Outdoor Halloween Decoration: Banister Owls

Courtesy of Brian Patrick Flynn

Hi Friends,

Create owl silhouettes from plywood then temporarily attach them to your front porch or banister for a sophisticated (and spooky!) outdoor Halloween decoration.

Materials Needed:

• kraft paper (for template)
• pen or marker
• 4x8 sheet of pressure-treated paint-grade plywood
• jigsaw
• orbital sander and sanding pads
• PVC plumbing straps
• 1/8" exterior screws
• 1/8" drill bit
• stainless steel 1/8" wing nut and bolt
• can matte black spray paint
• hammer
• small picture nails
• 2" stainless steel washers
• 1 yard of black vinyl fabric
• scissors
• staple gun and 1/4" staples
• stainless steel tacks

Create Template
Place a sheet of brown kraft paper onto a flat, level surface then fold it in half. Freehand the silhouette of an owl to the size and scale you'd like using a pen or marker then cut out (Images 1 and 2). Tip: Folding the paper in half makes it easy to create a symmetrical silhouette. Flatten pattern to ensure both sides are symmetrical and you're happy with the owl's overall shape (Image 3). Note: We created both a tall and short template so there was some variation in our owls. If you'd like to do the same, create a second template with a slightly different shape.



Trace Silhouette Onto Plywood and Cut Out
Place pattern on plywood and trace around it with pen or marker (Image 1). Use a jigsaw to cut out the owl shape (Image 2). Repeat process to create as many owls as you'd like.



Sand Plywood and Add Straps
Using an orbital sander, smooth any flaws or rough spots in the plywood (Image 1). Attach PVC plumbing straps to the back side of each silhouette using 1/8" exterior screws and drill (Image 2).



Attach Wing Nut and Bolt
Using 1/8" drill bit, add two holes to the back of the PVC straps to properly fit wing nuts (Image 1). Thread wing nut and bolt through the hole created with drill bit (Image 2).



Paint Owls
Coat each owl, front and back, with black spray paint. To ensure a smooth finish, hold can 6 to 8 inches from the surface of the owl and move the can back and forth in slow arcs as you spray.



Attach Feathers and Add Tack Detail
Once paint has fully dried, use scissors to cut approximately 25 leaf-shaped feathers for each owl from black vinyl. Attach them in layers, starting at the bottom, using a staple gun (Image 1). As a decorative detail, add a row of stainless steel tacks (rather than staples) along the top row of feathers (Image 2).



Add Eyes and Nose
Position washers to act as eyes; secure them with picture nails tacked in around the washer's edge (Image 1). Cut a long triangle for the nose from vinyl then attach it between eyes with picture nails (Image 2).



Attach Owls to Banister
Place owls on banister; wrap plumbing straps around banister, and tighten up wing nut and bolt to secure them.



Great for a balcony decoration too...

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Live well,
Yvonne