Thread: Our 2008 party theme-need help!

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I have been playing with this idea for over a year...

A haunted "open house." Complete with an spooky real estate sign in the front yard (Rigor Mortgage... saw it on another website), and a flyer of the house's amenities (close to the lovely resort area of Crystal Lake, scenic view of quaint little graveyard, blocks away from the Elm Street Recreational Center, etc... complete with haunted photos) sent out with a skeleton key (old key attached to a skull keychain).

I plan for one of the keys to open a little treasure chest filled with goodies. BUT... a chest doesn't go with my real estate/haunted house theme. I was looking at some really cool hollow books at Michaels and Garden Ridge that could hold some goodies, but how much better is a locked book than a chest? (and the book will probably be fixed up to look like the necronomicon)

I suppose we could write up a decent explanation of a old chest/book found in this ~lovely~ home... but I wondered if anyone had any better ideas for a container that can be locked and would make sense? I can drill/install a lock on whatever, but I can't for the life of me come up with something that works with this theme - or even "haunted house" theme... and I REALLY want to do a prize kind of thing that depends on the invited ones showing up...

We already figured we're buying a lock that comes with two keys. One will be randomly assigned to one of the invitees, the other will be kept in the event that the working key person doesn't show up, in which case we will draw names from the ones that did show up and they will get to open the lock.

Here is a link to the keychains I'm thinking of using:
US TOY Carnival/Novelty Division website

They are the "Jeweled Eyes Skull Keychains" Item #: KC212

and for what it's worth, the key/chest thing would be a pretty cool idea for a pirate themed party - feel free to steal!

I love your theme! It's definately something unique.
Maybe a cedar or hope chest instead of a treasure chest? Or a trunk like you would find in the attic of a haunted house.

I like the hope chest idea. Or you could do it to a closet door. When opened you could have some type of scare with the "prize" behind. If you had an attic or cellar that would be perfect!

Frankie's Girl - that is an EXCELLENT idea. I may steal that after all!! I'll ponder uses for the key.

I agree with LHallow and Rikki - A trunk like you would find in the attic would be perfect. Something like an old steamer trunk.

Frankie's Girl -

What a great idea! I've been at a loss for our theme this year....I might just have to borrow yours!

As for the key, (love the keychains) it could open an old suitcase like the ones they are selling as home decorations. You could age it more and if it doesn't come with a key you could just age a normal padlock through the handle. Or you could take a moving box (left from an old tenant who had to leave in a hurry) and wrap a chain and lock around it. Mark it property of Dr. Jekyl or something, put warnings on it like flamable, handle with care etc..


Again -- love the idea! Keep them coming.

I think the closet or attic/cellar door is most in keeping with the Real Estate theme...and what a great theme it is!!! That is a really creative and FABULOUS idea!

I like both the moving crate with the chain and the door idea.

If you do a door, (if you can,) put an old hasp and eye type of latch with the padlock thru it. Have a blue or green light shining under the door and maybe some spooky noise, and scare inside.

You can do similar things with the crate... light seen thru cracks and noises.

Great theme!

thanks for all the help - I think we have a solution!

I talked to Dh, and we both think that our front hall closet is going to be turned into the locked location. We can get a cheap doorknob locking set, and install it onto that door, which has the added advantage of swinging outwards. We will hang a skeleton in there from the closet rod, and run some lights inside of it. In the skeletons hands we will attach a gift bag of some sort.

The story line is going to be something along the lines of the original owner disappeared and we have this mysterious locked closet that no one has been able to open, and strange sounds and lights have been seen...

This has the added advantage of us being able to get regular key blanks as the non-working keys to send out.

I'm really leaning towards being a zombie "surreal estate" agent showing the house... I can really have fun with this! (and I got the real estate idea from the brilliant Fright Gallery - may it rest in peace!).

thanks so much for all the suggestions, it really helped!


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Frankie's Girl -- I saw these at Michaels and thought of your theme. I'd love to see your invitations when you're done!


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