# Time is running out! What are you working on right now?!?!



## jahnkekong (Aug 1, 2011)

Finished my spooky town bases, started work making these ornaments for a black xmas tree I thrifted this year




















next up - updating my gardening zombie and making new monster plants, making a fog chiller, making a skellie ToTer if I can make the time


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## jb1sb2 (Oct 9, 2014)

Oh geez. I have been busy building a shed, built-ins and tiling my fireplace. So I am behind, but hoping to start building my horse drawn hearse this coming week!


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## J-Man (Feb 1, 2011)

jahnkekong,
Nice work on the ST bases!


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## Illysium (Jul 15, 2016)

Collecting and painting pumpkins:


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

Hey there JB1sb2,
Lets compare notes on our Horse Drawn Hearse's......and how we are doing them.
I am also starting to Build mine.
I have everything for it.....Old Steel wheels - 56 inch for the Rear and 42 Inch for the Front.....have all my Material for the Frame and the Hearse itself.
I am still debating....the size of the Box.
I think.....that 8 ft long.....is a little bit to long....and I think that being the full 4 feet high.....is a little High?
I'm thinking about making the box 7 ft long and about 3 1/2 feet high.
Just not to sure about the size?
I have made Two "Child size" coffins as of last week....and have 4 or 5 more FULL SIZE Coffins to make.
Its still August...but.....it looks as if....September is going to be a very very Busy month! lol
Keep in touch..and lets chat about what we are doing to our Hearse's ......it can only help, the finished product.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Myra Mains Haunters said:


> Hey there JB1sb2,
> Lets compare notes on our Horse Drawn Hearse's......and how we are doing them.
> I am also starting to Build mine.
> I have everything for it.....Old Steel wheels - 56 inch for the Rear and 42 Inch for the Front.....have all my Material for the Frame and the Hearse itself.
> ...


MAKES GRABBY HANDS AT COFFINS 

One day I'll make some.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

I forgot to mention, that I just completed our 24 " x 18 " Glass covered Bulletin / Message Board, that will be either mounted to a Spooky Tree out front....or....I will mount it to a 4x4 Post.
The Weather Proof Bulletin Board has two Black Lights in it.....that will illuminate our Spooky Halloween Poster, announcing our "Food Drive" for our local Food Bank. 
I will be making a Huge Coffin to place all the Donations in.....The Food Drive is just another way, of giving back to the Community.
Its kind of Funny....how the Fire Marshall, will turn a blind eye... to some small infractions in a Haunt....if...a Charity is involved. lol


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## Frogger (Oct 26, 2016)

My spooky fence. I have only built 50 of the 127 feet I need. I also get my black Halloween tree tomorrow. Plan on decorating it this weekend.


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## Ghouliet (Nov 5, 2010)

I am also working on fencing. I want to close off the driveway area this year.I am hoping to locate 10 more finials.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Crap that reminds me I need to make a few more fence sections.


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## jb1sb2 (Oct 9, 2014)

Hi Myra! Certainly! Sounds like yours will be awesome! I have to build mine in my garage so I have height restraints. And have not figured out the measurements yet. I had a set of carriage wheels lined up but they ended up selling them out from under me. Oh well, plywood it is! LOL! I am thinking of doing 42" in rear, 32" in the front. ( going back and forth on that or just doing all 42 inchers all around ) But that will mean the "box" part will be a bit smaller, but I am ok with that. Especially since the coffin I am putting in it is a vintage cremation casket. So it is smaller anyway. But I am excited to see it come together!

Awesome coffins by the way! They look just like the ones asylum coffins make!


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## Malicious (Sep 8, 2014)

I have Three things im working on. A cauldron creep ( the creep is done now working on the cauldron and cosls) a big spooky tree and a swamp shed facade!


