With Halloween just around the corner, it is time for all the creepy and spooky projects. We no longer celebrate Halloween as our kids are all grown, but they are still one of my favourite holidays to create for. I just pass them on to friends and family who do. This simple skull wall sconce was simple to make and was completed within an hour.

This skull wall sconce is a cheap way to add some character to any party and would also look great outside next to the bowl of sweets for the trick-or-treaters. I used some recycled items and items bought from Kmart and other budget stores to keep this project cheap.

How to make a simple skull wall sconce

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Materials needed

• Skull ( plastic or polystyrene)
• Piece of wood
• Plastic shield
• Plaster cloth wrap
• LED Candle/light
• Acrylic paint
• Hot glue gun
• Toy spiders and snake

Make the skull wall sconce base

I used the base from an old clock that I recycled for this project. If you want a similar shape it is very simple to make. You will need a square or rectangular piece of wood to start. Next, use any item with a round shape like a spray can or cup and use them as a guide to draw around the shape on each corner then use a jigsaw to cut along the line.

I wanted to add some depth to my skull sconce, and I achieved this using a round toy shield I bought from a budget store for $1.50. This board was also very plain so I wanted to add some texture to make it more appealing.

When I am not doing DIY projects I do mixed media art. This style of art requires the use of lots of textures and layers to achieve stunning results. I have used many methods to add texture in the past which you can find in this post. For this project, I am trying out plaster cloth wrap and the results were awesome. I used the shield as a template to mark out the area I was going to cover with the plaster cloth wrap.

Adding the plaster cloth wrap

I was really surprised at how easy this plaster cloth wrap was to use. All you need is some lukewarm water to activate the plaster in the cloth.

I started by cutting the cloth into smaller pieces which will be easier to work with.

Next, dip the cloth into the lukewarm water and lay it down on the wood. I added a few layers to build up the texture.

You can push them around slightly to add some texture. When you first place the cloth on your board you can still see the holes in the cloth.

If you want to get rid of them you can rub the surface gently with your finger and I will smooth out the plaster.

Once the surface was completely covered I put the board outside in the sun to dry which took 15 minutes.

Painting the plaster

I painted the plaster cloth with black acrylic paint before rubbing some bronze wax paste over the surface to highlight the texture.

Cutting the skull

Next, I had to cut my skull in half so I had a flat surface or hollow if you are using a plastic skull. To cut a plastic skull you can simply use a craft knife and cut it in half.

The skull I used was polystyrene which is very easy to cut with a hot knife. I heated up an old knife I keep for this purpose.

Remove the knife straight from the flames and run it around the skull, it will cut like a hot knife through butter.

I used some hot glue to attach the skull to the plastic shield before glueing them both to the base.

Adding some detail

I glued a couple of spiders and a snake onto the skull sconce for a creepy look. And to finish it off I added a real candle which I would not recommend using. I think over time this would become a fire hazard. It would be a much better option to use the fake battery candles.

To hang the skull wall sconce I added a keyhole bracket to the back which will slide over a screw in the wall. I hope you enjoyed my skull wall sconce project and be sure to keep scrolling down for more great projects.

Skull project ideas

This skull flower centrepiece was made using a recycled bottle and so cheap flower that I painted.

See how I made this 3D skull mirror that can light up at night.

Make your own Halloween bottles from recycled materials.

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