Halloween is nearly here and it’s time to crack open the decorations. But as the cost of the living dead rises it might be time to be a little more DIY this scary season, so here is a haunting decoration idea that takes next to no time and keeps the costs down.
It’s time to make a Halloween Haunted Head in a Jar! (also known as the “pickled head”).
For this treatful trick all you need is your mobile phone, access to a printer and an old coffee jar (or just any larger glass-like container.
The first step is really simple, take a close-up photo of yourself. For the best results pull a haunted face staring forward with your mouth in shock, for an added extra special effect, swap your phone’s camera to Panorama mode and get someone else to take it, moving it across slowly to stretch your face a bit. A normal photo will work fine though and it’s even a good chance to use some of those creepy filters to darken the contrast a bit as well.
Now print the photo ensuring it’s a size that will sit comfortably inside your jar taking up the whole inside view. You may need to cut it to size.
Next, if you have access to a laminator machine and want your image to last a while it’s best to use it. You could even use some contact left over from covering the kid’s school books this year.
Now place the head image inside the glass container and fold it around so it starts to take shape as a shrunken head in a jar.
Fill the jar with water and add some food colouring for effect, you want to get that “embalming fluid” reddish brown look that you would see in a horror movie. Use drops of red to create a more bloody scene.
Another option if you don’t have food colouring is to use a black tea bag and leave it sitting for a while to create the mood.
Here’s where you can get really creative, add some wool and try to make it a similar colour to your hair around the back of your photo to give it some 3D style.
Now raid the kid’s toy box for small plastic insects and spiders to stick to the outside of the jar, on the lid and maybe throw a few inside it for good measure.
Place the lid on the jar and display it in a place that everyone will see to get some good laughs and maybe a few frights.
Have fun making your special creation. You could even make a few different ones using images of each family member or even print out a close-up of your favourite celebrity. Share yours using the hashtag #headinajar so we can all see them on Halloween!
