Build Your Own Ghost House
October 2, 2023 5:57 AM Subscribe
Feeling the need for a bit of spooky decor, and feeling a bit crafty? Here's a paper craft Ghost House you can print out, cut apart, and glue together. House pages and instructions are in two separate PDF files. The same maker also has a fairly simple human skull, along with a whole catalog of interesting paper craft patterns.
From another designer we find the Bates house, the Amityville house, and several Haunted Mansions along with other designs. This seems to have a single PDF with both pages and instructions in one.
From another designer we find the Bates house, the Amityville house, and several Haunted Mansions along with other designs. This seems to have a single PDF with both pages and instructions in one.
I really want to build these, but October's schedule is, aptly, a nightmare.
posted by doctornemo at 7:10 AM on October 2, 2023
posted by doctornemo at 7:10 AM on October 2, 2023
oooh secret chamber!
posted by supermedusa at 8:25 AM on October 2, 2023
posted by supermedusa at 8:25 AM on October 2, 2023
Also on that site, the Battle-Hearse. If your idea of the perfect hearse includes things like ammo crates, machine guns, fire extinquishers and gigantic circular saw blades... you're in luck.
posted by The Half Language Plant at 9:13 AM on October 2, 2023
posted by The Half Language Plant at 9:13 AM on October 2, 2023
So for the novice paper crafter what's a good weight/brand of paper to print onto (with an inkjet printer)?
Or is it better to glue printed pieces onto cardstock or something like that?
posted by sevenless at 11:52 AM on October 2, 2023
Or is it better to glue printed pieces onto cardstock or something like that?
posted by sevenless at 11:52 AM on October 2, 2023
You might do best if you can run cardstock through your printer, or go to like a FedEx office to get it printed. You might be able to get by with gluing to cardstock but folding layered paper can get tricky.
posted by hippybear at 12:02 PM on October 2, 2023
posted by hippybear at 12:02 PM on October 2, 2023
I used to be a professional craft blogger, and I'm pretty sure I covered this site back in the day! It's a great example of an individual hobbyist site.
Some tips for this kind of thing:
Definitely go to a store that does printing from your files on a memory stick and print there on a color copy machine, rather than using an inkjet printer. You won't smear the print with glue if you do this. You probably will smear the print (which might also be uneven or barred) if you print on an inkjet at home.
Use the slightly heavier paper/light cardstock. You want it to easily take a crisp fold, but be sturdier than regular document paper (which is fine for things that will fit in the palm of your hand and a little flimsy for larger or more complex structures).
Use an x-acto knife, a metal straight edge, and ideally a bone scorer/folder. If you don't have the latter, you could use something like a plastic dinner knife. Score along the intended folds with the side of the blade that isn't serrated.
Get a marker or two (Sharpie is good) that matches the colors of the print and go carefully along the cut edges of the paper so they're the color of the item and not the color of the paper. Do this for any edge that will be visible in the finished item. This makes a huge difference in the finished item looking cohesive.
You don't need to follow all these tips if you just want to have fun and aren't overly invested in the outcome of the finished item! If you do nothing else, scoring along folds with a blunt straight edge is a good idea because it makes the folds so much easier to get right.
posted by verbminx at 2:42 PM on October 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Some tips for this kind of thing:
Definitely go to a store that does printing from your files on a memory stick and print there on a color copy machine, rather than using an inkjet printer. You won't smear the print with glue if you do this. You probably will smear the print (which might also be uneven or barred) if you print on an inkjet at home.
Use the slightly heavier paper/light cardstock. You want it to easily take a crisp fold, but be sturdier than regular document paper (which is fine for things that will fit in the palm of your hand and a little flimsy for larger or more complex structures).
Use an x-acto knife, a metal straight edge, and ideally a bone scorer/folder. If you don't have the latter, you could use something like a plastic dinner knife. Score along the intended folds with the side of the blade that isn't serrated.
Get a marker or two (Sharpie is good) that matches the colors of the print and go carefully along the cut edges of the paper so they're the color of the item and not the color of the paper. Do this for any edge that will be visible in the finished item. This makes a huge difference in the finished item looking cohesive.
You don't need to follow all these tips if you just want to have fun and aren't overly invested in the outcome of the finished item! If you do nothing else, scoring along folds with a blunt straight edge is a good idea because it makes the folds so much easier to get right.
posted by verbminx at 2:42 PM on October 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
If you're using a straight edge to score your folds, you can flip your x-acto knife upside down and run it along to score WITH ABSOLUTELY ZERO WEIGHT FROM YOUR HAND AT ALL, just the weight of the knife and your hand to guide it.
The tip of an x-acto blade is still sharp enough to cut even wrong-way around if you put pressure on it.
posted by hippybear at 2:48 PM on October 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
The tip of an x-acto blade is still sharp enough to cut even wrong-way around if you put pressure on it.
posted by hippybear at 2:48 PM on October 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
ghost ships! ooooowwwaaaoowwwoooo
If I make one of these haunted paper crafts and then my dog inevitably gets ahold of it and shreds it, does that make my dog a ghostbuster? Or just a sea monster?
posted by the primroses were over at 5:31 PM on October 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
If I make one of these haunted paper crafts and then my dog inevitably gets ahold of it and shreds it, does that make my dog a ghostbuster? Or just a sea monster?
posted by the primroses were over at 5:31 PM on October 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by achrise at 6:56 AM on October 2, 2023