Recycle Already-There Dryer Lint to Make Fake Tombstones Look Old and Authentic
Recycle Already-There Dryer Lint to Make Fake Tombstones Look Old and Authentic
How do you get your Halloween yard props to stand out and look more authentic without having to buy genuine antique and weathered tombstones, statues, pedestals, pillars and columns? Those fake tombstones you buy or make -- usually from foam -- can get some instant aging by applying faux moss made from common, everyday clothes-dryer lint.
You know, the warm and fuzzy stuff you should be cleaning from the lint filter of your dryer after every cycle.
Artists and designers Shawn and Lynne Mitchell, authors of How to Haunt Your House, the go-to book for Halloween yard-haunt DIYers, include this clever craft among their assortment of prop-making techniques. The faux moss dryer lint craft is one of about 25 detailed step-by-step Halloween prop projects included in their book, and one of the easiest and quickest. Other projects in How to Haunt Your House include "Marbelizing Props," "The Drinking Ghoul," "Special Effect Lighting," and "Hot Glue Poseable Hands."
Do a Load of Laundry & Collect the Dryer Lint
Here's a good motivator to do an extra load or two of laundry -- the more dryer lint, the more faux moss you can make. Those with a multi-pet household are at an advantage here. Put away that lint roller. More cat and / or dog hair = more dryer lint. Wash a load of light-colored clothing -- you've got light-grey -tinged dryer lint. Wash a load of dark colors -- you've got dark lint. You get the idea.
Wad-Up Lint; Gather Your Tools & Ingredients
Once you have a big fuzzy wad of lint in hand (or faux hand, as pictured), it's time to gather your other tools and ingredients to make faux moss.
Tools and Ingredients
Put Ingredients in Bowl
Place some of the dryer lint in one of the bowls.
Add Paint and Glue
Add some of the craft glue, then squirt the paint from one or more of the green craft paint bottles to get the desired color of moss for your tombstone, statue or pillar.
"It's not an exact science," explains author Lynne Mitchell. "It depends on how much lint you have. Use enough glue and paint to change the color and make it tacky enough to apply."
Mix Gently
Use a gloved hand -- preferably a real one -- to gently mix the lint and liquids until all are moss colored. The green paint should not be mixed completely -- you don't want a big muddy-looking glob. Once your mixture resembles something delicately "mossy," it will be time to apply it to your prop.
Moss Your Prop
Make sure you apply the faux moss immediately, before the glue and paint in the mixture dry out. Apply pieces of the mixture with gloved fingers while the moss is still wet. Press it into the prop surface, at the bottom, and to areas where moss would naturally gather and grow on cold, damp tombstones, statuary and pillars.
Let it Dry
Allow faux moss to dry after applying to prop. If needed, drybrush some lighter green mixture or paint on the moss for a highlighting effect.
Here, Lynne Mitchell has aged a hand-made stone cross-style tombstone prop made from styrofoam. Mitchell added "grunge details" to the carved prop by drybrushing it lightly with white paint, then used a brown wash to "grunge it." Her final step was to add faux moss to random parts of the prop for additional aging effects.
Details like the Mitchells' faux moss technique help to make their Pensacola, Florida, yard haunt, Mitchell Cemetary, appear authentic. Since the recipe is easy and the materials are free, don't you think it's time to haunt your own yard?
'How to Haunt Your House' Authors Share DIY Prop-Making Secrets
How do you get your Halloween yard props to stand out and look more authentic without having to buy genuine antique and weathered tombstones, statues, pedestals, pillars and columns? Those fake tombstones you buy or make -- usually from foam -- can get some instant aging by applying faux moss made from common, everyday clothes-dryer lint.
You know, the warm and fuzzy stuff you should be cleaning from the lint filter of your dryer after every cycle.
Artists and designers Shawn and Lynne Mitchell, authors of How to Haunt Your House, the go-to book for Halloween yard-haunt DIYers, include this clever craft among their assortment of prop-making techniques. The faux moss dryer lint craft is one of about 25 detailed step-by-step Halloween prop projects included in their book, and one of the easiest and quickest. Other projects in How to Haunt Your House include "Marbelizing Props," "The Drinking Ghoul," "Special Effect Lighting," and "Hot Glue Poseable Hands."
Do a Load of Laundry & Collect the Dryer Lint
Here's a good motivator to do an extra load or two of laundry -- the more dryer lint, the more faux moss you can make. Those with a multi-pet household are at an advantage here. Put away that lint roller. More cat and / or dog hair = more dryer lint. Wash a load of light-colored clothing -- you've got light-grey -tinged dryer lint. Wash a load of dark colors -- you've got dark lint. You get the idea.
Wad-Up Lint; Gather Your Tools & Ingredients
Once you have a big fuzzy wad of lint in hand (or faux hand, as pictured), it's time to gather your other tools and ingredients to make faux moss.
Tools and Ingredients
- 2 or more plastic bowls
- Latex or thin disposable gloves
- Dryer lint
- 2 or more shades of green craft paint: dark, medium, light for your favorite shades of moss
- Craft glue
Put Ingredients in Bowl
Place some of the dryer lint in one of the bowls.
Add Paint and Glue
Add some of the craft glue, then squirt the paint from one or more of the green craft paint bottles to get the desired color of moss for your tombstone, statue or pillar.
"It's not an exact science," explains author Lynne Mitchell. "It depends on how much lint you have. Use enough glue and paint to change the color and make it tacky enough to apply."
Mix Gently
Use a gloved hand -- preferably a real one -- to gently mix the lint and liquids until all are moss colored. The green paint should not be mixed completely -- you don't want a big muddy-looking glob. Once your mixture resembles something delicately "mossy," it will be time to apply it to your prop.
Moss Your Prop
Make sure you apply the faux moss immediately, before the glue and paint in the mixture dry out. Apply pieces of the mixture with gloved fingers while the moss is still wet. Press it into the prop surface, at the bottom, and to areas where moss would naturally gather and grow on cold, damp tombstones, statuary and pillars.
Let it Dry
Allow faux moss to dry after applying to prop. If needed, drybrush some lighter green mixture or paint on the moss for a highlighting effect.
Here, Lynne Mitchell has aged a hand-made stone cross-style tombstone prop made from styrofoam. Mitchell added "grunge details" to the carved prop by drybrushing it lightly with white paint, then used a brown wash to "grunge it." Her final step was to add faux moss to random parts of the prop for additional aging effects.
Details like the Mitchells' faux moss technique help to make their Pensacola, Florida, yard haunt, Mitchell Cemetary, appear authentic. Since the recipe is easy and the materials are free, don't you think it's time to haunt your own yard?
Source...