pic_1991

For those who may be wondering what goes into my
annual celebration, and for those who may wish to start
a haunt of their own, here's a few pics with some details.
I'll be adding more details after Halloween 1999, so check back!

Bags of bugs, snakes, spiders, body parts, and more.
(Check out Oriental Trading Co.)

Hands, hearts, brains, and more!
One can never have too many!

Skeletons, rats, and bats, oh my!

Big Lots is also a great source of cheap stuff!

Still more stuff!

Don't forget those after-Halloween sales!

I make a maze of my side porch using a gridwork of ropes attached to permanent eye hooks. I hang plastic tarps to make "walls", and then hang camouflage netting over the tarps for a creepy look.
Note the black plastic over the exterior walls. I folded about 4" of the plastic and taped it with duct tape to form a sleeve. I then slip 1/2" PVC pipe through the sleeve like a curtain rod. The "rod" then hangs on large hooks over the porch opening. The whole works will roll up for easy storage until the next year.

I made these "walls" to add a creepy look to the living room as well as to conceal my "regular" furniture. I drove small nails downward into the top of my door and window frames, leaving about 1/4" protruding. I then used "S" hooks to hook onto the nails and hung a string tightly between the hooks. The panels are inexpensive paper/plastic drop cloths from Home Depot. I spread the cloths out in the yard and sprayed them with a trigger sprayer filled with flat black latex paint, diluted enough to go through the sprayer. I draped the drop cloths over the strings so that the front was even with the floor. Next, I stapled the drop cloth to the string so it would stay in place.
The "S" hooks slip off the nails easily, so I just fold up the drop cloths and label where they go and store them until the next year.

These handy wall panels are made from 1x2's and 1/8" masonite. The panels are 2' x 7'. I cut the 1x2 frame pieces using a miter saw for the corners. Next, I use a table saw to cut a 1/4" deep 1/8" wide dado down the inner edge. I then cut the masonite to fit the inside or the frames, making sure to make the masonite 1/2" larger than the opening so it fits into the dado. I use inexpensive hinges (with removable pins) to link the panels together. 3 or more panels linked together (as shown) make for a rather stable wall. They can be covered with sheets, black plastic, camo net, or just painted depending on the desired effect. They are light and thin, and are moved and stored easily.

Here is "mission control", where I have strategically-located cameras to observe my victim's progress through the haunt. This helps me to regulate the number of people I allow to enter in case there's a bottleneck elsewhere in the house. (Sometimes people bunch up near the exit, fearing the chainsaw man!) <grin>


For those who may be wondering what goes into my annual celebration, and for those who may wish to start a haunt of their own, here's a few pics with some details. I'll be adding more details after Halloween 1999, so check back!
	Bags of bugs, snakes, spiders, body parts, and more. (Check out Oriental Trading Co.)
Hands, hearts, brains, and more! One can never have too many!
	Skeletons, rats, and bats, oh my! Big Lots is also a great source of cheap stuff!
Still more stuff! Don't forget those after-Halloween sales!
I make a maze of my side porch using a gridwork of ropes attached to permanent eye hooks. I hang plastic tarps to make "walls", and then hang camouflage netting over the tarps for a creepy look. Note the black plastic over the exterior walls. I folded about 4" of the plastic and taped it with duct tape to form a sleeve. I then slip 1/2" PVC pipe through the sleeve like a curtain rod. The "rod" then hangs on large hooks over the porch opening. The whole works will roll up for easy storage until the next year.

I made these "walls" to add a creepy look to the living room as well as to conceal my "regular" furniture. I drove small nails downward into the top of my door and window frames, leaving about 1/4" protruding. I then used "S" hooks to hook onto the nails and hung a string tightly between the hooks. The panels are inexpensive paper/plastic drop cloths from Home Depot. I spread the cloths out in the yard and sprayed them with a trigger sprayer filled with flat black latex paint, diluted enough to go through the sprayer. I draped the drop cloths over the strings so that the front was even with the floor. Next, I stapled the drop cloth to the string so it would stay in place. The "S" hooks slip off the nails easily, so I just fold up the drop cloths and label where they go and store them until the next year.
These handy wall panels are made from 1x2's and 1/8" masonite. The panels are 2' x 7'. I cut the 1x2 frame pieces using a miter saw for the corners. Next, I use a table saw to cut a 1/4" deep 1/8" wide dado down the inner edge. I then cut the masonite to fit the inside or the frames, making sure to make the masonite 1/2" larger than the opening so it fits into the dado. I use inexpensive hinges (with removable pins) to link the panels together. 3 or more panels linked together (as shown) make for a rather stable wall. They can be covered with sheets, black plastic, camo net, or just painted depending on the desired effect. They are light and thin, and are moved and stored easily.

Here is "mission control", where I have strategically-located cameras to observe my victim's progress through the haunt. This helps me to regulate the number of people I allow to enter in case there's a bottleneck elsewhere in the house. (Sometimes people bunch up near the exit, fearing the chainsaw man!) <grin>