The Screening Room

The Halloween Video Library

A curated, searchable archive of the dark craft — DIY props and animatronics, home-haunt walkthroughs, makeup, lighting, fog, and effects. Every film embedded from its creator, organized so you can actually find what you need.

How to Repair Old Halloween Pumpkins 🎃

This beginner-friendly tutorial from VanOaksProps walks through restoring faded and cracked foam Halloween pumpkins using everyday craft supplies. The process covers surface prep, sealing cracks with Mod Podge, and repainting with layered acrylic colors using a sea sponge technique. A matte spray sealer is applied at the end to improve durability and weather resistance. The result is a refreshed, display-ready prop at a fraction of the cost of replacement.

VanOaksProps· 10,926 views

We made a GIANT real-life Minecraft Spider!

8:02

DIY PropsIntermediate

We made a GIANT real-life Minecraft Spider!

Wicked Makers' Jay and Jaimie build a life-sized, game-accurate Minecraft Spider Halloween prop using XPS foam, acrylic paints, and a hidden RC car chassis that propels it at speed. The blocky pixel aesthetic is achieved through careful foam shaping and a multi-shade grey paint scheme, while 3D-printed details and LED eyes complete the effect. A Bluetooth speaker adds sound for extra impact, making the prop interactive enough to chase trick-or-treaters around the yard.

Wicked Makers· 191,170 views

9:34

DIY PropsBeginner$20–$50

Make PVC Look Like Wood

VanOaksProps walks through a beginner-friendly technique for transforming ordinary PVC pipe into convincing faux wood using a heat gun, Apoxie Sculpt for texture, and layered acrylic paints. The method is versatile enough to produce a witches' broom handle, a cauldron stirring stick, or a Harry Potter-style broomstick. Multiple earth-tone paint colors are blended and dry-brushed to achieve realistic wood grain and aging. A final Mod Podge seal protects the finished piece for display or wear.

VanOaksProps· 60,418 views