[EviLEye]

It's been kind of gnawing away at me lately in that I'm not sure what direction to go this year. For sure I want it to be a dark, scare the hell out of you experience.

I had started collecting stuff on all of the after Halloween sales with only a slight idea, but I'm just not sold on which direction to take it.

I have an outside area on the side of the house that will be used to feed people in through the garage's back door. And like last year I'm going to do a maze in the garage. With a 4 car garage, there's a lot of room to work with.

I've collected stuff and plan on doing a scary pumpkin patch outside, and am planning on trying to do some dense cornstalks and hay. I also started collecting evil clown stuff like this mask as I thought about doing a big top type scene in the garage.



The wife was giving me grief about the collection of scary clown masks/props cause it didn't make sense to her, now I'm starting to agree with her.

I see where it's not uncommon for pro haunts to mix it up with different themes, but given the space and amount of people/props I'll have. I'm starting to think it should be more cohesive. I even have some stuff that could go towards and asylum theme (even have the black fence from Spirit's display last year they used for the zombies).

What are some of you going to do?

 

[Abunai]

We are shedding a lot of our dated, low craftsmanship props that have been with us for many years, and building better, stronger props based on lessons learned.

We still, though, will be a hodge-podge of themes. We have a lot of space to fill in our maze and in the off-season we don't have enough storage space to house all the props and decorations we would need to only decorate with a single theme (unless that's the only theme of prop/decoration we owned).

I can see where you might want to stick with a single theme for a smaller space though.

I'm absolutely no help whatsoever, aren't I?

(BTW...I picked up the black fence from our local Spirit last year, too....fist bump.)

 

[Scatterbrains]

Your walkthru sounds similar to mine size wise. When it comes to themes, I am more about what themes I won't do (pirates, clowns, carnevil) than I am about having a cohesive theme throughout. I have a few props that don't go together theme wise, but I think they are cool, so I use them.

Maybe you them should be chainsaw wielding zombie pirate clowns from outer-space who make pumpkin projections

 

[EviLEye]

Abunai, you're doing what I told myself that I'd do this year in that I was going to pare down my stuff to the better items.

Scatterbrains- yup, it kind of feels like that sometimes where it's a mashup.

 

[Paint It Black]

I have been doing a new theme each year, using some of the same basic props, like skeletons, a beat-up bistro set, a half-barrel, a crate, etc. This year is a Western theme, and I don't think I will be saving more than a few items that I have collected for this year's theme. I did save all my pirate and carnevil props for future use. And, I usually have a witches scene on the front porch, and a mad lab in the guest bathroom. I think I will just use my favorite indoor decorations in the living room/dining room this year. My other favorite décor is medieval, and I use those items here and there as well. I say mix it up if you want. The single theme thing is fun, but you do end up with a huge Halloween collection.

There are many nice items I have received from my secret reapers that I would never be able to part with, so things are really accumulating around here too.

 

[Scatterbrains]

I have been doing a new theme each year, using some of the same basic props, like skeletons, a beat-up bistro set, a half-barrel, a crate, etc. This year is a Western theme, and I don't think I will be saving more than a few items that I have collected for this year's theme. I did save all my pirate and carnevil props for future use. And, I usually have a witches scene on the front porch, and a mad lab in the guest bathroom. I think I will just use my favorite indoor decorations in the living room/dining room this year. My other favorite décor is medieval, and I use those items here and there as well. I say mix it up if you want. The single theme thing is fun, but you do end up with a huge Halloween collection.

There are many nice items I have received from my secret reapers that I would never be able to part with, so things are really accumulating around here too.

Now I have to update my theme to chainsaw wielding zombie pirate clowns from outer-space who make pumpkin projections in mad labs with their witch girlfriends who are cheating on them with vampires who have pet werewolves that dine on spiders

 

[Paint It Black]

Now I have to update my theme to chainsaw wielding zombie pirate clowns from outer-space who make pumpkin projections in mad labs with their witch girlfriends who are cheating on them with vampires who have pet werewolves that dine on spiders

hahaha, sometimes you really crack me up, Scatterbrains.

 

[Scatterbrains]

hahaha, sometimes you really crack me up, Scatterbrains.

I forgot to add that the spiders live on tombstones next to the crypt in the cmemtery that is guarded by scarecrows

 

[Paint It Black]

See there?! It all makes perfect sense!!

 

[matrixmom]

This year???? EvilEye - Im already thinking about next year. Last year did a total 180 (from my seconds son idea) and did nuclear fallout theme - no pumpkins, no tombstones, no blood. Just destruction and desolation and gas masks. This year? my oldest wanted pirates - so off to the yard sales and flea markets for treasure and treasure chests and crates. Arrgh...still be lookin for whiskey barrels...(I bet scatterbrains loves when I talk all corny pirate)

 

[Atomic Mystery Monster]

EvilEye,

This home haunt give you some ideas on using multiple themed scenes in a small haunt space.