Thread: A newbie display

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This is my first year putting out a Halloween display. Any constructive criticism would be appreciated so I can make it better by Halloween! Now on to the pics:

That looks great. Love it!

I love it! It does not have the typical pvc fence(I do however like them though!) or store bought like types that I own as well! Great job! Keep up the excellent work!

It looks like you are off to a great start for your first year at it !

How does it look at night ? I didn't see any major lighting in your yard other than a few string lights, lighted pumpkins, and a small strobe. You might want to consider a couple of ground stakes and colored spots behind your fence to highlight your props at night.

they weren't up yet but I've got 3 solar powered spot lights that give good light to the graves.

Originally Posted by JLWII2000

they weren't up yet but I've got 3 solar powered spot lights that give good light to the graves.

that sounds like it should help. If you want to add a little bit of color without a lot of fuss you might want to try something like these....

Pics of new LED pin lights everyones buying

Oh you lucky dog you, you got those Sam's Club busts! I'm sure they will be a hit. I like what you've done and you actually have quite a display. The fence is nice since it's not all uniform in color and placement of the pickets. That fence should age nicely too if you hold on to it and keep it outside for a while. You score points from me on that alone LOL.

I like the ghosts inside as well. Will you be adding any flickering lights to the inside rooms? That might be nice to do. And I see you carried the ghost theme outside with the floating ghost--nice use of the patio area for that.

Since you asked for criticism I would say the thing I would change IMO would be to group more of the yard decorations together in small groupings. I think the yard would layout better that way and not as planned out equally spaced and ToTers approaching could scan the yard and stop and look at each grouping and see more of what they like. Besides when you go to add lighting at night it's impossible to add lighting everywhere you have props without lighting up the neighborhood. It's a nice size yard you have (and nice house too!) so there's actually quite a bit to take in. Great first year.


BTW it looks to me like you have a few indoor extension cords out there and you should really try to change those out to outdoor rated ones. It's a good investment and will keep things safer. Even if you don't get rain at Halloween time where you live, the nights generally will have some condensation. I shop at Dollar Tree, Big Lots etc. or hardware sales for items like this if I need more. Just look to see if they are UL or whatever rated and specifically say for outdoors. A few good outdoor electrical splitters would be a good idea too.

Looks really nice. You actually gave me a couple ideas!

That looks awesome! And you've got a beautiful house to haunt. I love the ghost in the archway... that'll make the ToTers pause. Amazing job for the first year - It's taken me 10 years to get anywhere near that.

Constructive (hopefully) comments:

1. Think about lighting - looks like you might have, but it's tough to tell from the daylight shots. But good lighting can really take things up a couple notches. Sound helps too.

2. I generally prefer to have things kind of clustered. I pick a few areas where I really want the eyes to focus and then try to make the rest kind of quiet. From a design perspective, areas of focus give a little bit of direction to the viewer - they don't need to try and take everything in - they know where the important stuff is.

I think you've got a great focal point in the driveway and with the ghost. But if it were me, I don't think I'd make the graveyard quite so balanced. (I'm a little unbalanced though :P) I know the first few years, I tried to make sure that every bit of the yard had something. Now I pack things a little tighter, and leave some open areas, and I think it has more impact. Just my two cents.

I think it looks fantastic and the kids are gonna love it (if they don't run screaming. )

Edit: Yeah, Ghost of Spookie and Diabolik basically said what I said, faster and better. Gotta stop drinking decaf. :P

I love your fence. I love your dollar tree tombstones (they are a life saver) and I really loved how you put a skelly in your car and postioned the witch on the side of the house.

Great job.