'08 Halloween #10: The Cheapest and Easiest Prop You'll Ever Make!

There's a unique creepiness to a specimen jar.




How about making a laboratory table full of them containing every organ in a human body for almost no money? Never blow your budget on expensive foam body parts, rubber bats and plastic mice to stuff the jars with again!

Here's how to do it and all you'll need:

1) Find your sense of humor.
2) Acquire old jars and fill with water ( I used a glass container from a spent aroma candle.)
3) Add a drop or two of yellow food coloring (or a color you like).
4) Most important, glue on a homemade label like this one...




The details on the label are references to the classic Universal, Claude Rains' INVISIBLE MAN . The date was it's release. The name is the character's. "Monacane" was the drug that turned him invisible and the Lion's Head Inn was where most of the story takes place (in a village called Islip in West Sussex). The item no. is made up and means nothing. I am geek and love the movie but I did have to research a few of these details. Thought it would be a fun homage to a little remembered character when the other big 3 Universal monsters rule Halloween.

I made my label in Photoshop. Feel free to borrow it if you like as a early Halloween treat. Here's a blank one to customize...




If anyone actually uses my label, send me a picture, I'd love to see it!

12 comments:

  1. Awesome idea!

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  2. Great ideas for your halloween display.Cant wait to see the finished product

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  3. Do you intend to create the various 'body parts' to go in these jars & share with us how to do so? If you could that'd be great.

    JJ

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  4. Thanks Ted, Wyatt and JJ!

    JJ,
    The gag of these jars is that they are "invisible man" body parts...a cheap joke, I know, but made me laugh.

    When it comes to jars with actual body parts and stuff, I usually p/u some cheapo pieces or small creatures at the party store. A .99 cent rubber bat looks awful but in a jar of colored water, works great! You've given me an idea though for a post about things that can be used.

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  5. That's going to work just great with some of my own future specimen jars; label's awesome. Thanks for your generosity and I'll send some pics when available

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  6. Thanks Dave for the label and specimen jar ideas. Began my own project and found this. Wonderful addition to my halloween party on the 17th! Blessings, Deidre

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  7. Thank you for sharing your ideas and label. now days you have to pay for ever little thing over the internet. thanks for helping me give our office a creepy party on a shoe string budget.

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  8. I know this has been up forever, but I just started going through your archives. : )

    This label is fantastic, and will be used on my Cabinet of Curiosities specimens. Pictures to follow.

    Thanks so much for all you do- you rock!

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  9. These jar labels were the perfect adornment for our shrunken head & skull jars. Thank you for sharing!

    Cheers,
    Heather @ Find That Warm Fuzzy Feeling

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  10. What a wonderfully generous you! Thanks for this idea.. Now, where was that rotting eye??

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  11. I have been searching for specimen jars finding everything from beautiful on Etsy to cutesie--adorable stuffed animals in too-small jars and everything in between.
    These Invisible Man jars are the best by far! I love the joke, the irony, the factual label, the history already in place. My sincere congratulations!

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