Looking for a NEW cheap and terrifying Decorating Idea for your Halloween Party?
I am a huge fan of decorating for Halloween. I am also a huge fan of NOT spending a ton of money. This idea combines those two goals into one easy and fun DIY project. Enjoy!
BLOODY TARPS
Someone (Dexter? Freddy?) committed a horrible bloody murder in your basement, hallway, or garage!!! Basically these are red paint splattered lightweight plastic sheets. This decorating idea has BIG impact. The tarps can instantly transform your charming country living room into a scary warehouse murder scene. Sweet! The other awesome thing is that you can hang the tarps in front of stuff to hide it. For example, if you want to keep people out of one side of your basement (maybe so they don’t see all the junk you store down there), a tarp can be hung across the middle of the room, blocking your dirty secrets (and Christmas decorations) from sight.
Total cost: about $11.
Materials needed:
1 Quart of Blood Red Paint – go to your local hardware store and have them mix up the bloodiest red you can find.
3 large clear plastic painters’ tarps. Also available in the paint aisle. Get the cheapest quality you can find. You don’t want these things to be heavy, or they will be difficult to hang.
Paintbrush
A rubber glove – I just used an old one we had under the sink. Bonus!
Duct tape
How To
Hang up one tarp outside, or in your garage, or any appropriate painting area - well-ventilated with a lot of space. (I held up my plastic tarp by tucking the top edge under heavy stuff on a high shelf, but you could also use duct tape.). You want the tarp to be hung up while painted, and not flat on the ground, because you really want those awesome bloody drips to form. Place one of the other tarps flat on the ground underneath the hung tarp. You don’t want the ground to be covered in paint.
Dip the paint brush in the red paint and flick red paint onto the hung tarp, creating a blood splatter effect. Start in the middle of the tarp. (If you get too close to the edge, the paint might spatter off the sides, getting your yard or garage paint-splattered.) Randomly spatter paint and brush paint in a slashing motion all over the tarp. You can also write “Help” or “Beware” or “Die” in messy brushstrokes.
When it looks sufficiently bloodied, put on the rubber glove and dip your hand into the paint. Make a few bloody handprints. I liked the effect of dragging my hand across the tarp. Like the victim was trying to escape or something. (I like to think I am theatrical and not a sick, sick person.)
After the paint drips down the tarp to your liking, lay it flat to dry. Takes a few hours to dry.
Repeat the process for the other two tarps. (One tarp could be enough, depending on your party needs, but a quart is enough paint to do three tarps, and since the tarps cost about $0.79 apiece, why not do more? Go big or go home.)
Now it’s time to decorate your party space! The plastic tarps I used were so light that I could hang them by duct tape, or in places, by tucking the tarp under something heavy on a high shelf, or by poking a preexisting nail through the plastic.
When the party is over, fold the tarp gently, paint-side-in. Note that a bit of the paint may chip off in places, so when you open it next year, maybe open it outside first so you don’t get red paint chips in the house.
Caution - bloody tarps may cause guests to pretend to stab each other.
No comments:
Post a Comment