NCEP related: Halloween

[suburbanzookeeper]

Big Lots has really stepped up their game and if you subscribe to their email list they send coupon codes that you can use online. We build 95% of our own props.

And no, it's not too early! <3

Big Lots link: www.biglots.com/c/seasonal/halloween/_/N-2915497221 

[suburbanzookeeper]

Our current setup is Nightmare Before Christmas/Disney's Haunted Mansion mash-up. Previous to DH my decor was Sleepy Hollow themed.

I would maybe peruse Haunt Forum and get some ideas (or Pinterest): www.hauntforum.com/index.php. I love the witch/graveyard theme because you can really build up on it if you're not a big DIY'er from most of the major retailers. My friend did a really neat black light bayou/voodoo theme reusing most of her old stuff on a budget.

[pixy0stix]

How dark is your yard? Something that was a big bang for not a lot of money was getting a projector and using projections from atmosfx.com/

I projected onto wide holed tulle netting, so it looked like the projections were floating.

My favorite place to buy props is distortionsunlimited.com/ BUT our tastes run scarier than yours I think.

[dorothyinAus]

With the way crime is in New Orleans lately, I don't think you have anything to worry about scaring people. The news and climate in the city will do that for you.

(For reference, I'm a born & bred New Orleanian, though I live in Melbourne Australia now, who is more scared to walk around in the French Quarter now than she was when New Orleans toppled Gary, IN for the per capita murder capital of the US. I still have friends and family in the city and visit annually, so I'm not just reading the news reports, I'm getting live-in-person reports.)

[wawa]

Aug 2, 2018 5:45:53 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

With the way crime is in New Orleans lately, I don't think you have anything to worry about scaring people. The news and climate in the city will do that for you.

(For reference, I'm a born & bred New Orleanian, though I live in Melbourne Australia now, who is more scared to walk around in the French Quarter now than she was when New Orleans toppled Gary, IN for the per capita murder capital of the US. I still have friends and family in the city and visit annually, so I'm not just reading the news reports, I'm getting live-in-person reports.)

This is a SUPER bizarre response to a request for Halloween decoration ideas.

[Vespasia]

Aug 2, 2018 5:45:53 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

With the way crime is in New Orleans lately, I don't think you have anything to worry about scaring people. The news and climate in the city will do that for you.

(For reference, I'm a born & bred New Orleanian, though I live in Melbourne Australia now, who is more scared to walk around in the French Quarter now than she was when New Orleans toppled Gary, IN for the per capita murder capital of the US. I still have friends and family in the city and visit annually, so I'm not just reading the news reports, I'm getting live-in-person reports.)

[georgeglass]

I love New Orleans and am jealous that you get to live there!

We have a street here that goes all out and people build things like pirate ships that take up all of their (small) front yards. The idea of a theme will really help. Some of the recent ones have been haunted hospital (med students lived there - don't want to know where they got their gurneys and IV poles), the aforementioned pirate ship, twisted Wizard of Oz. I'll see if I can find pictures. Our house doesn't light up well, so we have just gone with a generic spider theme.

With a Victorian farmhouse, you could go with a Psycho theme.

[glw]

I think you could get a really great spider theme going. Tons of webs and spiders of different sizes, and egg sacs and wrapped up bodies?

[georgeglass]

Aug 2, 2018 8:11:38 GMT -5 glw said:

I think you could get a really great spider theme going. Tons of webs and spiders of different sizes, and egg sacs and wrapped up bodies?

Agreed - 

[pixy0stix]

Aug 2, 2018 11:00:44 GMT -5 rvan0905 said:

I have done the spider thing, and I’m being weird about it because the palmetto bugs will still be skittering in October, and I would die of a heart attack if one flew out at me when cleaning up all the webs, lol!

And pixy, you are a very dangerous woman. The prop website has an animatronic alligator I want more than anything in this world, but it is $10k and DH would definitely divorce me if I got it.

May be worth it though.

LOL!

The secret is, once you've found a prop you like, start searching ebay, etc. A lot of those will go up for sale for cheap(er). We have quite a few pieces that we've bought secondhand.

[Vespasia]

Aug 2, 2018 10:57:26 GMT -5 rvan0905 said:

Aug 2, 2018 5:45:53 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

With the way crime is in New Orleans lately, I don't think you have anything to worry about scaring people. The news and climate in the city will do that for you.

(For reference, I'm a born & bred New Orleanian, though I live in Melbourne Australia now, who is more scared to walk around in the French Quarter now than she was when New Orleans toppled Gary, IN for the per capita murder capital of the US. I still have friends and family in the city and visit annually, so I'm not just reading the news reports, I'm getting live-in-person reports.)

I grew up here. I lived on the Westbank until I was 14 when we moved to Metairie, and my parents worked for JPPS. My birth mom still lives in Marrero. One of my brothers lives two blocks from the mass shooting that happened a few days ago. Does that give me enough credence to have an opinion on whether or not I am allowed to celebrate Halloween in my own hometown?

Oh, and I’ve been walking around the Quarter at all hours of the day and night all summer, carrying expensive purses, wearing fancy (albeit flat because my back) shoes (which no one bet me that they knew where I got dem), and sometimes drinking while doing so. I even brought my kids a few times! I took my Baptist mother in law and got her a Hurricane and walked her down side streets at night! My husband walks our dog on the lakefront every night for an hour, and met a guy with a pet raccoon on a leash! I send my kid to a public Orleans parish public school, we take public transportation on purpose because it is cheaper and the ride is beautiful.

So danger, much fright.



