Dollar Store Halloween Skeleton Trophies

It's no secret how I feel about Autumn.

Something about the air coming out of the crisper drawer to play makes my heart skip a beat. 

Halloween has a hold on me in a way that no other holiday ever could. I'm in love with vintage Ouija boards.  I'm in love with the witching hour. I'm in love with the giant orange full moons. 

I have traditions, just like any other Fall junkie, that I happily look forward to all year and it's about that time to start crossing them off my list.

For instance, every year I watch The Shining

And I watch Clue because I LOVE Tim Curry. He's just the best. 

I also watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show because the only thing better than Tim Curry is Tim Curry in drag.

We watch It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown because no Halloween season is complete without a visit from the Great Pumpkin. We pop some popcorn and watch this one with Kalynn every year. I'm not sure if she remembers, but she's seen it every Halloween season since she was born.

And then of course there is the pumpkin patch, the pumpkin carving, the roasted pumpkin seeds, the home churned pumpkin ice cream, the pumpkin cheesecake and the pumpkin spice lattes.

Last year on Halloween night I worked a double at the bar and helped judge the annual costume contest. This year, I have the night off, but even though I won't be there in person I wanted to make something that would still let me be there in spirit.

Enter: The best Halloween costume contest trophies in the World...

Above is the final "Sexiest Costume" and "Best Couple Costume."

Below is "The Scariest Costume" and "Funniest Costume."

So here are the step by step instructions on how I made these guys:

At most Dollar Stores around town during the Halloween season you can pick up these skeleton garlands. They usually have 4 skeletons per garland and they work perfect because they're little bodies and heads are pretty amusing the way they are. Something about them just make me laugh.

You can also find these cheap plastic wine glasses in a pack of 5 or 6 for $1. 

The first thing you need to do is un-string your skeleton from the garland so you're left with just his skinny stick body and snap off all of his bones at the joints. I said my apologies to him before I did this with the promise that, like any surgery, he'd be better than new once the healing process happened. 

Next, you start rebuilding from the bottom up. You'll flip your wine glass over first and use it as the trophy base. Get out your trusty glue gun and form your little guy the way you want him. Start first with gluing his long skinny little toes to the bottom, and then his ankles and so on. 

Once you've got his knees and hips done, it's time to figure out what you want him to do with his hands. 

This guy is the Sexiest Costume man so I made sure to glue his head and arms just where I thought they'd look best. 

I followed the same basic assembly for all five trophies. The couple was the hardest to do but with patience (of which I have very little) I think it turned out the best. 

Next it is time to spray paint. You can find metallic gold stray paint at almost any hardware store. It runs about $6 per can. 

The great thing about the cheap wine glasses is that they come apart at the base, so when it was time to give them their color, it was super easy to separate them with out disrupting their pose.

The stem and cup of the wine glass are used as the base of the trophy so I opted to go with a flat black color which will most likely run you about $1. What's great about the project is that the whole thing total is doable under $10 as long as you already own a glue gun. But even then, a glue gun is only about $8 at any Target, Walmart or craft store. 

Once you put him all together, you can make his sash and base labels. I already have a label maker and construction paper so I just printed out his "Best Over All Costume" banner. 

So that's all there is to it! I hope every one is having a great Fall season and good luck with your contest!