Steampunk event decor ideas? Looking for large prop making on the cheap!

[goddessy]

Hello all!
I do some entertainment decorating for friends who run a weekend conferences in a hotel - I don't make money, but I get a small budget and get to make cool things, lol!

I am *finally* getting to do steampunk!! I would love to hear any ideas or get links to large prop builds. It's in a hotel ballroom, so there is a lot of space to cover - annd crazy restrictions and not much ability to hang things on the walls or ceiling.

There will be casino games happening, tho I may or may not roll those into the decorating...

I'm thinking of maybe doing something like a "grand transportation station"... So even if I can't pull off building a train or airship, I could have fun signs & images, maybe a clock tower, a "power station" with lots of pipes, lights, levers and switches...

I will try to post a few pics of past events I've done, to give a feel.

Any & all ideas welcome and appreciated!

[goddessy]

Let's see if this picture posting works, lol

This was from "Under the Sea"

[goddessy]

[Prof Marvel]

Hello all!
I do some entertainment decorating for friends who run a weekend conferences in a hotel - I don't make money, but I get a small budget and get to make cool things, lol!

I am *finally* getting to do steampunk!! I would love to hear any ideas or get links to large prop builds. It's in a hotel ballroom, so there is a lot of space to cover - annd crazy restrictions and not much ability to hang things on the walls or ceiling.

There will be casino games happening, tho I may or may not roll those into the decorating...

I'm thinking of maybe doing something like a "grand transportation station"... So even if I can't pull off building a train or airship, I could have fun signs & images, maybe a clock tower, a "power station" with lots of pipes, lights, levers and switches...

I will try to post a few pics of past events I've done, to give a feel.

Any & all ideas welcome and appreciated!

Unfortunately your photos did not show for me.
Perhaps you could post a url link instead?

Greetings my good goddess -
I would suggest thinking in terms of stage props ... painted canvas-over-stick-frames and paper mache

You could build a 1foot deep 3-D floor to ceiling clock tower of canvas and sticks.
Add a canvas background drop of a train station, and further in decorate room dividers as a casino facade, could even build a canvas and stick arch entry... 

If you can hang lightweight stuff from the ceiling a few stick and paper airships would be nice...

HTH
Prof Marvel

[Prof Marvel]

More thoughts occurred   

Build open girder works out of Lumber yard furring strips painted grey for vertical or horizontal faux girders
To look like this
https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/steel-truss-girder-realistic-seamless-pattern-for-vector-23752166

https://previews.123rf.com/images/bonumopus/bonumopus1612/bonumopus161200666/67206295-steel-truss-girder-construction-3d-render-isolated-on-white.jpg


Bamboo
Get lengths of 1” bamboo or pvc pipe say ten to fifteen feet long.
Build a framework, cover with painted paper or thin cloth.

One can use things like this to build a tipi or arched blimp nose

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51TDRnF0q-L.jpg

One can make structures like this too look like the nose of a blimp or a dome or ...

https://aslathedirt.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/bamboo-structure-tehran.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/26/6e/15/266e15c199872fdb9d3434f091538ac2.jpg

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/362117626266228823/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/273312271112709665/

https://www.pinterest.com/nujiva/bamboo/




Someone else’s bamboo frame airplane:
https://shtiggy.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/plane_animation2.gif

Hope this helps
Prof marvel

[J. Wilhelm]

Let's see if this picture posting works, lol

This was from "Under the Sea"

You did copy the URLs correctly, but these are short URLs linking to Flickr. Many image hosting services don't allow hot-linking to other websites. Flickr is one of them. You might try another image hosting service. Personally, I Tweet my photos and then copy the URL of the image in Twitpic (Twitter's image server).  The images will have URLs that look like this:

Code:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3m_nALWsAA0z4m.jpg

Or depending on the page script, it may look like this:

Code:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3m_nALWsAA0z4m?format=jpg&name=large

Different browsers will get different instructions from the Twitter servers

[Prof Marvel]

This was from "Under the Sea"
https://flic.kr/p/HeZQQe

https://flic.kr/p/Cx56mg

https://flic.kr/p/Cx5DBt

Thanks Monsiuer Wilhelm , I quoted her post and found them, now lets see if my modifications work...


ah looks like it did

VERY nice work my dear goddess
yhs
prof marvel

[Hurricane Annie]

 

You could always glue some cogs on...

 Seriously though the airship or bi plane  ideas above  are sound ones. The kraken  could be unleashed in there.  The industrial theme is a solid one.

[goddessy]

Prof Marvel~
Thank you, kind sir, those are quite wonderful ideas!

We actually grow various types of willow & bamboo and hope to train the willow to similar structures as it grows taller! Unfortunately, I don't think any of our harvested bamboo will be dry enough to be used for this, but excellent ideas that I can translate with other found materials.

You have my deep appreciation!

[J. Wilhelm]

An easy one is a circus/sideshow theme. The reason is that striped red and white textiles are readily available, and you always have Victorianesque signage available at hobby shops and the like...

[Hurricane Annie]

Prof Marvel~
Thank you, kind sir, those are quite wonderful ideas!

