Witch Supplies

[turtle2778]

I am making a witches workroom. I need some ideas for supplies. I have a crystal ball, cauldron, candles, some books, spellbook, broom, tarot cards...i need more fillers. I am making a background with a book case and fabric, then using 2 tables in an L shape for her work area. I am using an old bookstand with a bucky attached to it for the spell book i want people to be able to see the details. I realize most people dont look to closely but i want them to be able to see it looking pretty real. I know there are some wiccans out there and i would like to represent things as closely as possibe. Its for an adult viewing so i dont have to worry about kids, I dont do pentagrams so anything else would really be helpful. If you have any background ideas they would be appreciated too.

[spideranne]

How about the ingredients for the cauldron. Eye of newt, spider's legs, troll's blood, etc.

[turtle2778]

Yeah thats what im wanting. things like that, anymore ideas?

[spideranne]

I do a center piece on my Halloween party buffet table with all kinds of jars of stuff. Spiders, lizards, snakes, bugs, pretty much anything you can pick up in the toy dept for cheap. I also use mason jars and fill them with stuff from the yard, leaves or acorns. Last year I found some cheap opaque colored glass bottles with cork tops. You couldn't see in them so I just scatered them around with the other stuff and let people imagine what might be in them.

[DeathTouch]

Anyone know where to get a fairly cheap witches hat? Something that I can ruff up.

[BroomChick]

My suggestion is to create a table or shelf full of things that a witch might use in various potions. Last year, I use a bunch of bottles I'd been collecting and made some really great labels, which I then glued on. Some ingredients were "wort of warlock" (garbonzo beans), "dried garden gnome heads" (dried apples that had first been carved), "earwax of hill goblin" (dried hunks of peanut butter)...well you get the idea. In one dark green bottle, I inserted a lit incense cone so that the smoke rose out the cap, which I had drilled holes into. Nice effect among the ingredients.

I can't wait to see pictures of the end result of whatever you come up with!

[BroomChick]

Target, Walmart, etc. You might check your local Party City...mine has already put out leftover things from last Halloween at a huge discount. I just bought my 8-year old a witch's costume for $6!

[Rhiannon]

Dont forget to add lots of brooms and bundled hanging dried plants..realistic and cheap...

[IshWitch]

All great ideas! exactly what I was thinking!

Have more than one broomstick. You can buy a generic broom from the dollar general and cut out the stitching that makes it flat. Sit it outside upside down and it will fluff out. Wrap yarn, scarves, cloth scraps around the broom later if you need to tame it a bit, and around the metal wire (if it has it) on the handle. Get one that is black or a cool witch color, or scuff it up or paint it. For ambience, take a large straight branch and lash some sticks and twigs to it with twine for an antique type broom. But whatever you do, don't just stand them in a corner! Hang them with fishing line (the lighter weight, the less noticeable, and check to make sure it doesn't glow if using a black light) and direct a small fan at them out of sight. Just so that they have a slight bit of movement, like they're hovering.

Buy lots of filmy, satin-y, sparkle net and such type material to drape all over and layer, etc. Get the $1/yd stuff at Walmart. 6-8 yds looks pretty impressive when draped over a table or chair and puddled on the floor.

I love BroomChick's jars of stuff! Fantastic ideas, but use old jars if you can. If you are using empty mayo and pickle jars cover the lids with paint, cloth or felt so the lable doesn't show. Have one with a BIG rock on it looking like it is holding it down. I love the incense idea too! Plus the odor will add to the ambience as well.

Get one of those misters and put it into a cauldron, or a camping dutch oven. Just make sure it doesn't go dry, if they do they are ruined.

[slimy]

I like the incence in a bottle idea.

What about the critters? Black cats, spiders,ravens, crows, snakes, lizards, rats and mice. Any good witches lair worth its salt is littered with critters. These can be static, or it's only a little trouble to cut the head off of a crow, and an osilating motor. You could add a motor to the cat's tail as well. Whether they move or not, you gotta have the critters.

[turtle2778]

OMG!!! These are great ideas. I love the broom one, i was gunna by one off ebay. Are you talking colored satin?sparkle? I love the critters idea. I did pick up some potion bottles at Michaels. I will probably use the cat tail swishing thing..that was good too...You guys are great...keep them coming. Any ideas for old books or covers for them, to make them look older?? THanks

[Hellrazor]

these ideas are great! I dont have any of my own... except perahps masks in the jars and fingers and eyeballs and stuff like that too. Shoes coming from under the table as well and dirt on the floor.

[Bone Dancer]

A layer of dust ( flour ) and cob webs ( that cheap stuff in a bag, but only where they would last corners ect. and lightly)

[Bone Dancer]

wood ash makes good dust too. I put my dust in rolled up paper and puff it on the items i want covered. Just a little at a time and a little up angle to it drifts down.

