I'm building a couple of illusions for our neighborhood Halloween, which draws 4,000 trick-or-treaters. Yes, that's right. I've posted a video on other parts of the forum. It's awesome. Everyone goes all out on our block, and they shut off the streets. Some neighbors have animated displays. One used to have a full-sized guillotine and did a beheading every hour. Anyway, we have a lot of fun.

This year, we (OK, I) decided to do magic, using some plans from Paul Osborne's "Haunted Illusions." A few years ago, we did the talking head on a sword and it was quite a hit. This year would include Jack-O-Lantern Girl.

My question is: how would you make the pumpkin?

It has to be pretty sturdy. The plans suggest wood, but making a round wooden pumpkin may be a little bit beyond my abilities right now. I've read some things on this forum about paper mache, and I'm making a witch's cauldron out of chicken wire and fiberglass. But the pumpkin has to have a lid and some moveable parts and support my rather tall 12yo daughter. Paper mache? Would it be sturdy enough? I've searched the web and this forum and this doesn't seem to be one people build or do much anymore -- which is exactly why it appeals to me.

Remember, this is for my front yard but has to compete with the full-size pirate ship hull my neighbor adds to his front porch every year. I'm not kidding. I know there is a great amount of knowledge in this area of the Café, so I know you have some great ideas.

Ready, go ...

Paper mache can be very strong if you use enough layers. However, a better bet may be fibreglass. Or... build the interior structure from wood, then use paper mache to cover it. The paper mache wouldn't have to be thick at all in this instance.

You can make it easy on yourself by exchanging the pumpkin for a small house (or barn or haunted house or castle) on a post. The difficult part for your daughter will be lowering herself into the container (whatever you choose, including a pumpkin) and climbing back out afterwards. For this, I suggest a trapeze type bar that she can hang onto and be lowered down into the container little by little, and raised up from it the same way. That was always the problem with this illusion and one of the reasons you don't often see it in performance. It is easier to exhibit a box containing a living head with no body than it is to lower someone into the box and get them out again.

Ah, but try to get them to sit there for more than five minutes -- something we learned from the head on a sword (which BTW, I'm also bringing out of the basement for use between the magic "shows", so I can talk to the trick-or-treaters. I think my knee surgery has progressed enough I can climb in there again).

Maybe that's why the plans also call for it to be simply a vanish. Although I like the trapeze idea. Probably much more than my daughter will

The house/trapeze are great ideas and certainly easier to build than a pumpkin.

The fiberglass it a little harder to work with but will hold up MUCH better than the paper mache, especially if it is humid.

Typically you would carve it our of a stiff foam, then fiberglass over that to create the break away 2 part negative mold, then make the positive out of Fiberglass as well. If the surface texture isn't that demanding then just skip all the mess in the middle and just coat the foam model with fiberglass and scrape out the foam after it has cured. Build up the outside layer with epoxy to smooth it out and it should be fine with enough paint.

It is definitely a big project with the carving and sculpting but it is kind of fun if you have enough time to experiment and practice. There are even videos on FRP molding that could be helpful.

The biggest issue in a Haunted House or yard type environment are the "optics" which only need one spit ball to expose and one stray rock to destroy. I tend to stay away from methods with exposed optics as it is a little delicate to say the least.

Good Luck!

For the core, one could use a giant balloon and section it, with string to give it that pumpkin look. After you cover it with a few coat of paper-mache, deflate the balloon pull it out and you will have a hollow pumpkin. You can buy a 4 foot balloon here http://www.balloonsdirect.com/weather-balloons.htm for about thirty dollars.

Many years ago I saw one of these that was built from "football-shaped" sections of metal (aluminum, I believe).

I appreciate all the suggestions. Ray, we have a kind of unique deal with our neighborhood and it being so elaborate on Halloween. We close off the streets, and I'm actually able to control the environment. We all put up caution tape around my yard to control traffic. It actually adds to the atmosphere. I plan on using a small portable stage platform and putting some side curtains and backdrop on it to control the visual angles. That worked with the head on the sword. Plus, I live in an old neighborhood where the yard actually sits above the sidewalk which also improves the angles. We'll see how it works. Thanks everyone for your input. Will post back with what I ended up doing.

This sounds like a lot of fun. I hope you will post a video of the results. For that matter you could even put up a few videos of the construction process.

Presto, I've been taking some photos and will post pix of the process, especially the pumpkin, and try to get a good video of the final. I'm having a blast thinking of (inexpensive) ways to do this and getting great guidance on this forum. Thanks to all. Just purchased plans to make a PVC stage from the Magic Nook. Now, I'm hoping it all works.

If you choose to purchase a large balloon, you can Google "climb in balloons". They are generally 72" (6 feet) in diameter and are available for around 21 dollars.

I want to trick or treat on your block. That sounds like the most fun ever.

Please be sure to post videos.