I'm so excited to post my BIO-HAZARD BARREL tutorial. I had to wait until after the party so I didn't spoil the theme or details.
I usually pick a party theme for Halloween and this year it was Bio-Hazard /Toxic Waste / Zombie Apocalypse. Since my front yard is covered in zombie skeletons I always have a partial zombie theme going on.
For the party every year I create a cool display for drinks. I also try to make the food and drink names match the theme as well. Here's my adult drink station/holder/display this year.
The best part........I didn't think I was going to get enough black lights to make it look cool so I scrapped that idea early on when decorating. Then I rented 6 lights to make everything green. As I scrolled through the colors choices one was a black light. Everything was black-light reactive!!!!!
I was going for an underground/basement with toxic waste barrels. I love how it turned out!!!
I only made 2 black lights and the rest on green. Looked sooooo awesome!!!
{{insert happy squeal}}
{{insert happy squeal}}
$10 trash can from Wal-Mart
Grey spray paint
Sand paper
Parchment paper
Clothes pins
Great Stuff
Fluorescent green paint
Olive green spray paint
Glow-in-the-dark spray paint
Bio-hazard stencil (created in word doc)
I made one test barrel before making FIVE!!
I first cut off the trash can handles.
Then I used the sand paper to lightly distress and even out the sticker.
I couldn't peel it off and was kinda too lazy to put much effort into removing it. It wasn't going to be visible really.
Lightly & unevenly sprayed the can with grey spray paint.
I had a little helper for some of it.
Once dry I used the sand paper to distress more.
I printed and sized the bio-hazard symbol and used an exacto knife to cut out all the black and saved the inserts for the letters. I used double sided tape to attach the inserts.
Only one stencil used for all of them.
Fluorescent green paint!
I didn't realize/think about the inserts for the letters B, A, R, D attached with double sided tape would pull the first coat of grey paint off the bins. After it dried I distressed a little more to fix all the missing paint.
I originally only did the fluorescent green paint but it didn't show up like I wanted. I decided to match my caution tape and a little glow-in-the-dark spray. Turned into a three part process.
The color matched the caution tape better and I liked the bright green around the edges. Made it stand out.
I sprayed heavy with the fluorescent green. Let dry. Sprayed lightly with the olive green (Green Citrus) spray paint. Let dry. Sprayed even with the glow-in-the-dark spray paint. Let dry and removed stencil.
To finish I spattered with "blood" - red spray paint.
Now for the fun part!! I absolutely love Great Stuff!! It's so fun to use and dries super quick.
I am a perfectionist and didn't want to attach it directly to the can since I couldn't spray paint green without getting it all over the can. So I first lined the edges with parchment paper.
Why the clothes pins? Because parchment paper does it's job. Goodness! Nothing sticks. I tried hot glue, duck tape, regular tape, masking tape, medical tape (2 different ones,) double sided tape, last ditch effort I tried super glue. NOTHING!! I called the company and they said the tape they use is proprietary. Ugh. I did see that someone found a special silicone medical tape that somewhat worked. I was annoyed and just wanted to get started. Clothes pins worked fine. :)
I sprayed the Great stuff around the edges and down the side of the trash can.
It dried so quick but still flexiable. Be careful because it can loose it's shape.
I removed gently and spray painted the same three steps as the bio-hazard symbol. Gently working it back on.
The green tub (in the trash can on the right) were purchased on sale after summer at Wal-Mart for $2. I purchased them for each barrel thinking I could fill them with drinks. I wanted them a little higher so I placed three boxes in the trash can and covered with black paper.
Testing the lights. I picked up lights on Tuesday so I could play around with placement.
A few hours before the party started I added glow sticks to all the drink bins and trash cans.
Do you spy my kitty cat? She was like WTH is going on!?
TA-DA!!!!
UPDATE: Thinking back after it's all said and done, I would've only spray painted with the fluorescent green paint. It's black light reactive alone. I originally decided not to make a black light party when building everything because I didn't think I could get enough lights to make it show up. Instead I tried to match the color of my caution tape that was more olive green.
Olive color and glow-in-the-dark spray paint are not necessary. Also, I liked the glow stick in the drink tubs but not necessary in the trash can. I didn't try it but it would be easy to add dry ice.
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