[grapegrl]

Hmm...let me look around the kitchen and see if I see anything that wasn't mentioned...:p

I don't think that anyone suggested a mortar and pestle. If you can find some realistic toy/replica frogs or toads to sprinkle around, that would be good. The bundles of dried plants/herbs was an excellent suggestion. If you're going for the sensational, I would throw in a skull or two.

Search flea markets or yard sales for old books. Here's a hint for aged labels: Tea-stain some regular white paper and let it dry. Find a suitable font and print out a label for the cover (and if necessary, the spine) of the book. Cut a little bit larger than the size needed and carefully singe the edges of the label. Paste label to book.

[IshWitch]

Take a face, or pic of a gory or screaming face/mask from somewhere on the net (google it) and then take a comp program to distort it. Print it out and roll up the pic and push it down into a wine bottle (something with straight sides so the paper touches it all the way round. Stuff some wig hair into the bottle with it hanging out! Very cool effect!

As for the fabric, you'll know what you love when you see it!

Check the thrift stores for any granny boots, since they were popular in the 80's and into the 90's they will be showing up.

Dust is a great idea. To get bagged spider web to stick where there isn't any rough edges, use the hook side of velcro dots that you can get in the fabric dept. of most stores. Always comes in white and black at the cheap stores and all colors at the big fabric stores. Just make sure not to put the extremely sticky kind up where you don't want to damage the surface, it can take paint and varnish off. The velcro dots will also catch cheese cloth.

Definitely need a rocking chair. Attach a line to one of the rockers and to an oscillating fan that has had it's blade and screen removed. It will rock the empty chair. Attach another line to something else and make the fan work double duty!

[Lilly]

wow sounds like one of the rooms i am going to have .. i wil not be using book shelves per say i may be painting them on to a sheet like a mural. but if i can`t get that done ill be using the creepy cloth i made last yr.
and yeah like slimy says gotta have the critters i found a couple awesome bird cages for them too ..although i will have one or two not in a cage ... how bout a mystical owl... i also will be using a submersible light and a water pump (for bubbles) for my wapaghoulie to make it look like a bubbling green cauldron . under that the fake fire in a make shift oven to look like stone ..
also a jar of eyes... and maybe some (pickled ) dragons eggs.. a magic mirror, so many things can be used dont forget your lighting i wil be using green for that also and a couple lanterns.
Ghoul Luck to you I hope i can get mine all done.

[turtle2778]

WOW!!! You guys are great. This is why i come here. Absolutely fantastic ideas. I wouldnt have thought of the dust or making book covers. That was just freaking awesome. I got some old books at a thrift shop for 5 bucks for like 40 of them, I tried to go with all different sizes and shapes and colors, but none of them were "halloween/witch type so covering them with a cool paper label would work great i could make it small enough that you could still see the colors of the books. I was going to use 2 premade bookcases, but i would like to try to make one from wood and foam. I was thinking of making it look like stone. Do ya think that would be too cheesy. I want to hang some purple/black cloth in the center of them and then hang a great poster in a frame i found. I was also thinking tins and bottles for htings like fairy wings and graveyard dirt. I realize they arent real things witches use, but it will add an element of fun to it. I have gotten so many ideas I want to use...i cant decide. So maybe ill do a little more next year. If you guys have anyother suggestions, please let me know...thanks

[ScareFX]

Take a face, or pic of a gory or screaming face/mask from somewhere on the net (google it) and then take a comp program to distort it. Print it out and roll up the pic and push it down into a wine bottle (something with straight sides so the paper touches it all the way round. Stuff some wig hair into the bottle with it hanging out! Very cool effect!...

Maybe something like this? :D
http://www.woodycarr.com/images/head_in_milk_bottle.jpg

[turtle2778]

Okay that is sick...truely silence of the lambs creepy...WOW, wanna sell it???

[ScareFX]

Okay that is sick...truely silence of the lambs creepy...WOW, wanna sell it???

:D it is creepy, isn't it? I wish I could take credit for the idea but this guy did the original. You can make one easily.

http://www.madhauscreative.com/head%20in%20a%20jar.html

Below is a link to the image...just print it out...roll it up...stick it in a jar...add some fake or real hair on top...done!

http://www.woodycarr.com/images/bottle_face.jpg

[HibLaGrande]

you can print your own turtle. :D the how to is on the monster list somwhere.

[HibLaGrande]

oops I'm a little slow on the uptake :D

[Lilly]

scarefx: did you make that or buy that if made how did you do it?

[Lilly]

sorry bout that i guess i jumped the gun on that thanks for info

[Lilly]

Thanks for reminding me, I think I will add bats to my witch room also I will have to paint these yet ..made from apples doing the shrunken head method and hot glue wings
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j136/imdiamondlilly/batwithfullwings.jpg

[turtle2778]

Lillly those are awesome... how long does it take for the apples to rot?

