Manning Makes Stuff - Halloween decorations, paper mache masks, costumes, party ideas, and more

Big brain alien costume!

I made this big-brain alien costume for Halloween 2023! Here’s how I done did it!

Hooboy, this was one of those projects where I was in such a rush I didn’t take nearly as many process pics as I usually do. But I can give you the gist of how I did all this. I started out with the three basic big shapes: the shoulder armor, the head tube thing, and the brain. Read more…

48″ flying saucer Halloween decoration

I made this 48″ flying saucer for our 1950s sci-fi Halloween party! Here’s how I made it.

This thing required a lot of math, and A), I’m bad at math, and B) the materials I use are not very precise so sometimes the pieces just don’t work out perfectly even though I’ve done the math correctly. Read more…

Giant robot Halloween decoration

With just a few days left before our 1950s-themed Halloween party I decided to make this simple giant robot statue, loosely based on the robot I drew for our animated party invitation. Read more…

Halloween 2023 theme: UFO!

This is another Halloween theme that I’ve been eager to do for many years! 1950s sci-fi, flying saucers, little green men, et cetera et cetera. I drew all of this stuff in Photoshop with my tablet, and animated everything in Adobe Animate. Read more…