# Layout Advice/New Ideas



## haunter-x (Sep 12, 2007)

So I've lurked for the last few years, I had some great ideas to really start building props a few years back, but then 2 kids and some crazy work hours got in the way. I was able to put together a ground break coffin (with light and fog machine), and amass some lights and basic spider web material.

So my layout is usually this coffin in the lawn by the steps, front porch uses blacklight bulbs, garage lights use the flicker bulbs, spider webs across the top and open side of the porch and some straw bales to set pumpkins/jack-o-lanterns on. Here is the front of the house:










This year I'm putting together a fog chiller based on this thread by niblique71. This will handle chilling some fog from a chauvet hurricane 1100. My goal is to have it providing a nice layer on the lawn and into the street. I also plan on building 2 "large" blaircrows this weekend and a handful of the "blair witch figures" to accompany them. Not totally original but I like the idea of the "theater of the mind" scary. I was thinking of placing the 2 blaircrows in the middle of the yard with some rock piles at the bases. And maybe some rock pile cairns placed around them. The small figures would hang from the parch in some manner. I/ll probably splash some red and green floods from the corners of the yard.

Any thoughts? I'd like to change it up but I'm not sure how to best utilize the space. I guess it's gone stagnant and I don't know how to get out of it. Thanks for any tips!


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## R. Lamb (Oct 11, 2011)

Ahh, the dreaded "Haunters Block". I've found that when that happens, I can get out of it by looking at other yard haunts and deciding what I like best. Just pick one single prop and build it. That will usually lead to other ideas. Soon enough, you have all the props you can use. If that doesn't work I just go out and start making tombstones.


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## haunter-x (Sep 12, 2007)

"Haunter's Block" that describes it best. I'm about to take next Mon-Wed off from work and focus on those blaircrows as a central point to the yard and let it flow from there.

My neighborhood goes all out for Halloween, but I'm the only one that is building props, most folks buy the Wal-Mart special and go with it. So my ideas come from here when I have time to look through the haunt images.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

The nice thing about the blaircrows is that you can make several of them in a relatively short period of time. If you have the materials to make more than two, I'll suggest going with an odd number because they will look more balanced in a grouping

I like your idea of rock cairns added to the mix. You can also use the spider webbing to good effect by having some of it draped between blaircrows - gives a more ancient look to the scene.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Wow, this is awfully last minute.
I'd add some headstones/gravestones to the front yard, they help explain the reason/location for the coffin being there, the Blaircrows can be there to keep the scavengers and ghouls away. Cobwebs will almost always help too. If you can add some spiders into the mix they will help your story along. You can cocoon some "TOTs" or ghouls in some of the webs, if you have some remote speakers you can put the sounds of skittering spiders, maybe some TOTs being smothered while they scream for help in their attempts at escape from the webs.
You can put up a temporary facade to cover the porch using bed sheets to make the porch a room rather than an open area. I once created a "stone wall" on ash gray sheets for a theater group, since the sheets provided the basic stone color, it was fairly easy to airbrush in highlights and shadows, and to alter the depth of some stones. The sheets are easy to hang, wash, and store, and can be purchased quite reasonably if you keep your eyes open for sales, closeouts, etc. You can add "niches", "windows", "doors", etc., to give your desired look.

Put up a low wall around the lawn if you want the fog to stay or build up.
It only takes a mild breeze to make it dissipate quickly. (the fog, not the wall)


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

My brain is tired, but I would invest in a tree...by the sidewalk on the left as you face thee house. 
Not that it will help you this year....your space is HUGE! (envy)

Good luck. Remember- we are always harder on ourselves & more critical than others. In the dark,every set up is impressive!


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Ok...I use lots of shredded (into long, hanging strips) black fabric (or you can use a roll of heavy plastic painter's tarp & reuse it from year to year) to cover up the front of my porch's railings...so no one knows what may be lurking behind there. I also hung semi clear plastic from underneath the porch roofline (I tucked it into the siding's trim) ...use a hanging flame cauldron or floodlight on the plastic & it suddenly has color. 
For the lawn: think in terms of height. Tall stuff in the back (and NOT centered..thats too dull) with shorter in the front. You could quickly throw together a tall grim reaper for the left (as you are facing house) ..maybe some similar tombstones grouped together...some of the blair crows...that window upstairs on the left is great. Throw a skelly in a chair (set chair on milk crates or something to get it up high) & up light it with a dim light thats on the floor...if you have blow mold skellies, you could glue some into a climbing position & have them climbing up the porch & columns. your site is perfect for a trash can trauma (for future). You could also stack up some bales of hay as the TOTers approach the stairs and have an actor pop up to scare the kids...or stick a leaf blower behind it with a surge protector and activate it as they walk by. That wide garage door begs for some sort of image projection....you could put chalk "body" outlines on driveway...
but I think your porch is the focal point, and I'd enclose it in a bit. I use zip ties to attach the fabric to the railings, and heavy office binder clips to secure it at the top to the trim around the roof edge. Good luck!! Buy me a plane ticket and I'll come decorate! HUGE lawn!


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