Thread: Help :(

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It's my first year putting on my haunt & I got way ahead of myself & am now quite discouraged to do anything for Halloween this year.

I have an average sized yard & discovered I don't have a whole lot other than gravestones.

I also have somewhat of a busy schedule but can make time if need be. I have several things that could be used but idk what for. I will provide a list below of supplies I have so hopefully someone can help me out.

Pool filter (for those large softsided pools)
Fishing line
Chickenwire
Good variety of wood & thin branches
PVC
Ropes
Tabletop fan
Galvanized wire
Styrofoam heads
Air mattress inflater/deflater
And quite a bit more.

I can provide pictures of my yard if necessary or anything else that helps.
If you have any questions please ask. Thank you very much.

Focus on one thing at a time and just have fun. An entire haunt is not typically built in a couple weeks. Do the best you can with the tombstones and perhaps build a few things that would go in a cemetary. Grab some old clothes and a mask , and make a grounbreaker (or more if you have enough materials) with the pvc, chickenwire and a foam head. Try building a Pumpkinrot with the wood and branches, and a carved pumpkin. Take a deep breath and just have fun.

Well, what are you wanting to do? A display, a walk through, rooms, maze, etc. All that kinda depends.

Chicken wire, rope, wood...

You could build some scarecrows. No, not all 'normal' kind. I used these as a source of inspiration on my chimera.






These are concept drawings for Magic: The Gathering. Some of the actual scarecrows that made cards are interesting too.

Been there, done that... Instead of doing the entire yard, concentrate on 1/4-1/2 of it and use lighting to draw focus to the area. Next year, move to the next section. After you fill our the entire yard, do like I do: change themes and start over from scratch and complain that there aren't enough hours in a day to get it all done on time.

Hang in there. It will come together rather quickly. You could add some ghost and zombies in the graveyard which will expand your grave yard this year and then add to it every year. I completely understand where your coming from thou. I decide to host our highschool reunion this year and with that decorate my whole back yard(1 acre) for a walk thru haunt. I don't have as much as I thought. I am filling space with pallets and zombies and ghosts. Good luck with yours and HAVE FUN!!!

Look through some of the members albums, they are full of brilliant and ingenious props some of which will not necessarily require hours of work to achieve good results. You have enough materials to make ground breakers to go with your gravestones, a simple pvc or wooden frame with a styrofoam head and hey presto, you probably just require masks and clothes as has been suggested already by doto.

Originally Posted by fravak

Been there, done that... Instead of doing the entire yard, concentrate on 1/4-1/2 of it and use lighting to draw focus to the area. Next year, move to the next section. After you fill our the entire yard, do like I do: change themes and start over from scratch and complain that there aren't enough hours in a day to get it all done on time.

This is what I'm working on. I've got a HUUUGE yard I could use but the front is ruined by a streetlight so I concentrate on the other parts that aren't. I know I don't have enough to fill the whole thing, so I work with what I've got & really, most folks appreciate ANYTHING better than nothing.

Last year Hallowindow was the big hit. Just a window, a DVD & a projector sitting on a cat tree, all costing less than $100. I could've done that & nothing else & everyone would've been happy.

Sometimes less is more.

I made small vignettes around my graveyard that did not cost much.
One of the Walgreens skellies propped up with pvc and rebar could hold a lantern and a shovel. Or like I did a bottle and a JOL.
I also used some dollar store rats scurrying along a wall with a black cat and witch's broom nearby. I also have a vulture with a couple of body parts. These things would not cost much and can be assembled quickly.

Never underestimate the power of crows and pvc candles to set an errie mood too.

Take your time and dont get overwhelmed if you have pvc pipes and foam heads you have zombies. make them one at a time from full upright to just head and shoulders coming out of ground. just dress them and stuff them table top fan can blow things for ombiance like sheets as ghosts or just creepy curtains on an overhang . if the fan oscelates put a head on it dress it up and it will look back and fourth.

p.s. we all get over our heads this time of year.