Make Halloween Devil Horns with Sculpey

You can make a remarkably realistic set of horns for a Halloween devil costume using these techniques developed by the author. For this project you will need Sculpey, some slender modeling tools, acrylic paint, acrylic gloss medium, paint brushes, cotton swabs, rubbing alcohol and a hot-glue gun. An ordinary kitchen oven can be used to bake the Sculpey to a hard, durable state.

Start by kneading the Sculpey thoroughly to a dough-like texture. (Sculpey that has not been used tends to be a bit crumbly and stiff.) For a medium-size pair of horns, knead a ball of Sculpey that will fit in your hand. (Refer to first picture in image #2)

Next, roll the Sculpey ball into an elongated egg-shape and then taper the two ends to points as shown in the second picture in image #2. Then make a curving crescent shape, as in the third picture. Next, divide the crescent shape in half to form the two individual horns, as in the fourth picture of image #2.

On the surface of each horn, use a slightly pointed stick or stylus to make a grooved texture. Leave the tips of the horn smooth and start the shallow grooves about one quarter of the way down from the tips. (Refer to first picture in image #3.) Make the grooves slightly deeper and wider as they reach the base of the horn. The grooves should be slightly wavy for a natural-looking texture.

After texturing the sides, hollow out the bases of the horns with a slender knife or thin flat tool.(Second pic, image 3) The thickness of the horn's shell should be about 1/4 of an inch, leaving the tips solid.

After hollowing out the horns, bend and flare out the base of the horns in a slight bell-shape, as shown in the third picture, image #3. Then make a rough, bumpy texture around the flared base of the horns as in the fourth picture of image #3.

Now you are ready to bake the Sculpey horns to harden them. Pre-heat your oven to 275 degrees F and bake on an old cookie tray for about 15 minutes for every 1/4 inch thickness of Sculpey. Check the Sculpey periodically. If you notice a pinkish-brown blush forming, especially at the tips, the Sculpey has already finished baking and should be removed from the oven. Allow to cool sufficiently: use caution - they will be hot for at least 10 minutes.

After the Sculpey horns have cooled to room temperature, begin the process of painting them with acrylic paints. Mix an off-white shade with a yellow-brown tint. start at the base, and as you near the tip. slowly add more white gradually until the very tips are white. Use a small amount of acrylic gloss medium to allow for smooth mixing and application. (Refer to the first picture in image #4.) Next, mix a dark brown shade (burnt umber works well) with more gloss medium for a transparent glaze, like a furniture stain. Start at the base of the horns and work the glaze into the grooves and pits on the surface. Apply more lightly and thinly as you move up toward the tip. (Refer to the second picture in image #4) The tips should be left white to look like worn, polished points. Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to touch up areas with too much paint, or to lighten raised areas to imitate wear.

After the paint dries thoroughly (about two hours), prepare a solid-copper wire to mount the horns on. (The wire fits over the head and is hidden under the wearer's head.) Measure the length of the wire across the top of the head from ear to ear, and add about four inches to form half-loops of wire for the horn to fit on. (refer to the third picture in Image #4. The horns are shown only fitted half-way onto the loops). Bend the wire into shape with half-loops and double the ends back in small loops for blunted ends. Securely mount the horns over the half-loops with hot-glue. Finished!

As an alternative to the wire-mounted horns, the horns can be affixed directly to the skin of the forehead using spirit gum, which is a non-toxic adhesive used extensively for theater makeup. Horns sprouting from the forehead are a common feature in depictions of mythological creatures such as imps, satyrs, and centaurs.