HALLOWEEN SKELETON - EYE SOCKET EFFECTS

The following are a few of the special effects we've created to enhance the effect of the skull on a Bucky skeleton. These can also be used on just the skulls. Before getting started, decide what the overall effect of your skeleton will be. If you are going to distress the skeleton to make it look old then this should be done first.

First, you will need to drill out a large hole through each eye socket of the Bucky skeleton's skull and into its cranium. Make sure that the skull is held securely by another person wearing gloves as it may try to spin when you are drilling. Using a standard 1/2 inch bit, drill the hole through the outside of the eye socket and into the cranium. A variable speed drill works best for this so you can start out drilling slow and then increase the speed as needed. Remove any excess plastic left by the drill bit with a small knife.

There are two small holes in the bottom of the skull that need to be filled in or covered over. We just glue two small pieces of cardboard or plastic over them. If you don't cover these holes the light will shine through them.

Next, paint the inside of the eye sockets and inside of the cranium. To do this we use flat black acrylic craft paint and carefully paint the inside of the each eye socket, the nasal passage, the back of the mouth and inside the cranium. You can use a small artist's brush for the part closer to the outside of the skull, and a larger brush for the rest of the inside. Now the skull is ready to except your chosen special light effect device. If you use something other than those we've listed below take care not to use anything that glows to brightly or the light will show through the entire skull. Also, do not use anything that gets very hot as the plastic the skull is made from could melt.

Tip - One way to help reduce the amount of light that shows through the seam where the upper and lower parts of the skull attach is to use dental cream.

To create a flickering eye sockets effect we use the "Artificial Candle Pumpkin Light" from PumpkinLights.com. These units flicker like a real candle using three super bright yellow LED's. You just switch on and place the Pumpkin Light unit inside the cranium upside down and replace the skull cap. The light will flicker through the eye sockets. These units will provide light for up to 72 hours on one set of batteries.

To create a color changing light effect we use the  "Amazing Rainbow Pumpkin Light" from PumpkinLights.com that automatically changes between seven different colors. You just switch on and place the Pumpkin Light inside the cranium upside down and replace the skull cap. The light will glow through the eye sockets.

To create a single color effect we use the  "Amazing Rainbow Pumpkin Light" from PumpkinLights.com set in single color mode. You just press the button until you get to the color you want, place the Pumpkin Light inside the cranium upside down and replace the skull cap. The light will glow through the eye sockets. We like to use red or green.

You can also use a Glow Stick placed inside the cranium to produce light. The main disadvantage with glow sticks is that they are fairly bright for the first twenty minutes or so and then begin to dim quickly. Glow sticks are available in many different colors. We like to use either red or green.