Compact Skull Chandelier(tm)

I wanted a skull chandelier for my haunt ever since seeing one in person at the VA Hauntfest. However my haunt has low ceilings at best and the rooms aren't that large. So I needed something compact.

I'd researched all the commercially available models and while you could get a cheap one for $30 on clearance, it was still too large and didn't suit me.

Then slightly more than one week before halloween I had this design to the left just pop into my head. It took me slightly more than four hours to build it and here's how you can do it too!

My design is copyrighted and trademarked. Anyone wishing to create this design for commercial reproduction should contact me for affordable licensing. However any individual wanting to make one for themselves can do do without worry. Permission is granted for private use.

Step 1: Take a full size ACC Bucky skull and four Tiny Tim thigh bones. Using a dremel make a rounded X pattern starting from the original hole in the bottom of the skull. Adjust these holes until the thigh bones all fit their hip-joint ball into the X snug. Feel free to flatten the ball where it touches another to make the fit tighter or carve grooves in it for the skull edges to slot into.

Step 2: Insert the thigh bones into the X in the skull and hot glue them in!

You'll see how they all line up neatly and have the right and left thigh bones arranged to bring the knobs of the bones to the front and to the back respectively.

Step 3: Remove the springs from the jaw and hot glue that in place as well.

Another view showing the ball joints hotglued inside the skull cavity.

Step 4: Cut down some electric christmas candles and keep enough cord to run along the back of the bone and into the bottom of the skull. You can run these wires into the X hole you dremeled out, or drill another hidden hole for them. Hot glue the candles to the ends of the bones and hot glue the wires to the back of the bones so they're out of sight.

The cap of the skull is not attached - it's just sitting on top for reference.

You'll see the wires for all four candles running into two holes in this view.

Step 5: Take a Tiny Tim breastbone and cut it down and hot glue it over the wiring. I liked this because it hid most of the wiring since this would be hung above TOT's heads.

Step 6: Take one of the candle electric cords with the plug and then wire all the candles together with the cord. I can't give you precise instructions here because as I mention elsewhere, I usually electrocute myself as I have a very sideways knowledge of electrics from being self-taught. In this case, it just worked the first time. Get someone who really knows what they're doing to wire your's up for you.

Step 7: Screw a hook or something that will hold a two foot length of black chain to the middle balance point inside the skull.

Step 8: Dremel/Drill a hole in the top of the skull to let the cord and the chain pass through.

Step 9: Reattach the cap of the skull - I just glued some metal stripping inside the skull cavity around the rim so the skull would sit on top without falling off. This way I could easily get inside the skull to fix things if needed.

Step 10: Blot MinWax stain onto the bones to age them but be careful not to get it on the candles. Do make sure to get it on the wires to hide them even more. I also put extra stain into the eye and nasal sockets and put less on the teeth to haunt up the look of the skull.

Optionally you can add a Tiny Tim skull to the top of the chain as well - I did this on mine, but it's not necessary. Here's the end result and it's very very spooky and cool!

Design Copyright 2002 by Kermit Woodall - All Rights Reserved.