Hi i am new here and also new at clowning. Iwas wondering if there is any homemade props i can make for clowning? I just started of and i do all clowning for free and right now do not have alot of spare money for new props. any and all ideas will be great . Thank you so much. :lol:

There are lots of things you could make with Fun Noodles (those things kids float around in the pool with). Glue with Fabri-Tak (Wal-Mart) or contact cement (Weldwood Gel). Giant pencils, binoculars, hypodermic needles, periscopes, etc. can be made using these lightweight things. A cardboard box and a can could become a camera. The key is to decide what props you NEED, and create from there.

Our clown group made props for our skits. We needed a menu board like a fast food restaurant. Refrigerator boxes are great for big back drops. We have a cardboard
car, spaceship. Check out $1 stores for inexpensive props
too. Little by little you'll need a separate room for all your clown stuff!! :-D

Our clown group made props for our skits. We needed a menu board like a fast food restaurant. Refrigerator boxes are great for big back drops. We have a cardboard
car, spaceship. Check out $1 stores for inexpensive props
too. Little by little you'll need a separate room for all your clown stuff!! :-D

Years ago I made most of my props. I'm still trying to find them all! I used to scour dollar stores, goodwill and yard sales to find what I needed. Sheets of think foam can be made into giant loolipops, or super light 1000 pound "Barbell"s. Most cases needed for walkarounds can be found at goodwill or dollar stores.
Use your imagination. One of the best props I ever bought was a toilet plunger for a couple of bucks. It's great for leading a parade, driving your invisible car, or one of my favorites; conducting clown on the street interviews...."pardon me kind sir, we are conducting a Clown of the street interview, would you care to participate?
....DO you know why cannibals never eat clowns? ...Because they taste funny!

HAND MADE props are often the best, they are made for YOU, by YOU to do exactly what it is YOU want.
Here Are a few cheap ideas and Im giving them to you for free as well.
Squeekers from worn out soft toys if held in the hand or hidden in a glove will make anything squeek, noses, hats, even fruit on a market stall. A large soft drink bottle filled with water, if you then invert it quickly onto the point of a large umbrella will air lock and take a while to slowly empty so you have a umbrella to use on those days when it not raining, it looks pretty silly as well. Pet stores often have great dog toys, Rubber steaks and sausages and all sorts of other bright stuff and its not very expensive. My brother "big Foot" pulls the feathers off old feather dusters and then gives them out one at a time at carnivals and fairs, telling all and sundry they are very rare lucky FISH feathers, people seem delighted to get them, they must be stranger than him.
I saw a clown walking around with an empty tray hung from his neck like a street vender, it had a large notice that read "NOTHING FOR SALE". I often walk around fairs with a large drum singing "Iv got a drum that will get on your nerves".
I think thats enough free-bees for one day
Take care and be funny

Hi! Here are a couple little thngs I do that are not costly.

Take any empty box and either paint it or color it in bright colors (add poka dots etc.) Glue a portion of aen empty toilet tissue on front and paint. Put some sort ot button on top (lid from something). Cut a hole on front and add a portion of plastic bag on inside. You now have a clown camera. Add a crazy strap of some sort. Now for the fun part. Cut squares and draw a stick figure on it (full figure pix) or just a smiley face or my personal favorite, a silly monkey face. Ask folks if you can take their picture, after all most everybody takes ours) have them smile and take their pix. Pull one of your pictures out of a slot you have cut in back or out of a sandwich bag you have taped to bacl. The monkey faces are great.

Another idea: Large paper bag and mirrow to lay in bottom all that needed. Open bag and lay mirrow on bottom facing up. Gather top of bag and carry around. On front of bag you might want to write IT'S ALIVE! Go up to folk and ask them to guess what inside but play this up you can act like there is something really dangerous inside. Peek in and close quickly and grab chest like scared. Slap the side of the bad like you are knocking something off the inside of the bag back to bottom. You can take out a stick your carring and poke at something inside etc. Just ham it up. Finally say ok, I think it is settled down now, tell me what you think is in here? They will guess everything. You will keep saying no, no, no etc. finally say your never going to guess so I'll let you see but you cannot tell anybody what you see, I could get in trouble for having this. So they will timidly look into bag, you could bounce the bag for a last effect. When they look down into the bag, they see themselves! You can say "whew scary huh?" and move on.

While you are walking around fall in behind someone walking just as they walk, when they stop you stop. When they walk you walk etc. When they talk you mime talking behind their backs.

:D Hiya, giggles here. A few things you can do...Instead of buying a clown hat...I make a balloon hat for myself. It looks even better! Also, my dad is going to help me make vanishing crayons today...I'll try to explain how to do it. You buy a box of crayons with a window...cut the crayons in half and glue them together so they are only half the height of the box. You shake the crayons so that they are at the top, and then you let them fall, and it looks like they vanished! You could do this by itself at a walk around, or you can incorporate it in a show with the magic coloring book, color changing streamer, mouth coil, almost anything with color! Also, check the old posts...some of the props discussed are quite easy to make..use your clown imagination...

If you are intrested in a cheap clown costume, scope the hallooween stores the 1st week in November. Also, check out the halloowenish fabrics in wal-mart...you could easily buy a few yards and use it as a cover over a table, or even as a headband, cape, or sash...

Most of all think that you can do anything and a way to do it will come!!!!
:D :) 8) Giggles

Little by little you'll need a separate room for all your clown stuff!! :-D

That is what loft conversions are for!

A variation on the umbrella is to rig it with a squirter from one of the arms. This you point at anyone who comments that it's not raining and give them a squirt saying the old pantomime 'Oh yes it is!'

:D yesterday I was in a craft store, and I "found" my clown costume. I had a black tanktop, balck velvet pants, and a gold sequined vest. I bought striped rainbow silk, and gold fabric, and I'm going to sew both pieces together to make a skirt, which I'll wear over the black pants. I also bought a rainbow feather boa.I'm going to get these rainbow striped sneakers that I saw for only $10! I'm also going to take the leftover fabric from my skirt and make it as a trim on my tank top. I'm really excited about this! let me know what you all think!
:D :) 8) Giggles

I feel your excitement, Giggles....isn't it great?

My outfits are relatively simple right now, as I'm not a very good seamster, but I'm learning. I did make my first outfit tho from a McCalls pattern, and you better believe I was pretty proud of myself...:)

not home made but I found these syringe shaped pens, which I can write out prescritions with, like "good for 10 hugs", "a smile a day keeps the doctor away" all sorts of things. I keep it with my Dr. kit.

not home made but I found these syringe shaped pens, which I can write out prescritions with, like "good for 10 hugs", "a smile a day keeps the doctor away" all sorts of things. I keep it with my Dr. kit.

Hey, I got given one of those pens by a friend when I worked in a Hospital. I wasn't working as a clown though. Roly was already there doing a wonderful job.

If you feel totally "prop challenged", I just discovered a site on the web at www.clownantics.com that has a lot of props at pretty reasonable prices. I ordered an invisible dog as I have been looking all over for one. I ordered it over the weekend and they shipped it out yesterday!! Quick service. I'll get it tomorrow.
They have hospital clowning props as well as regular walkaround stuff.
Jubilee

Brilliant resource Jubilee. Lots of great stuff there.