# Making a big cauldron



## JoshHantman

This is my first post

This is for a Cauldron Creep.

I stole the basic idea from folks on the internet -- but added some of my own twists:

Step One: Get a big plastic tote and tape some cardboard cut outs around it for the shape:










Step Two: Duct tape around it to make the shape










Step 3: Apply dry wall tape followed by light weight dry wall joint compound applied with a small trowel:









Step 4: Sand and apply more coats of compound as needed. It will the surface will remain rough and irregular, which is ok since it will appear aged.

Step 5: Pain with black spray paint:

Step 5: Apply a lot of bronze spray paint with a sponge or crumpled plastic bag and some dabs of dark orange paint for rust. 









Then attach some handles (Halloween door knockers from the dollar store):










I hope you enjoyed my first post! This cauldron is for a "Cauldron Creep" so there will likely be more posts to come !

Happy Haunting!


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## goneferal

Good job. That sucker shouldn't easily blow away in the wind.


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## JoshHantman

goneferal said:


> Good job. That sucker shouldn't easily blow away in the wind.


Thanks. Although it's not as heavy as you would think. Because it's lightweight joint compound it is really almost as light as paper mache.

It took some trial and error to get the metallic look but I'm happy with how "real" it looks.


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## phillipjmerrill

wow. that's a great method. i will definately have to try this.


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## TJN66

That is amazing!


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## beelce

looks great....................


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## Bone Dancer

excellent work


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## scarynoyes

Love it! I have mine past the duct tape stage but then did masking tape like Ghoulish Cop in preparation for paper mache'. I didn't think it was going to happen this year because I'm running out of dry time. This provides another option that will work quicker. Thanks for sharing.


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## Headless

Looks fantastic - great job!


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## MapThePlanet

Looks cool....nice job on the finish...have to love Dollar Tree door knockers!


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## Cat_Bones

Great idea thanks I'm heading to the dollar store now!


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## Anda

Great idea! I love the texture that the joint compound gives. Very interesting.


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## Uruk-Hai

GREAT job! I wish I had done it this way with mine! I went with paper mache over a yoga ball. Turned out ok in the end but it took forever. (I really hate paper mache!)


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Hey Josh, that is such a great cauldron. You really did excellent work and your creative detail is so nice! I love your paint techinque and the add ons, the trim pieces that look like door knockers. Definitely one of a kind! I am still torn as to what to do for my cauldron creep, but you have definitely given me food for thought. Thanks!


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## Spider Rider

Great job in smoothing out the "ribs" and making it look metallic. An excellent cauldron.


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## JoshHantman

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I'll try to post more stuff (and some vids) as I go along!


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## Sytnathotep

That's clever,  great work! I think your paint job is what really makes it.


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## tortured_serenity

It looks amazing!


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## dudeamis

I love the door knob handles! I might just steal that idea for mine


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## Irish Witch

This is really great, thanx for sharing


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## Palmdale Haunter

Looks great!


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## GhoulishCop

Well, joint compound would indeed be a quick and easy solution! Great job! Certainly a heckuva lot speedier than the paper clay method I employed. I'd like to hear how it holds up, whether it cracks or not with movement and jostling of it.

I only say that because I know wallboard joints can crack over time and those are small areas, so spread over something as broad as the cauldron I'd like to see if it can stand up to the "punishment." Regardless, terrific looking work!

Rich


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## ron_jon87

Thanks for posting. I used your post to help build my cauldron. I'll post pictures as soon as I can.


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## LilMissSunshine

This is great, love the idea.


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## kevin242

great finish. very convincing!


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## Lambchop

That turned out great.


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## Kevins411

This is a great idea, I plan on doing something very similar myself and this gives me additional ideas.


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## fontgeek

You might consider using some flat black spray paint to add some "scorching" to the bottom and a little coming up the sides.
This looks really good, I too will be curious to see how well it holds up under use, abuse, storage, etc.


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## EerieLakes

What a great idea I'm going to have to try this


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## Eerie Ej

Wow this is really GREAT and fairly inexpensive!


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## DawnTheDead

*Amazing!*

The finished result on this is amazing. Wasnt sure about the cardboard pieces at first but you cant see them at all!


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## aidtopia

I need to make a mission-style bell and am thinking of using this technique. If painted with a base coat of exterior house paint, do you think the dry-wall joint compound will survive rain and other outdoor hazards?


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## fontgeek

If you let it dry thoroughly, and coat it COMPLETELY, inside and out, with the house paint, it should be fine, shy of massive flooding or something of that nature, but given where you are, I doubt you will have those kinds of issues.
You might consider using a plastic bucket, and a heat gun to stretch and distort it to the desired shape. You'll still need to add some padding to the shape. I'd use a short stub of a 2x4 or 2X6 with a large hole drilled or cut through it, screwed to the bottom of the bucket, you could add some tapering layers of MDF or plywood to the bottom of the bucket for shape too.


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## Herskine

Best looking DIY cauldron I've seen so far! Great job! Curious how long this held up over the years.


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