If someone threatened you with a piece of paper you wouldn’t feel that much in danger, would you? I mean, the worse the person can do is give you a bad paper cut and you’d have to stand still for that. So, a piece of paper isn’t exactly menacing – for the most part – unless you use it as a decoration for Halloween. When you turn paper into a giant shadow you’ll give at least a startle to even the most seasoned Halloween guest.
Do you remember the old scary movies where a monster of some sort was chasing an innocent, and the creature is hiding, but you can see his shadow, and you know he’s about to grab his victim? You can create a creepy display like that when you use black paper. You can make a guy with a hatchet, a monster holding a severed head, or a different shadow, and ruthlessly scare your Halloween guests.
The stairs where you plan to put the shadow should, ideally, be ones which go straight up, without a bend in the staircase. Also, the steps should be ones that easily allow an unsuspecting guests to see the entire shadow at once. Some staircases are positioned so that when someone enters that room, they can easily see the entire staircase – and this type of staircase is the best for the shadow project.
You can go online and get a template for a shadow person or you can make your own. To do that, shine a bright light on a wall and have a person stand in the position you want. Tape black paper to the wall and draw around the shape of the person.
If you made your own shadow, lay the paper out flat, and cut around the drawing. Then, cut the shadow from the head, down, into sections which will fit on your risers. Just measure one of the risers so you’ll know how wide to cut each section.
Whether you’re using a template, or you’ve cut the shadow into sections yourself, tape the pieces to the risers of your steps. Make sure to position them correctly so that the finished shadow has a smooth shape.
Although a monster or threatening guy looks pretty spooky as a stairway shadow, you could also make a giant parrot, a witch, a ghost, or another shape. They’re easy to craft and will absolutely frighten your Halloween guests.
Halloween Stairway Shadow