[Toktorill]

Hello again and welcome to yet another thread where I show you how I've scared a bunch of little kids with pocket change.

Let's say you have a few dollars, some masks, but few volunteers. Is your haunt going to be empty? Heck no! All you need to do is go buy some lengths of 1x2 wood (I found it to be about $2.50 for 8' lengths), fashion them together into a simple triangle, nail horizontal boards on for shoulders, waist support, and feet, and put a diagonal piece connecting the foot and vertical pieces for support. I found that for wood that small, a couple smaller nails at each juncture along with some duct or packing tape held through the life of the haunt.

If that didn't break the bank, march yourself over to your favorite dollar store and buy whatever color of plastic tablecloth looks the scariest. Toss a latex mask on top (I'm sure you have one lying around!) and you have a large, scary, giant figure!

 

[Toktorill]

But of course... I promised you more pics, right? :googly: I used the above plans during our 2005 haunt with the full 8' length of 1x2, and added a bit of chicken wire to form out the upper body. I topped it off with a friendly, over-sized Satan mask. I also added two 4' lengths (just chopping one of the 8's in half) on each side of the shoulder for arms. Why 2' in both the front and back, you say? Thanks for asking! For control! One of my volunteers (okay, my baby brother-in-law) hid behind the dark prince, holding onto the bottom ends and used them to lean the figure forward, while waving them around to move the arms.

BUT... that struck me as boring. So for some added fun I screwed a normal light switch into the side of the right-hand board, right where it would be held by my brother in law.

 

[Toktorill]

... this switch was then used to turn on, at just the right time, the red flood light along the pitch-black corridor... as well as this fire bell hanging over the heads of our beloved patrons.

Some purple tablecloth to dress for success...

 

[Toktorill]

And we're ready to have a scaringly great time!

I've used a few variations of this technique, all with varying degrees of GREAT success. We used 2x4's to make a 9' robot during our 2004 haunt, which was later blamed for actually causing one patron to pee themselves. But doesn't it look friendly???

As a final note: to get out of the doldrum of plastic walls, you can frame in a wall in a pinch with 1x2's, some staples, and anything that will staple flat- tablecloth, cardboard, ect. Thanks for reading!

 

[slightlymad]

just plain cool keep up the great work

 

[Lagrousome]

Great ideas T! Thanks for the info!

 

[Sickie Ickie]

nice job on a budget!!!

 

[Paranormal Media]

You are extreamly creative!!! I love it, PLEASE keep posting ideas for those of us on a LOW or no budget haunt!!!
Again, great ideas!!!

 

[EverydayisHalloween311]

Wow awesome how do those walls hold up? I'd put a few more support boards going across and then staple cardboard to that. More structure if someone falls into them. Still as is very cool man!!!