Outdoor Halloween Decor: Witch and Cauldron

Esmerelda is my witch. Normally (well, during the month of October anyway) she is standing, stirring a cauldron (see picture at bottom) but I actually ordered a new witch (excuse, I should have said Esmerelda's sister is coming from out of state for a permanent vacation) and she wants the cauldron  So... I had to do something else with Esse. I dont have any pics of her construction cause I'm a bad DIY blogger like that, so I will type S  L  O  W so you can follow! :) The instructions are for building esmerelda as shown in the BOTTOM picture. To do her as above, simply omit the step ladder and caudlron supplies and duct tape her into place in the chair. Her support pole in this case runs from the ground up the chair (to lower her to make her in a sitting position). To give her shape in her body and lap, I simply placed an empty cat litter bucket (the big plastic kind of which I have 1500 of laying around) and an old nappy sweater as a lap blanket.

Every year, I add something to Esmerelda to make her better, but her first year the only thing I had to purchase was a mask, and several yards of el cheapo outdoor black/ grey fabric for her dress so this can be done very much on the cheap! You need lots of stuff, but most of it you probably have laying around in the shed or garage (or yard)

To make her standing you will need:

step ladder
sticks,pvc pipe or 6' insulation pipe (aka pool noodles!) for arms (FYI: I've used all 3 over the years, I like the noodles best)
witch mask (the kind that is a full head covering works best)
latex gloves (for her hands- i spray painted them green)


another sturdy stick or pvc pipe to make her back (and attach her head to). I used a 3' pool support from an old above ground pool we used to have
duct tape (LOTS)
3-4 yards of an outdoor black/ gray fabric
witch hat/ wig
big pot for cauldron (mine is a big plastic planter i painted black)
xmas lights! (red and green, OR white - I used white and used red and green cellophane bags to insert over each light)
Long stick (to act as a stirrer for the cauldron)
Accessories as determined by you!

I can put esse together in about 10 minutes now, but I've also been doing her for several years. I would estimate the first time (once you have all your materials gathered)... maybe 30 minutes- an hour? By the way- kids LOVE putting her together!

And here we go (its easy to put together, harder to explain without pictures of how to put her together!)

1) Take your step stool and open it up, place it where you want her (if you will be using the cauldron with lights, keep in mind your outlets and extension cord length). Place her back support pole on the top step, and duct tape it in place so it doesnt move at all.

2) Take your arms and duct tape them where you want them. If you are using insulation pipe or pool noodles, you can bend them and tape them in the position you want. If you are using a rigid arm, try to place them in a semi-realistic position near the pot. I much prefer the insulation piping/ pool noodle material because of flexibility. Tip: if the arms will not stay in place, or are too 'floppy'- use a stick and more duct tape to brace it). Slip gloves over 'hands' and tape in place near the top of the glove. Once you've done this, you have your body!

3) attach head to top of support pole. This can be tricky, depending on what materials you are using. I use a foam ball now, but in years past I used tons of newspaper crinkled up in a plastic grocery store bag. fit it in there TIGHT, attach 'head' to support pole with tape. Head should be fairly rigid and not flop around. Attach mask. You may need to use some duct tape to help secure it in place.A Styrofoam ball would work well too, if you want to make it easier- just stab the bottom of the head into the support pole! ; ) then tape for good measure! Add your mask!

4) Your body, head, and hands should be altogether now. You have done the hard work! Congrats!!!!

5) Drape the fabric all around your frame to make a dress. This can take some arranging, you want to hide the frame but still have it look somewhat like a dress or full body cloak. Safety pins (or duct tape lol) can help around the hand openings. Make sure you tape around the neck (up high- to hide your pole and make sure her dress doesnt fall off. (more than once I've had wind strip her of her clothes because I skipped that step!)

Accessorize!  I've used the creepy cloth from the dollar store for a shawl, I've also used the little pumpkin lights or halloween garland... dressing her up is half the fun!

For the Cauldron:

You can buy a big cauldron, but its so much cheaper just to make your own. I used a big flower pot and spray painted in black. place big rocks, stones, smaller pots - whatever you have to (1) weigh it down and (2) raise the area where you will place your lights. make sure that water can drain past the lights, so when it rains, you dont have them sitting in a pool of water. (use outdoor lights, in case you didnt know!)

For the lights, you have a couple of options. The easiest (if you have them on hand) is to use red and green xmas string lights and simply place them appropriately. I used regular white lights, and green and red cellophane bags. I poked a small hole in the bottom of the bags, and inserted each light. I really like the look this gives. once you have your lights placed, attach a stick to her hand, and place it in the pot (as if she were stirring the pot).

Every year, I add things to her to make her better. This year, she got actual hands (imagine that!) lol! Part of the fun of Esmerelda is adding to her each year to improve her bit by bit!