Lusting after Home Depot animatronics, or, Creating a truly bonkers Halloween display on a budget

frimble3

Heckuva good sport
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
12,638
Reaction score
8,410
Location
west coast, canada
Another useless suggestion, but what about that material that's between wood and plastic?
Bamboo! It's very strong and flexible. And, useful long skinny strips can be found on blinds, mats, etc?
(Okay, this idea came to me from little cocktail umbrellas (made of paper) and their larger original counterparts.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: buz

buz

can't stop hemorrhaging emojis
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,402
Reaction score
2,405
Another useless suggestion,
Oh dear. I've been kind of a jerk haven't I :( I love your suggestions; suggestions give me ideas regardless of direct or indirect application :)
but what about that material that's between wood and plastic?
Bamboo! It's very strong and flexible. And, useful long skinny strips can be found on blinds, mats, etc?
! I do have some bits of bamboo strips!
(Okay, this idea came to me from little cocktail umbrellas (made of paper) and their larger original counterparts.)
Contemplating materials science in Margaritaville? ;)
 
  • Haha
Reactions: frimble3

frimble3

Heckuva good sport
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
12,638
Reaction score
8,410
Location
west coast, canada
Oh dear. I've been kind of a jerk haven't I :( I love your suggestions; suggestions give me ideas regardless of direct or indirect application :)

! I do have some bits of bamboo strips!

Contemplating materials science in Margaritaville? ;)
More like 'looking for my lost shaker of salt'. Anything to put off the de-hoardering.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cmhbob and buz

CMBright

Cats are easy, Mice are tough
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 23, 2021
Messages
6,787
Reaction score
10,248
Location
Oklahoma
Check with Goodwill/Salvation Army stores. They get a lot of junk that's broken or otherwise useless.
Even if it's useful, thrift stores prices are far less than regular ones.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: buz

buz

can't stop hemorrhaging emojis
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,402
Reaction score
2,405
Check with Goodwill/Salvation Army stores. They get a lot of junk that's broken or otherwise useless.
Do they not just throw it away?
 

buz

can't stop hemorrhaging emojis
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,402
Reaction score
2,405
I'll give y'all a hot tip from my experiences lately: if you buy a 5-foot skeleton and use a 5-foot piece of wood as a ground stake, and you mount your skeletons by drilling holes in their occipitals and jamming one end of the stake through the bottom, and then you shove the other end of the stake into the ground as many inches as you can manage....

...your skeleton cannot be in a standing position. There's no room to have the legs extended to the ground. Better plan for "running pose" for everyone :p
 

buz

can't stop hemorrhaging emojis
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,402
Reaction score
2,405
edit: re-read what I wrote and realized that what I thought I wrote might not be what I wrote? So...just gonna delete all that and try to re-read things I write *before* I post them more often...

Um...anyway, as an update, I've also discovered that one should wear gloves when aggressively pushing unsanded wooden stakes into the ground. Probably not something anyone else needed to be told, but there you are...
 
Last edited:

JJ Litke

People are not wearing enough hats
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
8,238
Reaction score
5,364
Location
Austin
Website
www.jjlitke.com
*sigh * Okay this is probably something with a simple solution I am not thinking of but...I am really trying not to buy any more stuff which limits things a bit :p

Let's say I want a um...boleadora. Looking like it's twirling or spun outstretched in the air. Some sort of wire or stiff thin thing I guess...not obvious but will defy gravity and hold up some wooden "weights" without being super heavy itself (because a plastic skeleton has to hold it)? I can't think of anything I have made of really stiff wire; all the clothes hangers I inherited are plastic or mostly plastic.

The material I have the most of is "wood". I have some bits of scrap aluminum but it's thin and flimsy. Also a lot of plastic crap but the only see-through crap I have is in the realm of bubblewrap/packing material type stuff.

Not sure if any of that lends itself to this? If not, and I need some sort of wire object, any thoughts on what to look for?
Sorry to chime in late with yet another suggestion, but what about styrofoam balls instead of wood? Even after painting they'll be super light.
 
  • Like
Reactions: buz and frimble3

buz

can't stop hemorrhaging emojis
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,402
Reaction score
2,405
Sorry to chime in late with yet another suggestion, but what about styrofoam balls instead of wood? Even after painting they'll be super light.
A good suggestion! I have actually discovered that I think a base of wadded up balls of colored garbage stuck on bamboo strips might work. Initial testing is positive anyway 😛
 

frimble3

Heckuva good sport
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
12,638
Reaction score
8,410
Location
west coast, canada
A good suggestion! I have actually discovered that I think a base of wadded up balls of colored garbage stuck on bamboo strips might work. Initial testing is positive anyway 😛
"Wadded up balls of colored garbage"?
You have a brilliant, inventive mind, but no head for marketing.
'Plastic', 'paper', 'whatever' ... but not 'garbage'! :LOL:
Glad that initial tests are positive!
 
