How to make a halloween Grim reaper

Build your structure out of 2x4s. I'd make it a column of 2x4s with bracing every foot or so since cement is heavy. The column should be big enough to hold a plastic garbage can.

Plumbing pipes might give you more rigidity and with all the elbows and such, you might be able to create the whole armature out of that.

Put the column in place and then place a plastic garbage can on top, upside down. If you want a pointier or rounder head, you can put on one of those large bouncy balls or another plastic container.

I doubt you can drape one cement-laden cloth on the structure in one go, so try breaking this up into smaller layers. If this creature is to have arms, that are to be held away from the body, I'd go with steel or a braced wooden structure for the arms. Or you could use plumbing pipe to create the arm structure and brace the whole thing with his sickle.

The cloth can be old blankets, quilts, etc. Cut into circles, it should drape on the form.

I would use hypertufa as the cement since its pretty tough and bit lighter than regular cement:

• 1 part Portland cement (I was using a 2 qt pitcher)
• 1/4 part of peat ( about 1 pint)
• a handful of vermiculite and mortar mix depending on how much you want it to be textured water, about a 2 qt pitcher as above added slowly as you get it into a slurry or gravy (from http://www.thehypertufagardener.com/revisit-draped-hypertufa-planter/)

The cement/hypertufa can be molded a bit as you place it, so keep it wet and add the additional layers so that everything sticks together. Anything you don't want to stick to the stuff should be covered in plastic. Cover the creation in plastic and let it set up for a couple of days before uncovering it.

This is going to be messy and probably a lengthy process, so be prepared. If your grim reaper is something that you can model on your armature with cloth, it might be better to dump the cement on the figure and massage it into the cloth.