# cheap, effective props?



## Dan The Welder (Jul 18, 2012)

What was the cheapest, most effective prop you've ever built?


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## ouizul1 (May 22, 2010)

Over-sized Jack-in-the-box out of scrap 2x4's and plywood. Half hid it behind some bushed they had to past. Had the niece hide in it and pop-out when the ToT's walked by. She nailed everybody!


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## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

I'm looking forward to the responses to this thread as I don't think I know how to make a prop that is both inexpensive (the REALLY hard part for me) and effective.


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## Lord Homicide (May 11, 2012)

My version of SKAustin's Blaircrow (seen in my albums). 

Free - Oak branches
Free - pulverized felt
Free - screws
Free - bailing wire
$6 - foam skull from Michael's


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## Dan The Welder (Jul 18, 2012)

Cheapest and most effective prop I've ever made is an executioner majini axe from resident evil 5. It was cardboard, foam, plastic chain and a broken broom, I made it for my second episode on YouTube.


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## Dr. Maniaco (Sep 7, 2012)

Great question, Dan!










this little prop was a last minute thing that I threw together in about five minutes. The mask is plain and readily available. White and black tule on a stake in the ground, and you have a prop that everyone went ballistic over. It is my most repinned item on Pinterest, and the one image that still drives traffic to my blog. Go figure.


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## Dan The Welder (Jul 18, 2012)

I like it


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

This one - a last minute idea involving putting a foot prop in an old shoe. It's been appearing in our yard display since 2008 and always gets comments:


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## Palmdale Haunter (Mar 3, 2012)

4lb fishing line (scrap from loading a reel) tied to a scrap of 1x3 painted black and hung over the entry... Gets them every time...


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

My favorite quickie prop is a tomato cage turned upside down. Bend the 3 leads to form 2 arms and a neck for a groundbreaker base... add a shirt, hands, some pool noodles and a cheap skull and you have a fast and very effective static ground breaker.


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## Dan The Welder (Jul 18, 2012)

I think when it comes to cheap props, there's more creative process and imagination used.


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## Osenator (Nov 11, 2011)

Being haunter doesn't mean you need to spend lots of money, here a few exemples of mine. See more my channel to see more ideals:


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## Osenator (Nov 11, 2011)

Like mentionned, check out my youtube channel for more!


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## CreeepyCathy (Mar 28, 2009)

halstaff said:


> I'm looking forward to the responses to this thread as I don't think I know how to make a prop that is both inexpensive (the REALLY hard part for me) and effective.


  ...exactly what I was thinking!


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## Dan The Welder (Jul 18, 2012)

I really enjoyed the responses


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## Lamborgman (Jul 14, 2013)

Gravestone made from plywood and foam with 4 skeletons playing poker on top. Plywood came with house was in the garage rafters and a foam sheet $5.00 at Home Depot.


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## Wildcat (Nov 3, 2007)

This would be my cheapest prop. All from scrap/donated bits and 20mins.


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## Dr. Maniaco (Sep 7, 2012)

Most EXCELLENT lighting, too!!


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## spinwitch (Jun 14, 2009)

Aluminum foil, craft acrylic paint, and friends.

Paint the dull side of the foil (I did a streaky job in brown and green, going for a tree bark look. You could paint it to match whatever background you're using). Cut it into piece about 18 inches long. Pass them out to your friends.

Starting at your nose, carefully smash the foil against your face. Carefully press it under your eyebrows and eyesockets and around your mouth and under your chin. After they were finished I went over the features with some watered-down black craft acrylic paint.

This is a daylight picture. With the right lighting at night it's even creepier.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Damn, that is way cool, spinwitch!


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

That really IS cool spinwich!


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

My cheapest and most talked about prop is my 2011 prop challenge entry "Bad Dog". Obviously it cost 20 bucks or less, and that thing is so popular with the TOTs and family. It broke year before last and then last year I got such an uproar I had to fix it so it will be a part of my display this year.

Gave me a chance to spruce it up, so that was cool. I strengthened the joints and touched up the paint and improved the movement a bit.


By and far my most popular prop. Odd what people remember.


