[The Stalk]

Hi all. I'm new to the forum, and excited about joining the community.

This Halloween I'm planning a party/haunt based on Hansel & Gretel. The outside of the house will look like a gingerbread house, then as guests progress through the front to the back (party area), it becomes increasingly sinister.

I have the front and back pretty much figured out, but I'm having trouble with the transition area-- getting from Candy to Cannibalism without it seeming like two jarringly disconnected themes. I would really appreciate any help and/or advice you guys could give.

I look forward to learning from some of the awesome members I've seen on the forum. Thanks in advance!

 

[printersdevil]

Welcome to the Forum. Why don't you share your ideas for us to see what you have and then maybe some will have ideas to share.

 

[spookydave]

you could do some candy bars or sticks with bones sticking out, some gum balls with eye balls mixed in, a lot of stuff you can do with that really , it's a cool idea! oh ya , welcome lol

 

[The Stalk]

Thanks. A bunch of my supplies should be coming in this weekend, so I hope to get through a few projects by next week. I'll definitely share my progress and see if that helps things along at all.
Thanks again!

 

[The Stalk]

Also, thanks for those ideas, spookydave. It seems obvious, but I hadn't even thought of simply mixing some of the sinister stuff in with the sweet. Much appreciated!

 

[spookydave]

that's the best way to come up with new ideas, just get to it, get the creative juices flowing , hahaha

 

[Ani's Horror]

What do you think of these things?

popcorn-filled hurricane lamp - cheap and easy
http://www.silive.com/homegarden/interiordesign/index.ssf/2008/08/roll_out_the_red_carpet_and_st.html

"Finger"Food: https://de.pinterest.com/pin/377387643749334978/

Pop Corn: https://de.pinterest.com/pin/377387643749005302/

Lollipops with bugs: https://de.pinterest.com/pin/377387643748937495/

Eye Scream: https://de.pinterest.com/pin/377387643748832432/

 

[ThePirateHouse]

I almost did Hansel and Gretal this year but was out voted. I wanted one scene that had Hansel and Gretal shoving the witch into the oven. Please keep us posted on your progress. This sounds like such a fun theme!

 

[frogkid11]

Welcome to the forum Stalk!!! As for your transition dilemma, what if you had the inside all filled with candies and sweets up to a certain point and then have the witch appear (perhaps use a recordable device or iPOD to have her say "right this way, kiddies") and then make it just dark and eeirie with cobwebs, witch potions and ingredients (especially bottles with labels for parts of children). so that folks start to fear they are next to be converted into ingredients.

I have an interest in this theme because I'll be doing a store Christmas window in a scene from Hansel and Gretel using my collection of vintage animatronic figures. It won't be a dark display but I'm anxious to see your pictures of the candy house.

 

[The Stalk]

Hi Ani, thanks for all these great ideas! I will definitely be using the lollipop idea-- probably with chocolate bugs? Anyways, it's hard with some of the others because I did a sideshow theme last year, and I don't want it to veer into the carnival arena. I've also been trying to go with more "old world" candy versus modern name brand stuff... hard though... Thanks again for these links, though, great inspiration!

 

[The Stalk]

Progress so far...

Thanks everyone for the posts! I've been working on stuff a lot. Nothing's totally finished yet, but I've made about 30 black flickering LED candles. [see picture below]

I've also gotten to about 3/4 completion on a dozen potion/ingredient bottles for my witch's kitchen. [pictures to follow upon completion]

And, I've completed 3 purple lollipop tops to go in the front yard of the gingerbread house. I need to get cellophane for the wrapper (doubling as protection for the battery packs) and PVC for the sticks. [see picture below]

 

[The Stalk]

Hi frogkid, thanks for the post. I really like that idea--especially using sound as part of the transitional cue. I just happened into a free set of outdoor speakers, and I hope to test them out this weekend, so I'll have to see how it goes and try using this idea.

I'd love to see what your display looks like!

