# Yard Haunt Thoughts



## Cadge31 (Oct 1, 2012)

Hey All,

I have some general feelings on yard haunts and wanted to know if anyone else agrees with my comments.

1. Don't over-do it. I have seen a lot of yard haunts on YouTube that, from a-far, just look like a collection of junk. There is so much stuff crammed into a small space that the on-looker's eyes don't know where to focus. Space your stuff out. Give a little breathing room from one "scene" to the next. 

2. Ease up on the use of orange/purple/green Christmas lights. I have seen a lot of haunts where the use of Christmas lights detract from an otherwise perfect setup. If you're taking the time to light your haunt with colored spotlights and accent lights, you don't need the Christmas lights. I just think the Christmas lights look trashy and campy. I guess if trashy and camply is your goal, you should use the Christmas lights.

4. Pick a style and stick with it. Giant inflatables don't mix well with life-like and realistic looking props. I am not a big fan of the giant inflatables, but if you're going to use them, use them alone and with nothing else. The same rule goes for using those Christmas-light infused props (like the spider made out of purple lights, and the pumpkin made out of orange lights). 

5. Pick a scale and stick with it. Having an 8-foot tall dracula next to a 4 foot tall Frankenstein doesn't really make sense now does it?

All of these observations are coming from someone who wants his haunt to look good. My haunt is far from perfect, but I try to stick to my own guidelines on what looks good. Then again, what "looks good" is a matter of taste, so I could be way off in my observations. In the end, I guess if you're just having fun and don't care about aesthetics, go nuts.

What do you guys think?

-Aaron


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## Death Wraith (Mar 23, 2006)

Welcome to the forums!
1) I think this one depends on the other points you make. If a haunter has a consistent theme, style and good scale then I love to see more and more stuff. I like to put out a lot of my work and it looks like a lot because I have a small space to use. But I'm careful with the overall look of it all. I want people to take in the spectacle and then get drawn in to the details, so for me more is more!

2,3 and 4 are right on!


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

To paraphrase a famous quote; "Spooky is in the eye of the beholder."
I agree with many of the thoughts most of the time, but I also understand ignoring those same thoughts. For people who are just gaga over the holiday, they'll just ignore statements you make no matter what, and for those that are dealing with a really mixed audience, I can see them mixing stuff aimed at smaller kids with stuff aimed at the older crowd.
As to the crowding of their space, a lot depends on what the haunter is trying to show. In some neighborhoods, it's like Christmas competition with the Grizwalds, so they put out everything and anything they can to show what they have. For others, it's more about the creepy factor, trying to make their place the scariest and most "realistic" they can.
While I'm not a great fan of the inflatables, if that's what makes them happy, then let them have them. I'd rather see them doing those than doing nothing at all. I feel the same way about chainsaws, and space aliens in haunts, not my cup of tea, but I wouldn't shut them down (if I had the power) either.


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

1. I hope I'm not guilty of this... I might be.

2. I don't use them myself, but I have seen them done really well. I think it depends on what kind of set-up you have. 

I agree with 3 and 4, but I just like to see people decorating, even if what they did isn't pleasing to my eye. Like fontgeek said, "Spooky is in the eye of the beholder."


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

1. I've seen mini haunts with a lot of things in them that look fantastic.

2. Orange, purple, and green are all appropriate colors for Halloween. Since haunters are often quite clever about recycling, reusing, and making a tight budget go far, I could see putting Christmas lights to use effectively.

3. This point seems to have disappeared

4. In general, I think having a cohesive theme is best, but I've certainly seen a number of folks who had the space successfully mix themes, particularly when they wanted to have a portion of the haunt child-friendly.

5. It makes sense if it's a midget Frankenstein like this guy:


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## Saturday8pm (Sep 5, 2012)

Cadge, good thread. I think it's really what inspires you to decorate, and there's no right 
or wrong here. Comedy, horror and their myriad of children are subjective beasts ... no two 
persons can agree 100% on what makes it for 'em.

Pet Peeves:

• Overdoing it.

• Going off-theme. Stick with one, don't mix it up.

• Cheesy lighting. Yeah, this means those cutesy orange Xmas lights in particular.

• Store-bought displays ... they look great, but becomes a competition based on 
who makes the big bucks, y'know? Creativity means doing well with what you've got.

