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How to Make Prop Microphones for a Stage

One of the primary essentials to a convincing, authentic theater production is for all of the stage props to look realistic. If you want to transplant the audience to the time and place where the play is set, then you'll need period-correct props. Making a believable and detailed prop microphone is a relatively simple procedure, requiring just a few basic accessories.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. meltable plastic craft beads
  • Flat surface
  • Water
  • 1 tbsp. metal ball bearings
  • Pencil
  • Thread or string
  • Rotary cutter
  • Round metal light bulb stand
  • Short plumbing pipe, 10 to 14 inches
  • Welding epoxy
  • Silver or metallic spray paint
  • Fine-tipped paintbrush
  • Black acrylic paint
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Instructions

    • 1

      Melt 1 cup of the craft beads according to the manufacturer's instructions and place them on a work surface dampened with water to keep the beads from sticking. Put a metal ball bearing in the center of the cluster. Fold the plastic around it. Use the work surface to shape the microphone head to the desired shape. Keep repeating this until the shape has molded firm and dried.

    • 2

      Etch whatever grooves and lines you want for your microphone with a pencil. It would be advisable to have a picture of the microphone style desired available, this way the slats or bumps can be drawn in accordance with the picture. Use a piece of thread or string to draw straight lines. Once they are nice and neat, grind the grooves and bumps out with a rotary cutter. They should be around 1/8-inch deep.

    • 3

      Affix the light bulb stand socket to a piece of plumbing pipe, forming the microphone stand's base. Use welding epoxy to attach to the two pieces. Melt down the rest of the plastic beads -- approximately two tablespoons -- and mold the plumbing pipe to the microphone head with them. Spray paint the stand and the head with a metallic or silver shade of spray paint. Paint the grooves with black paint. Use a fine-tooth paintbrush.

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