# Cardboard tube ideas



## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

I need ideas for a pickup truck load of cardboard tubes roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter. We're cutting them to 8 ft lengths, but I can cut them down once I get them home. Have a few ideas already: pipes in a boiler room, small columns on tombstones, conduit to run wires inside a prop. Any other ideas I would appreciate.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Candles, pipe organ, glue them together to make large columns, 
Thats all I got off the top of my head.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Potato cannons - there, I said it

Maybe this site will inspire something - I especially like the cardboard tubes hanging from the ceiling like stalactites and the cardboard tube wall also looks good. You could have glowing eyes or small creatures peering out from inside the tubes with either approach.

http://www.cmybacon.com/2010/05/cardboard-tube-art/

You could make haunted wind chimes, painting them with the appropriately spooky colors or designs, or fake firecrackers/dynamite.


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Too small to be a proper potato cannon.  They could be used as prison/cage bars.


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## Sytnathotep (Oct 10, 2011)

RoxyBlue said:


> Potato cannons - there, I said it
> 
> Maybe this site will inspire something - I especially like the cardboard tubes hanging from the ceiling like stalactites and the cardboard tube wall also looks good. You could have glowing eyes or small creatures peering out from inside the tubes with either approach.
> 
> ...


I dig the little heads pictured on that link. Use some cheap twine for hair, and you have shrunken heads. With that many tubes, you could make like a zillion of them, then hang them up together as a ghastly tribal trophy display, or give them out to trick or treaters as party favors.


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## bmaskmaker (May 6, 2010)

Well, it's not a prop, but I made a cardboard tube tool holder for my mache / sculpting, etc tools. Also a holder for my glue gun.










Actually this is an old picture, I added another row to it earlier this year.

I also use them to hold torn strips of newspaper for mache. My mache technique is a little different, so I don't use the typical torn strips very often, but I have some when I need them. You can see them in the plastic box in the lower right of the photo.


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## VexFX (Sep 27, 2011)

You can use them to create duct tape and cardboard armatures for dummy bodies. Basically build a skeleton with duct tape joints, and pad it out with foam/paper/etc.


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## hedg12 (Jul 6, 2008)

Fence posts, covers/guides for LED spotlights, snakes that OD'd on viagra...




(sorry, couldn't help myself...)


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

I was thinking about making a fence out of these, because the source I have for them is one that will continue to have them, so if my fence gets wet and comes apart, I can always get more. I didn't even think about making body forms out of them, but that is a great idea. I've figured out how to make angled pieces that I can use to simulate pipe couplings, and am working on how to use small scraps of foam to make the ends of the couplings. I actually never even thought of the LED spotlight housings, but that is a great idea. 

As everyone can probably tell, I am re-doing a lot of my haunt decor to reflect the change in location to our new neighborhood, which is less than 5 miles from a large industrial park area (New source of materials!) and has a very interesting history. Hopefully, Dark Lane (our new haunt) will be moderately successful this year, and then I will get enough time to make it a hit next year.

Thanks for all the great ideas, everyone! Keep em coming, please!


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Split in half length wise, they could be fastened edge to edge with the pieces curving inwards to create fluted columns. You could add capitals in Doric, Roman, or Greek styles to give them more classical feel, maybe a Victorian mansion look.
Pipes could be interesting, but unless the pipes actually do something to help the scene, I just don't get the charm.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

We're in the process of moving right now, but I did get out there and play with a fog chiller and some of these tubes a little while ago. I duct taped two pieces together in the shape of a "T", then duct taped a piece at each end of the "T", creating a kind of pitchfork design. Then I duct taped that to my kitty litter pail fog chiller, and ran a few cycles through the machine. It routed the fog perfectly. 

Please remember, these are industrial cardboard tubes, roughly 1 1/2 inch outer diameter, and 1 inch inner diameter. As soon as I can figure out where I packed my camera, I'll take pics of them to show you what I mean. These things are heavy duty. I'll try to get pics up by this weekend.


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## Lord Homicide (May 11, 2012)

cut different lengths, square at one end, mitered 45-80 degrees at the other and you can have a ton of punji sticks (the vietnam booby trap)


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