When making costumes, there are usually many versions you can create, varying from easy and cheap to labor-intensive and bank-breaking. For costume armor, the most authentic replicas are made with plastic, fiberglass, sheet metal: all requiring a bit of skill and special supplies as well as being a little dangerous. Kudos to anyone who takes on that challenge, but for the rest of us there’s Armor For the Fiberglass-Phobic. The unlikely material of Craft Foam (available at Joann or any craft store) gets transformed into good looking, movable armor and accessories, and just about anyone can do it. For an even more detailed explanation of the process, check out Using EVA Foam for Costume Accessories, Hats & Headpieces. Want an even easier foam costume? A 2D costume looks awesome and can be made in less than an a couple hours.

When was the last time you saw a creative use for a mini pumpkin? During Fall they’re usually displayed next to a bunch of other mini pumpkins, just sitting there and looking all tiny and cute. Or being painted on Kountry Kitchen-style or being made into kid crafts… Learn how to transform the little buggers into something cooler using these tutorials. Starting with a “ghost” white mini pumpkin you can make big creepy bloodshot eyeballs. I have a feeling we’ll make a bunch of these this Halloween to go along window sills, float in punch, and add interest to props.

For the more technically inclined, you might enjoy taking apart a bicycle tire light and making a blinking LED pumpkin. As the tutorial mentions, this project is great for us who want to decorate our work space in October but don’t have the time or desk real estate for a standard sized pumpkin. Plus, it’s always fun to gut electronics.

Have you seen any interesting projects involving mini pumpkins, or have you come up with a unique way to use them in your Halloween decorating? Drop us a comment and let us know.

It’s March 1st, kids: only 8 months left! 2007 has unofficially been dubbed “The Year of the Zombie”, with numerous movies slated for release, which is in turn inspiring all sorts of creepy, crawly products. Naturally, we’ve been brainstorming ideas daily for this year’s Halloween decor theme and I wanted to share some of our newest online finds with y’all.

First up are some magnet sets from Sick on Sin. You have to love a store that knows Every Day is Halloween! If you dig their illustration style you might also enjoy the Zombie Love set of buttons.

In an effort to line the walls in everything zombie we’ve stumbled upon Atomic Monkey Design and their zombie posters*. My favorite, although a rather morose message, is the “Better One in the Head than the Living Dead” poster shown at left. Is it wrong that I immediately envision hanging this above my bed? Probably, but for a zombie lover it’s too cool a phrase and artwork to pass up. Reminds me of a car I once saw driving that had a “redead the undead” bumper sticker. I was so shocked that someone a) created and b) bought such an awesome zombie-related item that I almost got in an accident trying to get another look at it.

For those of you not on Fright Catalog’s mailing list; their spooktacular savings sale has been extended until 3/20/07. Get up to 25% off by entering in the coupon code FCSALE during checkout. I suggest some Gortraits (gruesome morphing portraits) to add the extra creepyness that your hallway walls have been moaning for.

Finally, these amazingly illustrated Spider Portrait cards definitely fit the “creepy, crawly” bill, and would make a great surprise for a fellow Halloweenie. Imagine waking up one overcast March morning, cursing the calendar for separating you from Halloween, and then finding a member of the Spider Family in your mailbox. The images are actually sewn onto card stock, which looks amazing, and makes them ideal for framing if you can’t bear to part with the cards. Available from the awesomely named Head Explodie.

*[via Retro Crush]

With Halloween so many months away, we’re always on the lookout for more landmarks to help us make it through the year. Back in September we wrote about the impending debut album from the fantastically creepy Creature Feature. Five months of nail biting later, Curtis and Erik have finally unleashed The Greatest Show Unearthed upon the world. Like Halloween, it was well worth the wait.

The album immediately sets the mood with the pop and hiss of an old recording, a ghostly circus calliope, and a monologue from Curtis’ dastardly ringmaster character. Suddenly, you are entering their Dark Carnival, wide eyed for the wonders that might be in store. The musical depth of the album is established a few moments later, as the duo manages to create a rich combination of music, character voices, and assorted sounds that seem to come from an entire circus full of ghouls. What’s even more impressive is the fact that Curtis and Erik write, perform, record, produce, mix, and master all of their own music “without any help from outside sources”. While they have both been in bands before, such a well-crafted debut album, especially one that was independently released, is a rarity. Every aspect is top-notch, from Curtis’ vocal range and fiery guitar solos to Erik’s deft use of the keyboard and various electronic background sounds. Their extreme dedication to following their vision, unhindered by a record label or other “handlers”, is undoubtedly responsible for the solidity of the album.

Creature Feature definitely has a focus in the macabre song topics that it explores, but unlike most bands with a theme or novelty aspect, their music has a versatile range. Borrowing from rock and electro they have created a sound that is beyond a simple “gothic rock electro” hybrid. They’re very visual artists and each of their songs invokes a mental image and feeling that draws the listener into their storyline. When you listen to Aim For The Head, you’re tempted to check your windows for the scraping fingernails of the undead. In Such Horrible Things, each of the wicked transgressions comes to life, and yet invokes a little conspiratorial smile from the listener. Their love of B-movies and vintage Sci-Fi à la Ray Bradbury flavors the entire landscape of songs, and in the near future it should spill into the music videos and movies that they are dying to create.

