# Making Giant Pumpkins



## Holyhabanero (Aug 9, 2007)

Does anyone here have experience/ideas on how to make giant pumpkins? I'm thinking something similar to these pictures from harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban:

















I'd like to make something like these to use in my yard, but I haven't the foggiest idea where to even start.


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## Darkside (Aug 6, 2007)

2 ideas off the top of my head are carved styro foam or a frame wrapped in chicken wire covered in mache or monster mud.


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## Darkside (Aug 6, 2007)

This is on I carved from Styro last year, It is about 3 to 31/2 feet tall.


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## Holyhabanero (Aug 9, 2007)

Darkside said:


> 2 ideas off the top of my head are carved styro foam or a frame wrapped in chicken wire covered in mache or monster mud.


I'm still a newbie, so excuse my ignorance, but if I used monster mud, would the weight of a giant pumpkin be too much to carry or is it relatively lightweight?


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## Darkside (Aug 6, 2007)

Yeah, I guess it would have some weight to it, but that is probably the way I would go. espacially when you think about, you are only gonna lug em out once a year.
just my 2 cents.


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## Holyhabanero (Aug 9, 2007)

Darkside said:


> Yeah, I guess it would have some weight to it, but that is probably the way I would go. espacially when you think about, you are only gonna lug em out once a year.
> just my 2 cents.


Good point. That would probably make them harder to steal as well.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Of course there are REAL giant pumpkins. I wonder how much it would cost in the longrun to make a mold of a real one and just cast it over and over and over?


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## bourno (Jan 21, 2006)

I got some 4 foot beach balls that I had planned on papermache, but I haven't gotten around to it yet and have no idea how much paper or time it would take. I also thought about just doing a quick, non-professional fiberglass of the balls too and just paint the indentions as from a distance I don't think a person would be able to tell that it was completely round.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Sickie -- I think the cost of the mold would be more than the cost of making the prop itself. And it would take up a lot of room. But... if you got the attic space and you're good with fiberglass layup, hey go for it... you might be able to offset the cost selling giant fake pumpkin props.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

bourno said:


> I got some 4 foot beach balls that I had planned on papermache, but I haven't gotten around to it yet and have no idea how much paper or time it would take. I also thought about just doing a quick, non-professional fiberglass of the balls too and just paint the indentions as from a distance I don't think a person would be able to tell that it was completely round.


If you first deflated the beachballs some and tied loops of string around them and re-inflated them, they'd have indentations. And you could maybe put a weight on top in the center to squish it down some to make it shaped more...um... pumpkiny. :jol:


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## ScareFX (Aug 18, 2004)

This is the biggest I've run across. From HauntedOverload.














































More photos here:
http://www.hauntedoverload.com/Photo/2006/setup/2006sphoto.htm

Details on the build can be found here:
http://www.terrorsyndicate.com/methodz/viewtopic.php?t=183


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## Holyhabanero (Aug 9, 2007)

I saw a link to 



 on a sports message board, and in it there is a mascot being destroyed. Just towards the end, you can see that they made this statue out of layered styrofoam boards, which must have been glued together and obviously cut to shape then molded and painted. I'm thinking this may be a fairly cheap and easy way to go, not to mention lightweight.


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## Holyhabanero (Aug 9, 2007)

Holy Hades FX, that is one huge pumpkin. Thanks for the link.


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## turtle2778 (Jul 9, 2006)

okay now what the hell is that HUGE pumpkin made of???? THAT is just cool.


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## ScareFX (Aug 18, 2004)

turtle2778 said:


> okay now what the hell is that HUGE pumpkin made of???? THAT is just cool.


According to the builder, the frame is made of electrical conduit and chicken wire.

It was then covered with cheese cloth and he had a sprayfoam insulation company spray it 8 inches thick.


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## Daphne (Oct 18, 2006)

Whoa! That pumpkin is awesome but it is just the tip of the iceburg. Those people have some seriously enormous and impressive props. My yard looks like I created it in miniature compared to that stuff! Their props are amazing.

Talk about trying to find somewhere to store a few decorations!!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Revenant said:


> Sickie -- I think the cost of the mold would be more than the cost of making the prop itself. And it would take up a lot of room. But... if you got the attic space and you're good with fiberglass layup, hey go for it... you might be able to offset the cost selling giant fake pumpkin props.


You read my mind Rev.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

ScareFX said:


> This is the biggest I've run across. From HauntedOverload.
> 
> Details on the build can be found here:
> http://www.terrorsyndicate.com/methodz/viewtopic.php?t=183


You have to be a forum member.


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## MacabreManor (Jul 23, 2007)

I'm not sure what happened over at terrorsundicate. I haven't been able to log in lately and it seemd they have a few old boards spread throughout the net. Nevertheless that pumpkin is awesome!


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

Well Sickie you can always join MOM there's alot of us over there also.
I haven't had any prob logging in Macabre...hmm

that is one giant punkin for sure..he must have a pole barn to store that.


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## slimy (Jul 12, 2006)

I thought MY storage issues were bad. 

That thing is awesome.


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