# Possible theme idea…fantasy



## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

I’m think of doing a fantasy theme this year but have no idea how I would do it. When I say fantasy I mean knights, dragons, fairies, and all things magical. It will easy to do the Halloween party, black light stars, caldrons, and other witch/fantasy related items.

What I need is ideas for the outside of the house. I’m thinking of putting up the Christmas lights on the house (all blue) to give it that magical/enchanted look but, what else can I do to fit this theme? One thing is it can’t have anything “scary” to fit what my 7 year old wants this year. I figure if I do fantasy I will get away from cute and still have fun with my youngest this year.

Any ideas are welcome…..


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## slightlymad (May 25, 2006)

Well a dragon for starters maybe a dark wizard


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

slightlymad said:


> Well a dragon for starters maybe a dark wizard


A Dragon would be cool but, I have no idea how I would do that?? :googly:


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## thenameisaimee (Sep 24, 2006)

Eyes_in_the_dark said:


> A Dragon would be cool but, I have no idea how I would do that?? :googly:


I wouldn't and don't either. haha. However, if you use PVC pipe as an "outline" of the dragon, use chicken wire to form the shape and use Great Stuff to create the "skin". Then cut off the extra great stuff to make it look more realistic, then spray some spray paint on him (maybe red paint?, or green, not sure what dragon colors are, hahaha). You might even be able to buy a dragon mask somewhere around halloween time when all the costums start coming out. (usually around august time). I'm sure they will have a dragon mask somewhere...lol.

I've never done this before so it's all just working together in my head. Not sure if actually doing it will work in real life.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Little Folk.

You know... elves, pixies, brownies, hobgoblins, whatnot... use PVC to make little 2-foot humanoid frames, then use your favorite padding and skinning technique to surface the little guys. They could be hiding behind and peeking around things. Do some groundbreakers, but instead of zombies, they could be dwarf or gnome miners with picks and shovels. Did you see GothKim's dancing ghosts? Instead of FCG-type ghosts you could substitute a ring of dancing faeries; smaller, maybe lit golden instead of blue. How about a garden gnome (like from "Amelie" and later the Travelocity commercials) posing in front of your house while another one is taking his picture? (Okay, maybe that one was kinda stupid, but that's how my sense of humor works...):googly: 

Ooh! Ooh! Find a good blueprint for a lawn mausoleum, but make it as a gingerbread house with a witch peeking out the door! Can't have Halloween with a ZERO threat matrix, right?


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Actually, I think Revenant hit on something with the gingerbread mausoleum.
Most Faerie Tales are dark in the center and sugar coated on the oustside.
You could base your theme on Hansel and Gretel or other Grimm tales. That way you get some dark in with child's fantasy without being traditional scary.

I can't remember who does this but somebody here on uses toole fabric in the yard. You could hang it or wrap it around trees and light it with spots or even some string lights. When you hang string lights behind the fabric it diffuses the lights into little stars. Maybe you could make some panels for the front of the house. Just a thought! Netting might even be cheaper.


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## BudMan (Mar 6, 2007)

Some movies to check out for inspiration might be any of the Lord of the Ring series; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Harry Potter; First Knight, etc.
Your props would be big and heavy-wood and steel mostly.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

also if you are going little people way u really dont need to use pvc..just stuff plastics shopping bags with paper and then stuff your clothes that you choose for your little guys..also can use wire coat hangers to make bends in arms and legs if you wanted ...you can do same for shoes just stuff handle length up leg then.
yup any kind of shiny fabric..or shiny webbing with sparkly spider(s) like a charlolets web thing?
maybe one of those lights that circle and shine stars or whatever on a ceiling or a sheet covered lean to.. small fake camp fire?
these may be too cute but,
you can make mushroom chairs for elves to sit on
maybe a small rainbow effect with a pot o gold (candy) at the end.
a tinkerbelle tree (little fairies on a string of lights hanging from a tree)


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Sparkly spiders...I like.
I just envisioned a whole new type of haunt. HMMMM! Fanatsy haunt 2008?