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Taking a break. Got his top half mostly done, just need a little touch up. filling in the screw holes with Apoxie Sculpt mixed with Wildfire green glow paint which is not a perfect solution but is working well enough. Really tired of having to clean up rust stains every year on the outdoor skellies. Still haven't decided if I am doing glow or black on the bolts. Using the awesome matte black paint I reviewed earlier this year. After him I have 2 more skeletons to do this weekend.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

jb1sb2 said:


> Hi Myra! Certainly! Sounds like yours will be awesome! I have to build mine in my garage so I have height restraints. And have not figured out the measurements yet. I had a set of carriage wheels lined up but they ended up selling them out from under me. Oh well, plywood it is! LOL! I am thinking of doing 42" in rear, 32" in the front. ( going back and forth on that or just doing all 42 inchers all around ) But that will mean the "box" part will be a bit smaller, but I am ok with that. Especially since the coffin I am putting in it is a vintage cremation casket. So it is smaller anyway. But I am excited to see it come together!
> 
> Awesome coffins by the way! They look just like the ones asylum coffins make!


Hey JB,
Thanks for the compliments on my Coffins......only 4 or 5 more to make!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrr
Hey....instead of boring everyone on the Forum, with us going back and forth on here, about our Hearse Builds....I'd Love to exchange some ideas, off the site.
If you or anyone else is wanting to trade some ideas...you can write to me at [email protected]
Its always fun to hear what others are doing.
PS.....I am also building my Hearse in our Garage......I'll build the Frame...put the Wheels on.....roll it out.....and then start on the Carriage, on the ground.
I want to build it.....so...that I can EASILY.....take it apart for Storage.
Grrrrrrrrrrr......Storage! lol
Lets keep in Touch.


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

Frogger said:


> My spooky fence. I have only built 50 of the 127 feet I need. I also get my black Halloween tree tomorrow. Plan on decorating it this weekend.


What kind of tree did you get and where? I was thinking about spray painting some tall fallen tree limbs black and "planting" them indoors in a pot or two.


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## Zombie4* (Aug 29, 2015)

I have been super busy getting my aliens together. I have 14 in total to complete. Oh and 2 space ships


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

Those are freaking awesome Zombie4! It looks relatively simple, but the finished product is totally realistic. Well, assuming we know what aliens look like. LOL Looking good!


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

I am actually pausing working on my James and Lily Potter stone to crunch on some cosplay for a con in September. I have too many hobbies that revolve around fall for my own sanity. I have some canning to do soon too.


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## Bruzilla (Jun 3, 2011)

We're about 85% done with our 2017 Pennywise figure, and want to get him done this weekend as a local theater is interested in renting him for the premier of It on the 8th.

We're a bit behind on the Pumpkinhead figure as it's been so damn hot and working in the garage when it's a gazillion degrees just doesn't get it.  I've got the mannequin cut, the leg stilts done, and once I weld the feet to the base plates I'll be able to move the whole deal into the kitchen (and air conditioning) and get him finished up before the end of September.


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## JoyfulCrow (Aug 31, 2015)

Right now I'm knitting a spider/spiderweb scarf and hunting for stuff I could put out on my balcony. I haven't done it before (moved in December 2015 and didn't put anything out there last year) so I'm not sure what I want to do...


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## TosaTerror (Oct 1, 2015)

http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/91235-show-us-your-stones-153.html#post2246321

I should have posted this here in the first place...oh well. I'm putting the finishing touches on this for my graveyard haunt this year.


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

LadyMage said:


> I am actually pausing working on my James and Lily Potter stone to crunch on some cosplay for a con in September. I have too many hobbies that revolve around fall for my own sanity. I have some canning to do soon too.


DragonCon in Atlanta? I keep saying I'm going to go, but never plan for it soon enough.


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## Zombie4* (Aug 29, 2015)

Bobbiejo said:


> Those are freaking awesome Zombie4! It looks relatively simple, but the finished product is totally realistic. Well, assuming we know what aliens look like. LOL Looking good!


