# Help - What to do with a cardboard barrel?



## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

OK ... I just happened to have received this cardboard barrel 2 days ago and I can't think of what to do with it now. I would have used it for my Peeper prop, but I already have the tree stump made. :googly:










It is 15" in diameter and about 22 1/2" tall. The top comes off but it's a snug fit.

Any ideas what to make with it? I'm doing a pirate theme so something that goes along with that. 

Oh, and I don't have anything for a compressed air prop.

Side note, I got this real barrel for free! Someone was throwing it away, the nerve! :googly:


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## Fiend4Halloween (Aug 28, 2008)

the real barrell rocks, what a great find! Maybe you can paint the cardboard one to look like the real one, and label it Cannonballs, and have it hoisted above some of your pirates, maybe swinging slightly back and forth with a drunk looking Blucky sittin on it, kinda like they are playing while working. Sit a groundbreaker zombie on it (static or moving), label it Toxic or something and paint your zombie florescent along with some radioactive sludge coming out for a grave escape? Just a few thoughts.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

I like the drunk pirate thing ... and since I am FINALLY able to make animated props now, something to consider ... thanks! 

Yeah ... don't think I'll do the zombie thing though ... but the barrel does lend itself to a toxic waste thing-a-ma-undead.


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## fritz42_male (May 5, 2009)

The real barrel is just crying out for a moving eye behind the bung hole!


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## The Watcher (Sep 13, 2008)

If The lid doesn't fit to tight. You could put a small cheap motor 3 to 6 bucks about 4 to 10 rpm and just set it to go up and down slowly. Maybe have some led eye raising up with the lid. Or put a air cylinder on it and make a small TCT. Oh you could paint like a organ case and have it open on the floor with one of those beating hearts laying in some fake ice (some of those clear glass rocks from the doller store work great for that) like it was dropped.


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## fritz42_male (May 5, 2009)

Actually the carboard barrel looks ideal for a paint job with nuclear symbol - maybe a few holes in the lid with pulsating green lights


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Yeah, I know ... the toxic waste things was what came to mind too ... just not part of my haunt theme.

I'll keep trying to come up with something pirate related ...


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Maybe you could put some wheels on it and turn it into a really wide bore cannon


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

RoxyBlue said:


> Maybe you could put some wheels on it and turn it into a really wide bore cannon


That would be a really wide bore cannon Roxy! LOL If I was doing a circus theme, maybe have a psycho clown 'shoot' out. 

I have 2 small cannons I made last year, was going to make a larger one but not sure this barrel would work.










Neat idea tho ...


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Also, if you cut it in half long ways (top to bottom, not across the middle side to side), you might be able to use the pieces as rounded lids to two pirate chests, assuming you could find or build two long rectagular boxes to attach the lids to.


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## Draik41895 (Oct 25, 2008)

you could....give it to me!J/k i've no idea,do with it what you want


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Draik41895 said:


> you could....give it to me!J/k i've no idea,do with it what you want


Careful, Draik - he might just put you inside it and turn you into a Vertical Pirate Peeper


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Not sure about the cardboard barrel (but wouldn't mind having one myself so I can cut it in half and turn it into a well).

Now the real barrel, I'd create a tentacle out of pool noodle have it popping of the hole. Rig a motor on the inside to kinda just waggle the tentacle back and forth. Then make the lid a subtle moving popper that only comes up just enough for eyes to be seen. Add a green light, some fog, and some sound.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Ooh, I like that tentacle idea!

Just thought of something else - perhaps you could turn the cardboard barrel into a crow's nest for a Little Person pirate.


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## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

I used a cardboard barrel like that last year for my TCT prop. I didn't have a lid so I made a grid with duct tape and put various body parts on it to hide the tape. The head of my prop was just barley exposed and would put up out of the body parts. I also used a little blood dripping out around the top and used some black and brown spray paints to dingy the barrel up.

Sorry I don't have any pics, but I'm digging stuff out to carry up to the building today so I could get a pic if interested.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

RoxyBlue said:


> Careful, Draik - he might just put you inside it and turn you into a Vertical Pirate Peeper


GREAT IDEA Roxy! LOL



Terrormaster said:


> Not sure about the cardboard barrel (but wouldn't mind having one myself so I can cut it in half and turn it into a well).
> 
> Now the real barrel, I'd create a tentacle out of pool noodle have it popping of the hole. Rig a motor on the inside to kinda just waggle the tentacle back and forth. Then make the lid a subtle moving popper that only comes up just enough for eyes to be seen. Add a green light, some fog, and some sound.


Oooow ... that sounds neat. Hey, weren't you doing something like that for your display?



RoxyBlue said:


> Ooh, I like that tentacle idea!
> 
> Just thought of something else - perhaps you could turn the cardboard barrel into a crow's nest for a Little Person pirate.


I was going to make a crow's nest for this year, hadn't thought of using the cardboard barrel!

Decisions, decisions ... maybe I should create a poll. :googly:


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

IMU said:


> Oooow ... that sounds neat. Hey, weren't you doing something like that for your display?


It was until the whole pirates thing had to get dumped. Nor was I getting tons of feedback for suggestions. It's still on my radar for 2011 depending on the house we move into next year.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Terrormaster said:


> It was until the whole pirates thing had to get dumped. Nor was I getting tons of feedback for suggestions. It's still on my radar for 2011 depending on the house we move into next year.


Oh, that's right ... your moving! Good luck with the move. I bet you will figure out your prop decisions and make something great!


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