I will admit I wasn’t very encouraged by the jaguar killing spree, but that is more because that cat stared at my kid in a really offputting way for over five minutes, right next to the glass. I’m going to stick to letting her pet stingrays and snakes at the various Audubon museums for a while.

My Baltimore dwelling self enjoyed this very much.

[glw]

Aug 2, 2018 11:35:38 GMT -5 Vespasia said:

My Baltimore dwelling self enjoyed this very much.

Seconded, from Mondawmin

[pinkyp]

Aug 2, 2018 9:52:06 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

Aug 2, 2018 8:11:38 GMT -5 glw said:

I think you could get a really great spider theme going. Tons of webs and spiders of different sizes, and egg sacs and wrapped up bodies?

Agreed - 

Ok this is terrifying. I love it!!!

[suburbanzookeeper]

The spider webbing is a really cost effective option, especially since most of the big retailers have started carrying better, bigger permanent webs and you can DIY dummies and other victims pretty easily. That gives you the option to spend more money on lighting which really kicks up the whole display from good to WOW (especially with a fog machine + a fog chiller). There are some great LED lighting options now on Amazon and I'm hoping some of the big box retailers will start carrying them as well.




We've been tinkering a lot with lighting options because the far side of our property (cul-de-sac) has a street light that's obnoxious. 

[terpsfan]

Aug 1, 2018 19:57:38 GMT -5 suburbanzookeeper said:

Big Lots has really stepped up their game and if you subscribe to their email list they send coupon codes that you can use online. We build 95% of our own props.

And no, it's not too early! <3

Big Lots link: www.biglots.com/c/seasonal/halloween/_/N-2915497221 

I’ve never looked at Big Lots — omg I need those animatronic animal skeletons! They are awesome!

[turnipthebeet]

Aug 2, 2018 10:57:26 GMT -5 rvan0905 said:

Aug 2, 2018 5:45:53 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

With the way crime is in New Orleans lately, I don't think you have anything to worry about scaring people. The news and climate in the city will do that for you.

(For reference, I'm a born & bred New Orleanian, though I live in Melbourne Australia now, who is more scared to walk around in the French Quarter now than she was when New Orleans toppled Gary, IN for the per capita murder capital of the US. I still have friends and family in the city and visit annually, so I'm not just reading the news reports, I'm getting live-in-person reports.)

I grew up here. I lived on the Westbank until I was 14 when we moved to Metairie, and my parents worked for JPPS. My birth mom still lives in Marrero. One of my brothers lives two blocks from the mass shooting that happened a few days ago. Does that give me enough credence to have an opinion on whether or not I am allowed to celebrate Halloween in my own hometown?

Oh, and I’ve been walking around the Quarter at all hours of the day and night all summer, carrying expensive purses, wearing fancy (albeit flat because my back) shoes (which no one bet me that they knew where I got dem), and sometimes drinking while doing so. I even brought my kids a few times! I took my Baptist mother in law and got her a Hurricane and walked her down side streets at night! My husband walks our dog on the lakefront every night for an hour, and met a guy with a pet raccoon on a leash! I send my kid to a public Orleans parish public school, we take public transportation on purpose because it is cheaper and the ride is beautiful.

So danger, much fright.



I will admit I wasn’t very encouraged by the jaguar killing spree, but that is more because that cat stared at my kid in a really offputting way for over five minutes, right next to the glass. I’m going to stick to letting her pet stingrays and snakes at the various Audubon museums for a while.

FLASHING BACK to my NO trip. I was 17, and stupid, and yeah... I paid for it. (Just financially, and a little hit to my pride)

[picksthemusic]

Aug 2, 2018 12:04:15 GMT -5 pinkyp said:

Aug 2, 2018 9:52:06 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

Agreed - 

Ok this is terrifying. I love it!!!

I just suggested to DH that we do this to our house this year.

[pixy0stix]

Aug 2, 2018 13:13:04 GMT -5 suburbanzookeeper said:

We've been tinkering a lot with lighting options because the far side of our property (cul-de-sac) has a street light that's obnoxious. 

We have to completely change up our lighting scheme this year, as our streetlight was replaced with a super bright LED system that shines directly into our yard. 

[suburbanzookeeper]

If you're a DIYer this big spider is a pretty easy build (you can modify a lot - swap an old plastic cauldron for the ball in the body, etc) and it'll break down for storage:

[msmerymac]

No suggestions, but my coworker brought her Grandin road catalog to work yesterday. No judgement! It's never too early for Halloween.

[lilibet]

I don't really have any tips except to look up Jen TheNextMartha on Instagram. She goes all out for Halloween.

She has a blog she hasn't updated in a while that has a lot of her Halloween photos - www.themarthaproject.com/about/halloween/

[audette]

Dang. My hat is off to you guys. I fail at halloween displays. (which is ironic, as it's my birthday)


It wasn't really intentional, but the neighbours seemed impressed when I spent one halloween out front with my spinning wheel, handing out candy (and spinning in between groups of kids). It was a nice night, and I figured I'd just set up out front instead of sitting by the front door inside during the rush...

[wawa]

Aug 2, 2018 15:49:45 GMT -5 audette said:

Dang. My hat is off to you guys. I fail at halloween displays. (which is ironic, as it's my birthday)


It wasn't really intentional, but the neighbours seemed impressed when I spent one halloween out front with my spinning wheel, handing out candy (and spinning in between groups of kids). It was a nice night, and I figured I'd just set up out front instead of sitting by the front door inside during the rush...

This year add one of those malificent horn headbands.