Halloween Decorating & Props
Boo lasted a long time after being carved. Yetch snapped this picture of her on the last night she spent in the house. I thought it was a fitting image to post as my last Halloween 2009 image.
Speaking of which, I found a couple more pictures of the decorations this year:
There are now 40 pictures posted in the Art Ghoullery for Halloween 2009. I may add a couple more (of the flowers on the windowsill) but overall, I'd say I'm finished.
You'll want to open the images in a new tab or utilize your back button. There are plans to revamp the site with better navigation for the galleries, but that won't be happening just yet.
You've seen images of him before, but I thought you might like a peek of him all lit up properly. I've posted two here, but look for a few more this week when I put the entire collection on the website.
As Dave the Dead said in a comment in the previous post, "Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see". That was part of the plan. And why not encourage the arrival of the Great Pumpkin with a sign?
I used one of my painted pieces of cardboard made last year as the sign. It worked out perfectly (number of letters and the number of fake wooden planks). Saved me a lot of time as well. Recycling props is always a great idea.
I'm slowly compiling pictures of this year's theme. It was called "A Picnic in the Pumpkin Patch". It wasn't a complicated theme. The idea was to make the house look as if a pumpkin patch had sprouted up inside of it.
I'm posting the first two pictures tonight, and will post the rest throughout the week.
As always, I will have the full collection posted in the Art Ghoullery.
Unfortunately, the lanterns I'd gotten at the dollar store all died within the first hour of the party, so they are dark in the pictures. It really added a nice bit of detailing, having the extra lights hanging in the bushes, around the fireplace, and around the room. I wish I had gotten pictures of it.
The first images are of the pumpkins I made over. In the photograph below, you can also see my poor kale plants that are slowly slipping towards death, but on their journey to an early demise, they've grown into interesting shapes.
Who knew I could get the sun to rise in my living room just by adding a scarecrow. More pictures to come.
A little later...
I've posted some quick shots of him all lit up. I'll be sure to take some nicer photographs on Saturday or Sunday, but I wanted to give you a sense of what he looks like.
He isn't exactly as I imagined. He needs some cooler clothes and a few adjustments, but he'll do for this year. The bonus is I can take him completely apart for storage.
His stand is an actual tree trunk (a deceased tree we pulled from the ground). His eyes are lit with LED. I weaved pieces of wood for the eyes, and whittled his teeth.
For all the images posted below (with the exception of the one that just shows the base), you can click on the image to see a bigger picture.
Introducing Boo (right) and Spooky (left). They were carved this morning.
I hadn't planned on carving them this morning, but life has a funny way of dictating schedules.
I've been having a heck of a time with my Halloween Tree. Not enough hours to work on it. Things get rushed.
That's when entire branches break off and what was once sturdy begins to fall apart...
As with many projects I work on, this tree has a life of its own. It's calling the shots.
The tree was going to have multiple branches reaching up and out.
Nope.
Instead, it will have 3 main branches (2 of which are attached) and they will give the tree a sense of being bent over to the side.
The tree was going to have a subtle, almost organic face on it.
Um. Probably not.
Apparently he isn't that kind of tree.
He was going to have a collection of pumpkins hanging from his branches.
*taps fingers on the keyboard in a pondering manner*
He MIGHT still have it...but if he does, it will only be a few. And I'll need to see if I can find some smaller pumpkins.
Sometimes, despite your original image, you have to bend to the will of a project, and let it take you where it wants to go.
The worst part about this? I get the sense I'll be building a second tree next year, simply because my original idea did not come to fruition.
If you'd like to see closer shots of the trunk, I've posted step 4 of this project in the Horrific How To section.
I picked up a number of white craft pumpkins (on sale this week for 60% off). Even though I have a collection of half-finished paper mache pumpkins, the reality is I probably won't get to them in time for this Halloween.
I've carved faces, and painted detailing that matched the 3 white light up jack o' lanterns I own.
I carved small holes into the bottom of each one, just large enough to fit a battery operated candle. I numbered the bottoms of each one (sections and pumpkin) so I could close up the pumpkins if I chose to do so.
I love when people share images of their versions of plants. I get to see their vision, techniques and personal spins. Thanks for sending these, John!
Want to try your hand at them? Check out the how to.
What the minions say: