The Rift

One of the big features this year is a large entryway of the rift between our world and the upside down.  My idea to incorporate this is to make a styrofoam wall complete with lights underneath some foam, a bit like when haunters make ember props.  So to that end, I've gotten some led lights that can change color with a remote.  This was because I couldn't decide on red or green lights for the rift, especially given that there will be red lights up on the house.  I thought it might be too much red.  Anyway, these lights that change color were a nice compromise.  And they're super bright, so I don't have to worry about the green not being bright enough.

Embers--LED lights under foam

So first up was to do the math.  I had decided to do a kind of sandwich with two layers of styrofoam for stability with a cardboard center to make it easier to piece together, as well as just another level of stability.

After some double checking, I went down to Home Depot and got 2 panels that were 1"x4'x8' which I then had them cut down to several more manageable pieces that I could fit into the car as well as piece together into a rift.  I drew a chalk template on the driveway to make it easier to piece together the cardboard.  This turned out to work really well.  After the cardboard template had been taped all together, I had Sam help me hold it up to the porch to make sure it would actually fit into the doorway.  Side note--I decided to place the entrance a good foot into the porch.  Initially I was going to do it at the entrance, but with it slightly set back into the porch, it allows me to use one of the beams inside, as well as bypassing the awkwardness of what to do with the mailbox.  We still have to live with this for a month.  And this way, the mailbox will be on the outside, not forcing our mailperson to have to enter the haunt.  (I mean, they're welcome to, I just figured this would be less hassle.)

Next up is to actually get the styrofoam onto the template.  I also picked up some long zip ties and the idea is to zip tie the wall to the surrounding beams/poles.  Hopefully this will be secure enough for the wind.  Yet another reason to have it slightly inset to the porch--I can add bricks to the bottom so that it doesn't move as much.  Wind is one of those factors that is always always always a problem.  Hopefully I've provided enough counterbalances to offset it's destructiveness.


**UPDATE**

This project seems to have taken forever.  But there has been some movement lately.  I got (most of) the styrofoam on.  I added white tape to the sides to help hold it together as the glue locks in place.  Which takes time.  The weather has also soooo not been cooperating the last week and a half.  It's been rainy and/or cold enough to be troublesome.  But it's getting there. I just finished putting on either sides of the styrofoam, as well as the bridge piece in the middle on one side.  I need a second person to help me flip it so I can get it on the other side.  Tried doing it myself--it's just too awkward alone.

After that, I need to secure the lights onto it, then put down the 2 liter bottle pieces, of which I'm getting ready by cutting into the right shape and washing them of the sticky soda remnants.  I thiiink I've don't the math right on these so I should (?) have enough--might be a bit short, but i'll be close at least.  After those pieces are glued or taped on, I'll smear on some foam.  I don't want to cover it exactly, but just give it some texture.  Then painting the foam, again, not covering it entirely, but allowing enough of the light through.

Testing the lights to make sure they still work.

The final step will be punching some holes for the zip ties, threading them through it and and (again with another person) putting it up on the porch by securing it to the overhead beams.  Lots of work.  I'm trying to chip away at it, but there's just time that the glue needs to try, or when I need a second pair of hands.










**UPDATE**

THE RIFT IS UP!!!

Whoot!

The last few steps didn't take as long as I anticipated.  The 2 liter bottles I ended up cutting in half once I realized I didn't actually need the full length of them, which meant that I was suddenly awash with bottles and I could afford to get picky about the types of bottles.  Some were ideal, just straight plastic, while others curved and warped--less ideal.  I hot glued them down one side before flipping them over to glue them down the other side.  This is after the lights had been taped down to the middle of the archway.

The foam got sporadically put on--just kind of wildly so.  I originally had a thought of a more organic look, but in the moment, it was just easier to get a little crazy with the foam.  I used the black spray paint to cover it which I could have gotten more detailed with but honestly I just wanted to be done.  Lots of time in between both sides setting up and drying.

After everything dried, Sam helped me move the rift from the back porch where I had been working on it to the front.  After some awkward maneuvering, we had managed to wedge it into place.  I barely needed to do the zip ties as it was a pretty tight squeeze, but I ended up tying down what I could just to be safe.  I think it's the most confident I've ever felt about an entryway--the zip ties, plus the slightly inset to the porch (just past the mailbox so we don't annoy the mailman).  The same day the rift went up I also put up the hazmat suit guy in the front yard.  So far, the kids haven't really noticed the rift all that much--which I get, it's kind of tucked away onto the porch.

To complete the rift I also needed to close off the entrance.  Originally I was going to use streamers, but then I found a large piece of black cloth large enough and just did a quick seam so that I could slip in some yardsticks leftover from Indiana Jones last year that already had holes in the ends.  With some string and paperclips, I got the two black pieces to slightly overlap over the entrance, completing the rift look.