Introduction: Space Alien Geocache

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Here is another prop geocache that I made using simple materials found around the house. Like my other instructables, I used cheap materials and simple techniques to make it.

Materials:

  • Pot pant
  • Plastic bucket
  • PVC pipe and cement
  • Scrap wood
  • One small weight
  • Pool noodle
  • Bandages
  • Expanding foam
  • Wire
  • One metal bracket
  • Paint
  • 35mm film canister

Step 1: Making the Body

For the body I used a pot plant and a plastic bucket. First I attached feet to the bottom of the pot plant, the feet were just two pieces of scrap wood with a longer piece joining them. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the pot plant and halfway into the wood, this was to anchor the PVC pipe which I intended to run through the body. Finally I placed a weight into the pot plant so I wouldn't fall over when out in the elements and attached a metal bracket for extra strength.

I attached the bucket to the pot plant by drilling small holes and running cable ties through them. I drilled another hole in the top and added a circular piece of wood to the top with two bits of PVC pipe drilled on so I could attach arms to the body later. I then threaded a PVC pipe through the body to keep it stable and added a small piece of pool noodle to the top as the start of the neck.

Step 2: The Head

The head was pretty simple to make. I cut a hole in one of the kids balls and filled the ball with expanding foam. When the foam dried I cut away the ball. I used a stanley knife to cut in the shapes of the eyes and make a larger hole for the mouth and nose. I then wrapped the head with bandages (except the eyes) and painted it with PVC cement. Finally I painted it green, and used black for the eyes and inside the mouth.

I placed the head on a piece of pool noodle and used extra bandage and PVC cement to glue it in place. The head and neck could now easily be attached to the body.

Step 3: Shaping the Body, Adding Arms and Final Paint

I attached the head to the body by threading the PVC pipe running through the body into the pool noodle neck. I then coated the body in expanding foam and used a stanley knife to shape the body. I then wrapped the body in more bandage and painted it in PVC cement.

The arms were made with PVC pipe, for the fingers I used some pits of wire and coated them with expanding foam. I then wrapped the arms with bandage like the body and painted them with more PVC cement.

As I intended to use this prop as a geocache I needed somewhere to hold the log book. The original idea was that I would make a gun for the alien to hold and the gun would hold the log book. The gun I ended up making was too big so instead I simply screwed a 35mm film canister to one of the feet.

You can see in one of the photos I played with the idea of adding teeth. These were made from the prongs of a plastic fork. I didn't like to look at them so I took them off.

Finally the hole prop was ready for a final coat of green spray paint.

Step 4: Placing the Geocache

The last step was finding to secluded spot in the bush to place the geocache. Even with the weight inside the body it wasn't that heavy which was good since I had to make a 1.5km hike into the bush to place it. This was a very simply and quick build but I really like the result and it looks great in its hiding spot.