Material List:

Several wire coat hangers - the stronger the hanger the better they will support the weight of the "Spectres".

Cheese Cloth: There isn't a prescribed amount since it varies upon personal taste and the size of Spectres that you are making. You can't go wrong with several yards of it though!

One container of RIT dye (white): This is what makes the Spectres glow under blacklight. If you don't need your decorations to glow, you can ignore any of the steps that pertain to the RIT dye.

A fake skull: Notice that I specified "fake." This is because it is EXTREMELY difficult to push a coat hanger through a real skull. These fake skulls can be purchase just about anywhere around Halloween. But if you are a real do-it-yourselfer - or you want to make a bunch of these Spectres, you can make your own skulls using my "Cheap Skulls" technique.



Step 1:




Step 2:

Cut a length of wire and push it through the fake skull.


After inserting the wire, be sure to bend the ends over with pliers to keep anyone from being accidentally poked by the sharp ends. I even suggest that you tape the ends with electrical tape for added safety.

Step 3:

Bend the wire to form the shoulders.

Step 4:

Screw an eyelet into the top of the skull. This creates an easy way to hang the Spectre. If you made the skull using my "Cheap Skulls" method, you can even cover the eyelet with hot glue so that it is ultra-secure.

Step 5:

Drape the cheese Cloth over the frame and your Spectre is finished!



Step 5:

Drape the cheese Cloth over the frame and your Spectre is finished!




Here's an example of a completed spectre. For this one, I used a cheap , blow-molded skull from Wal-Mart. I think it's pretty creepy the way it is, but it's even creepier under blacklight.


Just another shot of a Spectre in regular light. This one was hung in front of our library window.



And here's how it looked from outside once the blacklight was turned on!



What do you think? Contact me and let me know by clicking here.

BACK TO MAIN PROJECTS PAGE

Also be sure to check out my other personal pages called : The Blackboard! Its jam packed with fun and original stuff.