A few years ago, before the whole vampire craze really heated up, I made my hubby-to-be a Vampire Slayer Kit (as you do) for one of our anniversaries. It was a fun little project to make and I was pleased with how it turned out. I don’t know if I would have the patience for all the fiddly bits now but at the time it was a labour of love and one that I was happy to undertake. Hubby loved it (which is the main thing) and it was easy enough to make and complete in a short space of time.
I started off with a little tin (you can find similar ones here on Etsy) and painted it black. To make the textured surface you mix a little PVA glue with the black paint and adhere some tissue to the surface, “dabbing” with the glue mixture as you go. Actually, the tissue will stick on with just paint but I find that adding a bit of PVA to it helps create a stronger bond and also makes the ridges firmer when dry. You need to move and scrunch the tissue as you dab it on, to create little cracks and crannies (so to speak!). When it is how you like it and you’ve let it dry, you can paint over it again with just the black paint so all areas are evenly covered. I then rubbed silver buffing creme over the ridges to add definition.
I also glued on a silver (well it’s plastic…shh…don’t tell the vamps!) cross framed by an ornate silver frame.
For the cards inside I used appropriately-sized chipboard trading cards. I covered one side with a text paper and then decorated the other side with necessary items that every Vampire Hunter should have.
The garlic was actual dried garlic pieces and the “holy water” was a dollop of diamond glaze – it went a little milky but I like to think that after a hundred years or so even holy water would get a bit grotty! I housed them both in teeny-tiny bottles (I knew they would come in handy some day!) and attached them with twine. Labels were added too (I used some adhesive mini-typewriter letters and dictionary words I had and tea dyed them).
For the “shovel” I used a miniature garden tool I had left over from some other project. The nails were, well, nails, and I pinned them through a piece of hessian. The little stakes were painstakingly (pain-staking-ly…geddit!?) wittled from little sticks and glued to the hessian.
On a couple of the cards I created portraits of Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra – two ladies significant in the Vampire world!
I also included some tea-dyed scrolls with some quotes from Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.
Voila! A Vampire Slayer Kit that is small enough to stash away in your purse or pocket (or be displayed on your mantlepiece like we have done). Why not make one for yourself or a loved one. You could change things and make it a Zombie Killer Kit or a Werewolf First Aid Kit – I’d love to see them if you do make some!
