Skeleton Arm Sconce

This diy sconce uses many techniques used in the home haunt industry and can be completed over a weekend (only due to paint and monster mud drying time). You can make two of them in a weekend or a full saturday or sunday. We will use PVC pipe as the structure to hold up the arm and some monster mud to make a creepy sleeve and then some dry brushing to create depth. This is a step above a novice only because of the monster mud step, but once you make mud once you are good!!

Supplies needed:

Plastic Skeleton arm with hand

Lantern (i like the flame style but you can find many by searching LED flame lantern, on amazon. Like these https://www.amazon.com/zkee-Vintage-Decorative-La...

Wood slab (you can purchase wood plaques or cut your own out of plywood)

1/2" PVC pipe 2ft total (1 piece will be 9 3/4" & 1 will be 3" long)

(1) 1/2" pvc coupling

(1) 1/2" pvc 45 degree elbow

piece of cloth like a cheap walmart pillow case, make sure it's as long as your arm or so

Tools Needed:

1-1/8" spade bit

PVC Cutter

Gorilla glue

hot glue / glue gun

Jigsaw

drill/driver

drill paint mixer paddle

sponge

kitchen gloves

chip brush

black paint

patina paint color (if you choose to duplicate) otherwise you can use white paint for the sponge painting and dry brushing. I had Lowes mix up "Rapids" color code 5004-10A to get a good patina color

Monster mud creation:

grey latex paint 1 part

joint compound 4 parts I usually buy a 5 gallon bucket of joint compound and 1 gallon of grey paint

Cut the shape out of plywood or buy a wood plaque, it all depends on your theme or creative vision for the wood base. Paint the base as you want at this point. You can paint it later at the end but it's easier to paint it now.

Base it in black and then using a sponge, cover the sponge in black paint and dab on the patina color or other color you choose. For a tombstone rock look, coat the sponge in grey and then dab on black and white to the sponge and then blot the sponge all over the base piece. You can do that with any color combo you want.

Once you have a base cut & painted, find the upper middle or wherever you want to place the arm. I would center it or just a bit above center.

Take a drill and a 1-1/8" spade bit and make a hole but not all the way through the board. Go about 3/4 of the way through.

Wet the hole and add gorilla glue. You can just use hot glue for the whole thing, it's up to you.

Rough up the pvc coupling with sandpaper

Place the 1/2" pvc coupling into the hole and hot glue around the edge.

let it site while you prepare the next step

Take 2ft of 1/2" pvc pipe and cut 2 pieces. 1x 9-3/4" 1x 3"

Insert the 9-3/4" piece into the coupling

attach a 1/2" 45 degree elbow and attach the 3" piece

position the skeleton arm in the way you want it to look. I had it slightly bend upward 1 click on the style that have ratcheting arm joints

zip tie the arm to the pipe. start at the bottom first near the coupling and do not tighten zip tie yet

attach the upper zip tie above the 45 degree elbow and tighten when it's in the position you like

tighten the lower zip tie and remove excess

take a drywall screw and drive it from the back of the board into the skeleton arm joint on the other side, this will strengthen the arm

Prep your work area, drop cloth or large piece of plywood. I used my pillar to mount the sconce, so find something tall and flat to mount it to.

Take a 5 gallon bucket of joint compound (you will not use it all but now you have a whole bucket of mud to work on future projects, label the bucket though!!)

remove the top 1/4 of compound into a new container

pour in 3/4 of a gallon of grey paint (or color of your choosing)

MIX MIX MIX until smooth. Use a paint mixer that attaches to a drill and mix it up

Take a piece of fabric or sheet or pillowcase and cut off any folded sewn edges. cut a piece that is as long as the arm to the fingers and can drape over the arm about 3-4" on both sides.

cut the piece in a shape or design you like. i cut some along the arm to let it drape and then some hanging fabric bits too

Get kitchen gloves that go up your arm and ensure you are wearing clothes and shoes you don't care about, it will stain and never come out. i sometimes wear a tyvek suit as it can get messy with bigger projects.

wet the fabric a bit, not soaking but damp

dunk the fabric in the monster mud bucket and swish it around, coating the entire fabric.

wring out the fabric 1 or 2 times but not super hard, just get the excess off

drape the fabric over the arm as desired, ensure there are natural creases and ripples but no folded over fabric

let it dry (preferably in an area with no wind, so it doesn't mess up your design)

Take a chip brush and the color of your choice for the dry brush and dip it in the color. White and patina look great on grey, but black can work too. All up to you.

Grab an old board or piece of thick cardboard and brush off most of the paint.

flick the brush onto the folds and ripples but don't dwell in any one spot. just flick your wrist up and down as you move around the piece. (see video)

let it dry and mount an LED lantern to the fingers. i placed it over 2 or 3 fingers and then added hot glue under the ring to the fingers to avoid wind movement and theft.

Turn on the lantern and place it in it's final resting place!!!