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## AuntBite (Jan 24, 2007)

Little folk...Someone (sadly I don't member who) uses tomato cages turned upside down as a starter base for their haunt figures. They'd be a perfect size for trolls and such. Not to mention cheap and easy.

Toole...When I was little, had a dance teacher, who along w/her maid, actually hand-sewed all our recital costumes(I'm dating myself).In the spring she always had a sm. garden, tomatos and such. Anyhow she would drape all her leftover toole(every color of the rainbow) over the tomato stakes to keep the birds off her tomatos. Allthough this was ment for practical purposes, it evoked a strong fantasy feeling, and is a visual that I remember to this day. If you have trees or even along the eaves of your house, kinda randomly bunch and drape lenghts of toole. Maybe even use it to make some streamers hanging down. Oh, how about some May-Poles w/ribbon streamers that will blow in the wind. 

Since it's after Easter you could probably even find ribbon and toole in pastel colors on sale.


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## infoamtek (Apr 6, 2007)

Giant mushrooms painted with uv colors, a large miniature fantasy castle on the roof.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

A magic mirror! Like the evil queen's from Snow White.

get a big piece of plexiglass, and put mirror window film on it. Make the frame out of foam, monster mud, mache, whatever. brace it so it looks like it's leaning up against something, have the sides curtained off so it's totally dark behind the mirror... and have someone black-clad and wearing the white mask (or better yet a white make-up depiction of the mask) sitting behind it. When the ToTs walk up to the mirror and look in it (because you know they will), the actor behind the mirror fades on a light so the mask appears in the reflection. And the actor can talk to the kids and interact with them.

I think someone out there's even got a computer program with a digital voice-reactive rendition of the mask on it so you can mount a monitor behind the mirror and do it that way, but for young kids, the low-tech live way would work just fine.

Feeling overwhelmed by suggestions yet? We're just getting warmed up...
  :jol:


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

WOW guys and gals what some great ideas! I'm working some overtime today so will not get to read and take-in all the suggestions until tomorrow but, I'll get back to this thread as soon as I can.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

here is the thread to the tomato cage people Aunt bite was talking about
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=5888&highlight=tomato+cage


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I was having a really hard time thinking of anything but, you guys and gals have my mind working overtime now. I’ll have to try a couple of your ideas in the next few weeks as the weather here in Utah gets warmer and allows me to work in my garage, and test stuff in the yard. 

This just might work…


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

Yw EITD..
hope to see some progress pics... maybe
good luck


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## pkh5695 (Apr 29, 2007)

Hey i liked the dragon idea and was thinking do a pvc neck and head and then coverthen hook it up to pneumatic ram add in some glowing eyes and and a fog machine and throw in some well placed speakers and put it on the back side of your roof and then hook it up to a sensor that sits at a far away distance for people to see it as they are walking up. they would see this head peek over your roof with glowing eyes and smoke coming out of it nose. now that would be cool


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

there are a few threads here on dragon type makings somewhere ..they have been using the stationary or animated reindeers I think for something like that..
all you would need to do is the outer shell covering.. paper mache..dryer lint clay something like that.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

I like pkh's suggestion about using the dragon as a roof prop, sorta like the giant spider. Though at proper scale I wouldn't bother animating it, except maybe the eyes moving like its looking around. Have the head peeking over the ridgeline, and a set of claws on either side like a giant Killroy Was Here. And a little 400W fogger to do some intermittent smoke jets out the nostrils would be way cool.

How about a dragon egg clutch, like from Dragonriders of Pern? Have a few large eggs, one with a baby dragon pushing his way out (maybe even animated to show him pushing and struggling), another empty shell with a wet baby dragon crawling away from it. A couple of static people props, young kids in medieval garb, standing a distance away watching and coaxing. Heck, if you colored the dragons a la Pern you'd probably get some real kudos from adults who've read the series, as many have.

