Halloween is right around the corner and it’s time to get into the spooky spirit! A great way to do so is to make a fake body bag for your costume. It’s actually super easy, and you’ll get lots of compliments! Here’s a simple tutorial.
First, you’ll need to get some black plastic sheeting. I like to head to the fabric store and just pick up a cheap bolt, it’s usually plenty for this project. You’ll also need scissors, a stapler, and some stuffing material (I like to pick up some of the packing foam for this).
Lay out the plastic sheeting and cut it to the size and shape you want your body bag to be. I like to make a zippered bag to open up and close, so I’ll cut two identical pieces a little larger than I want the bag to be, and a third piece that’s long and thin to form the zipper.
Staple the zipper piece to the two larger pieces along the edges, then cut the zipper piece off. Now flip the two sides over and staple them together, leaving just the ends open. Stuff the body bag with the stuffing of your choice, then staples the ends closed.
And there you have it, a nice, spooky body bag for your costume! You can even take it a step further and use paint pens to draw on fake blood and guts to make it look a little more realistic.
Once you’ve got your body bag, just throw it over a white shirt and some ripped up black jeans, and you’ll be ready for your costume party!
As I have just described, making a fake body bag for halloween is about as easy as pie. All it takes is a bit of fabric, some foam, and a stapler to pull it all together! Plus the added bonus of added grossness if you choose to use paint pens to give it an extra splash of something special. Just make sure you remember not to put too much stuffing in, otherwise you won’t be able to move around very well!
Another creative way to make your fake body bag a little bit different is to add extra non-threatening little details which work together to give your prop an extra spook factor. Such details can include a few squirts of fake blood, a tiny tribal mask sewn onto the bag, some strips of gauze or bandages to make it look like your ‘corpse’ is in the middle of a resurrection process, or a few faded, worn patches. It’s all about having fun and adding a personal touch to your prop.
In terms of fabric, using a sturdier material, like canvas or velvet, can also add a comforting texture and create a more professional look. Just remember to use black fabric because it stands out more and adds to the spookiness of your costume. Of course, if you’re feeling daring with your fake body bag, you could always add bright neon colours to the edges for an even creepier atmosphere!
Finally, don’t forget to accessorise. Make sure your body bag is complete by pairing it with a nice, wide-brimmed black hat, a skull-mask and some creepy contact lenses. This will make your costume look that extra bit more realistic and spooky – perfect for spooking everyone at your Halloween soiree!
As another way of giving your fake body bag a special finishing touch, consider lightly stuffing it with leaves, soil and even cobwebs (just make sure they’re fake cobwebs). This will definitely give off a grizzly, ‘just dug up’ kind of vibe!
One of the best parts of making a fake body bag for Halloween is that essentially you have complete control over how it looks. You can make it however outlandish and edgy you want it to be, as long as it’s still ‘recognisable’ as a corpse. So don’t be afraid to add a few gory details and ‘overdo’ any elements – after all, between the fabric you choose, the stuffing and the horror movie vibe, you can create the most convincing, eye-catching faux body bag out there!