# Need Graveyard filler ideas



## Jaybo

Ok, we have the typical graveyard scene with a few groundbreakers and fullsize creatures. I need to bring more life...umm I mean undead...to the scene in subtle ways.

I was thinking of making lots of small creatures to place throughout the haunt, but I need some ideas of what would look good. I might even add servos to some for random movement.

I was thinking something along the lines of mischievous imps or gremlins, but I'm stuck in a rut and need some fresh ideas.

Anybody have some advice or pictures that might work?


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## RoxyBlue

I love the idea of adding little creatures throughout your graveyard. They're easily made as a mache project (like your evil grasshopper or my candle gazer), and you can use them as tombstone toppers.

Loose bones and shovels scattered about are also a nice effect.


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## Warrant2000

A spider corner with large spiders always works. If you have dark bushes put in LED eyes that blink randomly.

You could combine your little creatures with a groundbreaker - the GB could be trying to get out and the creatures are trying to keep it in.


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## Hauntiholik

How about a dog prop trying to run off with some bones


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## The Pod

You could always dig a 6' deep hole in the center of your yard as a freshly dug grave. Then put up a "Vacancy" tombstone.


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## SPOOKY J

How about an evil Leprechaun scene and a pot of gold with a severed arm clinging to it.

Or Zombie lawn gnomes surrounding a rabbit carcass.


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## trentsketch

Birds. Specifically, crows, ravens, or even vultures. Owls look wonderful perched on a tree if you have one.

Rats are always appropriate, as are critters like worms and flies. Really, anything attracted to rotting flesh.


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## The Archivist

I love the Eye Bead Demons prop from Unicalle's site: www.halloweendarksite.com/index.html

Lots of great info and tips. I made a couple of the Demon Cans and they really do look creepy at night.


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## Jaybo

Warrant2000 said:


> A spider corner with large spiders always works. If you have dark bushes put in LED eyes that blink randomly.
> 
> You could combine your little creatures with a groundbreaker - the GB could be trying to get out and the creatures are trying to keep it in.


Ok, I'm really liking the GB being pulled down by small creatures. Reminds me of the Isz from The Maxx comic books:












Hauntiholik said:


> How about a dog prop trying to run off with some bones


I actually do this already with an old rotting doghouse that's been in the family for 30years. I put it next to the sidewalk with a PIR that activates the prop and makes it bark at the TOTs.



The Pod said:


> You could always dig a 6' deep hole in the center of your yard as a freshly dug grave. Then put up a "Vacancy" tombstone.


Hmmm....I could use this with Warrant's suggestion. I'm liking these ideas!



SPOOKY J said:


> How about an evil Leprechaun scene and a pot of gold with a severed arm clinging to it.
> 
> Or Zombie lawn gnomes surrounding a rabbit carcass.


Lawn gnomes! Oh that sounds like a lot of fun, unfortunately the wife won't go for that one. Hmmm...gives me a good idea for St. Patrick's Day next year though.

Great ideas guys! Keep them coming! The more the merrier!


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## Bone Dancer

Depending on how old and unkept you want the grave yard to look you can go with small dead trees with moss hanging from them, vines and dead shrubs, urns with dead flower arrangements.
You may want to take a look at the "Thriller" video also and check out the grave yard in that.


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## Front Yard Fright

What I do to fill out my cemetery is use my old plywood tombstones. They aren't very realistic or anything like that, but they don't need to be. Just something to fill out the space better.
:jol:.


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## Tinman

Jaybo said:


> I actually do this already with an old rotting doghouse that's been in the family for 30years. I put it next to the sidewalk with a PIR that activates the prop and makes it bark at the TOTs.


I think the remains of a Trick or Treater and their candy bucket outside the doghouse would be a nice touch


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## kprimm

I think maybe a goblin, or demon type creatures or even small pumpkin headed demon type creatures. Of course you can always add a couple ghostly figures in the distance.


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## fravak

We went to our city compost facility a couple of years ago and got a pickup truck load of dead trees and bushes. They really helped to fill out the yard!


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## Jaybo

fravak said:


> We went to our city compost facility a couple of years ago and got a pickup truck load of dead trees and bushes. They really helped to fill out the yard!


What a great idea! The wife and I were talking this weekend on the fact we needed more bushes and trees to make it look overgrown. We did not want to go through all of the hassle of making paper mache props for dead trees, so the compost site is a great idea. I have friends that work at compost site and never even thought of this option. Thank's fravak!



kprimm said:


> I think maybe a goblin, or demon type creatures or even small pumpkin headed demon type creatures. Of course you can always add a couple ghostly figures in the distance.


I like the small pumpkin demons idea. We've done a large Pumpkin Reaper and zombie pumpkin creatures for the last couple of years. We originally wanted to have a haunted pumpkin patch, but had so much fun craving tombstones that we ended up with a rather large graveyard instead. We may revisit this idea and split the yard in half.


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## Zurgh

How about some flowers left by mourners? I did a mix of "live" & dead flowers (both fake & real), some in vases or pots & some lain on graves. Not on every grave, but like a ¼ of them.

Another bit of filler I used was one static arm, sticking out from a grave.

I have also used large dead branches, bushes, & other garden compost, to good effect.


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## Allen H

As far as little creatures go I just saw a movie called "the vampire's apprentice". It was a fun movie and it had little creatures in it that were awesome. they were little scary man like creatures that were reminiscent of the jawas and the little robed creatures from phantasm, and mix in with that a bit of dobby from harry potter. There were about 12 of them in the movie and they had alot of personality. It would be easy to make heads and hands and then burlap robes over pvc frames for the bodies.
I was planning on making a few for my big graveyard trail.
http://www.collider.com/2009/10/02/8-movie-clips-from-cirque-du-freak-the-vampires-assistant/
one shows up at 1:57 of the mini featurette on that page. neat critters and a movie worth watching.


