Video Tag
Every video tagged “foam carving” in the library — a focused slice of the Halloween archive.
54 videos
VanOaks Props walks through building a realistic broken tombstone prop inspired by a real-life stabilized cracked gravestone. The design features simulated metal repair bands and tabs that give the piece a uniquely aged and structurally distressed look — a standout detail for any cemetery display. XPS foam is carved, textured, coated in mortar mix, and painted to achieve a convincing weathered stone finish.
Part 1 of a multi-episode series documenting the garage build of a life-sized animatronic Velociraptor for a home haunt, inspired by Jurassic World's raptor containment scenes and Universal's VelociCoaster. The creator walks through the early design phase — sketching, scaling reference drawings, and foam carving the raptor's basic form using a hot wire tool and rotary tool. The episode closes by teasing the animatronic electronics integration planned for future parts.
VanOaksProps walks through the complete construction of a final Halloween tombstone, combining insulation foam and MDF to achieve a convincing stone-and-weathered-metal look. The build covers shaping and carving foam details, creating a custom faux metal plaque, and applying a multi-step paint finish that includes a masonry sealer base, hammered copper spray, patina effects, and aging washes. The result is a professional-quality graveyard prop suitable for yard haunts or haunted house displays. A thorough materials list with affiliate links accompanies the tutorial for easy replication.
This fourth and final installment of VanOaksProps' Halloween crypt build series covers the finishing stages of the prop, including painting, brick mortar texturing, and weathering to achieve a realistic stone appearance. The episode's standout addition is the integration of the AAXA HP3 projector to cast a special projection effect onto or within the crypt structure. The video was produced in partnership with AAXA Technologies, who supplied the projector at no cost to the creator.
This short build video walks through the construction of decorative cemetery columns for the Village Mire Yard Haunt in South Yarmouth, MA. The columns are built using a simple wood frame of 2x3s, skinned with luan, and detailed with Foamular foam for a convincing stone-column look. The result is a sturdy, weather-suitable outdoor prop well suited for graveyard-themed yard displays.
Part 3 of VanOaksProps' ongoing Halloween crypt build focuses on crafting realistic fake brick panels from foam and attaching them to pre-built wall flats. The episode then walks through applying a brush-on hard coat — Flexbond tile mortar — to protect the finished surfaces for repeated seasonal use. Together these steps transform flat panels into durable, convincing crypt walls. The compact runtime keeps instruction tight and practical.
This video from Monster Tutorials unboxes and reviews the Industrial Hot Knife Kit from Hot Wire Foam Factory, a tool designed for carving and sculpting foam props. The host walks viewers through the kit's contents and demonstrates how to use it, effectively doubling as an instructional guide alongside the review. It's a solid reference for haunters and prop builders considering adding a dedicated hot knife to their workshop. The presenter notes they personally use the products they recommend, lending a practical, hands-on perspective to the evaluation.
StiltbeastStudios presents a condensed walkthrough of how to construct a foam pumpkin prop suitable for haunted attractions or home haunts. This short-form cut offers a quick overview of the build process, with a full-length tutorial available separately. It's a solid entry point for prop makers curious about the technique before committing to the complete video.
This episode focuses on building realistic dinosaur skin for a life-sized DIY Velociraptor animatronic, part of an ongoing home haunt series inspired by Jurassic World. The creator walks through combining latex and foam clay to achieve a convincing scaly texture over an existing foam armature. Painting techniques are also covered to bring the skin to a finished, realistic appearance. This is episode four in a multi-part build series.
SKS Props walks through the full construction of a Mari Lwyd horse skull — a prop rooted in Welsh holiday folklore — entirely from HD EVA foam using a free downloadable template. The build is notably lightweight, making it practical to carry or wear during the traditional door-to-door rhyming challenge. A pull-string mechanism is incorporated to open and close the jaw, elevating it from static prop to interactive puppet. The finished skull is decorated with ears, ornaments, ribbons, and bells in keeping with the authentic tradition.
StiltbeastStudios walks through a beginner-friendly foam carving method using upholstery foam to build a realistic maggot prop. The technique is deliberately versatile — the same core approach can be adapted to construct a wide range of creatures beyond maggots. Host Allen Hopps encourages viewers to experiment, noting the method translates well to fur-covered animals and other organic shapes.
