Rubber Mulch for Production Props
Prop-making for theater, including small-scale school productions, requires a lot of people and time. Moreover, the better you want your sets to look, the more money you are expected to spend. The sad thing is, most spectacular props and backdrops you create are usually never used again!
Common materials
The most common materials used for prop-making include cardboard boxes, foam, glitter, sand, foil, and various types of paint. Sometimes, when the budget permits, a little wood and metal sheet come into play.
Cardboard boxes and foams are ideal canvases for backdrops and they also serve as sturdy frames for the smaller, portable props. However, it is the details that make or break a scene. Hence, the popular use of glitter, sand and various paints—all messy and difficult to revise once applied.
A lot of time is wasted redoing the entire prop or backdrop even when only a tiny part is painted wrong, or if the wrong glitter color was applied. It probably takes twice the time to correct mistakes.
Curtains up for rubber mulch
Rubber mulch is a bunch of rubber granules made from different recycled rubber including old tires and discarded industrial insulators. These come in different colors and are non-toxic. Right now, rubber mulch is most known for being the best choice in playground and gym flooring and an ideal alternative to wood mulch in landscaping.
The versatility of rubber mulch allows productions to maximize this material:
* Using rubber mulch instead of sand or glitter makes cleaning up easier.
* Rubber mulch granules are larger, making them easier to glue onto any canvas.
* Because each granule is larger, it becomes easier to mix colors and create gradations.
* It becomes easier to correct mistakes in prop-making, as opposed to glitter or sand.
* Rubber mulch makes for a more convincing “grassland” and “tree.”