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## randomr8

I don't know if this helps but here's a link to ours last year. I try to stick to a graveyard mostly theme. Had trouble with stage left showing up in video which is most of the graveyard. On a side note I've been thinking of dumpster diving to get more ideas.
video Little zombies rock.


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## nixie

I'm working on some mischevious twig creatures. They're made from branches, vine, twigs, and other scraps from around my yard with scrappy burlap clothes. I'm just toying around and experimenting to see what works right now and I'm not sure what I'll be using for their heads, but they're a fun little project (and cheap). They'll be pulling pranks ang creating havoc all around my yard.


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## jaege

Tinman said:


> Jaybo said:
> 
> 
> 
> I actually do this already with an old rotting doghouse that's been in the family for 30years. I put it next to the sidewalk with a PIR that activates the prop and makes it bark at the TOTs.
> 
> 
> 
> I think the remains of a Trick or Treater and their candy bucket outside the doghouse would be a nice touch
Click to expand...

Thats funny too. I am not into the mega creepy haunt, but you could always have the voice of a little kid come from inside the doghouse with glowing red eyes back in the dark. Little kids can be creepy.


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## Toktorill

I once made a thin "haunted forest" graveyard by rounding up large (8') dead, dry branches, and spaded them into small holes just deep enough to hold them upright. A few smaller ones were lashed together into crosses. Fullsize zombies are easy, too: just pound a couple re-bar into the ground until solid (about 3-4 feet left sticking out), drill some holes in the soles of some old shoes and slide them down, then pants stuffed with leaves/rags/plastic/whathaveyou. Cover open waist liberally with red paint for a standing 1/2 zombie, or wire on more branch/wood and a stuffed shirt/head.


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## GOT

If you have any trees around, you could make a Willow-the-Wisp. Just make a black mobile, use a battery-operated gear motor to turn it (or let the wind do it) and dangle a battery-operated LED. You could even make a small circuit to make the LED pulse and/or wink on and off like a firefly. I think this effect would work best at a distance.


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## Dungeon Keeper

How about a fresh dug grave?










Ours is made from with a wooden and chicken wire frame covered in monster mud with a layer of dirt embeded into the thick layer of mud and coated with a stucco/ concrete sealer. It is about 5 years old and has held up well even sitting out in the pouring rain last year.


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## Jaybo

Dungeon Keeper said:


> How about a fresh dug grave?
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> Ours is made from with a wooden and chicken wire frame covered in monster mud with a layer of dirt embeded into the thick layer of mud and coated with a stucco/ concrete sealer. It is about 5 years old and has held up well even sitting out in the pouring rain last year.


Great idea! I've seen the fresh dirt laid on a tarp for a new grave, but never a fake mound of dirt. I like your way much better, and I have all the materials on hand in the garage. I think I might give this one a shot.


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## DarkLore

Silly us....we just put actors under mounds of dirt. This year as a special treat, we might give em air holes.

Seriously...I like it. Especially if you have a digger nearby.


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## papabear

Depending on how much space you have, frame in an area with 2x4's and line with black 
plastic. Add some old branches and a few air lines and you have a swamp. You can add a sonic smoker or two also. I'm making a pneumatic alligator that'll lunge forward 3' on a sensor. I should get a few screams out of it.


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## trishaanne

I made groundskeepers one year out of buckie skeletons. One was tending weeds, one mowing the grass, one raking leaves, etc. I wasn't happy with the way it turned out, but the kids and adults loved it and keep asking for it to come back. If nothing else, it was great for filling space.


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## Haunted Bayou

I was thinking little mischievous skellies but that isn't a new idea.

I bought a bunch from the dollar store and didn't do anything with them.
Crap, now I have to go pull skellies out and decide what to do.

Jaybo, I have the same problem. I need some filler but also want to make a more cohesive display.


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## halstead

Lawn gnomes! Oh that sounds like a lot of fun, unfortunately the wife won't go for that one. 

Evil lawn Gnomes gathered around a recent kill (rat,snake,bird?) set off with some blood on their hands and faces. Oh yeah I like this idea.


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## kevokevo9

Loving the lawn gnome idea!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Nick Nefarious

I think I am going to try to make these stantions from Rob Zombie's video Return of the Phantom Stranger. The stantions look like a metal cauldron with a nice little fire in it.

Check the stantions out:


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## debbie5

What you add for daytime may not show up as well at night.My weeds pretty much disappear at night, which is prob why the Thriller video has such huge, thick clumps of grass, etc.


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## psyko99

We got some mushroom statues w/ faces from the Christmas tree store. Then I painted the eyes w/ GID painrtm I've also done the dead flowers.


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## My CReePY Garage

I strung fishing line and hung bats all over and made the line shake so the wings shook like they were flying. (Making sure it was high enough no one would be decapitated) I think too much clutter sometimes takes away from it. Use high and low. I really want a flying witch someday up high so they see it in the next street over


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## Zombies R Us

I like the idea of a Masoleum with a moving ghost
Ground fog
glowing eyes in bushes or tall grass 
Ravens (with soundtrack)
half dug grave with old lantern on a pole (soundtrack of digging)
dog with severed arm in mouth
layered soundtrack of wind


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## Dreadnight

Back in 02/03 I made some critters I called "Harpies" using those 3 foot tall articulated skellies. Not super expensive and you can pose them, hang them..... pretty much anything you want. Check out those years on the site if you're interested. www.dreadnight.com:jol:


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## RedSno

Buckie's are always great, can't go wrong! Lots of low lying Fog, Moss, and dramatic lighting. I like having hanging props on shepard's hooks. They take up space, and look to be floating in mid-air @ night!


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