Tips for Creating Your Own Special Haunt

Tips for Creating Your Own Special Haunt

I. Basic Supplies

Twine/string: Beige, white, or whatever other colors you come across that fit your color scheme.

Garden twine: green twine that is perfect for tying decorations onto shrubbery and trees. It will not cut into the stems or damage plants, and the color renders it all but invisible.

Extension cords (indoor & out)

Surge protectors

Duct tape

Packing tape (clear & possibly brown)

Scotch tape

Thumb tacks/push pins

Scissors (good ones - make the investment!)

Wire clippers

Ribbon (black, orange, purple, acid green - use your imagination!)

Batteries

Flashlight (again, invest in a good one)

II. Safety

Before you haunt: check your front, yard, porch, stairs - wherever people will be walking, in the dark, on Halloween night. If paths, steps, or railings require repairs, do it now.

Check all electrical items for damage. Discard anything that has a damaged cord or plug.

Once your electrical items are in place, use duct tape to wrap over all connections.

Don't use indoor electrical fixtures outside.

Make sure that the paths people will be walking on are unobstructed and well lit.

Be sure that railings are accessible. (Hint: you can hang decorations on the lower part of the spindles, leaving the handrail free).

Be sure that everything is securely tied down. This will protect curious children from pulling things down on themselves, and will also ensure that your stuff stays in your yard.

III. Where to Find Things

Hardware stores: string, twine, tape, paint (etc.), batteries, extension cords

Nature/science stores: rubber bugs/spiders, bats, snakes, glow-in-the-dark items

Zoo/aquarium/museum shops: rubber bugs/spiders, bats, snakes

Party stores: streamers, ribbons, table goods, candles, (all year); costumes, props, novelties, party favors (in season)

Novelty shops: black light fixtures, glow-in-the-dark items, gothic items

Record shops: horror movie soundtracks

IV. Courtesy

Don't rig lights so that they flash in your neighbor's windows - remember, you have to live here for the rest of the year!

If a neighbor makes a reasonable request, try to accommodate him or her. For example, my immediate next door neighbor usually reminds me very politely, before I start to decorate, that he does not care for the tombstones, and would I please not put them in the common part of the yard. He has no objection to anything else I put up, so the tombstones all go on my side of the yard, and everyone is happy.

If your neighbors will be celebrating their important religious holidays while your decorations are up, you might consider saving your more outrageous effects till afterwards, or perhaps not running your lights or soundtrack for those few nights.

V. Budget

While items with jack-o-lantern or Happy Halloween motifs hit the stores in late August or September, many items are available all year long. Give your budget a break by stocking up on available items throughout the year. These include: ribbon, candles, and party goods in basic colors; most of the items on my list of basic supplies; horror movie soundtracks; rubber critters from zoo/nature/science shops.

Shop the day after Halloween.

Bargain stores often have great prices on outdoor items - why spend a fortune on something that's going t be out in the weather?

Halloween is one holiday when it's perfectly acceptable for the décor to be a little frayed around the edges. Don't discard something because it's faded, wrinkled, whatever - this just adds to the ambiance.

VI. Quick Tricks

Set up a small fan on low speed so that it rustles the curtains ever so slightly. This looks delightfully spooky from the outside!

Cobwebs. This stuff sells for about a dollar a bag and is one of the simplest, yet most effective things you can do to add atmosphere to your display. The trick is to select a small amount and stretch it as thinly as possible.

Prop open a shed door slightly. This casts wonderful shadows and makes folks wonder what's going to come out!

VII. Lighting

Lighting for Halloween serves two purposes: first, you're gong to have lots of people walking through your yard, so it's good safety practice to have everything well lit; second, lighting adds tons of atmosphere!

I find strings of miniature green Christmas lights to be eerily effective. (Another bargain hunter's tip: buy some at after Christmas clearance sales).

Do you have a standard post light or security light already in place? Use it to spooky advantage by placing items so that they cast interesting shadows.

Walk through your display at night to see that everything is placed for optimal viewing. Darker items should be closer to light sources, and light colored items should be in shadowy areas or on dark surfaces.

You have a wonderful electrical novelty that no longer works. Don't toss it. Use it as a prop. If it's a light fixture, check to see if the light apparatus can be easily removed. If it can't, just bundle up the cord so it's out of the way.

VIII. Sound

Sound effects really tie the whole display together and set the mood. There are several options available. Ready made effects tapes are easy to find once all the Halloween goodies hit the stores, as are song tapes. I like to use song tapes during the day and early evening when younger children are out. After dark, I switch to horror movie soundtracks. The score from "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is particularly effective. I've also gotten good results from playing sound effects on a tape deck in one corner of the yard and music on second deck in another corner.

I also like to use novelties that produce intermittent sounds, such as those with motion detectors.

Be aware that too many sounds can be overwhelming to small children. If you see a group of very little children headed your way, you may want to switch a few things off temporarily.

IX. Should I Dress Up?

Well, that depends. Are you going to have anyone helping you run your effects? I'm usually running the whole show myself, so I find black jeans and boots with a Halloween sweater to be the most practical way to go.

HOWEVER, this year I finally decided to splurge on a really nice costume. After looking through a great many websites and checking out the selection in seasonal stores, I opted for a black velvet gothic ballgown and cloak from Hot Topic. This is a chain of gothic stores with locations in many shopping malls - they also have an ecommerce website. They have several wonderful gowns for about $100 each. This is a clothing, rather than costume, store and the garments are very well made of good quality materials. They also carry a variety of velvet cloaks and some interesting accessories.

If you live in a warm area, Lillian Vernon carries some nice adult costumes (seasonal only) made of light weight materials. These are priced from about $50-100.

X. Some Things to Consider

Before you populate your yard with rubber critters, give some thought to what kind of creatures live in your area. For example, I don't use rubber rats because we occasionally get real rats up out of the sewers if there's been a lot of rain and I don't want anyone siccing the health department on me. I'm sure there are places where large snakes, spiders or cockroaches would merit an equally unfriendly reaction.

All Trick or Treaters are NOT created equal. If anyone mentions a food allergy, take them at their word - some of these can be deadly. Consider having at least one package of non-chocolate, and/or non-nut candy on hand or perhaps some non-candy treats so that all the kiddies can have something.

XI. And Don't Forget:

Have lots of candy! (You'll need it for all the folks who stop to admire your wonderful display!)

Take lots of pictures!

HAVE FUN!!!!