Maleva Gypsy Fortune Teller

As a kid growing up in Jersey, there were countless Fairs, Carnivals and always the Boardwalk at Seaside. Invariably there was always a coin operated Fortune Teller usually located next to the Photo Booth. For this year's Haunted Trail, I thought of a side-show, house of wax exhibit. Central to this a strong need for diversion, what better than aGypsy Fortune Teller named Maleva (sound familiar).

Maleva is a simple project. That can easily be put together in a weekend. Her booth is made from three slat frames. Each is 6 feet by 2 feet. The size was determined for ease of assembly. Plexiglass for the front window was 24x36. 2x4s and 2x3s were used for the slats. The top middle and bottom pieces were biscuited for strength but they could be screwed together as well. The bottom, middle, top, and sides are all made from 1/4 plywood. All wood pieces were stained with a dark cherry stain and covered with polyurethane.

Maleva's body is made from a PVC frame, wigform head and skeletal hands made from wood and dowels. I used an handy skull light for accent and orange christmas lights inserted into 45 3/8" holes drilled through the top piece. The name was painted with craft paints after a stencil was madde using MS Publisher. The coin slot is simply an extra piece of plexiglas painted black. The slot was cut using a moto-tool. More to Come!