Hopper and Eleven are in the elevator, trying to close gate.
Now that Halloween is over, and props are back down, I have a little time to share my latest additions to my Stranger Things yard haunt. Last year, I created The Mindflayer, with over 200 feet of legs, Nancy’s arm coming out of the tree from the Upside Down World, a Gate, Will Byer’s Castle, Eleven, and an Alphabet Wall that actually spells secret messages.
This year, I added several more props, and created a different scene from Season 2, episode: The Gate. Continue reading →
Hopper’s beard, mustache, and eye brows were all made with real dyed hair. But you’ll be surprised on what kind of hair was used.
Are you having problems finding a decent beard from your local stores or online vendors? You’re not the only one. After scouring Amazon, and other places, I felt a little desperate. I was making Hopper, from Stranger Things to go into my Halloween yard. I thought, how hard can it be to find a normal beard, that didn’t break the bank? Continue reading →
Adding to our second year of our Stranger Things yard, we added a more visible gate, where demodog heads are scattered upon it. I even built a life-size, animatronic demodog that turns his head, when sensors are triggered. No, this is not that tutorial. It was not easy, nor fast. But the demodog heads on the gate? Easy Peasy. Follow these quick directions, and you’ll have a Stranger Things vibe in no time.
I’d like to apologize to the frustrated creators, trying to find the link from my original post, Lock, Shock and Barrel Life-Sized Characters – DIY. It seems a few years back, a glitch deleted content off my site. Here is the long-awaited tutorial for Barrel:
First, let me apologize to the several frustrated creators looking for directions for the Shock and Barrel tutorials. The posts were written, and I thought were linked/published. But after a creator clued me in on the missing posts, I went back and couldn’t find them. Continue reading →
I knew whatever I used, had to hold up to the elements, allowed for a light to shine from inside out, and show Nancy’s hand through the goo and vines, reaching for Johnathan. This is how I accomplished it: Continue reading →
One of four types of vines, created for The Upside Down World. Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved, Debbie Morrow.
After creating a Mind Flayer for my roof (tutorials Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3), I knew the creature needed something more: Vines. The Upside Down World was filled with vines that hung everywhere, and vines that attacked. They were a part of the hive mind, associated with the monsters of Stranger Things.
After scouring the web for prices on vines, it was clear: My budget couldn’t afford the 100 or more feet needed. Continue reading →
A close up of the Mind Flayer’s head. It sits on a 10 foot body, with over 100 feet of legs, positioned on a roof. Image Copyrighted 2021, Debbie Morrow, All Rights Reserved.
With an unrelenting pandemic, coupled with the rest of the world’s chaos, how could I not think of, The Upside Down World, of Stranger Things? It seemed like the most appropriate idea for our 2021 Halloween yard.
After mulling over the size of the Mind Flayer, the next consideration was how to get it on the roof. I’ve seen a few folks have one stand in their yard, and thought, NOT BIG ENOUGH! Myhusband said, “Build it, and we’ll figure a way to get it up.” Also, it couldn’t just be a Mind Flayer, but the whole yard had to be an Upside Down World.
Dr. Finklestein now joins my NBC family. Image courtesy of Debbie Morrow, All Rights Reserved
Just a brief post to introduce my latest Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloween prop created: Dr. Finklestein. I’ll try to add the tutorials, when I get the chance. He joins Jack Skellington, Sally, Lock, Shock, and Barrel, Oogie Boogie, and the Duck/Vampire prop. Zero, the ghost dog, was sadly showing his age, so I actually found a new one the same size, and is now happily flying in the yard too.
If anyone wants to scramble to make this fella, he stands about 5 feet or less, and I used extra couplers of 40 degree or 90 degrees to have him sit. So if you follow my usual PVC prop skeletons (See Lock, Shock, Barrel), you’ll be able to figure out the sizing.
The tutorial for Dr. Finklestein will be split into a few different segments, because there are too many steps (especially the head), to put into one single post. If you were determined or had help, all could be complete within a week. But alas, it took me at least four weeks to finish. If you want every post sent directly into your email, click the ‘Follow’ and you won’t miss the entire process. Thanks!
Since I decided to build an 
