The new remastered Jack with Sally.
I don’t know what it is about The Nightmare Before Christmas (NBC) that caught my attention. But since the movie came out, I’ve wanted to make every character for Halloween.
Jack Skellington was one of my first attempts. Now when I say attempts, I can honestly say, I’ve spent more time and effort making, remaking, and eventually, rebuilding him completely. Continue reading
Jack and Zero need some prop friends. Which ones would you choose? Image courtesy of Marciniak Photography.
The beginning of summer is the opportune time to plan prop projects for Halloween. It gives a haunter the time and space to be more creative and allows for mishaps to be corrected. It allows for any reconstructions or cosmetic work to be completed in leisure – rather than a few panicked weeks.
Since I made Jack Skellington and his dog Zero last year, I’ve been contemplating what other characters to add. Jack’s girlfriend Sally, is at the top on my list. But how I will make her, is still up in the air.
I often make at least one new large Halloween prop a year. But there is often a sadness that occurs when I place my artistic endeavors in storage; especially since many times it had taken weeks to create.
This was the case a few years ago with my 16 foot pirate ship made from wood pallets. The week after Halloween passed I didn’t have the heart to tear it down. So I turned it into a Santa ship and took Davy Jones away. I filled the ship with an enormous bag of toys with Santa at the wheel.
Since the head is done, I’ve moved on to Jack Skellington‘s Tie.
How it was made:
My DIY of Jack Skellington’s Tie. Photo courtesy of Debbie Morrow.
Black Foam Board
A Pencil
A Paper-Coated Foam Apple
Rubber Cement
An X-Acto Blade
Black Outdoor Craft Paint and Brush
Since it takes about an hour for the craft paint to dry, I started on the head first. I pulled the stem out of the apple and painted it black.
While that was drying, I used a pencil to trace the outline edges by eye from a photo of Jack’s tie found on Google Images.With the blade, I cut out the penciled lines. Continue reading
With all of you watching my blunders in creating Jack Skellington, I thought an update would be a good idea. If you missed my Confessions of an Ignorant Creator, you should see what happens when a person doesn’t read directions. I’m sure a few of you will get a laugh out of it.
Otherwise, here are my updated photos and steps. I still have to create his bust and put together the PVC pipes for his body. But the hard and messy part is over.
He’ll be at least 6 feet tall and I’m still debating how to make the big black curl he stands upon in the movie Nightmare Before Christmas.
I’m thinking of making it out of chicken fence and wrapping it in black plastic, but if you have a better idea, I’d love to hear it.
I added a lip of foam to accentuate Jack Skellington‘s lips. It will be sanded down to blend into the rest of the head. Photo courtesy of Debbie Morrow.
I’ve never professed that I’m an expert at my craft of creating frightful or delightful things.Today is another example of my ignorance and hope my less-than-knowledgeable creator friends can learn from my mistakes.
I’ve been working the past week on a Jack Skellington head that will be built into a life size character for my yard. I completed the paper mache, added eyes/nose features and covered it with a thin coat of plaster.
I was about to start sanding when I took a look at photos from the movie and decided to add a lip edge for his mouth. Instead of going back to plaster or my paper mache mix, I chose to use Touch and Foam Max Fill. It’s quick, easy and you can sand it within a very short period of time. I even had experience using it for other projects without any big issues.
Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Image courtesy of bloodyxrosexiii on Deviant Art.
I get inspired every time I search blogs and affirm I’m not the only haunt enthusiast searching on a hot summer night.
I ran across an Instructable that shows Jack Skellington. Although it was a puppet tutorial, I’m thinking of making Jack, his girlfriend and dog for my next Halloween Haunt.
Then each year, I could add another character from the movie. Let me know what you think!