The harstest thing I've found is making a realistic dummy. The hands especially have given me fits. I now have a pretty easy method for making the hands seem more real and they can hold things if they aren't too heavy. I make a "skeleton" hand out of heavy gadge craft wire or coat hangers, roll the new paper or plastic bags aound the fingers then place the glove or tape over them for the finished dummy hand. The wire makes it so you can bend the hand to hold things. This is a time consuming little project so not for every dummy. But if I'd used the method in 2005 my ghoul chewing on a leg would have been more scary. I use the same trick for legs and arms with coat hangers. Coat hangers also make good shoulders. It is easier to make a more realistic form if you have "bones" you just cover.
Another trick I've found is using 2-liter plastic pop bottles for necks on dummies. the stiffness keeps the head up. I just cut the top off to the length I need.
I've found the making a oval ball of newspaper covered with a plastic bag taped makes a great head to put a mask on, better than a balloon because it doesn't lose air and slowly shrink.
sCROLL DOWN TO SEE GHOUL PICTURE AT THE BOTTOM. this picture was take after the party and he is a bit worse for wear...
