The best scares aren't always the ones that people notice right away, but in the world of Halloween pranks, a little extra time and effort make a big difference.
Now, everyone has jars in their refrigerator. People don't expect anything from them; they're just a normal piece of the kitchen ensemble. That's what makes them perfect for pranks.
The head-in-a-jar prank is timeless. It's not too gory, but it's not too tame, either. It's the perfect level of scare, and considering everyone's already got a jar in their fridge, they won't see it coming. Plus, thanks to mobile phones and Photoshop, a realistic head-in-a-jar isn't that hard to pull off!
There are a few basic items you'll need for the prank to work: a jar (obviously), some water, food coloring and photo paper. You'll also need either a smart phone with a camera or a copy of Photoshop to really make the illusion work.
For taking the picture, there's a simple way and a more complicated way. If you have Photoshop, there's a lot of great details you can add in to your head-in-a-jar, but the process is definitely more complicated. Basically, you'll have to take two pictures of your head: a frontal view and a profile. Use Photoshop's automatic merging features to combine the photos and voila! The head should look warped, and now you can add any extra details: blood, viscera, that sort of thing.
If you don't happen to have Photoshop, there's an easy way to create the same effect with your phone. Use your phone's panoramic camera settings and, as you take the picture, rotate the phone around your head (like how the moon orbits Earth). If done correctly, you'll get the same effect without having to use Photoshop at all!
From there, import the photo onto your computer. You'll need some high-quality photo paper; regular copy paper will simply dissolve and fall apart in the jar. If photo paper isn't available, just bring the photo to any place that prints pictures, and they'll do it for you. Just make sure the paper is sturdy, or the photo won't last long.
Now all that's left is to fill the jar with water and food coloring. Once the water looks the way you want it to, simply place the warped photo up against the glass and you're done! Leave it in your fridge for people to find (maybe put it behind something and be truly devious) - it's as simple as that!
The head-in-a-jar is simple, it's cheap and it's effective: the best kind of Halloween prank. Thanks go out to Instructables and the original reddit thread for posting the walkthrough.
