Thread: How did alot of you get sarted?

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I have been wondering how some people get started and hooked on the halleen building of haunts and props? Myself I was never big on running out to see the latest horror movie..I beleive i got hooked when my wife had me buid the coffin (a toe pincher) and i decided to get in it to scare the older kids and thats when i got hooked..and have been building my own props since..the kids were a little bummed out in 04-05 because i was deployed for oif in iraq..so had to make up for lost time last year.. Todd

It's funny, I don't even like horror movies that much (my wife loves them) but I always liked the dreew up part of Halloween. I worked at a city run haunt in my younger days and got hooked. I would always have one at my house, then buy a ton of stuff after Halloween at half off for next year. I have a ton of stuff in my shed, garage, basement. I am running out of room!!

DH and I started decorating when we first bought our house, but it's gotten crazier and more elaborate every year. I was thrilled when I realized that we could DO stuff like this...

I LOVED Halloween when I was a child. I grew up in a smaller town, and we were allowed to run WILD Halloween night. I was never a vandal, but we were just intoxicated with the freedom of being out so late and being whatever sort of monster, super hero or fairy tale princess we could come up with... and people GAVE YOU FREE CANDY! We had a few that would decorate a little past the typical Jack o' Lanterns, and I always remembered those houses fondly.

I also love mysteries, cerebral horror, terror and suspense books and movies. I also tend to be a bit of a dark side kind of personality.

I love being scared. My Dh thinks I'm hilarious since I scream and then giggle when we go through haunted houses. He said I'm confusing the haunt performers.

I love making the props and setting the scene (theater geek since I was 11) so that the kiddos and even the teens are squealing and laughing. It makes me happy to hear the kids talking about how they can't wait until Halloween and I get kids now that KNOW my house. I also figure it's a decent hobby - better this than something run-of-the-mill boring, and I'm learning new things every time I start a new prop. (I knew next to nothing about motors, power tools, etc... before getting really into this)

DH and I even married on Halloween, so you can imagine how much we love the season!

What is "oif"?

Operation Iraqi Freedom

I also had nothing but fond memories of Halloween when I was a kid. Starting with our dad walking us around the 'hood and stopping to talk to his Friends about fishing, up until we were allowed to run the street without Pop. The most exciting parts of the night were people who decorated their yard in some way. Even a single strobe light was enough to get our adrenaline running. Last year, I finally moved into a house with a lawn and wanted nothing more than to be that house that the kids would remember. I started doing research on yard decorating at came across a site called Love Manor. I was astounded by the theatrics and artistry of this cemetery and went out that weekend and gots me some foam and started making tombstones.

SADLY, however, we got really busy at work and I could never finish anything last year, so by all accounts, I am still a "haunt virgin". But that will change this year. Oh yes, that will change.

I can't wait to get my hand on some of the props that I have researched, like the flying crank ghost, the Kreeper pumpkin monster, and converting my house into an old church complete with a steeple (already built), and stained-glass windows, tons of cobwebs and spanish moss.....FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

I will have to DITTO Frankie's Girl's post!
I have always loved Halloween! We enjoyed ToTing with our kids and I made their costumes. They always got raves for their costumes and almost every year hubby and I would dress up too. I would decorate our porch and yard but there were only 4 kids on our road because we lived way outside of town.
When we bought this house in 2000 I had Halloween and Christmas on my mind for decorating opportunities! It was the beginning of actually getting to hand out candy (our youngest son was in HS and went off ToTing with his buds), we decorated the front of the house and put a fogger behind the hedge.
The next year I had props in the backyard and the rest is history!

I couldn't wait to have a haunted yard and parties!

IshWitch, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who looks at a potential house to buy or build for its Hallowe'en possibilities. That's why I say yes to this one and this one, but no to boring.

^Excellent!
And location! I bet you consider that too!

Location? Of course! How about by this pond, or along this sidewalk, or under this tree? Oh, and meet the neighbors. (Man, I love flickr!)

And let's top off my house with one of these weather vanes.