# Haunted forest ideas needed!



## sandpipr (May 21, 2011)

I am going to do a public haunted forest and have some ideas but could use yours. Let me know how to build gateways or fences cheap, or tombstones, or even a mausoleum.


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## TK421 (Mar 27, 2009)

Tombstones: The best method is to purchase 2" insulation styrofoam and carve out your tombstones. You can purchase a 2' x 8' piece of dense styrofoam for around $15-$20. From one piece, you can usually cut four or five tombstones.

Gateways & Fences: There are many methods for building gates and fences, it mainly depends on the style you want to follow. If you're looking for the rod iron style with finials, then most people use strips of wood and PVC. 

If you're looking at some sort of gateway, your options are practically limitless. People have used wood, styrofoam, round concrete tubes, and even paper mache. Just search through the threads for things like gates, columns, entrance, etc.

Mausoleum: I don't know what you consider "cheap" but this is the most cost-effective design I have come up with for a mausoleum. It's cheap, lightweight, and easy to take apart and store.


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## sandpipr (May 21, 2011)

TK421: thank you! I might look you up again soon for additional questions!


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## sandpipr (May 21, 2011)

Does anyone know how to build a mirror maze? I have researched mirror mazes and have the general idea for the layout--but how to make a mirror is the tricky part. I looked into milar and you can get them in sheets for a heafty cost. Just wondering how to attach the milar to a backing so it is a mirror. Any ideas or someone that has done this?


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

For materials, check your local grocery store or department stores and see if they would be willing to let you take some of their wooden pallets. You can break them apart to build fences and frames for a building.


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## Pumpkinhead625 (Oct 12, 2009)

Sandpiper, try this website. They have lots of good ideas.

http://hauntproject.com/


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## Guest (May 22, 2011)

Sandpipr welcome aboard the forum first off!!! There are tons of ideas out there one of the things I enjoy doing is seeking to view all albums of members on the forum. You can go through all their haunt photos from builds to set up and you can always ask them how they did something most are willing to share their secrets. 

TK is right tombstones build cheap and look great also I would seek out crows around Sept they will show up at your local Dollar Tree and they would look great on tree branches light with say a green flood light from your local hardware store. 

Owls are awesome in a forest haunt as well. I use a garden pest detourant owl in my display which I found at a yard sale for 2.00 but at end of garden season most stores will clearance those out. 

I also would suggest the ever scattered pumpkins as nothing says halloween like Jack Os. If you have electric power you can scatter well lit ones throughout the trail. 

If you get crafty with Paper Mache you can make small evil/scary face pieces like eyes mouth nose and attach them to trees to make them look alive for cheap. 

Pallets make great fencing as Shadowbat said and we all build them different I can show you how I build mine if it helps. The best part is they are typically free. 

I hope my info helps a bit and welcome aboard again!


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

The Prop and Tutorial sections on this forum are a good place to start for what you are looking for. 

I can't recall the member's name right now but one guy in particular stands out as doing a fantastic haunted woods haunt here on the forum. Has been running it for a number of years and could probably give you some useful info on setting up and problems you might encounter. I'm pretty sure either he posted some video footage or linked to his website that had some. Have you tried to do a search here on the forum for "woods" yet? if not might be a place to start.


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## sandpipr (May 21, 2011)

Ghost of Spookie--and everyone else thank you. It will eventually all come together. I have a bunch of ideas in place already and things to build. I will look up "woods" for that haunted forest person. Years ago when I lived in Fresno, CA there was a haunted forest called "Hobbs" and it was so well done. I heard the couple divorced and so it's on hold or something. Nonetheless many of my ideas have come from my own experiences too. Love it!


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## yellow_moon (Apr 21, 2008)

I haven't had time to come on here for years now, but I caught the halloween vibe and thought of all the good people/ideas here and thought I'd get back to planning a party this year. Haven't decided on a theme, but I'm having a party after taking a year off. Your idea sounds like such fun. I was just watching that movie The Lovely Bones and that it would be so creepy in a haunted forest to make a drop floor room underground with candles and potions you brew and ofter to people at the end of the forest. If I had my own land, I would do that, make a haunted forest with an underground parlor hangout room. It's so creepy but in a fun earth loving good ambiance kind of way. One day I'll have land to do it and when you're not using it for halloween, you can make it into a root cellar, totally practical for year round use and then creeptastic for the witching hours in october.


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

I highly recommend checking out the winning entry in the final episode of Face-off, a haunted Frog Prince theme featuring an elemental forest witch. The Alan Moore issues of the Swamp Thing comic book, conveniently collected in graphic novels, also contain some great ideas for a haunted forest.


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## sandpipr (May 21, 2011)

I have been in a huge public forest that had a bridge and an underground cave to walk thru that was ultra cool. It's amazing what you can do with a lot of land and a lot of money and help. These people that did this were so successful and made tons of money from it; until they divorced. Now the thing is on hold  But the ideas have been streaming in my brain on designing one myself


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## sandpipr (May 21, 2011)

I saw the face off episode you recommended--thanks!


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## SweetnScary (Apr 4, 2011)

I'm actually looking for ideas for the same thing. Only I'm planning on having my Haunted Forest for my Haunted Birthday party in July since I won't be in the state for Halloween this year and can't throw my annual Halloween party.


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