Spock's Pickled Brain

1. Adventurer's box I found this box covered in jungle scenes and elephants suggesting an adventure in India. Without any modifications whatsoever it could easily fit in with an interior design inspired by Victorian adventurers. However, you could also make it the base for something else and have a maze of pipework and instruments fitted inside or poking out the top. I found this for about $2, and in pretty good condition inside and out.  2. Clock steampunk cabinet Any analog-looking clock, especially with the wood, brass rims, and roman numeral details, is a gold mine for steampunk projects. Even if the rest was junk, you could still break open the clock and salvage it for cogs, gears, and other bits and bobs. The cabinet beneath presents an opportunity though, and if you are technically inclined you could used the window to display moving parts, lighting effects, bubbling containers, clay-made creatures, or audio effects. This was about $4. 3. Steampunk wri...

Here's another batch of interesting objects found in antique and thrift stores that could be reimagined as magical objects right at home in Hogwarts. 1. Dumbledore's Memory Cabinet This beautiful display case was spotted in an antique store, but unfortunately it'd already been sold. It bears an uncanny resemblance to Albus Dumbledore's cabinet of memories from the Harry Potter films. Not nearly as ornate, but it has the underlying structure, nice size, and it's already painted gold. It would take some tools, but you could cut elaborate lace-like patterns in a succession of balsa sheets, paint, and then mount them in layers on the corners of the cabinet. If you wanted to go the extra mile to make it like the films, you could use this to as a display case for glass vials. Or as a liquor cabinet. Whatever floats your boat. Close up by Charlotte of The Tea Drinking English Rose Photo by Carl McPherson 2. Puffskeins or pygmy puffs I foun...

When I'm prowling thrift stores, I tend to get laser-focused on the pieces I need for a specific project. But the thing is, these are the places of the unexpected. I almost never find what I'm looking for exactly when I need it, but that's kind of the fun. Instead, there's an endless sea of potential props and costumes, just of things you haven't thought of yet. So while I don't have enough hours in a day to make each of these into a prop, here are some ideas. 1. Pilot helmet In almost every good-size thrift store, there's a sports equipment section with lots of helmets. So many helmets, ranging in size, shape, and price. Of the types you see, probably the motorcycle helmets or baseball helmets would be the easiest to modify into pilot's helmets, though some may better suit Republic, Imperial, or Rebel fighters. I've not attempted to do so myself, but there's an awesome tutorial on making a budget X-wing helmet using a baseball...