Introduction: Purple Halloween Candy Monster

About: I adore instructables and use it when I'm playing with ideas for my students (I'm a certified art teacher and the Art Director for a children's summer camp). I have found that it fuels my creative process as …

Want a cheap and fun way to pass out candy this Halloween?  Look no further!  This instructable will teach you how to create your very own Halloween Candy Monster as well as give you tips and ideas for other uses for this instructable. 

Let's get Started!

Step 1: Materials Needed

To create a monster like mine you will need the following materials.  However, do not limit yourself to these materials, let your imagination run wild!

1 - 5 - Large School Glue Containers (or you could just buy a gallon of white school glue, it's handy stuff)
1 - Bottle(s) of various craft acrylic paint, school grade will work as well
1 - Can Gold Spray Paint
1 - Cardboard Cone
1 - 5 - Industrial Cardboard Paper Towel Rolls (I asked Wal-mart to save me theirs)
1 - Five Gallon Bucket (I asked the school cooks for this)
1 - Gallon House Paint (color of your choice...for the main color of your monster)
1 - Package of Google Eyes
1 - Roll Lion Brand Fun Fur Yarn (Found this at Wal-mart)
1- Razor blade or x-acto knife
1 to 2 - Cans of Great Stuff Foam Insulation
1 to 2- Rolls of Masking Tape
1 - Plastic Drop Cloth
1 - Hot Glue Gun and Glue
2 - Flat Bed Sheets (or any material)  (I ask for such things every spring when people are cleaning)
2 - Hollow Rubber Bouncy Balls (I found these at a Dollar Tree)
3 - Small Butter Containers  (ask around people tend to save these or will save them for you)
5 - 10 - Cardboard Egg Creates (ask around people will save things for you if you ask nicely)

Step 2: Basic Figure

Unfortunately when I first started my monster I wasn't very good about taking pictures, however, because this guy turned out pretty cute and made me think of a million other ideas for use of a monster I've started a second so, I took a picture of it's start.

Take your five gallon bucket, use the handle of the bucket as the top jaw.  Once you decide how wide you want the mouth open, use masking tape to hold it into place.  On this guy, you will notice I put a lot of masking tape. This was to make my life a little easier and something I realized I should have done on my first monster, more on that in the next step.

Step 3: Armature

To create your armature you need to use different materials.  I had a lot of cardboard on hand from egg cartons and paper towel rolls.  However, any material really will work.  I would think about the material you are using, think light weight.  You are using a glue mache for this, which dries pretty light, but it helps to also use light weight material so you can move your monster around with out killing your back.

I put all these materials on I used masking tape.  Any tape will really do, I might shy away from duct tape, again due to weight issues and it has a slick side, which might make it harder to get the glue mache to stick for you.

Step 4: The Things You Can Do With Balls

The first time I found these balls was at a dollar store when I was creating a parade dragon for the camp I work for.  They are made up of small plastic pieces.  They are super bright and cut very easily.  When I went to make this monster, alas I couldn't find the balls!!  However, I went to another town and I like to haunt dollar trees, cheap stuff you can make into cool stuff who doesn't love that!  Anyway low and behold they had the balls I liked to make eyes out of!   So, I bought them.  Now, really any ball will do as long as it's hollow and it has a thick wall.  You could also use Styrofoam balls and cut them in half. 

Step 5: Mache It!

Paper mache is great, and you could do that, however I like the textures you get with fabric.There is a great paper mache artist who does this check him out HERE

Take your white school glue and mix it with water, half and half, more glue if you want it to be stiffer.  Cut your fabric into strips.  Dip the fabric in the mix run your fingers gently down the strip and attach.

I had a bunch of pillow cases laying around and I cut them into strips and used them, some were old drop clothing for paintings so they look a little funky but it's ok, we will deal with it later to make it all a uniformed color.

Step 6: Paint It White!

Now you need to do a base coat of color.  I didn't have my house paint picked out at the time or I could have used that as my base.  Basically you need to get a good base of acrylic paint down.  Why?  I'll explain.

Fabric adsorbs paint, even though it is covered with a glue mix.  Also, if you are using different colors of fabric at items this can bleed into the paint and change the color.  A base coat helps fix these issues and lets you put on the true color of your paint for your final coat.

Step 7: The Steps I Missed & Painting

Sometimes I get excited and I forget to document!  SORRY!  If I do not cover something via pictures or in my notes, please ask I'm happy to tell you!

You will notice some changes since you last saw the monster.  Around the eyes and the mouth as well as areas that had openings that need filled I used Great Stuff Foam Insulation.  It's fantastic.  It sprays out of a can and expands, once it's dry you can cut it with a razor blade or x-acto knife.  This allowed me to give the monster some crazy foam gums, give eye lids and some more monster texture.

I painted his lips first, then his teeth.  I then went in with the purple paint.  As I was working along I realized darn it, I need to paint the inside of his mouth it looks goofy white, so I painted it black.  In retro speck I would have sanded the inside of the bucket and used a rattle can (spray paint) to paint it black first THEN put the monster together, yadda yadda yadda.  Live and learn!

Once the monster was all painted, I took the base purple and mixed in some blue, then hit the areas elevated too give a variety to his skin color.

Step 8: I WANT TO SEE WHAT I'M EATING!

A 5 gallon bucket is deep, really deep.  Good for something not for others.  So, I decided I wanted to raise the bottom of the bucket.  "But how do you do that, Poofrabbit?"  GREAT QUESTION! 

Take a can of great stuff, and spray the bottom.  This insulation expands, in 15 mins it will start to get to the size it will be and harden, in 8 hrs it's finished.  Love this stuff.  So while it was still wet I put google eyes in the bottom.  They will stick and they will expand with the insulation.

This will raise your bottom, it keeps the monster light weight and it's just funny to say the monster likes to see what it ate.

Step 9: Monsters Need Fluff

I wanted my monster to be friendly and I think of fur as friendly, I blame sesame street!

Using Fun Fur yarn by lion brand I hot glued the fur above the eyes and under his mouth.

Step 10: Bling That Horn!

I went back and forth on the horn, I finally decided I wanted to give it a little bling.  I spray painted into a old frosting container then using a paint brush I brushed on the gold to the horn hitting the high lights.

And you are done!

Fill him with candy and have kids come to your door and reach into the mouth of the beast to get their treat!  he also makes a great box for collecting box tops for school or any fund raiser! 

This is also a great size for a trash can, which is what my second one is being used for.  (Pictures to come when I finish)

Step 11: PoofRabbit's Tips and Tricks

PoofRabbit's Tips and Tricks

* If you want to paint the inside of the bucket, it would be wise to do this first.  to do it right you should rough up the inside with some sand paper and paint away.  You can rattle can this (spray paint)

* Great Stuff Foam Insulation is wonderful and REALLY STICKY!  Don't get it on you it takes forever to get off, just trust me on this.

* Ask around, people will give you their junk.  I'm not kidding they will and people love to help others with their projects, saving things for you is away for them to help.  I ask every spring for old bed sheets, tee shirts and jeans I use all these materials for my classes and my projects. 

* Use Spray Paint and great stuff in a well ventilated area.  They do stink, house paint can too as a matter of fact.  Remember, your health is important.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will do my best to help you!  When I finish my trash can I will post pictures as well!

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