Thanks so much!!!! With the hot weather and recent illness its been a struggle! I just hope I can get them all finished on time


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## acanton04 (Sep 4, 2016)

I'm finishing a celtic cross for my sleepy hollow graveyard, still have to carve some funkins, and finish the HH- still waiting for Target/Walmart to put out their costume stuff so I can pick up an axe and some gloves and fake blood. I have little details on other projects I need to finish like a mini raven to my wreath and finish making bats for the front door.I feel the crunch for sure!


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## El Wray (Jul 5, 2017)

Just ordered a sample filter gel swatchbook from Amazon for my DIY lights. Found some mini-LED lights at Wal-Mart the other day for $1. 
Found some old boards in my parents garage that I might start building a fence with since I'm off all weekend for once, going to do the measurements sometime today. Can't forget mapping out the cost on the PVC pipes for the dummy frames. Might carve these foam pumpkins today since I have no homework either.

Jeez, what a busy weekend of planning


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## Frogger (Oct 26, 2016)

II ordered this:
https://www.houzz.com/photos/60200209/lid=45128791/65x34-Black-Fir-Tree-traditional-christmas-trees
Free shipping and no tax.


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

I'm still in planning mode until I get a chance to shop in my sister's barn - she says she's got wagon wheels & some other goodies in there. Once I see what I can acquire from her, I'll decide what I want to do. I'm not going to try an actual hearse yet, but I'm thinking a very basic wagon with the coffin sliding off maybe? Something like that.....

What I really need to do is figure out some sort of (cat-proof) display for my coffee table to put my village on. I have so many pieces that there's no rhyme or reason to how they're set up.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

What an unreal day of adding to our Haunt, just by going to Value Village, for the very first times in our Lives.
We have never ever been to a Thrift Store before, thinking that there was really nothing there, that would appeal to us.
NO!!!!!......We are not Snobs or High on ourselves, but....seriously......it never ever crossed our minds...till now!
I was on You Tube the other day, just looking around at various Halloween Haunts and different ideas, that everyone has....and I accidentally came across some guy....who was doing Videos on his Thrift Store "Treasures" that he would find, at stores like Value Village.
Well...being a HOT and SUNNY Saturday morning, we were getting all ready to spend the day Baking in the Sun, and catching as many Rays as we could, before our Summer is suddenly over and our Monsoon Season starts up!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......RAIN!
Then......suddenly... just something came over us ( I think that it was the Halloween Spirit?) and we decided to head out, and check out some Local Thrift Stores....and that we did.
I was absolutely "SHOCKED" ...actually we BOTH were Totally SHOCKED!!!!!....when we drove up to the Value Village in our area.
The Entire Store was just packed with Halloween Stuff......it was absolutely UNREAL!
I am still.....in Halloween Shopping "SHOCK"!
Here is some of my Treasure that I found....at DIRT CHEAP Prices......I had to Pinch myself....as to how CHEAP everything was.
We bought "8" Pumpkins and a bunch of Arms and Legs.....and a really Cool Halloween Welcome Sign for just a $1:00 each???!!!
Like WTF......I Died and went to Halloween Heaven.
I was like a little kid in Santa's Work Shop.......It was just unreal....and we both LOVED it.....and are now HOOKED on such Thrift Stores.
Having said that thou....after I Bought them out of their Foam and their Blown Mold Pumpkins....and a bunch of other stuff.....we drove off to TWO other Value Village Stores.....to be kind of, a little disappointed.....as those Two Stores......had absolutely NOTHING.....and we do mean NOTHING....in the way of Pumpkins.
No Big Deal....as we now know.....where the Better Store is located at.
Tomorrow morning was another Planned Beach Day.....BUT......Nope!.....We are now heading out, to some other Districts.... to check out their own Thrift Stores, in hopes of digging up even more Treasures!
Moral of the Story???......Forget about Ebay, for your Halloween Shopping Deals.......Head on out...to your various Thrift Stores.....and buy your Ebay Stuff for just Pennies, compared to 3 Times the Price, that they want on Ebay.
I bought "EIGHT" Pumpkins today.....for the Price of just "ONE" Pumpkin, on Ebay!
My wife also purchased some very nice designer tops for the office.....and she was even more "SHOCKED" than I was.....with the Selection and the Prices at the Thrift Store!
We are now ADDICTED and HOOKED on shopping, at the Thrift Stores.
We figure that it has to be just Hit and Miss on what each store has, from time to time...and very much like Fishing, you never ever know, when the Fish will be Biting.
But.....it was just PURE FUN today.......to head out Fishing.....and not really know....if we would even get a nibble or even a Bite.
Well.......it was like we were Fishing with a Gill Net or with Dynamite....as opposed to using just a old Rod and Reel! LOL
What a Great Day of Fishing!
I think that it was a bit, of Beginners Luck, today? 
We now LOVE the Thrift Stores, as you all should....and you probably ...already do! lol


