Making jack o lanterns on the cheap?

[orlokoclock]

Hey! I'm looking to make a lot of jack o lanterns for my haunt this year, but the only directions I have found as to how to make a jack o lantern out of something other than a pumpkin is on spookyblue.com.

But their method requires plastic cauldrons and already pumpkin shaped plastic pieces. Does anyone have any suggestions, or am I really stuck paper mache-ing a bunch of plastic cauldrons this year?

I need to make a LOT of them. Looking for a sort of pumpkinrot feel.

[craigfly06]

ORLOKOCLOCK, you are in luck! look down a few posts and there is one how to make pumkins out of dryer vents!! That should be alot eaiser than all that paper!!

[Lord Homicide]

Or go buy some rebar tie wire

[RoxyBlue]

Here is the link from the thread craig mentioned:

http://pinterest.com/pin/89790586291088988/

Pumpkin shapes from dryer vent hose.

[NoxRequiem]

http://www.stolloween.com/?page_id=4017

Requires nothing but paper mache, cardboard, and tape. He does mention some other materials, but that's really all you need to make it work.

[orlokoclock]

Yes, i did see that craigfly06 and roxy blue! I do intend to use some of that, but I think nox requiem might have hit it on the head.

I wanted to make varying sixes and shapes, and I think if I modify the recipe to have the outermost layer in blue shop rags and black latex paint, they'll look great!

Thanks guys!

[RoxyBlue]

Can't go wrong with Stolloween jacks They take more time and effort, but the outcome is well worth it and papier mache is a wonderfully versatile (albeit messy) technique.

[bmaskmaker]

Paper mache is my favorite medium too, and I love Stolloween's site and info. I make mine over beach balls for an easy, reusable, deflatable basic shape. Then add the details over the top.

Once you get some shapes you like, you can replicate it with with packing tape, to get several pumpkin bases to mache fairly quickly. I did this making the skulls for the $20 prop contest.

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=31051

Scroll down to post 6 & 7 and it shows the technique.

[Sytnathotep]

I've been making some out of kettle gourds I grew a few years back. I've just cut faces in mine with a dremel tool, but you could easily mache them into pumpkins. Wal-mart or any other place with a decent garden center will have kettle gourd seeds. If you plant now, it will likely be too late for this year, but you'd have a much to work with for next year!

http://www.foothillsfarm.com/egourds/kettle/kettle.htm

[Spooky1]

I'd recommend Stolloween's method too. The variations are endless.