[bperdue105]

Just curious - What with all of these amazing props on this site, how much room do you devote to storing your decor? I am looking to start doing my own props, but I don't know if there are hints for making things that are easily storable?

 

[Nebulosity]

Anything that collapses flat will be easier to store. Lightweight props can be put up in rafters or attics. Small props can be tucked inside larger hallow pieces. Another option is to build things that can stay outside, tucked away in a corner of the backyard under a tarp.

 

[Frankie's Girl]

I use my garage, a closet in our house and some other places (masks for instance are stored on wig stands on top of bookshelves in a spare bedroom/office so they are in climate controlled conditions).

I am allowed to junk up the entire house during the month of October because I am working on so many projects at once, but after that, it all has to fit in the allotted space and still have room to park a car in the garage, so I have to build things that either take up little room or get rid of other stuff.

 

[bayoubrigh]

Most is in tubs in about 1/2 a car space in the garage, the ones that can't stand the heat live in my closet shelf for the rest of the year. As mentioned above putting things inside others helps a lot!

 

[jb1sb2]

Ummm..... two whole bedrooms, a walk in closet, some in the office and some of the nicer ones stay out all year in the gameroom. And who knows on all the stuff I have bought this year! Lol! I guess it's good that my daughter just recently moved out! A whole new bedroom to fill up!

 

[paulieshome]

I guess I have went to far. I have to rent a storage unit in order to store my Halloween props due to the fact that my 20 X 20 storage shed out back, stores all of my Christmas.

 

[lisa48317]

Let's see. I have a corner of the garage (that has never had a car in it) for my skeletons to hang from the rafters and around 10 totes. They share space with 6 C-mas totes and how many ever other holiday ones. On the shed built across the back of the garage, my coffin - lots of storage in that! & blowmolds are in there. And the cemetery sign & headstones go against the wall of the little shed with the lawnmower. My apothecary bottles that really shouldn't freeze are in a tote on a shelf in my kitchen.

 

[Ugly Joe]

bperdue105, if you're starting into the adventure of building your own props, may I offer a little advice regarding storage;

• take advantage of negative space. You'll find that larger builds have a remarkable amount of empty space inside - little items love to live inside bigger items in the off season.
• think modular. Panels can be stacked for storage, and then bolted together to make large items. Large items can have other items bolted to them to make elaborate props and set pieces.
• nails are not your friends. Screws can be put in, and backed out with little trouble. Nuts and bolts can be tightened and loosened for adjusting if things are not fitting quite right. Zip ties can be clipped when they're no longer needed. Wire can be bent. You get the idea. Nails are tough to remove without damaging the item they're driven through or into.
• older props love to be made into new props. Repurpose, reuse, reassemble. Some of those older, tired props are great jumping off points for a new prop in the new year. Nostalgia regarding a favorite old prop is great, but old props just take up room if they're not being used.

Okay, that's enough. Other members will be along soon with more ideas.

 

[Scatterbrains]

Get divorced...no competition for storage space

As mentioned above, build stuff that can stay outside. Pallet wood and old fencing are two materials that dont need stored inside. I've got a funeral carriage and a horse outside all year and about 15 coffins. I hit the coffin with a can of spray paint every year and I am in business.

One thing I've been thinking about is putting a "carport" over the RV parking on the side of the house so that I can work on big projects throughout the year

 

[Mad Mad Mark]

It's always a challenge. My special thing is life size zombies and fiends (Please see my album) and my attic is full to the rafters! I have a rope and pulley to lower them up and down each year. Was doing this just yesterday! LOL!

 

[lovbyts]

I built a shelf in my garage to store all my trunks, boxes and containers.

 

[mrincredibletou]

I put stuff in each casket and coffin, fill them up. I use the garage , basement and shed.

 

[Bruzilla]

We've met this problem by factoring in something we cal 111 Compliance. 111 means November 1st, and what we can do with a prop on that day. We have to take 111 Compliance into every design we come up with, and includes how a prop can be disassembled and stored, what the effects of long-term storage will be, do they need to be stored in a climate-controlled space or not, etc. This enables us to always make props that can be broken down and stored instead of ones that eat up a lot of space.

If we can't make a prop 111 compliant, it doesn't get made. For example, I've been wanting a Headless Horseman for years, but to me a horseman with no horse just doesn't work, and I've yet to come up with a plan to make a 111-compliant horse that looks real. Someday I will.

 

[annamarykahn]

i have stuff in the attic and garage ...

the attic is a pita to get up into ... i'm eventually going to relocate & get a larger access into the attic ... going to have built in ladder to make it easier to get up & down

the garage needs to get better organized as well ... its a 2 car, but only 1 side is used for a car ... eventually i want to use the 2nd half as a workshop

but the long term goal/dream is to get a storage shed where all halloween stuff will be stored

amk

 

[Shift]

I put a pull down ladder into the attic and made space for all my Halloween goods

 

[lizzyborden]

I have a large detached garage and had planned to petition off the back corner to make a workshop/storage space last winter and even bought 80% of the materials. Then I found out I was pregnant so those plans had to be put off. So I'm hoping that I can get started on it next year if hubby didn't swipe too many of my 2x4s.

Right now I have stuff everywhere! I had the majority of it in our two spare bedrooms but it all had to be moved out of one to turn it into a nursery. The other bedroom (which was used as on office before) will be getting a new coat of paint and flooring this winter as it will serve as our bedroom and an office so the totes in there have to go elsewhere too. I have a large utility room that serves as both a work space and storage area and has one wall lined with totes as well. I reluctantly let hubby haul some to the garage, but it's not heated and we do have an occasional mouse that finds its way in. So though I have a million ideas and am planning on selling some of my creations on etsy this winter, I really need to do some major sorting.

Edited to add that the attic is out of the question! We were supposed to have one of those sets of folding steps but contractor screwed up and we ended up with an access panel that requires a ladder to get to the attic. I have no problem getting up there but coming back down is another story!

 

[Scatterbrains]

We've met this problem by factoring in something we cal 111 Compliance. 111 means November 1st, and what we can do with a prop on that day. We have to take 111 Compliance into every design we come up with, and includes how a prop can be disassembled and stored, what the effects of long-term storage will be, do they need to be stored in a climate-controlled space or not, etc. This enables us to always make props that can be broken down and stored instead of ones that eat up a lot of space.

If we can't make a prop 111 compliant, it doesn't get made. For example, I've been wanting a Headless Horseman for years, but to me a horseman with no horse just doesn't work, and I've yet to come up with a plan to make a 111-compliant horse that looks real. Someday I will.

My monster mud horse is stored outside and covered with black plastic....works just fine. My other horses are still in the garage because they are not monster mudded.

 

[Wolfbeard]

I have a large portion of my basement dedicated to Halloween storage. Most things are in clear bins, plus I store my Anatomical Chart Company "Bucky" skeletons in the coffin and sarcophagus. Other skeletons are on a rack and the pose and stay's still in their boxes. General decorating items are on steel shelving units.

Eric

 

[DeadED]

OMG! I wish i had that storage along with all the props!

 

[mrincredibletou]

Way too organized for me...... Good for you, I love it!