# Home Haunt



## dusty588 (Oct 8, 2006)

Hi there. I haven't really done a "big" display with lighting, and props at my parents house(17 years old) My parents love halloween just as much as I do, and said if i put together a display, the I can do one. So what I am asking here, is, what are the most important things needed for a yard display. I am only a stuent, and don't got alot of money, but I got a good job, and making more each week. I know I will need some fog lights, and mabey black lights as well. I got a fog machine, and built a toe pincher coffin last year. I am also looking to build some additional props this year, and am looking for suggestions. I will try and post a picture of my house, which may give someone some ideas. I live in a town of 8,000 people, and mabey 10 people decorate their yard. So it wouild be cool to be one of the only houses on town that does. Any and all suggestions are very helpful, and appreciated.

Thank you,

Dustyn

Here is a page with some pics of my house:

http://devosden.spaces.live.com/


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## TwistedDementia (May 2, 2007)

Do you have a theme?


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## dusty588 (Oct 8, 2006)

No, I am interested in any theme really, eager to try some things out.


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## wormyt (Aug 29, 2005)

Dustyn I see one main window which would be great for an FCG but you may not want to make one this year. Though you could rig up just a cool cheesecloth chost which have been spritzed with rit white brightner and have a black light shinning on her. Could also have a strobe above her. But that one main window would be perfect for a floating ghost. Now the yard is great for a side graveyard with tombstones. If you couldnt do a fence of some sort still some gravestones would be perfect for that grassy area. Looks like the tots would be walking around to the side to the porch right. Its a cool porch to also be able to decorate. You start small and work your way up to a larger display. Do what you can on your budget this year. But a ghost in that window with a black light on her, maybe even a small fan blowing on her for some movement if an FCG is out for this year. Ok I will hush now.


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## wormyt (Aug 29, 2005)

Ok a question for you. In the pics you show only one side yard. Is that it as far as your yard. So I can see possibly another home right close to yours??? So the yard that you are showing us is that the main grassy area. If so then a small graveyard or some tombstones would be perfect there so the kids can walk past them as they come to the porch area. You are in Canada right?? Crap and i said i was gonna hush LOL.


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## slightlymad (May 25, 2006)

Okay stick with the drive way and garage for now. Wormy has a point that window just screams for something. A nice simple maze for the driveway and garage instaead of pvc hang walls from the ceiling for the first year wont equire alot of materials maybe just a dot room to get you started.


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## AuntBite (Jan 24, 2007)

As per FCG...There was a how-to on using an oscilating(sp?) fan movement. Sadly I don't remember by whom or where it was though Place the fan on the floor you may want to weight it down a bit for stability.A piece of pvc bout 3' long or so was zip-tied to the cage of the fan. Holes were drilled in either end of the pvc. Fishing line was tied through these holes and then connected to the head and hands of the ghost. I'd be perfect for your window and you probably wouldn't even have to build a support frame for your ghost. Just screw in some small eye-bolts into the ceiling to support the head and hands.

Looks like there is some construction going on in your hood. Construction sites are great sources for free wood, pvc, styorfoam (tombstones) and tons of other stuff. Make friends w/the crews and get the ok to raid their trash piles. If they know you and what you're trying to do, they might even SAVE you some choice stuff. This is a great way to save money!

Your place has fantastic potential. Take the time to read posts here. There are tons of creative and money saving ideas. Can't wait to see how your place turns out.


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## wormyt (Aug 29, 2005)

http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/ ok AuntBite is correct. Here is the link to the Monster list of projects. Scan way down and there is all sorts of different ways to make the fcg. So there ya go. many projects to get your brain kicked into gear. Pick something out and any questions you may have about something...dont you dare be to shy to ask. Thats what we are here for. being a teen is the coolest. You are bright and willing...so come on guy just pick something and we will either show ya our pics or help ya anyway we can.


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## dusty588 (Oct 8, 2006)

Thanks for all of the posts guyas, they are all great ideas. I think I will go with a grave yard on the grass, and put something in the main window. A house is being built next door to us right now, and there is a 10 foot by 8 foot dumpster. Also, what colour light goes good with a graveyard theme. For a ghost in the main window, does the position of the black light matter (above, below, beside) Thanks again for all the ideas.

Dustyn


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

dusty..
blue lights ..green lights..red your choice.
definatley a graveyard with your toe pincher. there are alot of tombstone how to's check them out.
also both of your windows on top with a cheesecloth ghost of some kind or even a person with white dress with a wig and then blacklit. try and see which position your blacklight shows up best.. you can do that anytime now so then you are all set when time comes to set up and you won't have to monkey with it.
how about a giant spider on your roof, some webbing on the porch area or attached to it down to grassy area..with a web victim,
you could put a witch and cauldron on your porch or a reaper
find some old clothes and stuff them for people props..use plastic pumpkins for heads..lit up
you also must have carved pumpkins real, fake, or plastic can all be carved..
if using plastic put sand in bottom then set a votive candle in it or run lights to a few.
you can put a few skellys in your yard too .. see wormyT post for those pics.
If you have a goodwill or something like that, stuff there is cheap for props also.


