Use the utility knife to cut out the monster.
Haunted Tree
By Gankapotomus Follow
This is the haunted tree that a couple friends and I made for Halloween this year. We really kind of just made it up as we went along but luckily I think it turned out really good.
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Step 1: Building the Trunk
What we did starting out was to take a trash can and a ton of “great stuff” spray foam and just made vertical lines all the way around the trunk. Then did the same with one of those cardboard tubes Quikrete makes to make it taller.
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Next we foamed on a face and added some roots and some jagged points around the top. The top I cut cardboard to make the spikey shapes around the top that way there was something for the foam to adhere to.
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To make the arms I used pvc and wire. after getting the look I wanted I foamed them. Foaming them took a bit of a light hand since they were so thin but I just took my time and didn’t try to do too much at one time.
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Making a Haunted Tree Decoration
This is a simple Halloween decoration made with cardboard and paint, that will cost almost nothing to create. Stick it up onto a tree in your yard for all the trick or treaters to see.
- big piece of cardboard
- marker
- utility knife
- brown and black paints
I saw a decoration like this being sold online and I thought to myself, “I can make that!” Since we recently moved we still have a backlog of cardboard boxes that we haven’t been able to recycle yet. I used one of the big boxes to cut the pieces out of. It was super easy to make and I think it turned out pretty good.
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Figure out which tree in your yard you would like to use. Decide how big the face should be and use that measurement to draw out the face.
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Draw the outline of the tree monster’s head and arms on to a piece of cardboard.
Paint the eyes and mouth black. Paint some long brown lines to look like tree bark onto the face and arms.
Use the utility knife to cut out the monster.
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Nail the face and arms in place. Note: galvanized or stainless steel nails or screws are less likely to harm the tree.
If you want to make this even more creepy, you could light this from the back.
Step 5: Shade in the Tree
Once the base coat was dry, my little goblins helped me shade in all the cracks and crevices with a darker color to give the “bark” a more realistic appearance.
Step 6: Secure the DIY Spooky Halloween Tree
Once the paint is dry, prop up your DIY spooky Halloween tree where you want it to stand and add supports so it won’t fall over. I wedged my tree up against the brick of my house and the roofline, so it needed minimal support to keep it in place. If you want a free-standing tree, you’ll need to add supports to the back. A simple support system using a couple of 2×4’s and gate hinges can be found here. I also recommend supporting the branch from the ceiling as well since the tree will be top-heavy.
Step 7: Spook It Up!
Living in Florida, I don’t have to go far to find loads of Spanish moss. For the finishing touch, I collected some from a friend’s live oak and hung it all over my tree. I’ve seen Spanish moss for sale at my the hardware store if you can’t harvest some yourself.
Consider adding hanging bats, rubber snakes, peeping eyeballs, or plastic spiders for an extra spooky element.
Thanks for reading my DIY tutorial! I’d love to see your take on the spooky tree, so feel free to comment below with your own “haunted forest” pictures!