Grins:

• Atmosphere

• Humor

• Suggestion and Implication


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

In all honesty, I like seeing ANY Halloween displays around here. When I first moved in, many neighbors told me that a couple of guys here "decorated". So far, one has a couple of hay bales in his yard, and a dummy sitting on them. The other guy has decided that he's gotten too old to decorate, and passed all of his display on the his son and grandson (He did give me a couple of blue CFL floodlights). That leaves me as the lonely Halloween decorator in the neighborhood. 
In response to #1, Some people see over-use of props as a kind of high detail. I personally spend an outrageous amount of time with tape measure and string, getting the absolute perfect spacing for my tombstones.

2. You can effectively use orange/green/purple light strings, but it must be done carefully. They should be used in very light moderation, such as accent lighting or as secondary or tertiary lighting on a prop.

4. Mixing inflatables into your home made props is okay with me, as it fills extra unnecessary space. I am personally not a fan of inflatables, but I like to see any type of decorating, as long as it is done in good taste.

5. It is never mentioned exactly how large Frankenstein's monster really is. He is only described as a despicable creature, void of the humanity the the good doctor attempted to imbue upon him. Either way, scale is a personal preference up to a point. Some like HUGE things, and others like small displays. I personally strive for a realistic feel to the props and scenes I build.

Theme is an important element, and generally depends on a person's taste. You might like a carnival setup, all shiny and brightly lit; where as I would prefer something closer to a gritty Gothic scene, lit by large candles or flickering lanterns, complete with old surgical implements, things that look like relics, and stonework that looks and feels real.


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## Offwhiteknight (Sep 17, 2008)

I would generally agree. No need to cram everything you own into the 10" x 10" space you have. I personally don't like the Halloween/Xmas lights either. And I really don't much care for inflatables, at all, no matter the season or occassion. 

My big thing? Pick a theme and run with it. I've expanded mine out a bit to include a few flying bats and a spiderweb, but they still fit into the overall design and theme (and my oldest daughter, 4 1/2, decided I needed them...). But the mish-mash of things out there I see a lot of times? Bugs the snot out of me. Bugs me with Xmas decorations too.


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## R. Lamb (Oct 11, 2011)

I agree with all this for the most part but, I do use strings of orange lights to mark the path from the street up to the house and then out the side through the driveway. they are laid on the ground and work quite well. we call them the "Runway" lights


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

I love seeing Halloween decorations of any stripe (except those witches crashing into trees - I don't know why, but I find those lame). Kitchen-sink displays are better than none at all! I much prefer to drive through a neighborhood filled with signs of Halloween than one without. The tackiest inflatable is better than an empty yard. That said, I always prefer to see homemade props over store-bought ones. Even if it's not a very good prop, it warms my heart that someone put effort into it. 

If I were advising someone on putting together a really good display, I'd encourage them to have a theme and be creative, not just fall back on the same old tropes. It does help to think of it as a "scene" or "tableau" rather than a collection of decorations. When you develop a scene, stuff like style and scale start to fall into line. It implies a certain artistic restraint.

Of course I've always thought in terms of stories and visuals. Stuff like theme and style and composition seem obvious to me. I appreciate that not everyone does, and don't hold it against them. From a certain perspective, it might even be preferable to damn the torpedoes and stuff everything you can into a display. By which I mean a child's perspective, where being absorbed into a million little fun details is much more important artistic cohesion.

The best case scenario is to have a million little details that also tell a cohesive story with a fresh, cohesive style. Such haunts are rare and wonderful creatures.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

There's rules? Who knew?


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## MommaMoose (May 15, 2010)

Guess I am guilty of the mish-mash portion. But it works for us because our front yard is sort of weird anyway. Heck, what am I saying, I am weird.


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## Rage (Oct 23, 2012)

personally I think the haunt show satisfy the first customer coming in the door.........you and your family. After all your the ones that have to see it every day.


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## RWB (Oct 16, 2012)

Since this will be my first time haunt I'm the guilty one with store purchased props this year for sure. Bought most at a steep discount because of damage or being display models. Frankly some folks have a certain talent that I can't achieve and some projects I have learned from this site will definitely help today and in the future.

Love the section on atmosphere here in the forums. Even with the store bought items you can raise the haunt to pretty good to outstanding levels.

