You know Halloween is coming up when you start seeing body parts laying around in stores. Naturally, those body parts feature plastic and foam construction. Otherwise, the store might get into some trouble! Hundreds of stores sell the fake body parts, including party supply stores, dollar stores and your traditional big box stores like Target and Wal-Mart. Before you go overboard and buy everything you see, learn how to pick the best fake body parts.
The first thing you want to look for are body parts that show some signs of realism. The more realistic the body parts look, the more fun you have with the decorations. Look for pieces that show some signs of color gradation, instead of pieces that use only one or two colors. If you have ever seen a single horror movie, then you know that body parts mix shades of flesh, gray, red, pink and other colors. Cheaper fake body parts use bright red as blood, reddish-pink as the hand and white as bone.
The best fake body parts should also show some signs of bone. This is really only important if you want a fake finger, arm, or leg. Look at the bone itself and make sure it looks slightly realistic. Bones are not pure white, but more of an off-white or pale brown color. The bones should have some striations or other markings that give the piece a realistic look.
Do not buy body parts that the manufacturer stuffs inside plastic wrap. Often times the body parts sit on a Styrofoam bed with plastic wrap, which makes the part look like something sold in a wicked butcher’s shop. The problem with pieces of this type is that the pieces look like something made by a kindergarten classroom. The labels stuck over the front hide imperfections in the body parts and even pieces lacking any paint or color.
Whether you find the best fake body parts or cheaper parts, you can still dress up the finished pieces. Fake blood goes a long way towards making the pieces look more realistic. Drape a few of the body parts around your front yard, spray with the fake blood and no one will think plastic when they look at the pieces.
You can also find fake body bags and recreate your own gruesome murder scene. Arrange a few of the pieces to stick out from the bag with the zipper closed. Pour a little blood around the bag and on top of the bag. Create a trail of blood leading up to your front door and everyone that passes will stop and take a second look.