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## IshWitch (May 31, 2006)

I made pvc fence for my graveyard the cheap/fast way,
Halloween 2006 :: fog check picture by Baricuda - Photobucket
Halloween 2006 :: not too bad picture by Baricuda - Photobucket
Here is a close-up, the vertical bars are 1/2 inch pvc, the cross bars are 3/4 inch pvc and the posts between each section are one inch pvc.
Halloween 2006 :: halloween320.jpg picture by Baricuda - Photobucket
Took a $5 garden arch and spray painted it black, if you can see it behind our son and me:
Halloween 2006 :: halloween331.jpg picture by Baricuda - Photobucket

Take a 10 ft. piece of 1/2 inch pvc and cut it into 3 pieces of different lengths. Cut a 10 ft. piece of 3/4 in. pvc in half. Lay the 2 halves on the ground and arrange the 3 (1/2 in.) pieces you cut onto them lining up the bottom. With a drill, screw the pieces onto the bottom "cross bar" then if you want them all wonky like I did, arrange them to your liking and screw them to the top cross bar. 
Repeat this process for as many fence sections as you like.
Cut a 10 ft. piece of 1 or 2 inch pvc into 3 equal pieces. Repeat this until you have as many "fence posts" as you need for between your sections.
Paint your fence. I used black spray paint, I meant to put finials on all of the ends but didn't get time so that is why the white is showing on them. I had skelly hands on them the year before but they almost all fell off. 
We have sandy soil so I was able to stick dowels into the ground and slide the fence and fence posts over it. That is what makes them stand up. If you have clay or hard soil you may not be able stick a wooden dowel into it without breaking it, so you may need to buy a piece of rebar for each fence section and post.

As I said, this is very cheap and quick to make. From two 1/2 inch pvc pipe, two 3/4 inch pvc pipe and one 1 inch (or 2 inch, whichever you prefer) pvc pipe, you will get 10 feet of fence. Add a couple cans of cheap spray paint and 5 dowels or rebars and you have a good starter cemetary fence!

Since you have so much construction going on in your neighborhood, you may be able to get a lot of the pvc pipe for free! And even pieces of rebar!


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## pyro (Oct 7, 2006)

how about shopping at curby's , you can get alot of good stuff cheap(free) to make anything that you can dream up. and dont forget to dumpster dive.


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Ditto on the cheesecloth ghost. I made one about 6 years ago and have never animated it but it always gets comments. For some reason, teenagers always think it is a hologram. I just light it with a fluorescent black light.

No biggie if you don't have a theme. My theme is just classic halloween.
J-O-L, ghost, skellies, graveyard, etc. Everybody likes it even though my props are a bit on the cheesy side.

Lighting and a sound-track are the best bang for the buck. Even if you can only put up a couple floods and some string lights it will make a lot of difference. I wrapped a tree with orange string lights that looked really good. You could do that with the little tree you have.

Grave-yard props are easy. My Dad made a bunch of plain white crosses for me to stake into the yard. If you don't have a lot of props for the grave yard just group it together instead of spreading everything out to try to cover a large area. It will have a lot more impact.

That is all I can suggest for you right now. I think it goes with what everybody else is saying.
Here is what I did last year.

Halloween 2006 pictures by HauntedBayou - Photobucket


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## turtle2778 (Jul 9, 2006)

OOOH yeah and dont waste your money on colored floods. Just buy the regular ones and use glass paint to change the color. Works just as good. ALso if you do a cemetary, the PVC fence is seriously a nice touch. It finishes it really well. And i got a fence section with 10 poles done for like 6 bucks


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## Dreadnight (Jul 9, 2006)

AuntBite, I believe the oscillating fan ghost how-to was from me, or at least I've posted one before just like it - except.... substitute a straightened coat hangar wire for the PVC that's zip-tied to the fan cage (much less weight to overheat the fan motor.) Also, I used three fans - one for the head for the up and down, and one for each of the arms.

Very effective, and cheap, way to do a FCG. If your fans have different motor speeds, you set each one differently and you never get a repeat motion of the arms, cause they are out of "sync."

The ghost video on my old website (idealcreation.com/dreadnight) shows the oscillating fan ghost.


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## CreepyCanmore (Mar 27, 2007)

Hi Dusty. Fellow Alberta haunter here. Living where we do, make sure anything you build for using outside can take the cold and snow. Last year we had -20C and about 10 cm of snow. If you have a heated garage, it works as a great place for kids and parents to warm up, so you then have a "captive audience" so to speak. Hopefully it's warmer this year. Good luck and have fun.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

good idea creepy..
dusty you can always set your garage up as a witches house then too..
see threads on witches supplies ,http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=2824&highlight=witches+bottles
plus for your graveyard if you dont have any tombstones made you can always use real stones and another cheap fence is: stakes with a topper and just home made chain as seen here








I used cheap foam skull heads for toppers added some cheap crystal like earrings in the eyes too








just some ideas for ya


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## kerryike (Oct 5, 2006)

I like that window for a Ghost. If a FCG is not in your budget this year, a ghost made from cheesecloth as Wormy suggested would still look cool. I made a rew with a blucky skeleton (only used the torso) then used coathangers to outstretch the arms and draped it with cheesecloth. It was very cheap, and still gets me lots of compliments.

Buy (or make) a few tombstones and make a cemetery fence as mentioned previously,and a fog machine. The one thing that can make or break the way your yard looks is the lighting. Make sure you have lighting that will look good with your scene. I do a trail haunt...with 1 day to set up. After all of my planning, my first year was way too dark to really be enjoyed by the hayride potrons. Make sure you check out how your haunt looks in the dark prior to the big night.


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