# Lowest-Cost Watching Monster



## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

You can make a fairly useful prop using almost exclusively recycled materials and junk.

For this one you will need:
discarded plastic water bottles
a juice bottle
a fist-sized chunk of old styrofoam
newspaper
masking tape (maybe a whole roll, probably less)
black spraypaint
pingpong eyeballs (those ridiculous things that you see in dollar stores or grocery stores)

Here's what I did.

I needed something simple, dark, and vaguely goblinoid for my very dark trail. Not a prop for details or anything, just to give the impression that the woods had occupants that were watching the TOTs. A lot of people cut silhouettes and backlight them for this, or use a pair of lights for glowing eyes with no body or outline, but I had saved a bunch of used water bottles and wanted to see what I could do with them.

I started with a few discarded water bottles and a juice bottle. See the pic:









But the forearms were upside-down and the lower half wasn't used; instead I made the top half only, like a groundbreaker I guess. The forearms are a little shorter because they are made from bottles of a pediatric drink one of my kids used to drink. They are shorter than water bottles.

These were attached with masking tape. You could use duct tape too. For the head I just broke off a chunk of styrofoam that something or other had been packed in, and crudely whittled it with a serrated kitchen knife. I guess you could use a juice bottle or something for that too. For the rest, it's easier to show a pic than to describe the process:










Notice that the eyes follow you wherever you go, even to the other side of the creature:










That's because each one is half of one of those eyeballs, and they are concave; that is, you are looking at the inside. Just draw a large round pupil in each one and your brain actually does the rest. It's an old trick.

Notice the throat: it's the open end of the juice bottle. If you wanted, you could fill the prop with water and drop a chunk of dry ice in there to make fog come from its mouth. Or if you are crazy you could put some sand in it and chase that with lighted cone incense. But I'm not telling you to do that and I certainly didn't.

The hands are a little discarded foam scraps, newspaper, and tape.










Cover the eyes temporarily and paint it black. Except for the lighting, you're done.* I am the world's most inept photographer for night or dark scenes*, and could not get an adequate pic of what a red LED did for this prop. It was subtle, which is what you want. It wasn't intended for detail, like I said. The TOTs and parents carried flashlights anyway, and for that this worked, because the eyes followed them. Here is a flash pic of it - it did NOT look like this, just ignore the brightness:










I think I'd do well to make more of these and place them farther away from where TOTs walk.

Also, this is not a prop to leave outside indefinitely. But it weighs nothing and that is always a plus.


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## Dixie (Feb 18, 2009)

These kinds of props are my favorites - made from practically nothing, and definitely do not look like it. Thanks for the tip on the concave eyes, thats a keeper idea!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I can see how coming upon a bunch of these little guys in a darkened area would be unnerving.

The concave eye trick is a keeper. I may have to try that out on a prop this year.


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## dave the dead (Jan 31, 2007)

Hmmmm....just a little more finish work and that could be a showcase prop. Nice job!


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## scaryjak (Sep 28, 2009)

he looks great and considering he was pretty much free. you definately cant complain


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## diagia (Oct 21, 2011)

Quick ..easy and does the job. I did a mummy out of bottles and a dollar tree skull.


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## ouizul1 (May 22, 2010)

Rahnefan, that's awesome!! I particularly like the application....uh, use....of the little rascals. I just love props that add an extra dimension/layer of detail to the overall look. ...dungeon dressing, as they used to call it back in the paper & pencil age. :smileton:

Nice work. Thanks. ...can't wait to crank out about a half-dozen, or so.


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## turtle2778 (Jul 9, 2006)

That was cool!!


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## pennywise (Aug 5, 2008)

very nice job. I may make something like this for next year


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## angel3210 (Oct 10, 2011)

very great job and i agree depending how you detail him out, you can make a main prop and even animate it using the bottle body frame work... i did simlar thing this yr too, used 2 litter bottles and coat hangers. didnt tape the whole thing because my werewolf has boots,jeans, shirt ,furry hands and head mask. so you never see his body really. if you need wieght to hold in place, fill lower bottles with sand or water the wieght if its 2- 2 litters(about 18 lbs) is easy to carry but wont blow away down street easy. again great job! i have used pingpong balls and semi flat decorative marbles for pupils. paint color where pupil goes and the glass reflects a little from lights.(depending situation it can get real spooky looking).


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## psyko99 (Jan 11, 2008)

That's awesome. I like the idea of the eyes. I can see an army of these little guys in the woods.


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## mickkell (Jan 16, 2009)

Nice work,I too like the eye trick,new one on me.thanks


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

That little guy is awesome Rahnefan! It's perfect looking coming out of the ground. I need more things like that to add more interest to my haunt.


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

I can see a bunch of these little guys peeking out from the corn maze for next year. Ingenious idea with the eyes.


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Thanks guys. I had in mind to make a bunch of them too. Just haven't done it!


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## post-mortem (Jan 22, 2012)

Nice! I'm going to try to build a similar body and see where I end up using it lol.
:jol:


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

I meant to comment on this when it first came out and am glad to see it ressurected. I too LOVE this prop and the idea of the eyes. Between the Fungi, Rack, Hand carved pipe, and crazy mask (What am I missing?), You've really inspired my imagination in the last 2 years. Touche'. YOU da MAN!


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## scarypapa (Jan 23, 2012)

What a neet little prop. I will definitely be trying some of these out on the grandkids next halloween. The trick with the eyes is something I had never thought of. I am going to try this with some of my other props


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

This is a very cool prop! I love it - it has such character.


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## Torgen (May 25, 2006)

I wonder how this would work, using glow in the dark ping pong balls cut in half for the "following eyes?" I am *so* going to use this "little devil" of an idea this year!


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## Sawtooth Jack (Apr 9, 2011)

Not sure how I missed this thread, but that thing is awesome. The following eyes work beautifully! Love the idea of the bucket mouth with dry ice and water for fog effect you suggest too!


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

Time to resurrect a nice little prop. It's amazing how many things you find while cruising the Forum!


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