When it comes to DIY decorations, Halloween is one of the best holidays to get creative. Whether it’s carving jack-o’-lanterns or turning your home into a haunted house, a trip to the craft store is in order. One project that’s always guaranteed to impress is a boiling cauldron. If you’ve been on social media lately, you probably know there are many ways to achieve the look of an overflowing witch’s brew, but if you’re looking for a method that will last longer than putting dry ice in a cauldron and that’s in no way a hazard, look no further than this tutorial. All you’ll need are a cauldron, a hot glue gun, acrylic paint, and either poly-fil stuffing or a plug-in aroma diffuser.
Fire expert Dan Morris of Fire and Saw told POPSUGAR that mixing flammable materials of any sort is a bad idea. “Most, if not all, electric diffuser manuals state that they need to be operated with plenty of space around the vent,” Morris said. So if you plan to tackle this DIY, do not use a diffuser and stuffing together in the same cauldron. After all, we only want to create the illusion of spookiness, not cause a real-life nightmare. For all the steps on how to safely make a boiling cauldron, keep reading.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kalea Martin
Gather Your Supplies
You can approach this DIY two different ways. The first method involves a diffuser, which will give off a steam effect when you place it inside your finished cauldron. The alternate approach involves just using stuffing to create the illusion of a bubbling cauldron. Be sure not to use both products in the same cauldron because it’ll create a fire hazard.
You can buy a small plastic cauldron at your local craft store in the Halloween decor section. To mimic the appearance of the witch’s brew bubbling over, you’ll need a hot glue gun so you can create a “bubbly” surface for you to paint over.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kalea Martin
Create the Overflow
Create drips and clumps around the edges of the cauldron with a hot glue gun. To get a realistic effect, go thick around the rim of the cauldron and allow the glue to drip down on its own.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kalea Martin
Add Some Detail
Let the glue dry completely, then coat in paint. Use whatever color you want your witch’s brew to look like, or you can leave it clear.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kalea Martin
Fill the Cauldron
After the paint has dried, fill the cauldron with either the stuffing or the aroma diffuser. If you choose to use the aroma diffuser, be sure not to cover it with anything. For an even more dramatic effect, choose a diffuser that changes colors.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kalea Martin
Decorate
Place your cauldron anywhere you want, and enjoy the spookiness.
