Thread: "Haunted Mansion" theme...feedback?

Tweet

Ok, so I've finally decided on a theme for this year's bash. I think I want to go with a haunted/spooky mansion theme. Here's what I have in mind...
LOTS of those LED flickering tea lights placed throughout the house, with few to no lights on as to create a candlelight atmosphere, with lots of flickering shadows. I also plan on replacing several old lamp's lightbulbs with these flickering faux candles.
With all of these candles, I have bought lots of authentic looking spiderwebbing to strategically place (I know too much can look really tacky); I also bought some brown "creepy cloth" from Dollar Tree...it's ripped in several places, it's kinda like mesh. looks super creepy. I thought that I might hide a very small fan somewhere with some of this cloth draped off of something, to make it look like the cloth was being blown in some "ghostly" breeze.
Lastly, to name just a few of the things I have purchased, I have some of those old looking pictures that, when you walk by, the picture changes into something sinister. Thought I would make a little "ghostly gallery" of "family portraits."
Of course, I have many other smaller decorations that will look really cool in candlelight. I figured I would have candlelight only for the first half hour or so of the party, just enough time for everyone to arrive and walk through the house to see everything. Then some lights will come on for eating, drinking, socializing, and activities/games.
Again, my goal is not to scare the daylights out of anyone, or for blood/gore...it's just for the atmosphere to be dark and creepy. So, feedback? What do you guys think? Thanks!

You can also print off some spooky photos from the Internet and place in frames. I did this last year and everyone loved them.

Originally Posted by printersdevil

You can also print off some spooky photos from the Internet and place in frames. I did this last year and everyone loved them.

REALLY?!? Do you mind telling me (or PM me) where to go to find these? or what should I search for? That's awesome advice, thank you so much!

I was looking online and they have antique radios (depending on what era your going for) from the 20s to 50s. Of course do the dry ice pieces in a punch bowl. Always black lights, not too overpowering though. If you have too much black light you can give people headaches, just nough for people to notice or to have pictures or clothing react. Other then that I wish I was going to your party already. I love atmospheric lighting

You can also get some cool stuff at gothicmanor.com

Originally Posted by Kaiserxion

I was looking online and they have antique radios (depending on what era your going for) from the 20s to 50s. Of course do the dry ice pieces in a punch bowl. Always black lights, not too overpowering though. If you have too much black light you can give people headaches, just nough for people to notice or to have pictures or clothing react. Other then that I wish I was going to your party already. I love atmospheric lighting

Awesome ideas! An antique radio would be a perfect addition! I might have to look that one up. Also, I had thought about blacklights but wasn't sure about it...but now I think I will have to try them. Thanks for your suggestions!

doom_buggy_junkie, I don't remember what I searched for. I think something like spooky or creepy photos. Just try various things in a search box. You can see some of them in my blog with photos from last year. Click on it in my signature and visit Haven Haunt. If you scroll down to the photo after the one one of the fireplace. You can then click on the photo and it will enlarge. Actually, I had some that were alot better than these, but don't seem to have photos of them here.

I didn't have any trouble getting these to print. But, a couple of weeks ago, I was trying to print some witches and couldn't get them big enough. Not sure why.

I have the same theme for my party . I've named the party "Dead Man's Ball" and am going to combine Dancing with a Haunted House (my friends love to dance). So I have cobwebs, faux candles, the changing portrait pictures. Blacklights galore with a single red light to light up my kitchen. The bathroom is going to be a murder scene basically, with floating arms/legs/fingers in the tub and a bunch of fake blood everywhere (in tub, on sink counter, on mirror). In the hallway leading up to the bathroom, we're going to turn that into a cave (no, it doesn't go with the theme but who cares?). I picked up some fake bats for $0.50 last year that have red LED eyes, so they're going out :P.

Excellent theme choice! I'm a Haunted Mansion addict as well, and one year I did a HM themed party. Had the portrait gallery like you mentioned, and fashioned some last-minute Hitch Hiking Ghosts in the backyard. My favorite part was in the upstairs hallway (which was curtained off, so the peeps had to pull the curtain aside to pass), I had a small table with a Madame Leota setup - her head in the crystal ball, candles, etc. Floating above were copies of Tarot cards. If anyone wanted Madame Leota to tell them their fortune, they'd pick a card from a deck I held, then they'd go upstairs and find their floating card. On the back of the card was the meaning of it. I think I had about 6 - 8 cards.
Wish I'd taken pics!

Here's a few ideas...
Cover your furniture with white sheets! I bought some $1 hard back books from 1/2 price books and covered the spine with black ribbon and then used silver and gold ink pens to make my own titles like: 1. A Night with Dracula by Anita Infusion published by Plasma books, 2. Zombies by Fester N. Rott published by Voodoo Publishing.

Lightly dust the table with powder to look like dust. I found the small mice and placed them around. I even put one in a mouse trap. Put some green string lights in a closet so that you get ghostly glow from under the door. Use your creepy cloth to drape over existing curtains. I bought some cheap shears from the thrift store and cut, snagged them too. One year I did the scrim idea where you hang a fairly shear black cloth with a silhouette behind it and my fx machine that flashed at sound. That made it look like lightening was illuminating the window and you would see the shadow.

Have a great party and Halloween!