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

I've got the same problem--it's usually too hot and humid to work for very long in the garage, even with a fan running.
But, I have been working on building one of the grave digging skeletons that a few forum members have made. I'm trying to do it a different way and add some other features to it.
I even have a plan to make a whole scene with him by adding a few other props. Hopefully I have time to pull it off.
I'm sure once the weather cools down a bit I'll get a lot more accomplished.

Good luck, everybody!


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

What I'm currently working on is sort of embarrassing...two of my Larger-Than-Life Scarecrows have been ravaged by MICE since last Halloween!
I need to patch up a rib cage and two legs where the tinny critters have gotten in and nibbled at the paper mâché skin covering. I KNEW I should have used Plaster of Paris, but I was on a " Cheap" binge when I built them, trying to cut costs to an absolute minimum. Oh, well, live and learn...
Hey, who would have thought that MICE would prefer varnished paper mâché to poison laced peanut butter cookies?


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## Ghouliet (Nov 5, 2010)

We got finials and glued on and painted the fence panel we assembled last weekend. We also got the pieces cut for the second panel. This week I will try and bend the upright posts and screw them in place so we can paint the second panel next weekend.


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## TosaTerror (Oct 1, 2015)

Here's my first attempt at dealing with monster mud. We have a 5 foot Suit of Armor statue, that I just covered in an old bed sheet, soaked in some monster mud I concocted. To say this was a messy project is an understatement.

Just waiting for it to dry (which will probably take a few days), so I can water proof it with Dry-Lock.


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## Zombie4* (Aug 29, 2015)

TosaTerror said:


> Here's my first attempt at dealing with monster mud. We have a 5 foot Suit of Armor statue, that I just covered in an old bed sheet, soaked in some monster mud I concocted. To say this was a messy project is an understatement.
> 
> Just waiting for it to dry (which will probably take a few days), so I can water proof it with Dry-Lock.


wow!!!!! great job!!!! great addition to any cemetery!!!


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## ylz1230 (Aug 2, 2017)

He looks awesome!!!!


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Bobbiejo said:


> DragonCon in Atlanta? I keep saying I'm going to go, but never plan for it soon enough.


Atlanta is a little far afield for me - a full day's driving. It's also Labour day weekend, which is the biggest weekend of the year for the hub's work, or I'd be headed to Toronto's Fan Expo. That's the biggest one near me and the same weekend. I still have a few weeks before the first of two local cons that I already have tickets for. Someday I'll do some travelling for the bigger cons, when my skills are better. It's amazing how much the haunting skill sets cross over though.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Before and after, er, after and before of the glow skellies. Trying to psyche myself up for doing the second one. It takes a lot longer than I originally thought it would.


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

I'm upgrading some of our tombstones, plus I've sculpted six new ones. I did one thats a tad over 5' high, a tribute to Edgar Allen Poe...it has a bas relief Raven near the bottom featuring the quote, " Nevermore". I'm also hitting thrift stores picking up Pyrex bowls that will contain Green Fire. I've concocted a blend of Methyl Hydrate and Boric Acid that gives a really eerie flame...
Really looking forward to this year.


