# Help, ideas, ANYTHING!!!!



## slywaka1 (Aug 27, 2008)

I've been asked again this year to decorate my local pub for the Halloween party. Last year was kind of a rush job on a low budget so consisted of all the plastic rubbish you get from the supermarket or Pound shops, but this year I want to do something different and amazing, and so far I have the time and money to make it special so I want to get started asap.

A couple of years ago, thanks to this forum, I made a ground breaker and converted the pool table into a grave, another year Stolloween's papier mache pumpkins were an influence. This year I'm not feeling very inspired, Any suggestions?

I've thought of the horror movie theme, and have a Psycho shower curtain bit, but I can't really think of enough ideas for a whole bar.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Anna


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## goneferal (Sep 8, 2010)

Maybe Martha Stewart might have some ideas in her mag.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Two places I like to check out when I feel the need for inspiration are these.

http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/

Or go up to the top of the page and go to "All Albums" and you can check out the stuff folks have made. Sometimes just going through the pictures gets your mind working.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol: There is another post about a "Ghost in Da House" theme party, what about creating a "Ghost Bar"? You can spook up the place fairly economically with ghosts and I don't know if you have read about beef netting for cobwebs, but that would go really great with the ghost theme. A few strategically placed blacklights would really add great atmosphere. And RIT up your ghosts and they'll glow too. :jol:


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## Pavitti (Aug 25, 2011)

Your money is best spent on webs, throw some dried leaves into them, candles or tea lights, anything that causes moving shadows, and flickering lights.

I noticed you're in the UK. your webs need to be giant ones made by 'Rubie' that stretch 20ft. Also ask the pub if they would purchase some mistystix http://www.green-gases.com/index.htm and dry ice pellets.


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## slywaka1 (Aug 27, 2008)

Thanks for the ideas guys, I like the look of the dry ice stuff, I'll have to have a word with the landlord....

Also the pub is open plan but with 3 distinct 'rooms', I was toying with the idea of doing 3 separate themes, or whether sticking to 1 throughout would be best.... It's not a big place so I'm thinking 1 theme might be easier.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

How about a large mutant insect and spider theme? Expand on the web ideas that Pavitti suggested and add cocooned spider victims. Throw in some live actors dressed as zombie bug exterminators. Make a fake cockroach wall.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

For webbing, beef netting (buy online) Is HUGE , dramatic and easier to put up & Take down & can be reused. I like a spider theme! or POISON in general...poison ivy, weird, fluorescing drinks behind the bar....


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## EvilQueen1298 (Jul 27, 2007)

One simple thing to do is change many of the wine and liquor labels at the bar to the fun Halloween labels. Party City sells them for pretty cheap.
Witches Brew, Rat Poison etc.
Since this is a pub....I would hang everything up high. That way you'll have lots of foot traffic. "Oriental Trading Company" has some cheap "monsters" ($15 to $25) just google it.


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## pensivepumpkin (Mar 27, 2011)

I agree about the labels. I also would not be able to resist a Shaun of the Dead theme. Dress the bartenders like Shaun and Ed, in particular. You could go the more serious route, but I'm down with the funny.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

If you want labels you can print and cut, drop me a PM or give me an email address for you. I'd be happy to do whatever labels you need.
They can be as funny or creepy as you like, if you want exotic shapes for the labels, neck rings, etc. let me know. Labels like spiders, skulls, a witches cauldron, a tombstone, the silhouette of a howling wolf, a toe pincher, a walking mummy, Frankenstein's monster, a noose, an executioner's axe, skull and crossbones, you name it.
Tell me whether you want them in one color (Black and white), full color, and your page size (A4, A3, or US sizes). and label sizes needed.
This sounds like a fun project


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## slywaka1 (Aug 27, 2008)

Thanks guys, great ideas there, I remember seeing on here a while back someone's 'Witches Kitchen' with the jars of weird stuff and labels, I reckon that'd be an effective one to do behind the bar. I'm going to have a look for that netting now. I like the idea of cocooned victims too, may have to buy some dolls from charity shops for that...


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Ask the thrift shops to save the trashed dolls for you, they typically get thrown away on a daily basis. You might look for a bunsen burner, a large mortar and pestle and maybe a big, knarly looking book for "recipes" (think of the stereotypical witch's book of brews and spells) with lots of "dust", spiders and cobwebs you'll do great.
The offer for the labels is still there if you want them. Maybe thematic coasters for the occasion too?


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## slywaka1 (Aug 27, 2008)

Help with the labels would be great, thanks so much, size wise if they are to go on spirits bottles (no pun intended, vodka, gin, brandy etc!) then I guess half A5 per label would be about right...... What do you think?

Coasters are a good idea too, I did the decorations for a 70's night at the same bar last year and made 70's style beer mats for all the tables. Quick and simple, but really transforms a room effectively!!


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## slywaka1 (Aug 27, 2008)

Just had a thought, the bar has a fireplace in it, the fire won't be on as (hopefully) there'll be lots of people and it won't be cold, I might try making a Stolloween-style creature coming out of the fireplace, what do you think?


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Doing the place mats or beer mats like tombstones with funny epitaphs could do well for you. Doing all of the printing in grayscale would let you have a granite finish/look with the epitaph incised/carved into it. You can put the date of death on them as the date of your party. Cheap to print and quite memorable, if cost isn't that big of a deal you can add color and effects. Like the labels it's an easy thing to produce, just pick your page size.
Drop me a PM with your email address and we can get the labels going.

I'm not sure what a "Stolloween prop" is.
You might look at doing a ground breaker like it's coming out of the ashes or the stones/brick/cement at the bottom of the hearth.
Or a traditional witch's cauldron bubbling away, even with no fire going. Putting a single coffee pot warmer and a small pot of water at the bottom of the cauldron would let you have lots of great fog coming out when you add dry ice. The hot/heated water keeps the fog coming. You can add green or multi-colored twinkle lights around the coffee pot heater to make the fog glow in color. If you want more, you can add in sound either with a single speaker or a small boombox/portable stereo with a CD of bubbling put on endless repeat, you could also have the chant from the three witches of Macbeth, witches cackling, etc.
Just a thought.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Font, Stolloween is a member here and a master of mache

Sly, a Stolloween-style prop would be a great addition but you'll want to start working on it fairly soon so it will be ready in time. If you need ideas, here's his web site:

http://www.stolloween.com/


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Some neat stuff he/she has there, but as you stated things like these take time to build, much less paint. If you are looking for something completely static for the fireplace then one or more of these would probably be fun, if you need something more then these may not do.


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## slywaka1 (Aug 27, 2008)

I'm already working on some skulls and a gargoyle inspired by Stolloween's work  I work for a self storage company so I have taken a large unit as a workshop for the next 6 weeks  I'm planning on making some giant spiders too.... I am taking photos as I go, so if things turn out as they look in my head I will post some pics when I'm done!!!!

For the fireplace I was thinking something fairly small and static, I went and took some measurements around the bar last night and the fireplace is actually smaller than I thought, so I was thinking maybe a dragon or some rats or something to sit on top of the coals.....


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