Monster Mud is probably the single most important item for a home haunter to have on hand, if they intend to create their own Halloween props and decorations.
Monster mud is a mixture of joint compound and paint. How to mix monster mud is often done according to personal preference and needs, but the common rule to make monster mud you need 1 part paint, and 5 parts joint compound.
Monster mud can be used in several different ways. It is often used to smooth around headstones, and crypts to give them a really rough stone look, or you can use it to create monsters, which is how it got its name in the first place.
First you create a frame out of PVC pipe, or some other type of framing, and then you wrap chicken wire in areas where you would like dimension, finishing it off by covering the chicken wire with duct tape. You may also create the torso, arms and legs entirely with chicken wire and duct tape. At this point you can duct tape a Styrofoam head onto the neck.
When your frame is complete, you take strips of cloth and dip in the monster mud, wrapping them around your monster until it is entirely covered. If you want to add extra layers you should let the first layer dry before adding more. The process could take several days. Once your monster is completely dry, you can paint him the way you would like and add a coat of acrylic clear coat to help provide some weather protection.
The more you use monster mud for creating your Halloween props and decorations, the more uses you will find for it.