[turtle2778]

Hey thanks for that site, ill be doing that, lily had a great bat too. I didnt realize you could use apples like that. I cant wait to try some of ur ideas..you guys are great...thanks

[Lilly]

the apples take about 3 days in the oven @ 200 degrees im going to try my dehydrator next time. using cloves for eyes and rice for teeth (that was fun) and a peppercorn for nose but u can use small stones.
i am posting my shrunken heads in few check it out.

[IshWitch]

Hey ScareFX! That is exactly what I mean! That one is a beauty! The one I saw had the hair hanging right out over the top of the bottle. It was cool.

[IshWitch]

Thanks for reminding me, I think I will add bats to my witch room also I will have to paint these yet ..made from apples doing the shrunken head method and hot glue wings
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j136/imdiamondlilly/batwithfullwings.jpg
Very nice! I really like the glue wings. I have made shrunken heads with potatoes. I'm wondering how they would be for a body.

Any pics of how you made the bats step by step?

[Lilly]

HMMM potatoes huh how does that work? Do you have any pics of those?
no sry no pics available but i wil lmake some more and take some as i go . Did not even think of that , i`ll post the link when i have them. Prob about a week .Hopefully

[IshWitch]

I made shrunken heads many moons ago. Used pealed potatoes with broken bits of spaghetti for teeth. They turn a nasty blackish grey. Hung them from strings through the top to let them dry. Took a while, too. Never tried using an oven!

I don't have any pics, it was when I was a kid.

[Lilly]

well thats okay for no pics Ishwitch , guess it`s experiment time but i will try the potatoes in the dehydrater instead of oven..do not want mashed potato heads haha...Now I`m going to have to dig that out anyways for the apples anyway. But i will still do more apples in the oven for how to pics.

[otherworldly]

I'm doing this too! Yesterday I bought a great assortment of weird glass bottles, glasses and vases at a thrift shop - way cheap! I'm grateful to this thread for ideas of what to put in them! :) I also picked up a few big old books to put labels on. I'm using some text books from HP - One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore, Magical Drafts and Potions, by Arsenius Jigger and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.
This is a great thread! Delighted for all the ideas! :jol:

[turtle2778]

Hey Otherworldly, where can i find those names for the books?

I purchased some fake books at michaels the other day for 2.40ea. They will look pretty good covered i think. I got some bottles at a thrift store too i got 20 for 10, they were all pretty big since i got all the small ones that michaels had. I also got some tins for things like graveyard dust or fairy wings, which i also got at Michaels(butterfly w/ the body pulled off and a little more glitter added) This thread has been awesome I am so glad there are people here with such creative minds, I knew if i asked you guys would be able to help...thanks

[otherworldly]

Here they are! :) I hope to expand my library to include as many as possible! ;)
http://www.mugglenet.com/infosection/booklist.shtml

[otherworldly]

I've just been tea-staining some paper for the labels and book panels, and do they ever look great! I wanted to suggest to you that you crinkle the paper after having wetted it, then dip again. Makes it even more weathered. Also I dripped more tea on the drying sheets. I'm really thrilled with the results so far! My kitchen floor is covered with tea stained paper drying on towels! Seeing the paper gave me another idea for a witch-prop: A stack of paper, teastained of course, with curvey-crazy writing and ink blots...a quill pen with a raven feather and a skull for a paperweight, maybe with a drippy candle ontop? Cliche, but good! :)

[turtle2778]

Too funny. I just got the pen and inkwell at a thrift shop. Im gunna attach a feather to it. I also got the skull candle holder which melts the wax through the eyes at a garage sale for $.25. I never thought about tea staining the paper. I purchased some spellbook pages from ebay that are supposedly replicas of the show charmed. Well see how good they are, other wise i have a spell book from a friend and ill make my own on parchment paper. It was pretty cheap, my dad got me a discount from work. Ive got so many ideas for things in bottles and jars. My biggest fear is that ill do all of that and no one will get up close to be able to see in the jars and tins. i want them to see the little wings or tails that i have in these jars. I want them to read the labels of the bottles and jars. I want them to wonder if those are real books. I just hope all my detail isnt wasted on people who really dont care all that much.

[Lilly]

add some of those bottles and jars and tins to your book shelf so they will see them .
don`t worry if people don`t care..... if you like it that's all that counts.
That's the mystery hmm i wonder...............

[turtle2778]

Yeah, i know it shouldnt matter. I just have such a good time doing this, i would love people to understand that its alot of work and appreciate that too.

[gypsichic]

being a scrapbooker i can tell you all that they make walnut stain in a spray bottle

much easier than dipping paper!

[Hauntiholik]

I wanted to post a link to some things I picked up yesterday. (cast iron cauldron, runes stones and crystal for scrying)

www.hauntiholik.com/Props2006/slides/DSCN9685.html

[Lilly]

all very good witch items there hauntiholik...especially like that cauldron.

[Hauntiholik]

Thanks Lilly. I couldn't pass up the cauldron. It was $15.