Thread: All right, that's it, fine! I give up! (All you cemetery folks, inspire me!)

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We've been at it in this house for 8 years now. My children have grown up with this haunt, and every. single. year. Bug me over and over and over again.

My constant line of "NO, that's what everyone else does" is falling on deaf ears.

I. GIVE. UP.

2012, we're doing a graveyard.

And, they weren't happy with the burial ground either, they want a right and proper graveyard.

I just really can't seem to muster up any thoughts on it, however. So, what are some UNIQUE ideas for a graveyard scene? Something the 2 other graveyards on the block won't have in them?

Are you still going to try to maintain the other elements and just add a graveyard? Or are you going totally over the cemetery wall, so to speak?

I can't really picture your haunt with a New England style graveyard... are they willing to go for something a little more Boot Hill, at least?

I am contemplating a 2013 graveyard, and like you it must be over the top different than anything else.

My thoughts revolve around limited paint color palate of black, white and orange, with purple and white lighting. Everything will have a T. Burton touch to it (fence, entrance, any possible characters)... heavily skewed and distorted but still very understandable. All of the grave sites will likely be brown wooden crosses with no names, no skulls, or bones, just individually lit wooden crosses. I'll haul in tree leaves from all over the place, really colorful leaves....... blah blah blah. I could go on, but that's what I think of when wanting to do something different.

Originally Posted by talkingcatblues

Are you still going to try to maintain the other elements and just add a graveyard? Or are you going totally over the cemetery wall, so to speak?

We're committed to the whole Harvest theme for the front yard. It's too much a neighborhood event now. So, I'm seeing the front yard the same, but starting at the fence and going to the back yard is fair game.

Originally Posted by GhostTown

All of the grave sites will likely be brown wooden crosses with no names, no skulls, or bones, just individually lit wooden crosses.

Yeah, that was one of my first thoughts as well. Loads of them. It makes much more sense for a display though, where you can get all the shadows cast upon the house, not realy for the walkthrough we do.

We have a very cheesy "graveyard" every year, and we always seem to get a lot of compliments on the inscriptions rather than the more elaborate tombstone work... So plenty of room for standing out there. But groundbreakers.. They seem to have become very mainstream (no longer "underground")and a lot of people have the store bought ones... How about a live groundbreaker mixed in with some fake ones? Dig a hole and/or build a box, chuck a kid with mask and gloves in there, cover with burlap/jute with debris and leaves hot glued to it or something like that... A live actor dressed up like a fcg after they see an actual fcg would be a good scare too..

Originally Posted by stickman6

We have a very cheesy "graveyard" every year, and we always seem to get a lot of compliments on the inscriptions rather than the more elaborate tombstone work... So plenty of room for standing out there. But groundbreakers.. They seem to have become very mainstream (no longer "underground")and a lot of people have the store bought ones... How about a live groundbreaker mixed in with some fake ones? Dig a hole and/or build a box, chuck a kid with mask and gloves in there, cover with burlap/jute with debris and leaves hot glued to it or something like that... A live actor dressed up like a fcg after they see an actual fcg would be a good scare too..

goood grief...I'd crap myself!! LOL

I had an idea for a prop. A hand that "burst" out of the ground. The whole prop could be built into a large bucket (like the orange ones at home depot). It works very much like the "peek a boo" prop. Doors on the top, when the hand lifts it opens the door, when it lowers it closes it. The only downside is you have to dig a hole in the yard for it.

Graveyards are the best, more flexibility in them then you may imagine. For years I've done a pirates/graveyard split and have wanted to ditch the pirates in a big way but then all these kids are always asking when the pirates will show up. It may be traditional but you gotta keep the 'core' of Halloween going.