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

I've sorted this year's theme items in one area and packed away the rest. I also started stringing the lights (don't like leaving that for windy, cool October) and re-painting tombstones. Today I will start on my rustic scarecrow and other life sized builds. 

The Halloween décor is starting to appear in the stores up here so I'm starting to collect this year's Creepy Hollow theme props/costumes.


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## TosaTerror (Oct 1, 2015)

ylz1230 said:


> He looks awesome!!!!





Zombie4* said:


> wow!!!!! great job!!!! great addition to any cemetery!!!


Thanks! Yea, I'm looking forward to seeing him outside with some lighting on him.


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## Mapleton Manor (Aug 2, 2014)

Lets see spent last weekend putting up our fence panels. Finishing the lighting on the new mausoleum front on our FCC. Got all of our character PVC frames assembled and ready to dress. Spending the week finishing up hands for a couple new characters and hauling totes out to the garage with the character costumes and have some small repairs to do on our rooftop spiders legs. But for the most part everything is ready to go for this weekend and hope to have the lights all on and running by Monday night.


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## stick (Apr 2, 2009)

I have been working on my Grim Reaper for this year. GR is almost 7' feet tall. I am going to try and make a scythe for him now.
here is a picture of GR but I have added more highlighting after this was taken.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

What am I working on? Big fat NOTHING, that's what! I've got to get it in gear and get busy but stupid life keeps getting in the way!


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## Malicious (Sep 8, 2014)

Finished my spooky tree now I am working to revamp my spider.....swamping him up!


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## Ghouliet (Nov 5, 2010)

TosaTerror said:


> Here's my first attempt at dealing with monster mud. We have a 5 foot Suit of Armor statue, that I just covered in an old bed sheet, soaked in some monster mud I concocted. To say this was a messy project is an understatement.
> 
> Just waiting for it to dry (which will probably take a few days), so I can water proof it with Dry-Lock.



Very nice. It will look fantastic on Halloween night in a cemetery.


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## lizzyborden (Sep 17, 2009)

Finally got around to painting one of the pumpkins I made last year. I usually go for scarier faces but this is for my little girl.


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## Frogger (Oct 26, 2016)

I made progress on 20 more feet of fence today!


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## ThePirateHouse (Aug 9, 2009)

Getting an early start in the garage since I am a little limited right now due to rotator cuff surgery. Still have to add leaves/lights to trees. Plan to project Atmosfear fx witch to the inside of the backdrop. The story book will be in the front yard with a character reading it as sort of a welcome.


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

ThePirateHouse said:


> Getting an early start in the garage since I am a little limited right now due to rotator cuff surgery. Still have to add leaves/lights to trees.


This looks fantastic! Just curious, but how do you store all your full sized props? I can't imagine having the storage space needed to do such elaborate scenes. Storage rental unit maybe?


