My son and I have been working on decorations and favors for his fourth birthday party. We decided that we wanted to have some sort of photo booth type thing. As we were brainstorming I told him I thought we could make a cool monster that he and his friends could stand with for pictures. But I didn’t stop there, I decided to up the ante and made it so that not only could they stand NEXT to the monster, but they could also look like they were being EATEN by the monster! Keep reading to see the Monster Party Photo Prop we ended up with.
Without further ado, meet Mo (short for Monster, in case you were wondering)! He is a purple polka-dotted, human-eating fiend!
If you bring him chocolate cake he will be your friend and let you give him a hug, but beware! If he deems you unfit he won’t hesitate to gobble you up.
Now I know your little one will want their very own Mo, so let’s get right into a tutorial, shall we?
Photo Op Prop
Here is what you need:
Spray Adhesive
2 yards of fabric (or more depending on the size of your monster)
Sheets of foam for eyes and spots
THICK Cardboard (or a sheet of wood would work as well)
Scissors
Knife or razor blade
Duct tape or Hot glue (optional)
Draw out the outline of a monster onto cardboard. I used a piece of cardboard that came in the bottom of a chair box, so it was double-thickness and super sturdy. If you are only creating a stand-up Mo, not a hungry Mo, regular cardboard would be fine. For a hungry Mo, you want something sturdy that will hold up to little hands pushing and pulling.
I used my carving knife (brand new out of the box… I got it for my wedding… 8 years ago. SHHHHhhh!) to cut out Mo’s shape and mouth.
Spray adhesive all over the front of the cardboard shape and let sit for a short period, following the instructions on the spray adhesive.
Lay the fabric across the cardboard and stretch it across, smoothing it in place. The great thing about the spray adhesive is that the fabric can be repositioned as necessary.
Flip the cardboard over and spray the back edge and sides. Stretch the fabric around the edges and stick to the back.
Remove any excess fabric.
Flip the cardboard back over and put a slit about an inch or two from the top of the mouth.
Spray the inside and back edges of the mouth and fold it up and stick to the back. Next cut out the middle of the mouth, leaving about 2 inches along the rest of the mouth. You will need to make some notches so that you can smooth the mouth out and stick to the back of the mouth. If you make a mistake you can always use some of your fabric scraps to cover any exposed cardboard.
Next, add a black piece of fabric draping down the back so that you can’t see through the Monsters mouth. I didn’t have a big enough piece of black fabric, so I stuck two pieces together using duct tape and then taped that to the back, about 5 inches above the mouth.
Lastly, cut out monster eyes and dots and use the spray adhesive to stick them to the front of Mo.
That’s it! Now you have your very own monster friend!
I can’t wait to get this set-up for pictures during the birthday party. I think he’ll be a hit! I haven’t figured out how I am going to make him stand up yet. Probably just create some sort of supports, but I’m not worried. Once I decide what I’m going to do I will let you know!
UPDATE: We cut two pieces of wood at an angle, and nailed into them from the front of Mo (on either side), and covered the nails with spots. The bottoms were placed snug into the ground.
Kim is a Marketing Specialist with Inspiration Media Solutions by day and Blogger by night. She's a wife, mom of three beautiful children and two fur-babies, a Goldendoodle and a rescued Pibble. For even more Inspiration Made Simple, like her on Facebook and Instagram+.
This is seriously the cutest idea! I have been thinking about a monster party for my son, so this is PERFECT! Thanks for sharing- found you at Tip Junkie! 🙂 I am also your newest follower- feel free to stop by our blog if you want! Camille @ SixSistersStuff.blogspot.com
What a great idea. It looks like all your kids had a great time posing with Mo! I bet he is going to be a big hit at your party. Thanks for linking up at Willowbeanstudios Jennie
This party is too cute! A long time ago I bought a bunch of things for a monster party and have never had the chance to do one yet…I’m really really wanting to now after seeing all your cute ideas!! 🙂 thanks for sharing.
My name is Kim, founder of Inspiration Made Simple, and I'm really glad you have stopped by!
I'm a mom, wife, fitness and fashion enthusiast. I love sharing simple and affordable ideas that help make your busy life easier, including craft tutorials, affordable fashion, printables, recipes, party ideas, and fun family activities. Learn more about Kim...
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What a great idea to have a monster friend like this for a birthday! It will be a big success!
thanks for this awesome idea! I’m starring this in my reader for January when my daughter’s birthday party is (she’s already started planning!)
Props are so fun! This guy is super cute. I can’t wait to make one with our lawnmower box out in the garage! YAY! Thanks for the super cute idea.
This is seriously the cutest idea! I have been thinking about a monster party for my son, so this is PERFECT! Thanks for sharing- found you at Tip Junkie! 🙂 I am also your newest follower- feel free to stop by our blog if you want!
Camille @
SixSistersStuff.blogspot.com
AWESOMENESS for sure!!!
What a great idea. It looks like all your kids had a great time posing with Mo! I bet he is going to be a big hit at your party.
Thanks for linking up at Willowbeanstudios
Jennie
Very fun!
cute! cute!
Would you be willing to share this at our Weekly Playdate link party at:
http://beneaththerowantree.blogspot.com/2011/06/playdate-link-party-blog-hop-14-all.html
Cheers,
lori
come & play :: Playdate
http://www.beneaththerowantree.com
Love it! My son has requested a Halloween themed birthday party & something like this would be a lot of fun.
And what a bonus to finally have a use for your carving knife! 🙂
You do the cutest things! Will you adopt me? 🙂
This party is too cute! A long time ago I bought a bunch of things for a monster party and have never had the chance to do one yet…I’m really really wanting to now after seeing all your cute ideas!! 🙂 thanks for sharing.