Around Halloween, the search for creepy tunes often leads even the most musically discerning of us to trite standbys (Monster Mash anyone?) or bands that are well-themed but unappealing musically. With Creature Feature you get the whole package: an album perfect for a Halloween party, but catchy and meaty enough to earn a place in your daily CD rotation. Grab a copy of The Greatest Show Unearthed for $15.99 post-paid through their website.

As a die-hard Halloweenie, you know “it’s never too early” to start planning for the Big Day; but when should you actually start? Dependent upon he complexity of your Halloween plans, the answer could range from a mere month to developing a year-round hobby of it. Most of us fall somewhere in-between even though Halloween tends to sneak up on even the best prepared. One day you look at the calendar and have 9.5 months left, then suddenly you’re rushing around the night before to put together a costume. With so many variables to think about- costumes, decorations, food, treats, haunts, new horror movies, etc.- it can be easy to forget some crucial elements until the last minute. We’ve put together a guide that will help you easily begin planning a killer costume now so you can spend October having fun.

Decide on Your Costume: Make this all-important decision now so you can concentrate your efforts. If you’re having trouble deciding on just 1 costume, try to narrow it down to characters with similar traits. For instance, most super heroes are muscular and wear bodysuits, Jedi wear robes and carry light sabers. This will still allow you to focus, while having some leeway until you are ready to decide.

Money: Yep, C.R.E.A.M. The most obvious place to start whether you’re planning something huge like a Collector’s Edition Darth Vader costume, an elaborate homemade costume or just your standard $100 “ultimate” costume. Squirrel away a few bucks a month and your wallet will barely feel a thing come October.

Hair: Wigs are the standby for costuming, but nothing beats authentic hair for realism. Hair grows at an average rate of .5″ per month, so with 9 months prep time you can add about 4.5″ to your current length (although factor in small trims every 6 weeks to keep it looking healthy). Facial and body hair grows at very different rates for everyone, but most men can whip up some Wolverine chops in a month or less. Alternately, if your hair is already too long and you want to cut it, just plan for a haircut a week or so before Halloween. Some hairstyles, like mohawks, will require both growing and a haircut.

Body: New Years resolutions to hit the gym are easily broken, but dedication to a costume may be the incentive you need to make it happen. Whether your Xena costume requires bigger muscles or you need to drop a few pounds to be a more convincing Jack Skellington, take your time and do it safely. Starting as soon as possible will allow you to make small changes in your diet and lifestyle that will be easier to stick with. For a less permanent solution, investigate your prosthetic and padding options.

New Skills: Napoleon was right; it’s all about the skills! Would you be convinced by a Neo or Agent Smith that didn’t perform at least a little martial arts? Every good costume has at least one ability associated with it, and you’re going to seem much more convincing if you can actually perform them. It may be something as small as learning a couple magic tricks or even becoming a decent swordsman to become Captain Jack Sparrow, but it will sell your costume.

Obtaining Difficult to Find Items: It’s called “limited edition” for a reason. If you wait until October to find that 1995 Boba Fett Don Post helmet that you need, you’ll probably only end up with a crappy substitute. Make a list of every item you think you will need, and any items that can’t be obtained at the store every year around Halloween should be planned for now. This especially includes vintage items and custom made pieces. For many costumes and accessories you can usually find quality fan-made replicas on eBay: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Matrix, every anime and Manga character imaginable, and even a lot of TV shows are represented. Start watching for your rare items now, and you’ll have time to locate the perfect ones for your costume.

Accents, Dialogue & Presence: Humans are sight-oriented creatures and our first impressions of a costume will definitely come from the outfit and accessories itself. After that first glance, though, it is the intangible aspects that will make your character come alive. We’ve all seen badass costumes acting out of character, and although it may be funny, that’s probably not why you’re spending months preparing a costume.

When dressing as a character from film or TV who has an accent, getting that accent down will make a huge difference. Copy what you hear, and Google your desired accent to learn a few pointers. Perhaps even more important, though, is presence. This can be an elusive concept, but the first step is to try method acting. This will effect your facial expressions, your timing, body language, choice of words, and how you react to situations. Become your character, and your costume will knock everyone’s socks off.

What are you planning for this year? If you’ve got a tip for long term Halloween costume prep that we didn’t mention, please let us know in the comments.

Well boils and ghouls, you made it through the holidays. It’s the beginning of the year, and a whopping 9.5 months until Halloween. It might seem like you’ve got plenty of time to prepare, but there are actually 2 time-sensitive online offerings that you need to check out before January 15th.

First, Fright Catalog is offering 20% off your total order, using coupon code FC20. It’s the off season, and a lot of products are not currently in stock, but now is still a good time to stock up. We just purchased the Solar Corpse Light, which we were enamoured with last Halloween, and are anxiously awaiting its arrival. Like you’ll be reading in an upcoming article, its never too early to start planning for next Halloween, and sales like this are excellent places to start.

Next up is Dark Candles, who is the “originator of gothic and horror themed candles for… people with dark and eccentric tastes”. Hey, that’s you! They have a limited edition set of holiday themed scents, aptly called Dark Holidays. The black “Midnight Mass” candle sounds like quite a mood setter, and there is also a matching body care line in the same rich scent. After January 15th these candles disappear… Via [Ghost Droppings]