Hobbit Party Progress: Our DIY Doors Of Durin & Mount Doom Ring Toss

Hallo, friends! I've missed you! How'd the last week and a half go? Unfortunately I was on the couch with a sinus-y head-cold thing for most of it, including Christmas, so John and I had to spend the day alone.  That's ok, though, because in true Hobbit style we have SECOND Christmas to look forward to.

Yep, while everyone is posting recaps and resolutions, John and I are still merrily decorating, wrapping gifts, and working on our costumes.

 LOOK HOW CUTE JOHN IS AS A HOBBIT

He's been growing out his hair, and thrifted everything except the cloak, which is just some pinned green fabric.

While I was down John made all SORTS of Hobbit party things, which I'm about to show you. My only contribution today is the bathroom sign, but at least it's some of my finest work:

MY FINEST. :D

[Update: by popular request, here's my image file. Feel free to download & print your own!]

I also planned and wrapped a bunch of things for a "White Oliphaunt" dice game, since the Critical Role gang made it look so fun on 4-Sided Dive.

  Meanwhile, John's smallest project last week was an 8-foot tree of Gondor for the back yard:

It's plywood covered in glitter, and we have a bunch of lights around it, so it's all sparkly at night.

John's favorite build is completely over-the-top ridiculous, and all his idea, ha.

First he hand-painted a block wall onto pink foam:

... which looks like this:

(awesome shading, right?)

Next he sealed off half of the guest bath with it:

Then he added some magic, and with the flip of a switch...

 

Ta-daa!

The Doors of Durin!

We're hooking up a black light on a timer above the bathroom door, so it'll be a surprise reveal when folks go in.

Now help us out: what should John write in the archway on top?  The real one says "Speak, friend, and enter" but I'd like something cute or funny and bathroom-related. Hit me with your suggestions!

K, last thing I want to share is MY favorite build-in-progress, because John took my punny idea and turned it into pure gold:

Rings, that is.

So what do you do with over-sized One Rings at a Hobbit Party?

Give it a minute.

That's right, Gollum.

You throw them into Mount Doom.

WE'RE MAKING A MOUNT DOOM RING TOSS.

 



  Complete with glowing lava and smoke!
(Still working on the lighting, so it'll film better.)

 

John made the mountain from stacked pink foam scraps:

Then carved in texture with an angle grinder:

And finished it off with plaster and paint:

 It has flame motion lights inside and piped-in "smoke" from our fog machine.

 

 By a happy accident, the clear hot-glue seams glow like channels of lava!

The mountain sits on a table for extra height, which we'll be camouflaging with stiff canvas painted to match.

That mountain backer board is getting raised up, too, to stop the rings from landing behind it.

And because John is having so much fun with black-light effects, of course Mount Doom and the rings will have some extra magical touches:

OooOOOOooh.

I hope you're getting as excited for Hobbit Holiday: Second Christmas as I am! And hey, if your holiday wasn't great, try having a round 2. It's kind of wonderful planning Christmas things in January; everyone's so much more relaxed. Plus in our case, the weather next week should be less hot and rainy, so we're hoping for some crisp smores-making weather, aw yeah. ::fingers crossed::

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Before you go, big congrats to Renee O. & Mely, our December Squeegineer winners! Please check your inboxes for a message from John, you two, so you can choose your prizes.

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