Zombie Pit

Ok so I was in the Halloween spirit today but not in the spirit to break the bank! I got most of this stuff for free, bought a low amount of things and had the rest here at home. I had sort of a vision of what i wanted to do but i modified this thing according to what i could find in the basement/yard/wherever. Remember this is pure imagination, you don't have to spend a single dollar on this thing, just look around and use what you got, here's what I did. Recently moved into this house that already had cinder blocks in the back yard so i used most of those however i bought 6 more just for backup (3$ a piece that's fairly cheap) i picked up 2 wood pallets for free at the same place ( i just used one in this but t's nice to have a spare one in case your imagination gets out of control) (20$) Then i went to my Home Depot and scrounged up scrap wood they had. (0$) Smiley face. Picked up 4 severed arms and a bottle of antibacterial gel (10$) at the Dollar Store

So let me break it down for all of those who don't wanna read through all this (if you haven't already)

- 12 cinder blocks (3$ each) try to find them for free they're out there!

- severed arms (2$ each) i used 4

- scrap wood (free)

- wood pallet (free)

- Spray paint (already had)

- Chain and lock (already had)

- Red, Green, Blue food colouring (had)

- Bottle of antibacterial gel (2.00$)

Alright!! Enough F*cking around, let's do this!!

Step 1: Gathering Mat'l

Here's the yard.

Here's the back of my truck

There are the colours of paints i used (1 can each) (emptied the black one)

Step 2: Adding Character

Alright so i got this pallet, but it looked waaay too new and in good shape, like it's been living the good life, right? None of that sh*t, take that black and brown spray paint and go crazy on it. I started with a base layer of a somewhat mild black then added the brown on top (remember don't go painting the sides that won't be shown, that's just a waste of paint and money and time). I suppose you could even mix up some mud and pour it all over the pallet then rub it in with a brush. (This step is purely used to add character to the wood like it's been through hell and back.. kinda, you get it) Then i got a hunting knife and machete to add scars (scuffs) to it, I even threw the rake at it a couple times.

Step 3: Brick Layout

Using the 9 bricks (remember the amount of bricks needed is according to the size of the pallet(s) used

There's a lot of variations in the measurements of cider blocks and pallets, for the most part the "thickness" of the cinder blocks stays the same, that is what we are going for.

So lay it out according to the pallet, as long as you have a little bit of brick over hanging.

See photo. \m/

Step 4: Paint the Hands

These hands used to be beige (white people coloured) so i used the grey for the base layer then added the olive green colour lightly (you know what happens to skin when it starts rotting, use your creativity dammit!)

Step 5: Combine Arms With Pallet

Ok so bring those arms through the pallets. So now think, if you were stuck down there reaching up throughout the wooden planks, what would it look like? The idea here is to make this sh*t look legit and realistic not corny.

I used zip ties to attach the arms to pallets. ( I'm positive that there's way more than one way to do this)

Step 6: Assemble the Pit

Throw the pallet on there string the chains through the wood however you wish i added a piece of scrap wood on top and in the front to hide the bottom where all the zip ties are. (not necessary but i had the wood so i used it ;))

Touch up the hands and pallet if needed.

Now bring out the red paint!! I know I know, but don't go crazy with it, add red to some of the wood, on the bricks and hands just accent the red because we will be adding more blood soon.

Also, I had a mud puddle in the driveway so i shovelled some muddy water on the bricks mostly (character) and a bit on the whole thing.

Step 7: Fake Blood

Okay, so the is the first time i try this. wanted to make something that wasn't edible to keep the creatures away and that wouldn't necessetily wash away too fast with rain, I don't know but figured I'd try the antibacterial gel from the dollar store, who knows, but feel free to use whatever kind of blood for this (fake blood jugs, butcher shop, corn syrup)

So add a generous amount of red, a few drops of green to cut the brightness and 1 drop of blue to cut the darkness. If it looks too purple, you've added too much blue, add more red, you can always add more red.

I also suggest adding twice as much water to the solution (1 part gel 2 parts water)

I forgot to snap a photo of the full bowl of fake blood (i got in the zone)

Step 8: The Bloodbath

NOW you can go to town with the blood because most likely that it will stay long enough to stain whatever it's sitting on and part of it will get washed and weathered. I added a "Feed the Zombies" sign to eliminate confusion and because i had the materials to do so

Step 9: The Final Cut

Don't know if you guys noticed but i had left a little gap on the back side of the pit so i could incorporate a red light and fog machine (both of which i already had in my halloween pile)

Check it out!

Thanks for reading folks, let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions or just send me pictures of your own personal attempt at this. It took me about 2 hrs to complete this project. Have fun!

Cheers!

Comments

[desireeruiz83]

Where did everyone get the red light from

[Tweetysvoice]

Had to track this down cuz I FINALLY got my hands on a pallet! Been a few year's but excited to finally build this for my haunted yard! :) Happy Halloween!

[bretinc]

right on, glad to share this creation, the fog machine i think i got that at spirit halloween, don't remember the price, but it's a good halloween addition for years to come, I'm thinking of doing a double pallet one this year or i got a few different ideas, might just have to make another instructable, much love everyone :D

[akpuppyface]

Sweet

[Oobinator]

Where did you get the fog machine? Also, very, very well made. It looks very authentic and I am definetly making this. We live in the Southern Hemisphere where Halloween isn't that big, but I grew up in Canada and halloween is a family thing. This will add a very nice touch to our arsenal of scary contraptions.

[nathantwan.toan]

Dude that is awesome will go well at my New Years z party

[Rachael K]

Great Idea!

[syedhamzahasan]

now thats something

[mikefromspace]

A little off subject but to make gravestones I found that chrome spraypaint will eat Styrofoam like acid. Use it to etch names and dates into a foam panel, then go over it all with some cheap primer gray and or maybe one of those new texture paints to give the appearance of real stone.

[lime3D]

Yes it is off subject. Go ahead and do this, and write an instructable for it.

[Laird-Denton]

That is a great idea, I might be doing this for next year!

Great use of low cost materials and making sure they don't just go to a landfill!

[suprspi]

Excellent pics, great write up and instructions. This looks stellar, I may have to build one...

[ch5]

Nice idea.

Would be perfect with a moaning sound source, and some kind of actuator to shake/bang against the wood .

[Chico da Rave]

I would sugest microwave motor, the one that turns the plate.
They are cheap, slow, nice torque, easy to use (just conect to mains), and can turn in both directions, if you lock it then it reverses the spin, no electronics needed.

[lime3D]

Yes, a small motor (I like BBQ rotisserie motors because they are low speed/high torque) with a linkage would look like the zombies are trying to push the pallet up.

Overall, I love this project.

[bretinc]

awesome :o

[bretinc]

yes, ill be adding the sounds definately

[oilitright]

I was hoping for a real zombie pit:(

[robbied]

That is really cool. It looks apocalypse authentic :)

[dalesql]

Very nice. I've seen much worse looking efforts in profesional haunted houses. If you rebuild this next year, try adding a sound effects speaker under there, and some electric solenoids or pneumatic cylinders that can shake the lid like the zombies are pushing up on the lid trying to get out. Activate them with a motion sensor or with a remote button inside.