot the plastic wrap). I kept extra balloons on hand in case mine popped, but it never did. Hope this helps someone.


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