Homemade Halloween

This is my graveyard I made from old things I had lying around the house and stuff I would normally have thrown out in the garbage. The only things that were store bought are the tombstones and some of the skulls used in the zombies.

The frames for the zombies were made from 1/2 inch pvc pipe, old garden hose, metal clothes hangers and some other things. They were covered with old newspaper (paper mache) and then with tissue to give a rotten flesh look. The eyes were made by putting hot glue in a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon and waiting until they hardened.

Put it all together and you get a fun little scene for halloween.

lcoupon says: Aug 24, 2011. 8:47 AM

Quick question... how does the tissue stay on? Doesn't it get damp and start to peel?
Great job by the way! Thanks for sharing!

garnoft (author) says: Aug 26, 2011. 4:11 AM

It does get damp, but the paste holds it on. It won't peel. It does feel slimy though and is a bit see through until it dries.

masaya999 says: Oct 1, 2010. 5:15 AM

they looks alive...thats really cool...

anonygrazer says: Jul 5, 2009. 1:20 PM

How did you get that great lighting effect though? Thanks.

garnoft (author) says: Sep 17, 2009. 2:57 PM

The lights are just orange halloween string lights and I have a fog machine running through a chiller that keeps the fog right above the lights...makes them look smoky.

hvacmac says: Nov 10, 2009. 6:49 PM

your fog runs thru a chiller?where did ya get it?or did you make it?awesome zombies dude!

crusty knight says: Mar 6, 2010. 9:22 PM

You can make a chiller with an old ice chest, some chicken wire and a clothes drier vent tube. I drilled holes on either side of the chest, one the size of the exhaust port on my fogger, the other the size of the drier tube. I rolled the chicken wire into a tube inside the cooler running from one hole to the other. Fill the chest with ice, the chicken wire maintains a path for the fog to travel. As it passes through the ice it is chilled and comes out the drier tube cold enough to hug the ground. This creates a much eerier effect than just a blast of fog floating through the air. I painted the whole thing black to hide better at night. I can keep the unit behind bushes and lay the tube out into the yard or under a prop.

zascecs says: Nov 8, 2009. 5:53 PM

Great job with the skelatons! I was just thinking before halloween to do something exactly like this!
I love the idea of them coming from the ground.

Gotta try this instructable next year...

gluvsu says: Oct 25, 2009. 2:12 PM

amazing!!!

whitecoralbelles says: Oct 5, 2009. 7:57 AM

I just wanted to say I am in awe of your talent! I think I may have to try a couple of these myself because I really need some skeletons for my halloween party and we have all the supplies already. Thanks for the inspiration!

bethehammer says: Sep 27, 2009. 4:11 PM

You have inspired me! I really wanted to add skeletons to my haunt but have been frustrated by the cost/quality of the ones available. Very nice job! You have just made my haunt 10 times better this year!

eulaliaaaa! says: Sep 27, 2009. 12:24 PM

you should make the skeletons and zombies on a track thats motion activated. Put a screamer in the skeletons and put a fog machine to make a big cloud of mist, so when the people come up to your house, RAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!

gothycdesigns says: Sep 16, 2009. 8:46 PM

Very well done. Great job. now add some animatronics too them and they be looking like real living zombies.

garnoft (author) says: Sep 17, 2009. 2:58 PM

Thanks. I have better plans for this year and hope I can come up with something interesting for that. I have to make new zombies because last years didn't make it.

gothycdesigns says: Sep 17, 2009. 9:39 PM

If you make more, you should try this tip. I volunteer at a pro haunt called FRIGHTTOWN in Portland OR. one of the things we do to a corpse, which is really easy. Wrap it up in plasticwrap like saran wrap by Glad or something. Coat it with latex, about 2 coats. For extra rotten looking flesh tear the plastic just before latexing. You can add acrylic paints to dye the latex or use floral paints, the Cherry tone looks really good for that dried blood look. Thx for the reply. Happy Hauntings.