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HALLOWEEN
PROJECTS & PROPS |
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BLACK LIGHT MAGIC
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Black lights are a great
addition to your Halloween haunt and displays.
What is black light? If you turn on a black light bulb in a dark
room, what you can see from the bulb is a purplish glow. What you cannot see is the ultraviolet
light that the bulb is also producing. Our eyes can see the visible light in a
spectrum ranging from red through orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. Above violet is
ultraviolet light, which we cannot see.
What you see glowing under a black light,
whether it is a fluorescent poster, something you've painted with fluorescent paint or a
newly-washed white T-shirt, is different phosphors. A phosphor, is any substance
that emits visible light in response to some sort of radiation. In other words, a phosphor
converts the energy in the radiation into visible light.
So a fluorescent paint contains a phosphor
that converts UV radiation into a specific color of visible light. Normal colors simply
reflect light, but a fluorescent color absorbs the radiation and re-emits it in the
visible spectrum, sort of like a light bulb emits light, so it looks much brighter than a
normal color.
Black light units and there accompanying bulbs
come in a variety of sizes, anywhere from six inches to four feet in length. Most are AC
powered, but you can also get some of the smaller ones in battery powered. |
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  Costumes
and masks that have glow-in-the-dark (fluorescent) properties make a great addition to
your black light haunt.
The Totally
Skele-Bones costume available from Fun World has
very realistic looking sculpted bones that glow in the dark, which makes them perfect for
use under black lights. For more information on these great costumes
and some spooky ways of using them see our
Skele-bones
article in the Makeup & Costumes section. |
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Positioning black lights -
Since UV light is not very strong and doesn't travel very far its important to use the
right strength/size blacks lights to illuminate your Halloween props, decorations, etc.
Use smalls (18" to 24") lights on smaller area and displays where you can
position the unit(s) close. Use larger 4 foot units to cover large areas, scenes and
props. Whenever possible the black light unit should be positioned and/or
camouflaged so
that it cannot be seen by your visitors.
As with any electrical device, care must be taken to
protect against electrocution and accidents. Make sure that the cord is hidden from view
and positioned where it won't be tripped over or snagged by feet. No electrical fixture should be used
outdoors if the weather is bad, i.e. raining, very high humidity, etc. |
BLACK LIGHT TIPS & TRICKS
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| If you have a graveyard scene
with tombstones, you can trace over the epitaph with glow in the dark fabric paint or
pens. When it dries it should be transparent, but will glow eerily under the black light. |
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| You can now buy those bags of
stringy cob-webs available during the Halloween season that are made for
black light use. |
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| Write scary warning messages on
your front walk using colored chalk or washable fluorescent paint. |
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| Place a black light on the
ground in front of your graveyard scene or hang one up on the side of a prop or tree. |
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A really cool, easy and cheap effect for your
graveyard or somewhere in your haunt if you are using a black light is to get the biggest
leaves you have laying around in your yard and spray paint them with
fluorescent paint, let
dry and then scatter around your ghouls or tombstones and when you turn on your black light
-PRESTO - your leaves will glow brightly and you'll actually be able to see them! |
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| If you need clothing, sheets,
cotton rope (rope spider webs), or other fabric to glow in the dark, you can soak it in
Woolite laundry soap or RIT Whitener/Brightener for an hour or so. Wring it out,
don't rinse!! and let it
dry. It will glow bright blue. This works best on white fabric. |
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| The Black Light Hair
Spray from Fun World is great for painting your
props. This spray goes on nearly invisible and should be sprayed onto the prop as evenly
as possible. It helps to spray the paint on while the prop is under a black light so you
can actually see where it's going. Painting
your props with this invisible fluorescent paint will make them glow eerily under black
lights enhancing there overall effect. See how we've used it in our
Giant Spider Web articles. You can also use it on Halloween signs, Costumes,
Masks, skeletons, bats and other decorations. Paint plaster or plastic skulls with
fluorescent paint and display in your graveyard, on fence posts, etc. |
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| Use florescent fabric paint or
spray paint to add flare to your props or goblins in the graveyard. |
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