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## tattman98 (Jun 29, 2011)

The best one I had fun with was a trash can. We cut out the bottom and set it next to our display so people had to walk past it. For some reason if people see a trash can they will use it, of course they only used mine once. My six foot four inch son was in the can.


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## blueikaos (Oct 18, 2011)

spinwitch said:


> Aluminum foil, craft acrylic paint, and friends.
> 
> Paint the dull side of the foil (I did a streaky job in brown and green, going for a tree bark look. You could paint it to match whatever background you're using). Cut it into piece about 18 inches long. Pass them out to your friends.
> 
> ...


This is awesome! I'm going to try it when I get home!


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## wandererrob (Aug 8, 2007)

Palmdale Haunter said:


> 4lb fishing line (scrap from loading a reel) tied to a scrap of 1x3 painted black and hung over the entry... Gets them every time...


Ok, you've got me curious. Can you explain more about how this is set up and how it gets them? All I can picture is a "floating" black board or a board that swings down and clocks the TOTs in the head


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

^I believe the set up is to attach several pieces of fishing line to a board, then situate the board overhead so that the lines hang down to head/face level. The fishing lines will touch anyone walking under the board, giving the impression of walking through spider webs.


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## Nutz (Feb 19, 2013)

wandererrob said:


> Ok, you've got me curious. Can you explain more about how this is set up and how it gets them? All I can picture is a "floating" black board or a board that swings down and clocks the TOTs in the head


Funny. Exactly what I pictured also until RoxyBlue cleared my head. :googly:


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## Chops6965 (Jul 10, 2013)

Wow, once again I am dumb founded by the creativity and imagination of haunters.

I have a tree in front of my house that is going to get some aluminum foil faces, thanks for the inspiration Spinwitch!


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## Spider Web (Oct 11, 2007)

*Cheapest/Simplest Prop That Was a Hit*

What is the cheapest or most simple prop you made that was a hit.

I always park my car in the driveway to create path to the front door. The driveway is double wide.

About five years ago I had a spare blow molded skeleton. I put it in the drivers' seat and tied the hands to the steering wheel. Placed a strobe light on the dash to face the skelly and hooked it up to a prop that was already activating a prop in the driveway. A five minute after thought. Could be done with motion light many home already have.

It's one of the things folks always ask&#8230;Are you doing the car again this year? 
Go figure&#8230;


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

^We've done the "skellies in the car" thing for a few years now, using a portable blacklight inside the car. It's always popular


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## MR David Person (Sep 30, 2013)

In my opinion of cheap effective props can't go wrong with garbage bag ghosts the wind does a good job animating them to.


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## easycraig (Aug 30, 2011)

excellent thread!!!! will be using the levitating black wood < I thought the same thing... = spiderwebs in our tunnel for sure!!! also going to give the aluminum foil face a try also.... our blair witch sticks always get positive feedback and they a cheap and easy... cheap skull painted with some creepy cloth... living in Los Angeles, my hardest part is finding a couple good tree branches!! lol


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## jharrisAZ (Sep 16, 2013)

Not sure if it is the cheapest because it is my first prop this year! I made a giant PVC spider and loving how it fills out the front yard.


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## forbiddenforest (Sep 11, 2013)

If you have a couple of trees, heavy fishing line, some really lightweight white cloth (I like cheesecloth), and a wire coat hanger: bend the coat hanger to make a loop at the top and two arms. Drape cheesecloth over the wire hangers to make hood where the head should be and to cover the arms. Attach the fishing line taut between the trees. Attach your newly formed ghost to teh fishing line and voila! Flying ghost - the slightest breeze makes it move and the fishing line, even in the day time, disappears. Got great reactions. Only issue I had was lots of rain. Made the cheesecloth heavy and the fishing line sagged. A few adjustments when needed and the whole rig stayed up for three weeks - wind and rain. I had mine floating above the path the TOTs used - it was awesome to watch them scurry underneath and try to figure out how it was floating, lol.


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## SpookySam (Mar 27, 2007)

Probably this guy.










I made him out of a step stool and materials I had lying around. Brief instructions here: http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=35307&highlight=creep


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