Conker Halloween Heads

These heads are great decorations for your Halloween House and are fun and simple to make. Use old conkers you've collected or fetch some fresh ones from your local chestnut tree.

Step 1: What Do You Need?

Conkers, pistachio shells, white acrylic paint, poster paints, fine black markers, paint brushes, pencil, silk clay, screws, hot glue gun, paracord.

Step 2: Prepare Your Conkers

Spread the conkers out to dry for a few days, so they lose their glossy shine and gain some wrinkles. This gives them their charm.

Step 3: Start Painting

I used white acrylic primer to cover the conkers before painting final designs, to give stronger colours.

Step 4: Pumpkin Heads

These need 2 or 3 layers of orange acrylic or poster paint. I painted details in white before the yellow coat, then used a black marker for outlines. The stalks are made from green paracord - seal ends with a flame and stick with hot glue.

Step 5: Other Characters

• Frankenstein's monster has screws in the sides of his head.
• Cyclops' horns are made from silk clay (or any air-drying clay).
• The ghost has a silk clay top hat.

Step 6: More Characters

• The bat's ears are made from pistachio shells.

Step 7: Preservation

This shows some I made three years ago - they have shrunk and hardened.