How do you make fake corn stalks?

[Allen H]

I know how I would make them, but I never have. I may this year. From one 10' piece of PVC, you can get two corn stalks.

1/2" pvc
roll of construction protective paper (Home depot $12)
Hot glue
clear school glue
Latex paint to tint the glue the desired color.
Plastic water bottles (the ones that are ear of corn sized)
Wire coat hangers or ceiling hanger wire (CHW is from Home depot)
Packing tape

Definitly get the corn fabric to put up on the walls, then make two or three rows of fake corn to go in front.

Cut the PVC to length
Roll out and cut the paper into pieces 3' wide (comes that way on the roll) and 20" long
stack a bunch of the paper together so you can cut many leaves at once
cut into the 3" wide strips
then cut each strip into the long leaf shape of a corn leaf leaving a long tag to attach it to the stalk

Corn is aranged a certain way leaf placement will really sell it

attach two leaves directly opposite each other about two foot up from the bottom
about 10-12" up from that attach another two leaves but on the two sides opposite the first set
Attach alternating sets of leaves by (taping the tag to the stalk, leaf flat against the stalk pointing up) all the way up. shorten the space between leaf sets by two inches each time as you travel up the stalk
So on a five foot stalk you would put the first one 2'up, then another 12" from that, then another 8" up from that then another set at the top, so about 8 leaves per stalk

to keep them organic looking, vary the lengths of stalks and leaves
Run the hot glue along the shaft and along the underside of the leaf, run three or four strips along the underside of the leaf (the side now facing up). Stop the glue about half way down the leaf. the glue is there for structural support. once they are glued you can stand the corn stalk up right and curl the leaves back

For ears- tape a length of wire to the water bottle, then tape a few leaves to the wire so the fold up over the bottle, a hole can be drilled in the stalk that the wire slips into. I would have an "ear" on every other stalk.

the whole thing then gets painted with the glue mix, to finish it off- stuff the top of the PVC with a piece of fake plant that looks like the tuft on top. Buy a fake plant that will give you many tufts so its more economical.

I think the finished cost would be about 3-4$

[HalloweenZombie]

I was just searching for fake corn last night and came across this very link. Dave, you must have been reading my mind.

[RoxyBlue]

Found this how-to for corn stalks using magazine paper:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Corn-Stalk-Decorations

Or using butcher paper:

http://www.ehow.com/how_8626774_make-corn-stalk.html

I also found a discussion on another forum (not THE other forum) about using dried giant sunflower stalks as a substitute for corn stalks. They're easily grown from seed, although you'd need to plan ahead and start them in your garden in the spring.

[Allen H]

From the tips section of Roxys first link-
"Try over if your first attempt does not work."
I file that under- DUH.
I wish those tutorials had pictures.

Roxy -the issue he has with the dried cornstalks is flamability- So the dried Sunflower stalks is also out. If he went the paper route I would coat them in something to slow the burn or its the same issue.
Im still digging too, the flammability is the big issue.

[RoxyBlue]

"I file that under - DUH" - LOL

The original post is from 2008 and yes, flammability was the issue for Tiff's haunt. For those cases where it isn't, paper is fine. However, stalks made of nonflammable materials might be more durable, which would be a genuine plus.

I'm actually surprised on how little there is out there on how to make fake cornstalks.

[Allen H]

Hmmm...I may try my hypothetical method out and make a youtube wednesday vid out of it.
Im trying to build a library of useful videos with titles that are easily searchable. This does have broad appeal.

[RoxyBlue]

Update for anyone who reads this thread - here is Allen's thread with a corn stalk how to:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=30563