I went out with a girl who was into horses and dragons. She had a real horse skull and a small model one and used them to make dragon heads; she'd do a mache knockoff of the skull and then build on it using pictures of reptiles as guides. Made some very believable dragon heads that way.


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

Revenart, I would love to do a dragon but I don't think I will have the time this summer for that big a project. I'm looking at some of the other suggestions and which ones I'll have the time and resorces to do.


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## BobC (Aug 23, 2005)

If you cant do the Dragon you can make people think you have one. Make a cave have fading red eyes with dragon sounds coming from the cave and every once in a while you can shoot fog out of the cave like its coming from its nose.
Can put a sign on the cave beware of dragon or something. Just a thought Later. :jol:


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

BobC, what a sweet idea, this may be do-able!!


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## IshWitch (May 31, 2006)

Revenant said:


> Little Folk.
> 
> You know... elves, pixies, brownies, hobgoblins, whatnot... use PVC to make little 2-foot humanoid frames, then use your favorite padding and skinning technique to surface the little guys. They could be hiding behind and peeking around things. Do some groundbreakers, but instead of zombies, they could be dwarf or gnome miners with picks and shovels. Did you see GothKim's dancing ghosts? Instead of FCG-type ghosts you could substitute a ring of dancing faeries; smaller, maybe lit golden instead of blue. How about a garden gnome (like from "Amelie" and later the Travelocity commercials) posing in front of your house while another one is taking his picture? (Okay, maybe that one was kinda stupid, but that's how my sense of humor works...):googly:
> 
> Ooh! Ooh! Find a good blueprint for a lawn mausoleum, but make it as a gingerbread house with a witch peeking out the door! Can't have Halloween with a ZERO threat matrix, right?


I just saw and am reading thru' this thread so forgive me if I give ideas that have already been said.

I think a dragon is a must, even if it is just the neck and head curling around from the side of the house! But what better to put a fogger in! Put some red and yellow blinking lights (chase lights would be even better) in the head so that the nostrils look like flickering flames are inside and it will make the fog glow too.

Make your little people out of tomato cages and a shirt, here is a how to and pics of my little ghoulies:
How To: A tomatocage creature-turn over cage and bend prongs for head and arms,lengths at your discretion picture by Baricuda - Photobucket
put on his clothes,old sweatshirts work great,turn inside out or backwards if has a pic or logo on it picture by Baricuda - Photobucket
a good head on his shoulders,milkjug covered in greatstuff and painted,pushed over bent prong,position arms picture by Baricuda - Photobucket
strike a pose there\'s nothing to it! Weigh down or use wire stakes pushed into ground for wind,can add hands or shoes picture by Baricuda - Photobucket
Halloween 2006 :: the latest in lady\'s nighties picture by Baricuda - Photobucket
isn\'t this just the cutest little ghoulie? picture by Baricuda - Photobucket
^S^


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## IshWitch (May 31, 2006)

Haunted Bayou said:


> I can't remember who does this but somebody here on uses toole fabric in the yard. You could hang it or wrap it around trees and light it with spots or even some string lights. When you hang string lights behind the fabric it diffuses the lights into little stars. Maybe you could make some panels for the front of the house. Just a thought! Netting might even be cheaper.


That would be me.  Here's the thread:
http://hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=5415


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## IshWitch (May 31, 2006)

BudMan said:


> Some movies to check out for inspiration might be any of the Lord of the Ring series; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Harry Potter; First Knight, etc.
> Your props would be big and heavy-wood and steel mostly.


Lady Hawk and Dragonheart have good dragon and medieval scenes.
And last year's Grimms Fairy Tales. That movie has lots of cool ideas.


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## IshWitch (May 31, 2006)

Eyes_in_the_dark said:


> Revenart, I would love to do a dragon but I don't think I will have the time this summer for that big a project. I'm looking at some of the other suggestions and which ones I'll have the time and resorces to do.


