I call this one penitent

I needed to make a prop to mud at a local Northwest Haunters Association monster mud class that I would be attending the following week.

So out of the blue came this idea.  How about a praying skeleton prop.

Let me start by saying this is not our best work and I really did throw this together at the last minute.  When I make it again, I will pay a lot more attention to detail and NOT use that crappy skeleton!

Started by making a pedestal base out of scrap foam.  It is a simple four-sided column with the top cut at an angle and a piece placed on top.  This will accommodate a skeleton kneeling in prayer.

Next, I took a skeleton I had laying around from Halloween closeouts that was intended as a door prize for our annual Halloween Party.

I then bent and posed him the best I could (never using this type of skeleton in a prop again!)

I used gaffer tape to hold him in place on the pedestal.

In order to have him stay attached I used gaffers taped to make a dam around the joints so that I can fill them with A-B/two-part expanding foam to hold it in place.

In order to keep his legs straight, I had to use an extra piece of foam that still had a covering on it to prop the legs straight while I poured the foam.

 Then husband helped me Dremel out the overflowing foam.

Leaving just enough to hold the skeleton to the foam base.

I used a little on his fingers to hold them in a praying position.

 To keep the skeleton upright (the bending legs caused it to fall over) husband cut me some metal rods and I used a little gorilla glue to glue them.  We used the holes that were already in the skeleton to place the rods.

Then I decided he needed a book.  So I took a small piece of thin 1 1/2 scrap foam and glued it to a piece of 2-inch foam to create the bones of the book.

Then I marked out the areas on the foam that I wanted to remove. 

I used a Hot Wire Foam Factory tool to shape it accordingly.  Then I hand sanded it out to shape.  

I fit it on the prop to see how it would look.

 I used some gorilla glue and sandbag to glue it down in place.

Then I fitted the sheet over it to get it ready for the upcoming monster mud class.

You can watch how the class went in this great video from Northwest Haunters Association. 
Thanks to Becky Newman for hosting the class and to everyone in the association who made this event happen.

I will post finished pictures when it is painted and ready to go.  This prop is for sale, let me know if you want one.  $150 - I can make more of them if you want to custom order.