F2FZTBXHSRZJ0GS.LARGE
April Fools’ Day is just a few days away! Are you prepared for it? Perhaps the pranks we picked out earlier this week were lacking some impact. Well, that’s because we kept the best for last!

If you’re looking for something that will shock the entire family or add a little excitement to your otherwise boring workplace, check out this homemade head in a jar! Be it for April Fools’ or for Halloween, this creepy artifact is bound to raise some hairs, and the best part is, no blood is involved in the making. Instructions after the jump!

Things you’ll need:

  • A camera (or any other fancy gadget with a camera function)
  • Photo editing software
  • A color printer and laminating machine (or you could get it printed and laminated at places that provide such services)
  • A large jar (the one used here is a 5 litre (169 fl oz) glass jar)
  • Water
  • Food coloring

▼ Take photos of your (or any other person’s) head in a well-lit place, with the camera at eye level; one from the front and one from the side. Import the photos into the photo editing program. Set the document size to A4 / 8.5″ x 11″ and resize the photos to fit within the canvas.
F86OEX3HSRZJ0GV.LARGE

▼ Trim away any excess background in the photos. Adjust the color and lighting levels if the two photos have different lighting.
F7IGRU0HSRZJ0GX.LARGE

▼ Using the ruler function, drag in some guidelines to help align the two photos. Ensure the front view and side view match up in size and are aligned at eye level.
FX1J4KQHSRZJ0GY.LARGE

▼ Next, crop away the face portion of the profile image so that you’ll be able to merge both pictures into one.
F3UINY7HSRZJ0H0.LARGE

▼ This is how it should look like after cropping.
FE23KZMHSRZJ0HP.LARGE

▼ Move the cropped profile image to match the location of the eyes of the portrait photo.
F17VVNRHSRZJ0HQ.LARGE

▼ Using the eraser tool set to a soft brush, toggle with the opacity of the brush and carefully erase away the clean edge of the cropped profile photo so that the images blend nicely.
F3W6T44HSRZJ0HR.LARGE

▼ We’re halfway there!
FXHQOHIHSRZJ0HS.LARGE

▼ Duplicate the profile image.
FMWFHZBHSRZJ0HU.LARGE

▼ Flip the copy horizontally.
FWZAT6UHSRZJ0HV.LARGE

▼ Similarly to the right, align the left profile to match the location of the eyes.
FA6N540HSRZJ0HW.LARGE

▼ If there are any color level discrepancies, adjust the levels again.
F8IKXTPHSRZJ0I0.LARGE

▼ Merge the layers and resize the image to fill the entire canvas.
F1XCIFCHSRZJ0I2.LARGE

▼ Done!
FZ59LJKHSRZJ0I3.LARGE

▼ Print out the image and trim away any white edges.
FQE5JNHHSRZJ0I9.LARGE

▼ Laminate the printout to waterproof it as we will be putting this in a jar of water.
FH1JMY5HSRZJ0IA.LARGE

▼ Fill the jar three-quarters of the way with water and add in some food coloring to achieve a tint that looks like the preserving liquid you see in old-school sci-fi flicks.
F4CE6E5HSRZJ0IP.LARGE

▼ Roll the laminated print so that it fits through the jar opening, and place it into the jar. Add more water to fill the jar completely.
FFUOUQMHSRZJ3CB.LARGE

F17DJTXHSRZJ0IQ.LARGE

▼ And there you have your very own head in a jar!
FQRJH3BHSRZJ0GT.LARGE

▼ Secretly place it in the fridge among other groceries for a good scare!
FZ1P7TPHSVGB8E9.LARGE

▼ It would make a good centrepiece for a Halloween party too!
FGYV2EWHSVGB8EE.LARGE

If you don’t have a camera or photo editing software, or are just simply too lazy to create your own version, the creator of this brilliant prank, mikeasaurus, has generously put his funky head image up for download! Have fun, but try not to get fired!

Source: Zhaizhai News
Images: Instructables