[dave the dead]

I am working on a stirring witch this year, and wanted to improve the look of a plastic cauldron. There really isn't anything wrong with the shape of the typical plastic halloween cauldron, but the overall look is, well, plastic-y. I have set out to re-work one, and thought I'd share some progress pix and methods.

Texture:
I have added alot of texture to the plastic surface by mixing oatmeal and sand into a water and glue mixture. I randomly applied it all over the cauldron.
Mmmmmm...Oatmeal.

Once that dried to a very, very hard surface....(I mean really, have you ever tried to get oatmeal off a bowl after it dries????Impossible!) ...I primed the cauldron with flat black.
<<<note on paint...I have been using Rustoleum flat black primer/sealer rather than the cheap 96cent walmart paint...it has alot more pigment and therefore covers much better...this also means you use alot less of it>>>

I have started with a rusty paintjob here using acrylics. At this point I am not 100% happy with the look, but need to progress a little farther on the cauldron stand before I go any farther with it.

More to come....

 

[beelce]

Looks great Dave

 

[mymania]

Very nice look!

 

[Haunted Bayou]

Really!
I may have to upgrade my plastic cauldron with oatmeal of all things.

 

[Lilly]

lookin good Dave...
okay i gotta ask..
reg oatmeal or quick?
LOL

 

[dave the dead]

lookin good Dave...
okay i gotta ask..
reg oatmeal or quick?
LOL

It was, if you must know, Kroger brand instant oatmeal, cinnamon & spice. (but I'm sure other flavors and brands would work just as well....I put it on uncooked.

 

[Dr Morbius]

Plus, it gives your cauldren a nice cinnamon-spice scent! Good work Dave.

 

[Lilly]

that's funny dave
and here I thought you were using good old real oatmeal..
amazing what we use to make stuff hey

 

[dave the dead]

Lilly, I have no reservations about using any kind of stuff to make other stuff.

The oatmeal texture was a trial and error process....some things that didn't work too well are scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausages, poptarts...and don't get me started on the grapefruit halves!!

 

[Sickie Ickie]

LOL well at least we know what you do with your left over breakfast!

 

[Lilly]

ha ..grapefruit halves dried could be used as a giant beehive thing.

but really the cauldron looks cool ..im sure you will make it all right

 

[HalloweenZombie]

Holy cow! You could make a castle out of a turd. Is there anything that you can't make look good?

 

[Spider Rider]

The rust turned plastic into 200 lbs. of cast iron, very nice. The stand fixes my main dislike of the plastic cauldrons always sitting on the ground.

 

[Darkside]

Man, Dave. That looks great. Is your mind ever anywhere other than on Huant props?

 

[dave the dead]

The rust turned plastic into 200 lbs. of cast iron, very nice. The stand fixes my main dislike of the plastic cauldrons always sitting on the ground.

heres a better shot of the stand. (in progress, of course...)

 

[Daphne]

Wow, that looks amazing! How tall is this? What foods did you use to build the stand ha, ha!

Dave you are incredible, I have struggled for months on my current Halloween project and you slap your breakfast on a cauldron and create a masterpiece!

Wonderful job though, I have never seen anything like that!

 

[Bone Dancer]

Amazing Dave, oatmeal would not have been my first thought for this project. I have had good luck making rust by layering flat black, rusto red primer, and med. brown. And I just use spray paint.
Like the stand too. Keep us posted on the project please.

 

[frstvamp1r]

"Now little Timmy, you need to finish your breakfast" "no I don't, daddy will just use it on a couldron, flying crank ghost, flicker light or something" hahahaha...Dave, I LOVE the way your mind works

 

[dave the dead]

its all about the texture....oatmeal has that great flaky texture of heavy rust...

 

[Liam]

Nice work, Dave! Thanks for the great idea. I'll definitely be adding oatmeal to my next shopping list.

L