Making Milk Jug Skulls

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

October 30, 2018

Milk Jug Skulls - two skulls, one with red flowers in the eye sockets It's fun to have lots of skulls around for Halloween decorations, so why not make your own? Using empty one-gallon plastic milk, water, or juice jugs makes it super cheap. Please do this craft outside with a mask on.

I screwed my skull onto a supportive post to work on. If you don't have access to one, you can place it on a heavy tin can. It's not necessary to have a partner for this craft, but having some help is great so one can heat while the other molds the skull shape quickly.

Total Time: 90 minutes

Supplies:

1 skull made of cement or resin (whatever won't melt)
heavy gloves
heat gun
ice water
spoon
sponge
large clip
scissors
marker
electric hot knife
masking tape
glue gun with glue

Steps:

Cut the nozzle and handle off the jug.

Milk Jug Skulls - cut off nozzle and handle

Slip the jug onto the skull so the longer side is on the front. Hold the heat gun a few inches away from the jug and begin heating in circular motions.

Milk Jug Skulls - slip jug over skull with longer side in front and begin heating

With your gloves on, begin pulling the jug downward so it takes the shape of the skull. Clip the jug together under the skull's jaw.

Milk Jug Skulls - with gloves on begin pulling the jug down on the skull, clip together under the jaw

Continue heating the skull working from the top down until the jug goes clear. Dip your spoon in the ice water and then hold it in the eye socket until that area of the jug is no longer clear.

Milk Jug Skulls - keep heating until the jug becomes clear, put cold spoon over eye socket until it is not clear

Keep heating the details, eyes and nose just until clear.

Milk Jug Skulls - keep heating the details -eyes and nose- until clear

Dip the sponge in the ice water, then press into the eyes and nose. This will cause the jug to mold to the skull's details.

Milk Jug Skulls - press wet sponge into the eyes and nose to mold to skull

Continue to heat your way down the skull to work on the jaw and teeth.

Milk Jug Skulls - keep working down with heat to work on teeth and jaw

Ice the sponge again and really press into the teeth.

Milk Jug Skulls - ice the sponge and press on the teeth

Trim off the excess plastic from under the jaw.

Milk Jug Skulls - trim excess plastic from under the jaw

Now draw a line going up the back of the skull, then a wide V on top. This will create the guide for the Y-incision you will have to cut in order to get the jug off the skull.

Milk Jug Skulls - mark the Y incision needed to remove the jug

This step might make you feel like a surgeon. Heat up your hot knife then cut on the Y-incision guide.

Milk Jug Skulls - heat up the hot knife and cut along the lines

If you're so inclined, cut the eye sockets out. This step is totally optional. I did one and left the other untouched.

Milk Jug Skulls - you can cut out the eye sockets if you like

Pull the mold forward off the skull.

Milk Jug Skulls - pull the mold off the skull

Now tape up the incision from the outside.

Milk Jug Skulls - tape up the incision from the outside

Use your hot glue gun to seal the incision closed from the inside. Let dry.

Milk Jug Skulls - seal the incision with hot glue from the inside and allow to dry

Peel the tape off.

You can fill them with LED lights for a cool night time look, or use it as a centerpiece. I filled the inside of the one with the sockets cut out with flowers.

Milk Jug Skulls - fill with LED lights for outside decor

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Making Milk Jug Skulls

Craft: Milk Jug Skulls