It would take quite a bit of time to papermache or money to greatstuff a sizable dragon, but I was thinking doing a head like this...
http://www.theironkingdom.com/Buckethead/
out of a cheap plastic garbage can and some spray paint would be faster and easier. Even if you didn't cut it and animate it, you get the idea.

You could even take chicken wire to make a head and neck to fit a garbage can snout, cover it with black plastic and spray paint on the features and scales. This would be light and portable as well and could be used on a roof or around a house easily enough. Cut the nostrils into the can, you would have ample room inside for the fogger and some light strings as I mentioned earlier. Glue on some teeth made from those fake knives available in the costume section and they will even automatically glow in the dark for you! You may want to create a lip to cover their tops.


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

Ishwitch, thanks for taking the time to give me all the tips and links, I'll look through them when I get off work tonight at midnight.....hehe good time to look through Halloween stuff.


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## IshWitch (May 31, 2006)

What kind of work do you do? I'm a nurse and when I worked 3-11 I would always hit the net when I got home. Nothing like dark peace and quiet and Halloween info!

If you work medical, you could get old linens from the housekeeping dept. and use that to hang all over (dyed or just soaked in RIT whitener so that it glows) for an ethereal look. That and some shimmer tulle would really change the look of the place, plus keep this post on topic!


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

Please stay on topic.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Thanks for the link IshWitch. This is a project I will have to find time for. It's easy to invision using different sizes of buckets to make a host of monsters this way. Thanks again.


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## IshWitch (May 31, 2006)

No Problem!
I have 2 buckets ready to go myself. I think a big trash can would make a great dragon's snout, and animating it would take it over the top! But a fantasy theme absolutely needs a dragon, that is for sure.


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

IshWitch said:


> What kind of work do you do? I'm a nurse and when I worked 3-11 I would always hit the net when I got home. Nothing like dark peace and quiet and Halloween info!


I work for the US Air Force on the F-16 Fighting Falcon multi-role fighter. I put them back together, and ops check them, after they have completed the latest major upgrade before they are sent back to the operating units. :googly: I work from 2:30pm until Midnight.

Back on topic.... I agree "some type of dragon" is surely in order here but, it's just figuring out which one I have the time and talent to pull off. 

I love my quite time, late at night, to indulge my love of Halloween!


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

Eyes: 
Just wondering how far you have gotten on your theme?
have you made anything yet?


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## Eyes_in_the_dark (Jun 15, 2006)

Lilly said:


> Eyes:
> Just wondering how far you have gotten on your theme?
> have you made anything yet?


Lilly, thanks for asking and I've worked on a few ideas but, haven't finnished any one thing yet.  I've been pulling a lot of overtime at work (mostly weekends) which has left me very little time to work on my display.

As it stands today I will have all blue Christmas lights outlining the house, a Big Scream TV DVD as my main display in the front yard, a "haunted" pumpkin patch on the side of the house, and the "Wiched witch of the west" melted on my driveway.

I'm thinking using a mirror frame for the DVD "floating" (black cloth covering the structure holding the TV and DVD set-up) in the front yard but, I have not started building yet.

I have 7 lighted pumpkins, of different sizes, for the pumpkin patch so all I need to do is add is fake leaves, a sign saying "Welcome Great Pumpkin" and a few other odds and ends to finnish this one.

I have my daughter's costume from last year where she went as a witch (black with red trim) and I'm going to mount the hat above ( maybe 12" or so) the dress on PVC pipe with "somekind" of fluid around it and a small fog line running under it. I will also have a sound track saying "I'm melting!" to finnish this one off.

That's about it, lots of ideas and some of the parts but, nothing complete yet. :zombie:

Please excuse any mis-spelling or mistakes in my post, just got home from a 12 hour shift and have had a few "cold ones".


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

sounds good so far Eyes.. you have plenty of time yet..


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