Halloween Decorating "How To"

[BlackLagoon]

I'm not sure where to post this so  appologize in advance!

Before you know it we'll be dragging out boxes and putting up our decorations.

The question is how do you do it personally?

Maybe this thread--for newbies like me who want to make a front yard full of scarecrows and zombies for the 1st time-- some of you veteran "Halloween decorators" could share your secrets.

I used to make "dummies" in my backyard when I was a kid. Old clothes, filled with pillows and old blankets and a old halloween mask thrown on for a head--they were used for BB gun shoot outs

Any ideas for making  these look....better?

Never too early to start preperation!

[mike c]

LOVE the topic.

I make my 'dummies' from PVC pipe and elbow fittings, PVC glue, polyfoam filling, old clothes, and make the heads and hands myself from paper mache, Model Magic, anything that dries light and stiff.

To get a look at the zombies I did in 2008, come to the ol' Skull & Pumpkin and view this post:
http://theskullpumpkin.blogspot.com/2009/06/zzzzombieeeeezzz.html

That's blank wigheads with Model Magic/mache faces/ears, wigs and paint, on PVC framed bodies. I stuff them with foam, old clothes, newspaper... OH, I get those foam pool noodles for real cheap come September and they are great for cutting up for zombie (or scarecrow, as you need!) legs and arms to slip over 3/4" PVC pipe.

Good luck, have a ball, ask any questions, and make some awesome props this year!

[BaronLatos35]

We are the only house on the block that decorates, so I go all out with what we have. We have things like window clings on the front windows (including this cool looking Frank head cling I got on eBay a couple of years ago), a hanging Drac, Witch and Skeleton bride and groom on the front porch, pumpkins and jack o lanterns etc.

Inside are various Halloween decorations including a monster table with my Aurora models (will be adding my SSE Drac this year), Sam from Trick r Treat, a  Haunted House etc. This year I will also add a couple blow mold pumpkins and whatever else we scooped up at the 75-90% Target sales.

My favorite is the graveyard. Nothing like the works of art I've seen posted here, in reality it's just a small mulched patch of land where a bush once was. I have 2 headstones and 2 crosses, the kind you see at Target (nothing written on them). This year I want to add a skull or skeleton hand and some makeshift "wrought iron" looking fence pieces. I want the old abandoned look, creepy but still Halloween fun. Any other thoughts UMA?

It's a small spot but it's filled with Halloween goodness. Love this topic.

[MDG]

I never have the time (or $$$) to do as much as I want. Besides carving 4 or 5 pumpkins and putting up one or two cornstalks, one thing that's gotten more elaborate is the sign to direct kids to the side door.



One cheap thing I did, that you can see in the background, was make a pyramid of some of the plastic pumpkins I've accumulated--just weighted them with sand and used some sticky putty to hold them together (to avoid drilling holes in the bottom and running a dowel through).

I also have a Frankenstein that I've put up the past 2 or 3 years (going to try to bulk him up a little this year).

[Wolf Man]

I am not the best decorator by a long shot and this is more of a graveyard rather than Scarcrows and Zombies but if you can gather any ideas from what I do I am more than glad to help out.  

Not the best night picture but here is the yard lit up for Trick or Treaters:



You can see a bit of it shot during the twilight hours:



Here is our just inside the door decorations, the stuff I don't want kids touching:



Here is our Window Display of carved Pumpkins:



A less impressive daytime shot of the graveyard.  I think I added stuff after this shot was taken:



One more daytime shot:



Of course I will be adding lots to this years festivities with some really good ideas from Bizarro Jeff and a fogger he sent me.  I can't wait to get home and start working on it. 

[Minion]

I bought a headless mannequin a few years back really cheap on eBay. I just dress it up in whatever I want and toss it in the yard. He it is one year with a mask I made and some Don Post monster hands. Hands were a bit too big but with lighting it still looked cool and the kids loved it

[Wolf Man]

That is a great picture.  Good job!  I like what you did with the other accessories too. 

[ChrisW]

BlackLagoon,

Get yer butt over to:
http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/
It's a great list of Halloween project links, from very simple to fairly complicated. They cover every budget and level of ability. There are some very clever people out there!

[Gillfan]

Some wonderful ideas here as well!
http://www.theghostess.com/index.html

[BlackLagoon]

Good luck, have a ball, ask any questions, and make some awesome props this year!

Thanks for the good word Mike C...I finally brought myself over to the S&P and was really suprised at all the awesome stuff you have going on over there!

[BlackLagoon]

BlackLagoon,

Get yer butt over to:
http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/
It's a great list of Halloween project links, from very simple to fairly complicated. They cover every budget and level of ability. There are some very clever people out there!

Chris thanks a ton for this link!!

Just what the dr ordered!....Plenty of easy stuff to get my hands dirty and the gears turning--wow, the neighbors are gonna appreciate the new backyard project...Grim Reapers in July lol.

[charp13]

[charp13]

Oh, I forgot to add a description...... This photo is blurry because I have NO skills, but this is our front yard.

[Opera Ghost]

Just gonna toss out a few photos spanning 2006-2009. Wife usually did the pictures until last year.

Front 2008


from 2009 "Thriller" theme tribute to MJ







The "singing"Pumpkin patch

Detail of the Patch

Daylight shots/Seeking RhutenTuhten 2007

[charp13]

OG- We are trick or treating at your house this year!  Be expecting a Beverley Hillbillies style truck in your yard on October 29th, we'll bring our own vittles.