We actually grow various types of willow & bamboo and hope to train the willow to similar structures as it grows taller! Unfortunately, I don't think any of our harvested bamboo will be dry enough to be used for this, but excellent ideas that I can translate with other found materials.

You have my deep appreciation!

  PVC piping. It's relatively bendable, strong, comes in various widths and colours. I have used it myself for making  a moon gate .

I concur with Mr Wilhelm on the circus, carnival,  Moulin Rouge theme.  Its attractive, popular and easily replicated - and  always enhanced by a wild expression of imagination

[Hurricane Annie]

 What ever the theme,  these things are always  better with a back drop of large velvet festoon curtains.  These can be found at any thrift shop or  by the metre at cheap fabric retailers

[goddessy]

Wonderful wonderful ideas!!! Thank you all! (and feel free to add more anyone!)

With the picture posting, I have accepted that I may need to up my tech game a smidgen, lol.

For the moment I'm trying to update my (nearly non existent) Instagram with my event photos.... So let's see if that works any better here...

[goddessy]

Let's see if this picture posting works, lol

This was from "Under the Sea"

You did copy the URLs correctly, but these are short URLs linking to Flickr. Many image hosting services don't allow hot-linking to other websites. Flickr is one of them. You might try another image hosting service. Personally, I Tweet my photos and then copy the URL of the image in Twitpic (Twitter's image server).  The images will have URLs that look like this:

Code:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3m_nALWsAA0z4m.jpg

Or depending on the page script, it may look like this:

Code:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3m_nALWsAA0z4m?format=jpg&name=large

Different browsers will get different instructions from the Twitter servers

Thank you for the insights!
I don't really tweet;)... Do you know if/how a link from Instagram might work with this site? I don't really do Instagram, either - but it seemed more like something I will use.

[Kensington Locke]

PVC piping would be pretty easy to paint so it's got the sectional look.

Frames to support painted canvas backdrops would be good along walls for photo-op

Some kind of doorway/arch to be setup outside the room/hall would set the mood.

themes:
circus/vaudeville
airship
train station*

*If you built X number of those frame panels, imagine each one represents a car on the train (and is painted as the outer side of the train, complete with wheels).  The gaps between the cars is literally the gaps between the panels.  The darkness behind the panels against the wall lets the imagination fill in the blanks.  The top edge of the car is the top edge of the panel, so there's less to do above that.  Perhaps project blue light on the upper wall to kind of blur out the real thing.

The opposite wall could be ticket booths and signage of destinations, old-timey advertisements, etc.

[goddessy]

The event is coming up next weekend and things are going well!

I do have gears, lol~I know they are sometimes contentious, but they are also a part of the "basic" steampunk expectations for folks at an event. I am trying to make them functional everywhere possible!

We've cut about 25 of gears in 3 sizes from Eva foam puzzle mats-they all interlock together well. If I can pull it off, they will (hopefully) all turn when you turn a crank...?! They are " providing " the energy to a power station that I'm concocting with a big copper coil with a lit center.

I have an 18 1/2 X 9 foot-ish pvc frame made for a half side view of an airship - it will go up on a table, with the table made into a fun boat. I've made some musin wings and Eva foam fins & propeller and I'm sewing up a muslin "skin" today and will repurpose some rope bits from my pirate ship.

There's so much more with copper & brass pipes, gages & gadgets, some ironwork look scene setter to use for tall archway tunnels on the walls and maaaaybe a huge clock if I find the time!!

My son showed me imgur, so that's going to have to be good enough for the moment, lol.

I was going to post pics of my progress, but I'm seeing that the Instagram link that I tried didn't do any better.

(I have looked through the help section for current instructions on posting photos, but only saw the older ones that I tried the first time. I'm afraid that I don't have much time right now to keep searching ~much appreciated if anyone knows of a thread to read! )

[goddessy]

Props in progress!

Airship frame!
http://imgur.com/h4IpVXO

Propeller!
http://imgur.com/DGDoWXW

Airship wings!
http://imgur.com/s776Rsc

Painted pvc pipe!
http://imgur.com/gW6jg51

Gears!
http://imgur.com/1sHIDpC

And a small portion from a bunch of photos from the late 1800's/ early 1900's that I found at an auction!
Still deciding what to do with them...
http://imgur.com/SreL5TE

[Hurricane Annie]

 Excellent stuff!!  The vintage photos are  add  to the effect

[Deimos]

Re the Airship: well done! Can't wait to see it completed.
And yes, the photos will add to the Victorian ambiance.
 

[Prof Marvel]

Wowsers Goddessy!

nice work, looking forward to finished pics.

yhs
prof marvel

[goddessy]

It worked! (basically, lol)

I sewed the skin for the airship and we tried it on!

http://imgur.com/kyFKIHQ

I love it new and tidy, but think it more effective with some paint aging... Thoughts?

Here is a wing that I aged...
http://imgur.com/qzwhb1d

Tho given the time I have, I'm considering just dipping the whole thing in a vat of dark tea or coffee!

[Prof Marvel]

looking good, wish I could get there
prof marvel

[Kensington Locke]

I say, well done!

[Deimos]

Definitely go with aging...looks great!

[Miranda.T]

That is so impressive, especially considering how quickly it's been put together. I'm very much looking forwards to seeing the completed craft!

Yours,
Miranda.