DIYpics

Make Better Fake Blood

Oct 042012

Realistic Fake Blood

If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I work a lot with tapioca flour. Well, last week as I was doing my Zombie BaitHalloween makeup, I realized I was out of store-bought fake blood, so I tried doing a tapioca version instead. It turned out better than the store-bought version.
Just had to share this DIY blood recipe!

Fake Blood Recipe

1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp tapioca flour
5 drops of red food coloring Continue reading »

Homemade FX Brains Nose & Hairy Hands

Oct 032012

DIY Fauxtex Nose

This post will show you how to use homemade fauxtex (latex substitute) for some simple prosthetic makeup pieces (ideal for Halloween or homemade movies). The hardest part about using fauxtex is timing. You have to allow the substance to cool enough to handle but not enough that it sets before you’re finished with your FX makeup.
First we’ll make a simple nose. This will be a solid nose that you can place directly on your skin. If you want a prosthetic nose to put over your real nose, you can scoop out the center with a warm spoon to make room for your nose inside the prosthetic. Continue reading »

Fauxtex: Homemade Disposable Alternative to Latex

Oct 012012

DIY Alternative to Latex

As promised, here is the new and greatly improved recipe for homemade latex substitute for use in FX makeup. After posting last year’s recipe, I received numerous questions about the uses of the latex substitute. Most of you wanted to know if you could make molds out of the recipe and if it could be saved for use another day. The answer to both questions was no. This new recipe approximates the behavior of commercial latex a lot more. It is still non-toxic and inexpensive to make. And though it can be used for several days, it is still biodegradable and disposable. Here is Continue reading »

Easy Felt Bat Ornament Craft

Dec 082011

Angry Bat Ornament

Here is an easy ornament craft you can do with your kids. I call it the Angry Bat ornament (they’re angry because they’ve been left out of the angry birds hype, and they’re swarming the Christmas trees!).
Here’s a free PDF pattern. Feel free to use it any way you want. You can make it as simple or as fancy as you want with paint, feathers, etc.

How to make a felt bat ornament:

How to Make “Latex” for Special Effects Makeup

Art & Fun

Oct 042011

Make Zombie FX Makeup

OCTOBER 2012: SEE OUR NEW RECIPE FOR IMPROVED LATEX SUBSTITUTE–FAUXTEX
For the last three weeks I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to make something that would behave like latex so I could make my own Halloween mask. After much tweaking, I found something that is wonderful to work with, very cheap, extremely non-toxic, and made from something you can get at a grocery store. No, it does not behave exactly like the latex you buy for $50 a pop, but it is a good “starter fx makeup” that you can use to practice before going to film school, or just use for fun anytime.
First, I started with a recipe for slime (see my flesh-colored slime) and tried adding different things to thicken it, etc. But no matter what I did to the slime, the stuff had a mind of its own and would not behave in any way I wanted it to. Though it’s a good basis for homemade guts and gore, you can’t put it on your face and have it stay. Continue reading »

How to Paint Skeleton Hands

Art & Fun

Oct 032011

Paint Halloween Skeleton Hands

This tutorial is for my great nephew who is dressing as a skeleton this Halloween. He has a black t-shirt and black pants that we are going to paint with white paint to look like a skeleton, but what will he do with his hands and face? Paint them skeleton-like too.
This tutorial is for the hands. You will need a dark makeup pencil or Halloween paint and a white makeup or paint. Then, wherever you feel bones sticking out (such as your knuckles) paint them white. Connect the knuckles with skinny white “bones.”
To make Continue reading »

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