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

I am really starting to FEEL IT!
I am starting to feel the Coolness in the air..( Indicating that Halloween, is just around the corner ) ....and I am also starting to FEEL the Pressure and the STRESS , what with Halloween being just 60 Short days away!
Just 60 days???.......Where did our Summer go???
Yes.....we are always Saved in the end...by our own.... over used...Halloween Haunts, that are now tucked away in Storage....and we will always have our old standby's...that we use ...year after year........and they are just as Scary each and every year, to the New Group.... of Trick or Treaters.
But.....it is our "New" Props, that we add each year....that we FEEL the Pressure from... in getting finished and completed well before the !st of October.
Every year, I start on our Halloween stuff....earlier and earlier......but....it is NEVER .....Earlier enough! LOL
Summer Fun....gets in the way.
Going to the Beach.....Boating.....Water Skiing.....Riding our Harley's....Vacation Time......these all leave very little time, to do anything else.
Getting started on Halloween in August....is just not going to work......if....you are trying to avoid FEELING the STRESS.....of a quickly approaching Hallows Eve!
I'm starting to think....that March.....should probably be everyones Target Date......for getting organized, and picking away at a few New Props. and gaining speed, as each month goes by.
Just May Be???.......It is the STRESS.....that makes it that much more Fun for us?
The little Ghosts and Ghouls and their parents will never ever know, that we are missing, the Two extra Coffins that we had intended to build.
The Trick or Treaters and their parents will never ever know.....that we never got around to building that Guillotine , the one that we purchased all of the Lumber and Bolts for.
The visitors to our Haunts, will never ever know....that there is supposed to be an Infinity Window in the back of the Horse Drawn Hearse.
They will never know.....BUT.....We will!
They will all enjoy what ever we do, whether it be, just a small Pumpkin with a candle in it......or it is a FULL Blown Haunted House....with Actors Scaring everyone that dare...enter their Haunt.....but....."WE".....as "Halloween Addicts" ......are always wanting to do More and More and More!
The STRESS that we all feel at Halloween Time.....is the exact same STRESS......that "ALL" of us Guys Feel......when we are out...doing our Christmas Shopping........on Christmas Eve ......at 7 - 11! LOL
May be?......The Stress......is what keeps us all going?
Well.....not sure about anyone else out there......But.....I am definitely FEELING the STRESS.
Only 60 days left.....and we are going away, in 5 days.......for 2 weeks.....of doing NOTHING.... in the Hot Tropical Sun!
I wonder?.....if our Tropical Resort......would mind.....if I construct a few "Bamboo" Coffins by the Pool?
It would sure help with my Stress Level.....while.....adding to theirs!
Mind you, once my wife see's the BILL for the Resort......that Bamboo Coffin ....will come in handy for "Myra Mains"! LOL


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

Today I started on my life sized characters. First, the Headless Horseman....still need gloves and a few other adjustments (replace bloody hatchet with axe etc) but I'm happy with him.


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## Ghouliet (Nov 5, 2010)

Palladino said:


> Today I started on my life sized characters. First, the Headless Horseman....still need gloves and a few other adjustments (replace bloody hatchet with axe etc) but I'm happy with him.


That looks great. I do not know even where to begin to dress a skeleton or prop. How of earth to you bulk it up enough to make it look so real? Great job on it.


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

Thanks!

I usually build the basic shape out of chicken wire then wrap it in batting and/or bubble wrap to bulk it up. It also helps protect your hands and fingers from those nasty little chicken wires! I use Christmas tree stands and secure a log inside to make it stand sturdy. They are really cheap at thrift stores. I figure if they are strong enough to hold up a Christmas tree......and it works! My voodoo priest was built that way last year and withstood over a month of wind and steady rain. Didn't move an inch. 

If a prop is just lying down and doesn't need to stand I'll stuff one of those painter's jumpsuits you buy at the $1 dollar store. 

I don't use newspaper because if it rains, the water soaks through and makes a mess of the stuffing. I only use straw or hay for scarecrows. Too valuable as a visual prop to waste inside a prop.


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

Yesterday, I started compiling the music and sound effects that play during the haunt. Still have to select and edit but I'm glad I'm working on this so early in the game. Usually this is a rush at the end - "Oh, right! Sound! And did I turn on all the smaller lights and candles?...."

Today, I really want to start on the scarecrows. I plan on one for the front and a mega one at the back.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

