Props!

Doing costumes and need some neat props? Don't worry, you've got everything you need right at your fingertips. So get out those old soda bottles, sponge curlers, foam letters and any other kind of thing you can think of. I'm sure most of you have see the Soda bottle rocket pack. They take to soda bottles, paint them black or silver, and glue red and orange party paper to the openings. Glue the bottles together side by side, turn them upside down and attach strings for should straps. TADA! You now have a jet pack! But what else can you do with all that "junk?" Here's one thing I found I can make with random stuff in my house, prop guns!

looks like something I bought at the store? Nope this is a high fashion piece made out of an old food masher, foam blocks, mardi gras beads, a bottle cap, 2 clothes pins, sponge curlers, and a small thing of pvc pipe.

Now do you see it? Just make sure you use a very strong glue, HOT GLUE ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. Epoxy and super glue work pretty well. I started with a plastic food masher, that I never used, and then cut out a handle shape from those foam letter mats  (my boys had destroyed it so I figured I might as well use that) and glue them both together. Give the glue time to dry, then you can add some embellishments, that's what makes the gun look neat. I added a dissected clothes pin to the handle to give it more shape and the plastic part of sponge curlers to give some depth to the barrel of the gun. Glue on some mardi gras beads to the back to accent the but of the gun, and add a pvc pipe for a scope. My scope was kinda off so I used a piece of foam to lift it so it was level. Then I added as an after thought a sprite bottle cap to the back with super glue. Once the glue is dry, spray paint and enjoy! A water bottle/soda bottle would be a fun barrel to a gun as well. Just start with your barrel and then your handle then find random stuff in your house to accent it. twisty ties, broken toy pieces, the list goes on forever. Happy prop making!