This is part three of a multi-part series documenting the build of a life-sized animatronic Velociraptor inspired by the Jurassic World raptor containment scenes. The episode focuses specifically on adding servo motors and a controller board to bring the dinosaur to life with realistic movement. The creator walks through integrating 3D-printed components and laser-cut parts into the animatronic rig. It sits within a broader home haunt project built in a garage setting.
VanOaksProps takes a research field trip to Charlotte's historic Elmwood & Pinewood Cemetery to study real tombstones, monuments, and statues as direct inspiration for Halloween yard haunt builds. The creator analyzes architectural details, weathering patterns, moss and lichen growth, and stone textures, then explains how each element could be recreated using accessible, budget-friendly prop-making methods. The video serves as both a design inspiration tour and a practical breakdown of techniques including XPS foam carving, Monster Mud, and fabric draping. It's an unusually grounded approach to Halloween prop design, rooted in real-world observation rather than guesswork.
Part 2 of a multi-part series documenting the construction of a life-sized animatronic velociraptor for a home haunt, this episode zeroes in on building realistic animatronic eyes. The creator walks through 3D printing an eye mechanism sourced from a community model, fitting glass lenses, painting irises with acrylics, and sealing with clear coat. Servo motors are incorporated to bring the eyes to life with movement, echoing the look of raptors seen in Jurassic World attractions.
StiltbeastStudios takes viewers inside Universal Rocks, a professional facility specializing in fabricating realistic artificial rock work and themed environmental elements for haunted attractions and similar venues. The video highlights the scale and quality of what professional fabricators can produce for immersive set design. It serves as both an inspiring facility showcase and a resource pointer for haunt builders looking to elevate their environments beyond DIY capabilities.
This short tutorial walks viewers through building customizable Halloween tombstone props using styrofoam and paint — a beginner-friendly, low-cost approach to graveyard décor. The finished props can be personalized with custom epitaphs or designs to suit any haunt or yard display. At just four minutes, the video delivers a quick, accessible overview of the entire build process.
StiltbeastStudios pulls back the curtain on the construction of a Goblin Guard House prop, showcasing the techniques behind crafting detailed cyclopean-style castle walls. The short clip highlights foam carving as the primary method for achieving large-scale, textured stonework suitable for haunted attractions. It offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the professional-level prop and set building process the channel is known for.
This short teaser from Monster Tutorials previews a DIY rotten pumpkin prop project. The full tutorial is available on the creator's YouTube channel. Based on the title, the technique appears beginner-friendly and aimed at adding creepy, decayed pumpkin decorations to a Halloween display.
StiltBeast Studios shares professional overspray painting techniques focused on achieving realistic rounded stone edges on foam brick surfaces. The tutorial is part of their ongoing haunted attraction set design series, aimed at elevating the realism of DIY prop and set builds. The short-form video distills a specific painting skill into a quick, actionable tip for haunters and set builders.
This short-form episode in StiltbeastStudios' ongoing graveyard bust series highlights the use of a Dremel rotary tool to refine and detail a foam sculpture. The clip demonstrates how a rotary tool can dramatically elevate the quality and precision of foam prop work. As part 9 of a larger build series, it offers a focused technique tip within a broader haunted-attraction prop-making project.
Stiltbeast Studios demonstrates a spray painting technique applied to carved foam stone walls, showcasing how layering colors creates a realistic, dynamic stone effect. The video highlights the satisfying visual transformation as paint colors are built up to achieve an aged, textured look. It is part of an ongoing haunted attraction set-building series from the channel.
This short clip from Stiltbeast Studios compares sponge painting versus roller painting as methods for achieving a realistic stone wall texture in haunted attraction or home haunt set builds. The video is positioned as a quick hack or tip, suggesting one method produces noticeably better results than the other. At just one minute, it delivers a fast, visual side-by-side demonstration aimed at haunt builders looking to level up their scenic work.
This short-form clip from StiltbeastStudios is part five of an ongoing DIY graveyard bust series, showcasing the foam sculpting process in action. The creator uses humor — referencing the Blue Man Group — to keep the quick build segment entertaining. As a one-minute episode, it offers a punchy snapshot of the prop-making workflow rather than a full step-by-step tutorial.
This short-form clip from Stiltbeast Studios focuses on refining a castle set build for a haunted attraction, specifically addressing common construction pitfalls like surface imperfections and the undesirable 'bird beak' edge effect. Allen Hopps shares quick, practical guidance aimed at elevating the realism and quality of large-scale set pieces. Despite its brief runtime, the video delivers targeted tips relevant to professional haunt construction.
