Not Everyone Has to Dance: Building the Rafter Ghosts

The very next day after A Very Mad Hollow-een Party, I'm already thinking about what I want to create or add for next year's party. This year, I wanted dancing ghosts in the rafters.

The idea was solid. The aesthetics were beautiful. The execution? Filled with trial and error.

What they're made of

The ghosts themselves are made from styrofoam heads, pool noodles and yards of lightweight creepy cloth, all strung together with fishing line and paperclips. Glamorous, I know.

The tricky part: making her move

The motor mechanism was the real challenge. I made the prop as light as I possibly could, because the motor I chose is a spinning motor meant for turning resin cups: small, slower than a reindeer motor, and built to run for hours. I used perforated metal strapping to create an extended arm that spins, causing the ghost's arms to rise and fall.

Attempts one through five were fraught with complications. The line would tangle. The motor would bind. The arms would fall off.

Finally, the problems were solved with eye hooks that guide the lines in toward the motor so they never touch, and a spinning metal washer with holes drilled for the rings. Everything was working great.

Into the rafters

Up I went on the scissor lift. I fastened the motor mounts and ghosts to the I-beams, focused small but intense LED moon lamps on the ghosts, and descended back to the ground. Everything was beautiful…

…until it wasn't.

I returned the scissor lift to its proper home and walked back into The Hollow feeling a bit of pride, ready to pick up my mess and finish the last items on my pre-party checklist. That's when I noticed one of the ghosts had stopped moving.

I could see the motor was still spinning. I could see the fishing line was still taut, keeping her arms upright. Then I noticed the bolt, washers and hex nut I'd used to attach the arms to the motor, lying on the floor. The spinning of the motor had eventually spun the nut right off the bolt.

Of course I knew this would happen. I knew I was supposed to stop at the store and get locking hex nuts. But the week leading up to the party is always filled with the curse of my lack of time management skills and way too little sleep!

So: off to the hardware store, off to retrieve the scissor lift again, and back up into the rafters.

The verdict

All in all, I'm happy with how they turned out. Did I forget to turn one of the motors back on after the fix? Yes. But not everyone has to dance. I'll turn her back on when I can get back into the rafters once again.

Update: She dances now.

Next time you're in The Hollow, look up.