We last used this mask in our 2005 Halloween yard haunt but it has been revamped for this year's haunt. The original makeshift glowing green eyes were visually effective. The technique was very simple. We took a short battery-powered Christmas mini-light string and pulled out all the light bulbs. We purchased a string of multi-colored opaque mini-globe Christmas lights and inserted a pair of green lights into the string and taped them to the plastic skull head that came with the over-sized costume display stand we bought from Spencer Gifts on sale post Halloween 2003. While we used that technique for eyes on masks for many years, those parts succumbed to wear-and-tear over time. Also, a nuisance inherent with that old system was getting the lights taped to the mask display head underneath to line up properly with the various masks we used. So our new technique is to fill a mask's eye sockets with Crayola Model Magic air-dry clay and insert a pair of realistic acrylic eyes before the clay hardens. We then take a pair of battery powered LED lights and insert them into the back of the eyes and glue them in place with some clear silicone caulk. This is a much more reliable technique since we don't have to worry about the mask moving about in the wind and the lights underneath no longer being aligned properly. Granted, sometimes just the eerie glow of light from an empty eye socket can be more appealing, but this new system has its advantages!
No comments :
Post a Comment