# faux hay bale



## CrazedHaunter (Nov 18, 2012)

last Halloween I had a corn field with Haybales and pumpkins. bought real hay bales, they were very heavy,messy, and fairly expensive. for next year I plan on building fake ones. I thought maybe foam boxes and glue hay on them. But now I'm thinking maybe make wood boxes and cover with hay and use them to store pumpkins and skulls. Any Ideas?


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## Buzz (Aug 26, 2011)

Good idea CrazedHaunter.

Although wood boxes might end up being too heavy. At least from a storage POV. The weight of the wood plus all the stuff you store in there might make it difficult to work with.

But what about this?


 Cut sections of cheap burlap large enough to wrap a large storage plastic bin.
 Attach strands of straw to cover the burlap.
 Wrap the finished burlap around the bin.
 (_A large rock or a gallon of water inside the bin will keep it from blowing over_)

OK, I'll admit it... I'm not sure how you would attach the straw to the burlap. Glue would work but then the burlap would become too stiff. Stitching would be best, but who has the time for that?

Maybe it would be better to attach the straw to foam board panels (like they sell at Michaels). Then you would just attach the panels to the outside of your plastic bin.


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

I'm thinking how about the large foam ice chests that they ship Omaha steaks in, with the hay glued all around, but the lid seam left unglued. I see them thrown away all the time here in the snoburbs on recycling days. There are spray glues, 3M makes a good one, that should make hay application fairly simple.


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## CrazedHaunter (Nov 18, 2012)

Buzz and Vlad, both are good ideas. I think I will try finding foam ice chests the size I need and cover them with burlap and then hay. I think the burlap will help hide the cooler if any hay falls off. Thanks I appreciate the input


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Don't know how it would work in CA, but around here - many times I've buddied up with a local farmer and they are happy to lend a couple dozen hay bales for various events - especially if kids / charity / fundraising are involved.

Lending brings the cost down to zero and eliminates storage issues all together. If you can't strike a pure 'lending' deal, they might let you put a deposit to cover the hay, then refund when the bales are returned.

Lastly it may be just a twist of terminology, but 'hay' is sort of the high end stuff for animal feed and will command a high price. If you can find 'straw' bales, this is a low grade product with very little feed value and should be substantially cheaper. No one in a haunt setting would know the difference! I'd think you would be able to find straw for a few bucks a bale - at that price, it's hard to build anything which would be cheaper.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Corey beat me to it.
If you have horse stables near you, or a race track (for horses) you may find the link/connection for getting and disposing of the straw bales. Straw is used to cover the floor of the stables, and as Corey so correctly stated, people wouldn't know the difference between you using straw or hay.


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

I've tried several farmers around here and it's straw bales for sale only.....
No one will "rent" us a bale... I bring the trailer and pick 15 square bales for $60. After the party I spread them out on my trails to compost down to dirt....takes about a year...Got to be easier than making faux bales


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## scarynoyes (Sep 6, 2011)

I like the Styrofoam ice chest idea depending on your use of them. At out Haunted Farm they would be in an environment that they may be sat upon so reinforcing them with a frame may be necessary. Otherwise a 1x2 frame covered in burlap then with straw hot glued would be the lightest. You could even utilize the Stiltbeast heat gun and plastic technique to provide a base for the burlap. Hit it with some paint then add the burlap and straw with the jute ties.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:If you want something more permanent than hay you could try sewing raffia onto the burlap. I use raffia on my scarecrows and it looks like straw or hay but lasts for a long, long time. You can buy natural hula skirts from Oriental Trading company fairly cheaply. You could sew or glue it on for a "hay like" look. Just a thought.


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## Demon Dog (Mar 30, 2009)

Personally, I prefer the texture and color of straw bales over hay. I don't get them as inexpensively as beelce, but they do decompose as he said (but usually contain some seeds which can sprout in flower beds). Or give them to an animal shelter or farmer when you're done with them - just keep them raised off the ground slightly with 2x4's for the sake of both your yard and the bales.


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## R. Lamb (Oct 11, 2011)

Cory872 Got it right. I grew up on a farm where my job was to bail the hay and now and again the straw. there is a big difference. the straw bails weigh just about nothing compared to hay, and the cost of a bail of hay should be low enough that making faux bales isn't much worth it.


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## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

2.50 a bale for staw where I am. I have animals, the straw is for bedding, and I can huck them around all day, no prob.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

I think ideally, that real bales of straw would probably be the least expensive route, but a lot depends upon how you are going to use them/what you are going to use them for. If they are strictly a facade, that nobody will touch, bump, sit on, etc., then you might be able to get away with something like the styrofoam coolers, or even folding tables with a straw covered tarp or cloth covering it. But the amount of labor and materials needed to get the styrofoam coolers, tables, and coverings may be a whole lot more than just getting the actual bales of straw. If you can get a few bales, and then maybe figure out a way to take slices or panels of the bales that you could use to cover something like folding tables it would give you the bulk without the actual cost of having tons of straw to deal with. There are a lot of horses in Riverside, look in the phone book for stables, tack shops, etc. you may find a link to let you get a deal with some dealer or distributer in straw.


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## JustJimAZ (Aug 19, 2010)

My Dollar Tree has Raffia bundles. Just sayin'.
I bought a hula skirt for like $6 to make my wife into a scarecrow, and THEN I found it at the dollar store.


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## BoysinBoo (Dec 10, 2007)

corey872 said:


> Don't know how it would work in CA, but around here - many times I've buddied up with a local farmer and they are happy to lend a couple dozen hay bales for various events - especially if kids / charity / fundraising are involved.
> 
> Lending brings the cost down to zero and eliminates storage issues all together. If you can't strike a pure 'lending' deal, they might let you put a deposit to cover the hay, then refund when the bales are returned.


I second this. For the last two years, I have partnered with a farmer. They deliver and pick up how ever many I want. I just cover their gas (and a few bucks extra). Total cost $20 for unlimited number of bales.


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## CrazedHaunter (Nov 18, 2012)

That's probably the route I'm going to take


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

Yep. Same thing here. I partner with a farmer for my haunt and we haul in 125 bales of straw for the haunted corn maze. Light they may be when they are dry but get them wet and it's a whole other story. If you 'rent' them dry your farmer may not want them back wet. Then you're stuck with them. My farmer friend takes them back in any condition but just a word of warning.

Also, be prepared to be raking up hay/straw til Christmas.


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## traceyefurness (3 mo ago)

corey872 said:


> Don't know how it would work in CA, but around here - many times I've buddied up with a local farmer and they are happy to lend a couple dozen hay bales for various events - especially if kids / charity / fundraising are involved. Lending brings the cost down to zero and eliminates storage issues all together. If you can't strike a pure 'lending' deal, they might let you put a deposit to cover the hay, then refund when the bales are returned. Lastly it may be just a twist of terminology, but 'hay' is sort of the high end stuff for animal feed and will command a high price. If you can find 'straw' bales, this is a low grade product with very little feed value and should be substantially cheaper. No one in a haunt setting would know the difference! I'd think you would be able to find straw for a few bucks a bale - at that price, it's hard to build anything which would be cheaper.


 Hi, yes straw is for animal bedding and hay is for feed. Open bales of hay go mouldy, whereas straw can get quite wet and then you can dry it for another time, summer garden seating etc... Put cushions or thicker fabric for seating as it's quite spikey on the legs! My farmer lends me a few bales for parties, I only pay for ones that the rope has come undone, I just buy a couple for porch entrance on Halloween and make wreath rings, bedding for my hens with left overs. You can also make a few mini bales for decor out of 1 large bale. They are about £4 a bale in uk.


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