  • Like
Reactions: buz

buz

can't stop hemorrhaging emojis
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,402
Reaction score
2,405

frimble3

Heckuva good sport
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
12,638
Reaction score
8,410
Location
west coast, canada
"A vivid conglomeration of cast-off gift wrappings, upcycled packaging materials and repurposed childrens' party favors deemed defective or unsuitable by the children themselves"?
There! That's the stuff! I knew you had it in you!
It sounds environmentally-sensitive and, most importantly: bright and cheerful!
'Gift wrappings and children's party favors' sounds fun and festive! Something you'd want in your yard or neighbourhood!
'Garbage' sounds like you've used rusty tin cans and cardboard boxes.
 

buz

can't stop hemorrhaging emojis
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,402
Reaction score
2,405
'Gift wrappings and children's party favors' sounds fun and festive! Something you'd want in your yard or neighbourhood!
I do not know if my neighbors would agree :p
'Garbage' sounds like you've used rusty tin cans and cardboard boxes.
Don't you mean "recyclables" and "weed blockers" ?
 
  • Like
Reactions: frimble3

frimble3

Heckuva good sport
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
12,638
Reaction score
8,410
Location
west coast, canada
Don't you mean "recyclables" and "weed blockers" ?
It sounds all ecologically-sensitive, but does it sound attractive and fun? A refrigerator on it's side does a wonderful job of blocking weeds. And poop is recyclable as it comes.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: buz

JJ Litke

People are not wearing enough hats
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
8,238
Reaction score
5,364
Location
Austin
Website
www.jjlitke.com
Should we start a general DIY Halloween thread (or maybe there is one already?)? I made a basic Halloween fence, then wrote a blog post with some guidelines for doing one yourself. I don't want to hyjack this thread, but also didn't want to start a new thread if it's not really warranted, then I overthought what to do for a while and finally I just posted this here.

But if we should reserve this thread for Buz's project, I can start another thread.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris P and buz

buz

can't stop hemorrhaging emojis
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,402
Reaction score
2,405
Should we start a general DIY Halloween thread (or maybe there is one already?)? I made a basic Halloween fence, then wrote a blog post with some guidelines for doing one yourself. I don't want to hyjack this thread, but also didn't want to start a new thread if it's not really warranted, then I overthought what to do for a while and finally I just posted this here.

But if we should reserve this thread for Buz's project, I can start another thread.
No for the love of god DO NOT reserve the whole thread for me, for my sake anyway -- unless it's genuinely less confusing for other people that way. I mean I wanted advice and stuff but part of the fun of doing batcrap things is seeing what batcrap things other people are doing and I loved hearing about other people's projects and decorations and things :) Also, my own nonsense is sort of winding down, I think...so please, please, if anyone else wants to add their Halloween projects or questions or weird DIY decoration adventures...please hijack the thread.

Unless it's...actually better for other people to have a new one. I don't mind either way, is all I mean.
:)

I love your fence! It looks incredibly classy :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: JJ Litke

JJ Litke

People are not wearing enough hats
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
8,238
Reaction score
5,364
Location
Austin
Website
www.jjlitke.com
Last edited:

tiddlywinks

Chaser of Shineyyyy Plot Bunnies
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
9,496
Reaction score
3,853
Location
Following a Plot Bunny
Hmm. Are you? Inquiring minds want to know. Even though the inquiring mind in question forgot to respond to this at the time, but totally thought about it, but probably got distracted by something and thought it already responded and--
Belated response - sorry, been a busy month traveling, schtuff, and recovering from a stupid nasty cold.

Yes! I am going as a modified version of a sparkly reaper. No facepaint this year as I am trying to recover from a nasty reaction to skincare that did not work well and resulted in a giant volcano on Wink's face that is now only like Mt. St. Helen's versus Mount Rainier size. It's annoying at this age in my life. So long story short, there will be no glorious face painting so I had to get creative and find some half face mask options that'll work.

There WAS a full on skeleton face mask that was bedazzled with rhinestones all over, I kid you not, but it was very cheaply done and you could see all the glue. For that price, I'd rather do it myself! I found a somewhat sparkly skeleton mask that I can wear, plus a purple robe because screw black. I'm now debating whether I spray paint my silver and black scythe I picked up - if I spray paint it, I was thinking something sparkly, of course. And I have shiny black clothes already to wear under said outfit.
 

buz

can't stop hemorrhaging emojis
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,402
Reaction score
2,405
I'm sorry to hear you've had a trying time with your face :( But hurrah to you for soldiering on! I am so happy to hear of your sparkly purple reaping! :D :D (I mean, personally, I like black, but it's very Traditional and I do enjoy freshenings of the old ways ;) ) Happy Halloweening!
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrsmig

JJ Litke

People are not wearing enough hats
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
8,238
Reaction score
5,364
Location
Austin
Website
www.jjlitke.com
I finally finished my new dragon candy chute! It's a gold dragon snout poking out of a half-story window (at a stair landing), with a long red tongue that forms the candy chute.

The snout is cardboard with spray foam to create some of the shape, then covered in paper mache and painted gold. The tongue is a semi-rigid dryer hose cut down the long edge and covered in red duct tape (be VERY careful with the raw metal edges if you ever try this, they're really jagged and sharp). The eyes are light-up eyes that I bought online.

Tonight is gonna be so fun.
 

JudiH

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 18, 2024
Messages
1,002
Reaction score
1,798
Location
US Midwest
I finally finished my new dragon candy chute! It's a gold dragon snout poking out of a half-story window (at a stair landing), with a long red tongue that forms the candy chute.

The snout is cardboard with spray foam to create some of the shape, then covered in paper mache and painted gold. The tongue is a semi-rigid dryer hose cut down the long edge and covered in red duct tape (be VERY careful with the raw metal edges if you ever try this, they're really jagged and sharp). The eyes are light-up eyes that I bought online.

Tonight is gonna be so fun.
Picture?