Thread: First Yard Haunt – What we learned

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After five years in our new house, and averaging fewer than 10 TOTs each Halloween, my wife and I decided to put up a modest yard haunt this year. We had never put out any Halloween decorations before beyond a single Jack-O-Lantern, so we wanted to keep it a surprise for the neighbors. The evening could not have gone better! We had over 30 TOTs, not counting parents, and near perfect weather. Our props consisted of a FCG in the upstairs window (which we started flying 3 days before Halloween night), a witch stirring a cauldron, static scarecrow, static reaper, a few foam tombstones, carved pumpkins and subtle lighting. We built the props in our garage, and set them all out on the 31st.

The FCG really brought curious neighbors and TOTs in for a closer look, and the witch/cauldron was a huge hit. We piped chilled fog from the fog machine into the cauldron and placed one of those electronic, color-changing pumpkin lights in it to give it an eerie glow. Inside the cauldron, just below the fog level, we had a dish of small candies and rubber “critters”. Each TOT was told that in order to get a treat, they had to do a trick. The trick was to grab a piece of candy from the center of the bubbling cauldron, while the witch was stirring. Once this feat was completed, we rewarded the brave with a candy bar treat. The kids and the parents all loved this, and we got lots of compliments. One mother kept asking if there was a person inside the witch, and had to touch it to convince herself that it was a prop. The lady across the street told us her 10 year old son’s bedroom window faces our house, and since we put up the FCG he has been sleeping downstairs on the couch so he didn’t have to see it when he was going to sleep. One 14-year old girl took over 10 minutes to get enough courage to reach into the cauldron; even after she had seen 5-year olds successfully grab some candy. Some of the TOTs were going to decline the trick, until we showed them the full-sized candy bars they could choose from if they were successful. That always inspired enough courage to play the game .

Because it was unseasonably warm (50+ degrees F during TOT hours) the wife and I sat out on the front porch to greet the TOTs and visit with the parents as they came by. The house looked great from the street; all the different lighting came together nicely (as much by luck as by design). Several parents asked where we bought the props (“we made them all”) or what they were made of (“this and that”). One parent, fishing for clues, complimented me on the “hologram ghost in the window”. I simply smiled and asked “What ghost?”.

Overall, this was the most fun Halloween I’ve ever had. I was a little worried that the work we put into the props would be ignored and the neighbors would dismiss us as “weird”, but our house was the hit of the neighborhood, and we received many compliments. I think the parents enjoyed our place at least as much as the kids. Thank you to everyone on this forum for all the inspiration and tips. Without the folks here and links to how-to sites, the more complex projects would probably not been completed this year. With the guidance from others who have gone before us, the FCG and witch projects, while not “easy”, went much more smoothly than I expected. We are definitely planning to expand our display next year, and hopefully our neighbors will take it up a notch too. Here are a few key things we learned from our first yard haunt experience.

1. Planning is essential. But so is finalizing the plan, scoping to what you can actually accomplish, and getting started building stuff weeks in advance.
2. Remember to plan to take pictures. We were so busy on the big day that we forgot until after we had taken everything down.
3. Learning from others who have done similar projects will save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. Do your research.
4. Fog machines are finicky beasts.
5. You actually can build a fog chiller in 15 minutes for less than $5.
6. Finding the right motor for a prop is sometimes the hardest part. Unless you’re lucky, a used wiper motor is probably going to cost you at least $20, and they are heavy, so plan on almost that much to ship one.
7. Gorilla Tape™ is an essential tool. It is like Duck Tape™ on steroids. And it comes in black.
8. If you see an item in a store that you think might be just the thing for your haunt, act quickly. Stores start taking Halloween stuff off the shelves in early October. Go figure.
9. Having the TOTs interact with the props makes for a more fun experience than them just showing up and holding up their TOT bag to get candy. Watching their confused looks transform into trepidation as I explained that they not only had to do a trick, but they had to face the witch’s cauldron was priceless.
10. Don’t leave finishing props until the big day. The “final touches” will take longer than you think, and you will be left without a “tech rehearsal”. We got lucky that everything worked this year without a rehearsal.

It sounds like you had a lot of fun. Great job for your first haunt!!

The day we stop learning is the day they put us in the ground!

You said it all Eon. This was also my first halloween going all out. I found this forum two months before halloween. Got the fever and had two months to make it all come together. By Myself . My wife and step sons are not into do it yourself kinda stuff. I am! At first i was afraid that i didn't have anything around the props to keep others from touching them. But it all worked out . The little ones were to afrade to get close and the older ones knew it was one of a kind and respected it. In fact i had to insist some mothers touch the troll. It was so great . Much better than just handing out candy. And the look i got when i told them i made it. others were thaking photos and when they seen that it moved some went and came back with video cam's . This is a new neighborhood. It has only been here 4 years now. Alot of others were giving out candy but only me and my neighbor two houses down did this. She had a huant. And it went over great also . I think i will get into using air for next year. I still have alot of ideas that i didn't have time to use this year. I'm also thinking of getting some sponsors for next year and have a contest for the whole neighborhood. Money and gifts always motivate.
Oh here are the pics of my setup.

Congrats Eon and Warpaint on both of you having a successful first yard haunt. Looking forward to seeing both of ya'lls new stuff you make for next year.

Yes ...yes I say Congratulations too! Its such fun to do all this planning and work, well ok...sometimes it makes us crazy, but the outcome is so worth it all.

I agree that coming to this forum has been wonderful for me. Such great people and so welcoming and so creative with their ideas, and the help available. Most importantly is how much we enjoy each others work and ideas.

This is truly one of the best forums I have found on the Internet in regard to people respecting each other. So Eon & Warpaint lets look forward to next year and ADDING MORE!!! lol I hope people really do hang here all year because I gotta stay in this frame of mind ! We have lots to build in this house and I know I'll have tons of questions!!! Glad to be a part of this!!!

Posted somewhere else on here........Hubby is already asking if I have been thinking what I want for Xmas....my reply>>>>A CEMETERY!!

I think I scared him!

Mistress Muffy

Eon, that is cool that you made it so interesting for TOT's. That is the kind of house they remember, good going!
Warpaint, looks like a cool display!