Hallowe'en, and what you do at your old house...

[wletson]

So, last year I had only been in my house for less than a month when Hallowe'en happened. I had been painting, thinking, planning house and never gave much thought to outdoor décor leading up to Hallowe'en. About a week before Oct. 31, I asked one neighbour how many kids I should expect and he said 20-30. I asked the neighbour directly across from me, and she said 90-100. On Hallowe'en night I found out that the direct neighbour (20-30) was giving out home-made popcorn and the lady across the street (90-100) always gave out full sized chocolate bars.
That night, I watched over half the kids on the sidewalk tour right past my place. I found out the next day that Mary, the previous woman who lived here, would never answer the door on Hallowe'en!

Sorry, got side-tracked with that story. So, my question is... "What do you do at Hallowe'en? There are obviously ways to decorate the home for Autumn, but does anyone do strictly spooky stuff with there house?"

(yes, this is a blatant attempt at getting free ideas for what I could do with my house... I have no shame!)


Oh, and don't be shy of throwing something off the wall at me. This is an idea of what I can pull off on a shoe-string budget. The Oz head I created on $120. Then created the Tinman costume, custom fit, from articles from the hardware store and sheet furnace ducting material.





The throne was built out of 2x4's and 1/2" plywood, the head out of the 2" compact foam insulation they tack on the outside of houses. (okay, on the outside of houses in Canada) Here's an idea of scale. That's me behind, doing the puppeteering.

[Daniel Meyer]

We add to it every year...but the earliest was a spider web I wove out of rope light...

http://theoldvictorian.com/2009/11/02/h ... s-a-blast/

[Nicholas]

Wow, never thought about this one...

In our other place in Ft Laud, I use to get into it. I had the spooky music from the middle of Pink Floyd's "Meddle" playing on a continuous loop, with lighted jack o lanterns and candles here and there outside. I also had a string attached to the head of a scary dummy sitting on the bench by the door, and when people knocked, I would pull the string and the head would turn and look at them, scare the hell out of people.

One time I pulled too hard and the head turned to look at them and fell off, rolling to their feet...that really sent them running...

But, less and less kids showed up, as the neighborhood was changing, and the one or two that did show up were coming at ten pm. So we cancelled all and turned off the lights, no decos.

Now, I guess I should ask the younger neighbors here in our new hood about the happenings.

[Yankeegirl]

I just love Fall & Halloween - have as many decorations for that as I do for Christmas. Unfortunately I have never lived in a house that received trick or treaters . I still decorate because I love it - nothing scary outside though lol.

Best prop/performance I ever saw was a guy in a cage in a gorilla suit. He was insane & crazy lol. I thought my kids were going to have heart attacks but they went up on the porch brave souls. I love when people go all out for the kids.

Looks like you have serious talent! Please share pics if you do something this year.

[wletson]

We add to it every year...but the earliest was a spider web I wove out of rope light... [/img]

Dan, I love the idea of the rope light spider web. Looks awesome. (I don't need to say the spider is Wicked Awesome!)

This is the first house I have lived in where I get the kids, so I was caught flat-footed last year. I figure I have to do something to erase the years the previous owner locked her doors.

Oh, I did have time to run down to the basement and grab my theatre makeup kit. This is what I looked like when I opened the door last year.

[Don M]

Wow, never thought about this one...

In our other place in Ft Laud, I use to get into it. I had the spooky music from the middle of Pink Floyd's "Meddle" playing on a continuous loop, with lighted jack o lanterns and candles here and there outside. I also had a string attached to the head of a scary dummy sitting on the bench by the door, and when people knocked, I would pull the string and the head would turn and look at them, scare the hell out of people.

One time I pulled too hard and the head turned to look at them and fell off, rolling to their feet...that really sent them running...

But, less and less kids showed up, as the neighborhood was changing, and the one or two that did show up were coming at ten pm. So we cancelled all and turned off the lights, no decos.

Now, I guess I should ask the younger neighbors here in our new hood about the happenings.

Friends had the dummy on the bench as you did before "The Night" but then dressed up in the dummy's clothes & sat on the bench. She scared the pants off the kids who thought it was "just the dummy!"

[Nicholas]

I did do that one year, but I was alone, as kids were out T and T' ing with wife and friends as a group.

So there is this dummy, (me)....waiting, and then jumping up to answer the phone, or whatever else was happening.

With the string, I was able to at least watch some TV...

[phil]

Hmmm maybe having our own little "pumpkin challenge" is in order?

[wletson]

Hmmm maybe having our own little "pumpkin challenge" is in order?

Hey! I like where this thought is going!

[heartwood]

warren, you are unbelievably talented! I think anything you think up will be original and funnyscary....

thanks for bringing up this topic...I haven't given it a thought...there's only one young kid that I know of in my small neighborhood....I want to be prepared...

...jade