 

[dawnski]

I like your thinking Stalk. The witch used all her charms to make the outside look appetizing. But then her charade begins to crumble the further you get into the house. Brilliant! Because the candy is just the lure, it will look tasty in front. But once they're in the door, she doesn't need to keep up the candy ruse any longer. It would be fun to show a quick degradation in your entrance area where the candy becomes more decomposed and moldy. Then the charade is over. Random bones on the floor. Leading to piles of bones. Let's face it, Hansel and Gretel were not her first rodeo. There probably would be a lot of rats hanging around for little morsels left lying around. Pile of skulls. Pots with body parts. Cookbooks on how to cook children. Spice jars with funny titles regarded to cooking people. Lots of cleavers and other bloody cooking utensils. Several cages occupied with other kids besides Hansel. A very large oven prop, maybe as a camera op. Does she eat everything? She's probably resourceful and re-uses everything. So you could pretty much go full on Ed Gein in other areas of the home. Take normal things that one would see in a home and put a cannibal spin to it. I imagine everything would be functional for the witch. Bloody tea serving with a plate of fingers and a book on cannibalism draped over the side of a chair. If you can find dainty doilies or lace looking material to drape on side tables and such, I think it would add to the twisted macabre atmosphere of sweet old lady/cannibalistic witch.

And let's not forget a really big buffet with signs encouraging your guests to fill their tummies. Definitely serve ribs at this party!

For idea pics, here's one on butchers https://www.pinterest.com/zim2/halloween-butcher-theme/ and one on witches https://www.pinterest.com/zim2/halloween-witches/

 

[The Stalk]

dawnski- thank you soooo much for your post! (I'm a big fan of a lot of your posts, by the way) I feel like I should have already thought along these lines, but whatever... of course the witch would reuse/re-purpose the "leftovers" of her victims! I've just added a bunch of new projects for the decor. The pinterest album links were really great. Thanks again so much!

Oh, and one of my biggest builds is going to be a cannibal oven photo op.

 

[The Stalk]

Some progress with witch's kitchen

I've made some progress on the witch's kitchen. These are the only items "photo ready"- though many still need work to be complete. Completed 6 lollipop tops as well, including wiring, sans sticks and cello wrappers (3 green, 3 purple). Slowly but surely, slowly but surely...

 

[The Stalk]

Quick question-- please let me know if I should xpost elsewhere-- anyone know where I can get a cheap(ish) bulk buy of bones? I've been looking around and I can find cheap bulk buys that look super cheesy, or expensive batch buys that look amazing. I think I can modify bones with the time I have, but I can't make from scratch the amount I need.

Any/all help greatly appreciated!

 

[Saki.Girl]

Thanks everyone for the posts! I've been working on stuff a lot. Nothing's totally finished yet, but I've made about 30 black flickering LED candles. [see picture below]

I've also gotten to about 3/4 completion on a dozen potion/ingredient bottles for my witch's kitchen. [pictures to follow upon completion]

And, I've completed 3 purple lollipop tops to go in the front yard of the gingerbread house. I need to get cellophane for the wrapper (doubling as protection for the battery packs) and PVC for the sticks. [see picture below]

these look wicked cool

 

[pumpkinpie]

Great idea!!!!! I love the transition idea...

And since your thinking cannibal I figured I'd toss this at u, it was for our zombie party but I have a feeling it just might work for your menu too

https://www.pinterest.com/dawnrb/halloweenzombie-food/

 

[The Stalk]

Thanks for the link, pumpkinpie. It looks like there are some good ideas that I will probably use on that board. It's a little tough because the SO and I are both vegetarian, so a lot of the obvious and fun meat dishes/apps are out of the question for us. Funny, I guess, that we're going with the cannibal witch thing...

 

[pumpkinpie]

Vegetarian cannibals lmao!!!!

Yeah that does make it hard unless u do mainly a dessert bar but I'll keep my eye out and if I see anything that might work I'll let u know...

You could still do the "meat head" as a center piece, maybe just use radicchio