[spilled coffee prank/prop]

Happy April Fools Day!  This is a pretty authentic way of making it look like you (or someone else) spilled their coffee. Works well on someones desk, workstation, or even good on a hard floor. Simply follow the steps below and in less than an hour and around $6 you can have a great and authentic looking prop/prank that won't break the bank, and will pass the test of time.

UPDATE: I set this near my workstation at work and 99% of people that saw it said something, then just rolled their eyes when I moved it out of the way.

Step 1 [materials and cost]

This is a very simple prop to make and the ingredients and methods can be extrapilated and used for other applications. You only need three ingredients and two tools. My cost was around $6.50 total.

Materials
1. A coffee cup you can "destroy" FREE or CHEAP
    (from goodwill or one you don't like)
2. Hot Gun glue $1.50 at Hobby Lobby
    (I used jewelery glue because the package said it adhered well to glass)
3. Liquitex professional acrylic ink -transparent raw umber color  $5.00
    (I found this next to acrylic paints and water colors at Hobby Lobby)

Tools
1.  Microwave or oven to melt your hot gun glue sticks
2. Stirring, mixing tool (I used a bamboo chinese Chopstick from carryout)

Comments

[gtoal]

JB Weld is also pretty shiny and wet-looking when hardened. May have some potential for similar pranks...

[becky5364]

this prank also works with nail polish, just spill some on wax paper, then wait for it to dry, and you can peel it off and stick it anywhere, like on an important essay, college paper, or work document of a family member or friend

[overblast]

That's a great idea! (my wife will beat me for using her Lancome stuff). Will it actually "stick" to stuff, as in adhesive? I don't want to ruin anything or transfer chemicals etc.

[nerd12]

you could also use white glue like fevicol for this effect. add color though

[lunius]

Not at all. it is almost like plastic or rubber once dry (The hot glue is, i dunno about nail polish..)

[becky5364]

yes, that's right the nail polish is the same.

[VinZent777]

the easiest way to melt the glue sticks is putting the cup whit the glu sticks in a pot with water in the fire, you can see how much the glu sticks melts and add the color at the same time

[saransaleen]

god i fell down seein ma das face when i put this on his laptop!!!!! rofl xd lol !!omg

[rbbiggs]

lay it top of some important papers

[HardwareMa.am]

Wonder if the hot glue with ink composition would work on the running sock instructable. I was just thinking when I read that one that I would like to try it with a color that Plasti Dip doesn't come in. Like a brown or beige.

[foothillfrontier]

Can you post a link to this instructable? My attempt to search for it was lazy and I didn't find it on the first page that met my search criteria.

[HardwareMa.am]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Barefoot-Running-Plasti-Socks/

[legless]

I shoud have added that you might want to tip the mug over on a piece of greaseproof oven paper that is very lightly oiled or your mug might end up stuck to the bench.

[legless]

You can do this with an epoxy resin as well. Mix the resin and colouring in the cup/mug then just tip it over and let the epoxy run out. Most quick setting epoxies will start to set before the puddle can spread too far so it works pretty well.

[wycohibito]

LOL!! I might just have to try this.

73

[maslo]

Not really sure about using microwave oven for this - at least you should add a glass of water inside to prevent overloading the magnetron. Probably not totally necessary, though good to be aware of.

Instead of microwave oven, I would use hot air gun - if there's one available.

[foothillfrontier]

I wouldn't suggest using the kitcen microwave for this use if it was your only and best appliance. This being said I'm also the child that destroyed my moms flatware when I was 8 to make a windchime, but I digress...

You bring up a good point using water,  you could make use of heating this water and do a double boiler technique like you would for chocolate.

Personally, I used a microwave that is soon going to be replaced with a new over the range/vent/microwave combo so I wasn't too concerned about killing it.

[Musicman41]

I am not sure a double boiler would work in this instance. Boiled water only gets to 212 degrees, but you said you need 400 degrees to melt the glue.

[foothillfrontier]

I don't actually know what the melting temp of the glue is, Seemed reasonable that 400* would be a good temp to melt glue though.

[aaronbot3000]

If the hot glue does get stuck onto things, rubbing alcohol is really good at removing it.

[wmkcross]

A non heat method would be to use white glue (Elmers) and a Styrofoam cup.
Have to experiment with the coloring tho. Add white food color for milk and use a baby bottle. (white coloring available from cake decorator supply)

FYI... there are also "low temp" glue sticks on the market as well.

[TheRocker71]

I live in az and all i have to do to melt the glue is stick it out in the sun for 15 30 mins hhaha

[uberdum05]

You should smash the cup with a hammer so the bottom half is still intact then put it on the floor so it looked like it fell over, spilt and smashed :)

[spictacular]

I would like to try it in a wine glass and try and use some coloring to make the wine a dark bright red

[prankmaster109]

won

[gothcat]

GREAT TRICK :o) I have being using a trick almost the same to this but i have been using PVA glue and food colouring / paint Gives a nice wet look effect and does not kill microwaves. The only diffeance is you may need to make a small dam out of modeling clay to stop it spreading too far. It works great in the IT offices where i work and have even done a large random shaped pool in the server farm Luckily my co-worker saw the funny side after panicing :o)

[mimekiller17]

 thats so awesome i can homemake theese and i did this before so anyways i did something that has to do with urs this april fools
i did last year obvio8usly he didnt fall for it he picked it up, i am gonna say oh no i spilled coffe all over your desk, itll look realistic but he knows better hell pick it up and itll fly all over and ill say APRIL FOOLS IT WAS CHOCOLATE MILK!!! i laughed so hard

[GEOGECO]

iv'e tried it  and it works i mixed red food coloring to make raspberry cordial

[foothillfrontier]

post a picture!

[arjay1491]

 hahaha.... i just cant stop smiling from the things i could imagine if i do it with my friends :D

[deephidden]

I work at a TV station, and it would be hilarious to see an IT guy or engineer freak out seeing this on the control board.  Priceless.

[cybergod]

HE he he..... gotta try this one on the wife.

[abusalem]

Excellent prank. Nice Job

[foothillfrontier]

Thanks! I don't know what to do with it since April Fools day is over, so I've left it on the kitchen counter and still have visitors falling for it. I'll probably end up sticking it on a shelf till next year though.

[bowser82]

Good stuff! Recently received (won) a hiddeous coffee-mug. This will be a good idea to put it to use :-)

[katie j]

(won)

[falcotheimpaler]

 This is terrific. And is that the Dummy phone from "the Shack"? (I work there, it says 298 minutes from cake)

[foothillfrontier]

I can neither confirm nor deny these allegations.

[TitanTechRobotics]

I might do this with a heat gun, because I don't want to get hot glue all over in the microwave.

[foothillfrontier]

you could also heat your oven up to around 400*F, but I didn't use this method and suspect that the hot glue may start to smoke. I used secondary microwave that is typically abused, but did not notice any glue exploding in the microwave. Like I mentioned, it was ultimately the heating of the ceramic that melted the glue.