Scary Man On the Porch: Easy, No-Sew Halloween Craft

by Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of Brand Shamans &  Write W.A.V.E. Media

Image: Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved

Halloween is a night filled with fun for children and adults alike. Part of that fun actually occurs before Halloween. Making your Halloween decorations can be almost as fun as the actual holiday events occurring on Halloween. One fun thing to make is a scary man to sit on your porch.

Your visitors will be enthralled with this particular one, as some might at first think it is a real person. That's part of what makes this one so fun. Below, learn to make your "Scary Man On the Porch" Halloween decoration. This is a no-sew project that most anyone can do. However, if you enjoy sewing, feel free to sew it up if you please.

As you will learn below, your man does not always have to be on the porch. Learn some fun ways to use it once you read further. Also, remember that your "Scary Man On the Porch" does not have to be male. It can also be a woman, if you wish it to be. For easier instructions, it will be referred to as a man, but as stated, either gender is fine.

Materials:

• Old Shirt (long-sleeved)
• Old Pants
• Old Belt
• Old Gloves
• Old Shoes
• Old Socks
• Rubber Bands (the larger beige-colored type)
• Grocery Bag
• Old Wig (optional)
• Scary Mask or Realistic Human Mask
• Large Trash Bag Full of Leaves or Poly-Fil (polyester fiber stuffing)

Instructions:

First, you'll need to either rake enough leaves to fill a large trash bag or purchase their equivalent in Poly-Fil, which can be found at Hobby Lobby and other craft and fabric stores.

Once you have your stuffing material, get together an old long-sleeved shirt, old gloves, old shoes, old socks, and an old pair of pants.

Your first step is to fill the gloves with the leaves or Poly-Fil. Once they are full (leaving free space at the top), attach the gloves to the wrists of the shirt with one rubber bands (one for each side). Now take your grocery bag and fill it halfway, making a round shape and then securing it with a rubber band.

Attach the grocery bag to the neck area of the shirt using another rubber band. Then stuff the shirt, including the sleeves, leaving a small amount that is not stuffed. Secure it closed with another rubber band.

Next, stuff a pair of socks, secure them with a rubber band, and attach them to the bottom of the pant legs with a rubber band on each side. Then, stuff the pant legs, leaving the top area open. Stick the top half of your man (shirt, etc) into the opening of the top of the pants. Secure it with the belt.

Put the shoes over the socks and also attach your mask, wig, and any other accessories you need to make your man look real. The best results come from either making the Scary MOP look like a family member or from making it look extremely scary.

Fun Ways To Use Your "Scary Man On the Porch"

There are many ways to use your "Scary Man On the Porch", or Scary MOP decoration. Below are a variety of ways to have some Halloween fun with this homemade man.

• Place On Porch Swing -- This is perhaps the most common method of getting visitors to think that a scarecrow or fake man is a real person. Prop your Scary MOP on the porch swing or bench in a manner that you think will be convincing to your visitors. When trick-or-treaters or party-goers arrive at your house, they might just think it's you or a friend sitting on the porch.
  
  
• Place in Pathway -- To mock your visitors, place your Scary MOP in the pathway leading up to the entry of your home. This is sure to trick many visitors.
  
  
• Place in Mock Graveyard -- Mock graveyards are something many people like to make for Halloween. Consider placing your Scary MOP in a mock graveyard, making it look as real as possible. This will make visitors look twice.
  
  
• Lay In Pathway -- Place your Scary MOP in the pathway leading up to your door. Although, with this one, I advise making it obvious that he is not a real person, for the simple fact that you don't want people thinking there is a real body in yard - not good.
  
  
• Hide Behind Bush -- Place your Scary MOP just sticking out from behind a bush. This is sure to make people jump as they won't know if he is a real person or not.
  
  

Bonus Tip #1:

For even more fun, you could hide a small cd player inside the Scary MOP that plays ghoulish talking or laughing.When visitors walk past the Scary MOP, they'll think he is talking to them or mocking them. This can get pretty fun.

Bonus Tip#2:

To hold up your Scary MOP when you want him to stand, try using props that will go along with him and sticking them into the ground. For example, if your Scary MOP is a witch character, use a broomstick and stick the rounded end into the ground, using it to stabilize your Scary MOP, possibly by sticking it through the back of its belt. Tilt it to the side a bit to make it look like the Scary MOP is holding the broom instead of the other way around.

*Disclaimer: Neither the author, nor the Write W.A.V.E. Media network is responsible for any events occurring as a result of anything contained in this article. It is up to the reader to use their discretion wisely with any event or action.

**Note: The name "Scary Man On the Porch" or “Scary MOP” was given to this craft by the author. If it closely resembles any other similar entity, the author holds no responsibility. As far as the author is aware, at the time this content was created, no similar craft or item existed with this title.

***I originally published this content via Yahoo Contributor Network