Cauldron time! This is a key project. It will hold the treats, and is the main porch prop, not to mention being the thing that the witches are going to interact with the most. So I needed a gigantic cauldron. In the movie, it's quite a large cauldron...like, child sized :) But most cauldrons to buy that size are usually super expensive--like upwards of $200 expensive. I found a few tutorials online about fashioning a giant cauldron. I have several utility tubs that I have from over the years for various Halloween/yard reasons. I grabbed a black one and some cardboard boxes from Home Depot I'd been saving. I went with a basic 12 inches by 6 inches rectangle, which then got the edges rounded out. I also put a pool noodle up towards the top because the edges were a little sharp, and it gave me a little extra room so that I didn't have to have the cardboard as long. Now I first started putting the pieces about 3 inches apart with hot glue and duct tape. This wasn't a bad start, but as it turned out, I needed quite a few more pieces. I ended up putting two more pieces in between each section with hot glue on the edges. Not sure how many I ended up with, but closer to 50/60. After there was only maybe an inch or so between each section, I pulled out a big roll of duct tape and began to just slowly add a layer of tape to the whole thing.
**UPDATE**Fixed up the cauldron for the fog machine. I had bought a fog hose that attaches so I made the hole just big enough to fit through the cauldron. I also added a square hole for a light cord to go through. But I think I'll end up using a battery LED light with remote--one bulb just isn't quite bright enough, and if I can save a cord, might as well. The cauldron will already have two--the fog machine and the embers. Which I still have to make. After I cut all the holes and made sure everything fit, I went ahead and added a top section of cardboard and added more tape so that the shape of the cauldron is kept round.
Next up will be to paper mache the whole thing with a couple layers to smooth out the tape lines and make it a little more secure. Oh and I also added some casters to a piece of wood that I painted black. I did this so that I could easily move the whole thing around easily. Just because there's going to be several people on the porch--and I'd like it to be as uncluttered and easily movable as possible.
**UPDATE**
Muuuuch progress. So I paper mached the whole thing, which went super fast by using half sheets of newspaper and my hands dipped into some thinned out wallpaper paste. I ended up doing three layers, which was enough to give it a bit more of a rigid structure. I ended up painting it a white first, mostly to get rid of the newsprint--this I've learned. Then I went back over it spray painting it black. Now I had heard of some people using an oatmeal paste to get a good texture. But I also read that much of it ended up flaking off and well, oatmeal seems like one of those food items that would bring in rats when I went to go store it.
So. Alternatives. I've worked enough with the great stuff insulation spray to know it's features and effects. One of which is that when it is smeared, it gives a texture and as long as it's a thin enough layer, it doesn't bubble up. Much. And I had a bunch because I was planning on doing the embers for the lights. So I basically just gloved up and sprayed a handful of great stuff in my hand, then smeared it all up and down the cauldron. Originally I was just going to do around the rim, but I saw that some of the tape lines were still pretty prominent, so I ended up coating the whole thing. I went over it with my hand and patted down the layer so that there wasn't any extra anywhere to bubble up more than I wanted. Once that dried fully--seriously, fully dried--I went over it with some acrylic paints--I used browns and reds and blacks, trying to go over a rust like finish. I may have to go back for some touchups. I ended up using a regular paintbrush instead of the sponge I thought I would--the bristles were just able to get into the weird crevices of the great stuff far more easily. 
Next were the embers. Originally I was going to look in my garage for some basic orange lights that I know...somewhere...I have. But then I was cleaning my office and found a more intriguing option. They're a long strand of LED lights, warm white, and with modes. Not all of them will work as fire, but there is a steady option and a slower twinkling one that looked pretty close to embers. So I went with that. I pulled out a piece of cardboard to have something to tape the lights down on and have a base for the great stuff. And I also pulled out 3 two liter bottles that were clear. I cut off the tops and bottoms of the bottles, then cut the remaining bottle into quarters, lengthwise. That's just enough room to fit over the coiled up lights. First I taped down the lights in a circle (after drawing an outline using the cauldron as a stencil). I went back and forth mostly over the front and sides. Note--I started with the plug at the back, just to make sure I didn't lose track of where that was going to end up. After that, I taped down the plastic bottle pieces over the lights. I realize they're LED and less of a fire hazard...what can I say, I'm paranoid. Plus, it allows a bit more light through. I pulled out some great stuff and started spraying it all over the bottles, making sure to cover up any taped pieces. Once this had FULLY dried, I pulled out some more acrylic paints, this time reds, oranges, yellows. I also ended up using a can of bright orange spray paint. I hit the whole thing with the orange spray paint first, then went back over it with highlights of reds and oranges. I had the lights on while doing this and it was a little later in the day so I could see where I needed paint. 
And the finished cauldron (with lights inside) sitting on the embers.
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