Introduction: Life-size Kraken Decoration

About: I am an artist. And children's illustrator. Not much of a talker but a total geek when it comes to my sci-fi and anime Check me out at Instagram @im_rainbow_panda

Create your very own enormous Kraken for less than $130! And it's not as hard as you think.

Supplies

  • Foam blocks can be bought online, Facebook marketplace or my favorite choice FREE! I got mine from Tractor Supply, they usually throw them away. The best part is that you get them free and do your part on recycling .
  • Horse comb brush
  • Sharp knife, or foam cutter or hand saw
  • Electric Paint sprayer, trust me cuts time in half. Or paint brushes of various sizes
  • Exterior latex paint.
  • 4- 2x3 stud boards
  • Gorilla glue construction adhesive and chalk gun
  • 6x2 pressure treated wood pre cut
  • 4 play sand bags
  • Deck screws
  • U hooks
  • conduit pipe 1/2 inch or rebar
  • Paper clay or paper mache
  • Sander or sander block
  • Face mask and goggles , safety first !

Step 1: Glue, Sketch and Carve

First step is to glue them bricks together. Let them dry. Make sure to place something heavy on it to secure, then in place while they dry.

Once they dry sketch your drawing onto the pieces with marker.

Then carefully carve away . Whether you use a sharp knife,saw or foam cutter, because foam has tiny particles make sure to wear your mask respirator and goggles.

For that 3d effect glue pieces on top of each other.

Step 2: Sand , Mache and Paint

The next step is to sand, sand , sand! Sand as much as you can to make it nice and smooth, but if you're tired and lazy as I was use paper clay. It fills the holes or dents left behind from sanding. I painted my piece first with exterior latex paint as a base to make it easier for me to see any holes that I missed.

Then i waited for it for it to dry. Then paint your desired colors.

Step 3: Secure and Enjoy

We cut 2x3 studs to size and gorilla glued them to the back of the foam. We then drilled it to foam to secure it. At the bottom of the head piece we used door hinges and attached it to a flat piece of pre-treated wood 6x4 and attached it to the bottom so that it would be easier to store and fit the roofs weird angle. Then we attached wood to the side of the flat studs on back of head to create like a triangle for sturdiness and lastly we added 4 play sand sand bags to hold it ignore the leaves,I forgot to photograph it before it went on too of roof.

For the tentacles we screwed U hooks to the back and slide it over a half inch of steel conduit pipe that we hammered to ground with a mallet about 2 feet deep.

We then lit it up with water effect lightning that we found online. And to add more flare we found matching tentacle inflatables and attached those to our windows.

Halloween Contest

Runner Up in the
Halloween Contest