Weekend Projects

This past weekend, I went shopping at what our local community calls "Crazy Days." All the local business have huge sidewalk sales, and there are all kinds of goodies to be found, especially when I am in the Halloween mindset.

I found a very cute cat chinea that I thought was really cool, but he lacked the Halloween flair!



I gave it a good coat of black spray paint and transformed it into a Halloween cat. I love the contrast between terra cotta color on the inside, and the new coat of black paint. Much more Haloween-ish!



I also found a very country-looking decoration that had been damaged. I'm actually not sure what it was supposed to be (bird house, maybe?), but I got a great deal on it since the rooster weather vein on the top was broken and the hinged door was loose.



I love the gothic elements to on the piece, so I decided to give it a coat of fleckstone paint and add some gargoyles to it. I think it will make a nice candle holder that I will probably leave out year-round.





The last project I worked on this weekend was a skull chadelier. I started with a candle plate, a chain plant holder, 3 votive holders and 3 little skulls that I aged with brown paint. I think it turned out pretty well. I'll hang it in the entryway this Halloween.






© 2006 Haunted Yard

Wicked Witch of Wyoming?

During my daily obsessive search for new prop ideas, I came across this witch from the Brewster Yard Haunt website.

I really love this witch, and think that the plans look wickedly simple, and the results are wickedly effective!

While I think animatronics and animated props are very cool, especially if they are homemade, I just don't have the skill to make some of the animated props I see online. I'm a geologist; a rock-nerd, not an electrical engineer. But this witch, being run by an old turntable, well, that's right up my alley.

So, this weekend, I think I will begin gathering the supplies needed to build my very own cauldron-stirring witch. I'll hit the thrift stores and yard sales for an old turntable, and if that fails, I'm sure dear old dad has one stashed in his garage.

The only thing I will need to brainstorm is how to make this weather proof. Wyoming's weather is unpredictable, especially in late October. I'll need to make something that will hold up to any potential snow or inclement weather we may get.

Of course, I'll be updating the blog with my progress on this very cool prop, so stay tuned!

© 2006 Haunted Yard