Making Hay Bales

gafftaper

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We are doing 3 Musketeers and the director wants some hay bales for them to hide behind. 20 years ago I worked with a local community theater who had some acting blocks that were dressed as hay bales. It's been a long time. But I think they used rafia cut into 6"-8" strips and then used something like Modge Podge to attach it to the acting block securely but still able to leave loose ends sticking out a bit.

What do you think? Any better ideas? Have you made fake hay bales?
 
Maybe skin it with a base of high res printed out straw texture Straw and then go buy some fake straw from Michael’s to give it some depth and finish it with some twine.
 
Hmmmm, The Three Musketeers take place in the 17th century. The hay baler wasn't invented until the late 19th century. Haystacks would be more appropriate. Carry on.
 
As JohnD sez, but if you want bales . . . Where are you located? Around here hay bales are a few bucks each and straw bales are cheaper. (People can't tell the difference but the cows can.)
 
As JohnD sez, but if you want bales . . . Where are you located? Around here hay bales are a few bucks each and straw bales are cheaper. (People can't tell the difference but the cows can.)
I feel like he’s going for a mess free style of bale.
 
Mandatory warning about the flammability of dried hay, take appropriate precaution. Carry on...
Rosebrand Firestop 701 demo video shows it being used on straw. Impressive.
 
Mess free alergy free and long term usage
Find a local farmer, assuming your in a semi-rural area; or I'm sure you have something like a tractor supply around. Get some actual bales, give them a flame retardant treatment, and coat in a heavy covering of clearcoat, or a glue of some sort. Make sure to note on the bottom that they're treated with chemicals, so down the line someone doesn't unknowingly feed them to livestock.
 
When we've needed them to both be sittable, as well as able to be "thrown" for actor business, I've stacked and glued foam sheets, coated with scenic dope painted a "hay" color and then glued plastic easter grass to it that was spray painted. None of the flammability problems of the real thing
 

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