I also like the comments from those who say #1 whatever makes you happy is the best approach.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

That is absolutely true RWB. The fact that you've taken the time to put something together is all that matters. If you stand back to admire and there's a smile on your face - you've done a great job - bought or made makes no difference. My haunt started with lots of bought props and is now developing as I tackle making my own. There is a lot of satisfaction in both.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

What Headless said, RWB - many of us started with store-bought props, and we always have some in the mix with the ones we made ourselves.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I would prefer to use real dead bodies, but....


There are no rules. If we all decorated in the same way, it would be boring.


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## easycraig (Aug 30, 2011)

this is a good 'thoughtful' thread.... i think it really depends on the haunt and what you are going for.... unfortunately, our street gets very few trick or treaters... so I chose to have a party for our daughter instead. The pluses for me are... everything gets set up in the backyard, and folks come and stay at the party for 2-5 hours..... the negatives are.... the only folks who see it... are the ones that come to the party..... - i put boatloads of work and time in.... and when there is a poor turnout.... i think... "why the hell am I doing this?" on the other hand, when you get emails 2-3 days later saying it was the best party every, and we could not believe the detail.... - it completely makes it worth it... i think if i were running a haunt in the front yard, I would take a "less is more" approach with a couple good scares... (that's what i like) -but, to each is own.... there really is no wrong or right.... i can also say that i have collected enough 'stuff' over the past 8 years that i often leave stuff in the box, and bring it out every other year, and move it to different parts of the yard to keep it fresh..... ec


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## doctarii (Oct 25, 2012)

I pretty much agree with you. I would like my yard to look nice (can you use that word for halloween decorations). But to each their own -its not as if there are rules for this sort of thing. Unless you have a homeowners association(boo hiss). Besides if you lived on my street you would be happy if your neighbors put up ANYTHING at all.


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## Sublime Nightmare (Feb 13, 2011)

I do themes but honestly...isn't Halloween it's own theme? I mean witches, ghosts, skeletons, bats and tombstones are all standard macabre Halloween symbols. I think "themes "are a relatively new idea isn't it? That said, mixing all of the above should be just fine. Like everybody else has said, I'd rather see something than nothing.


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## Osenator (Nov 11, 2011)

Do what you want, as long you love it! There is no rules! I hate the mentality that everything that is store bought sucks. Nope, it's all good, bought or homemade. I see a house with a single tombstone makes me smile. My only rule, if you have space for it, put it! I can tell you, anyone who see my haunt, is amazed. Yes, it's crowed and random (sadly, due to Mother Nature that wrecks everything days before halloween doesn't help). Check out my gallery for more of my haunt. This is 2011, since 2012 was weak due to the Hurrican Sandy. Still was nice, see my pics


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## medicf43 (Jan 8, 2013)

I agree do what makes you and your family happy. I split my yard i have a non scary side with afew blow up,pumkins and silly ghost and the other side is my creepy cemetary. I rope off the end of my driveway and let the TOT decide what side they want to go thru to get the candy


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## CrazedHaunter (Nov 18, 2012)

Hey, I started with a crashing witch!!! Have long since gotten rid of her. Yard haunts, I think are always in a state of evolution,( all haunts for that matter). I am slowly moving over to a more cohesive theme,but for me it takes time ( little to no budget). I've moved from homemade wood tombstones ( made at the last minute) to the cheap foam store bought, now I am moving to more realistic homemade foam ones ( thanks HauntForum). I personally don't care for the blow ups but have a friends with a bunch of them and it works for him. Eclectic can be considered a theme. As far as scale you can't always get what you want in the scale you want, either pass on it or find a way to make it work! Bottom line I agree with the notion any decoration is better then none, just have fun.


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## the bloody chef (Dec 14, 2012)

Halloween is an evolution...if someone told me ten years ago that I would be dressing up and scaring ToT's, building props and being a 'Ho' on this Forum- I would have laughed so hard I'd have passed out! But now, here I am and lovin' it! My friends started it and I used to laugh at them...now we spend our evenings after work in the summer and fall making plans and props (we're working on stuff now!) and what started as a simple yard has evolved into something special. And it's not just us...the whole neighborhood is into it...there are now 3 yards on 1 block! And we all appreciate each others work and the town is into it as well. The last 2 years with the blizzard and Sandy couldn't stop it...the neighborhood is blocked off to cars and hundreds and hundreds of people come each year and it continues to grow! So- do what you want! Buy it, build it, rent it! Who cares! Just do it and have fun!!! That's what it's about!!!


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