Thread: Starting From Scratch... Looking For Some Help

Tweet

2012 will be my first chance to really get back into the home haunt scene for the first time in 6 years. My boyfriend and I just closed on our first home 3 days ago so I finally have the space. I now have two problems to overcome. The first is my inventory, or lack there of. In the last 6 years since my last home haunt, all my Halloween decorations, aside from a small select box of inside decor, had to be sacrificed in our move to San Diego last year. My other problem, or well, obstical might be a better term, is my boyfriend. This year was the first Halloween we have spent together (he is a Marine and has been deployed over the last few Halloweens.) He always knew I loved Halloween, but never quit understood how much until this year and doesn't really understand it. While I know the props and decor are something I can slowly re-accumulate in time, I was wanting some tips on a good jumping off point for next year, and was also hoping to get some ideas on how to help warm my other half to the idea of letting me decorate the way I want. Thanks in advance!

Congrats on your new home.Now start building some props.Get your bf involved ask him for help to build stuff.Men like to help us so they will gladly do it and there is where you snag him.He will soon come around.
What I do is when hubby ask what I want for bday-christmas and such is to tell him something small than say I am wanting you to help me with------------- that would be a great present.He bites everytime.And now I don't have to do that I just ask him to do it and he will.

I agree with halloween71...include him on some projects. That is how I got my wife into it. This year I was able to get her to make foam boards for our windows and is now talking about props for next year. Another way would be to pick a theme he may be into. Maybe a pirate theme or zombie...something that he can get excited about.....good luck.

Also congrats on your house...what an exciting time for you.

Tell him that once he sees all of the happy TOTs and gets lots of "You're the coolest house in the neighborhood!" he'll understand better.
Seriously, doing up a cool yard display is great for getting to know your neighbors, spreading happiness and lots of fun... if you can convince him to at least let YOU do the decorating (with a little help from him when you need it) then maybe he'll see how fun it can be.

Definitely start planning out what you want to build, and start haunting (pun intended) the thrift stores for Halloween that folks are clearing out now that it's over with... heck, I've got a bunch of stuff in the back of my car to go to goodwill (stuff that isn't quite working for our theme, or stuff we just don't like any more).

Figure out your theme, and start building now or in the next couple of months. Halloween stuff starts showing up in stores around July & August, and we do a thread EVERY year of the sightings in stores - so be on the lookout around that time next year for where to shop!

Congratulations on your new home!

Getting your other half involved is the only way for things to work out. For years Sally was less that willing to get involved and this year I had her making props. She fell in love with the PVC candles that I made and when we thought of some more places where we needed them I let her to the work. She really enjoyed it and telling everyone that she had a hand in it all.

She also loves showing off the things that I've made and describing the process behind it. It takes time but I've come to let her love Halloween all by herself. The other thing that worked was letting her buy "nice" Halloween decorations that she likes. I also ask her opinion when I feel there is a space that needs something extra. This way it becomes a true team effort.

Congratulations! When we bought our home in San Diego two years ago, that was truly the beginning of our Halloween madness. We basically started from scratch too, so I have the following recommendations:
*Start with a cemetery! In my opinion, nothing says Halloween quite like a scary graveyard. Start building some tombstones (I agree with everyone else, the way to get your husband on board is to have him help build props) and fencing. The great thing about cemeteries is that they work with almost any theme. So down the road if you want to go more pirate or gothic, you can tweak the details to make it fit. There are FANTASTIC tutorials on this site to help you out.
*Flood lights are your best friends when you're just starting out. We hardly had any props our first year but we lit the yard up with some (very cheap) colored flood lights. Automatically we were the "most decorated" house on the street!

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

Wrong Wrong Wrong.....you want him on board with Halloween...find ya an Elvira outfit. That'll perk up his interest right away.


I'm not sure that a cemetery is the way to go to get a Marine who's been in combat to buy in to Halloween. Maybe there's a different Halloween theme you can go with liek pirates...all you need is a pirate wench outfit and he'll be on board with that.

If he's not anti-halloween, then make a big prop or two that requires power tools and muscle...he'll jump right in to impress you

I think Scatterbrains is on the right track..

Congratulations on your home, and please convey my thanks to your BF for his service.

I'm with Scatterbrains, while for most a cemetary is a great starting off point, under the circumstances, maybe not so much. Only you can be the judge of that, though.

Everyone's given you great advice on how to get him involved, the only thing I'd add is...remember that it's a 2-way street. Try showing an interest in something he loves that doesn't do much for you (but of course that you don't hate). Those little things go a long way - actually in just about every part of the relationship.

My husband will help with things if I ask him but he does not set up our haunt, my daughter, her boyfriend and I do that. He does however see how much joy making props and having a Halloween cemetery gives and he goes along with it. In show business terms he is my angel.