How to Make a Scary Blood-Soaked Skull for Halloween

L.M.Reid is an Irish writer who makes prize-winning Halloween decorations. Learn how to make them from scratch at home.

Halloween DIY Skull Prop

This is the 3D skull with blood and cobwebs that I made with a picture frame. It had a mirror in it that had broken. It is surprisingly easy to make and is very effective either indoors or in the front yard as part of your Halloween display. I show you how to make this with my own photos and step-by-step instructions.

Materials Needed: DIY Skull on a Frame

• Picture frame with wooden back
• Skull
• UHU glue
• PVA glue
• Cling film—Saran wrap
• Adhesive tape
• Red paint
• Black paint
• Paint thinner
• Can of silver spray paint
• Can of clear gloss varnish

Tools Needed

• Protective plastic sheeting
• Paintbrushes
• Pencil

How to Attach the Skull to the Frame

The skull is a heavy plastic kid's mask that has lights inside the eyes that can be turned on in the dark. I bought it at a charity—thrift shop—for 50 cents. The frame had a mirror in it, which had broken. I kept it because I had seen this type of Halloween decoration last year online and wanted to make one.

Instructions

1. Clean the frame with a dry brush.
2. Lay the frame on a flat surface.
3. Place the skull in the middle of the frame.
4. Mark out the outline of the skull with a pencil. This will give you an idea of where to place the glue.
5. Squeeze the tube of UHU glue onto the pencil mark you made. Make sure to go inside the mark so you will have the maximum coverage of glue.
6. Place the skull onto the glue and hold down for about 2 minutes.
7. Cut out small strips of adhesive tape and place them onto the top of the skull and frame. This will keep it more secure when the frame is tilted upwards.

Painting the Frame and Skull

1. Paint the frame black.
2. Allow to dry.
3. Spray the wood inside the frame with patches of grey, white or silver paint.
4. Use silver spray to paint the skull and allow to dry.
5. Give the skull a few coats of paint. The necessary number of coats depends on what it is made of.

How to Make the Cobwebs

1. Unwrap a small piece of cling film and let it scrunch up a little bit in your hand.
2. Using the PVA glue and a brush, stick this onto the wood.
3. Press down hard for about sixty seconds.
4. Continue this way until you have covered the inside wood.
5. Allow to dry.
6. To give the cobwebs some depth add some more cling film on top of the first lot in the same way.
7. Allow to dry.
8. Use the same brush to add glue onto the surface of all the cling film.
9. Let it dry. This will harden it and give a 3D effect.

Making the Dripping Blood

1. Using a brush, dab some red paint around the cobwebs.
2. Do the same with some white or silver paint.
3. Add a small amount of red paint to a dish.
4. Pour in a little bit of paint thinner.
5. Mix together with the brush.
6. Stand the frame upright.
7. Brush the parts of the cobwebs that are sticking out of the frame with this paint and allow it to drip down.
8. Do the same with white paint on other parts.
9. Allow to dry completely.
10. Spray paint the whole lot back and front with clear varnish. This will protect it from the weather.

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My DIY Halloween Display

Every year I add to my Halloween display in the front yard. All of them are hand made by myself. They do not cost much money to make either. That is because I go around many thrift shops during the year looking for items for my other craft projects, too.

I also have most of the materials needed to make the holiday decorations. But there are certain things I like to buy new. These would be the spray paints and glue. I get both of these cheaply in a shop called Deals here in Ireland. In the US, a dollar store or pound shop in the UK. It is amazing what I can find there. I buy my paint brushes online because they suit any medium I am working with and are great quality.

More DIY Halloween Projects

Each article includes step-by-step instructions and original process photos.

• A scary wreath with snakes
• Georgie and his paper boat from the horror movie IT
• A coffin for your decorative skeleton
• A locked zombie door from The Walking Dead
  
• An Annabelle doll from the horror movie Annabelle
  
• Scary eyes for your yard
• Pennywise is the clown from the movie IT that terrorizes the children
• A Woody Halloween costume from Toy Story
• A Chucky doll from Child's Play
• A Superman/Clark Kent Halloween costume

Comments

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on October 27, 2019:

Hello Dred, Yes maybe not a good idea to have it inside. A little bit too scary lol

Travel Chef from Manila on October 15, 2018:

Hi Reid,

If I put that inside my house, I may scare myself to death every time I walk around during night time! LOL Maybe arranging it outside be a good idea for me.

L M Reid (author) from Ireland on October 05, 2018:

Hello Dred, yes this one was quite easy to make and it does look great either on a wall in the front yard or indoors.

Travel Chef from Manila on September 26, 2018:

Wonderful idea for this coming Halloween! It looks scary indeed. I definitely consider doing this one as part of my house design. Thanks for sharing!