Hey JB,
I have decided on the size for my own Horse Drawn Hearse.
This is what I am thinking.
Since Time is an issue ( We are losing 2 weeks of Building, due to being "Forced" to go away... to a Tropical Resort....for the next Two weeks! LOL ) I have scaled down my Detailing on my Hearse...and instead.....I will be doing a very Basic and Quick Hearse....Based on what Erie Acres did with his. Check out the "Infinity Mirrored" Horse Drawn Hearse, by "Erie Acres" on You Tube...he did a Great Job with his....for Simplicity....while it still looks great.
If I use his Design as a Base model.....I can redo it , for next season........starting in March next year.....so that I have a lot more time, than I do now.
So.....this is what I am thinking.
I have my Steel Wheels......so.....I am on my way.
The Frame that I build is really easy and simple to do.
The Bonus is, that I will use this exact same Hearse Base, for next years "NEW" and "Improved" version.
I will forget about shopping around for Plexi Glass, or for Tempered Glass in the size of 3' x 6' sheet.
Instead, for this year...."No Glass" windows.....We will just install some Creepy looking Rotted / Shredded Side Curtains, as Erie did.
Our sides will be installed just as his are.....sooooo Easy to do, and such a Brilliant simple idea, for QUICK Installation and for a QUICK Break Down afterwords.
We will go with a Frame, that Measures 10 Feet Long and 3 1/2 Feet Wide.
Our Hearse Box......will be 8 Feet Long.....but....we will have it being only 3 1/2 Feet High.
Each to their own.....BUT.....we like the Look...of Lower Hearse sides....as opposed to be looking a little Top Heavy.
Once again.....each to their own look and design.
By going with a 10 Foot Frame......it lets the Box be 8 Feet Long.....and the Drivers section... will be a doable/// and proportioned and balanced looking 2 Feet long.
Some of the Hearse's that we have looked at , have the Drivers section, looking far too Long, for the overall dimensions of the rear of the Hearse.
To our eyes.....Having a Smaller Drivers section, to a much Longer Back section. looks so much more Balanced.... and is a Properly Proportioned looking Hearse.
The beauty of "You Tube" is.....that you can actually SEE....what others have done.....and you can add or take away from their ideas....as you see fit.
Another reason for making the Width 3' 1/2 Wide is.....that for us.....we will just use a 4 x 8 Sheet of 2 inch Styrofoam for the Roof, and carve the edges to shape.
The Rear Oval Window / Picture Frame......is once again.....such a Great Idea.
I think.....that for my Hearse.......I will put a Door in the back, so that I can have a Coffin, sticking out the Back of it....and Falling out of it!
I'll worry about the "Steering"...... "Next Year".... ( Its not as if......I am going to be Pulling it around or moving it, once it is in place! )......as I will build it in my Garage and Paint it in there.....and I will finally put it together.....out in the Grave Yard....Prior to putting on the 4 sides.
I had some really picky Details in mind, for my own Design.....but....as TIME is running out on me.....I'll just go with Erie's design, ( Which looks great ) and do my own Design ......next time around.
Hey.....this Hearse is going to look sooooo much better, than the one.... that I had Last Year......which was NONE! LOL
Its going to be Dark out.....and what with Proper Lighting "IN" the Hearse and "ON" the Hearse.....anything is going to look GREAT!
Does anyone really think, that any 6 year old.....is going to notice, that there are No Glass windows on the Hearse?
Does anyone really think, that any 9 year old.....is going to notice that the Front axle does not Turn?
Does anyone really think, that any 38 year old Dad or Mom, is really going to Notice, that there "are" actually "Beer Cup Holders" in the Drivers section? LOL
NO....of course they won't!
Those pain stacking extra "Details", that we all want to spend on our projects ....is for our own Pleasure, and for our own personal Satisfaction.
I feel a lot better now, knowing EXACTLY.....how I am going to be Building my own Hearse, for this years Haunt.
Actually......it will be anything but my OWN Hearse......and I will be giving Erie Acres "ALL" the Credit, for this years Hearse.
I LOVE his Hearse , for its Ingenious Design.
I will add a few different touches , along the way......but.....for the most part.....it will be a Copy ...of Erie's Hearse.
Have a look at i,t on You Tube.....and see what you think?
The more that I look at it.....the MORE......that I LOVE IT!
I'm feeling absolutely NO STRESS NOW! LOL
Bring on that Tropical Resort!
I wonder?......IF.....they have any Halloween Stores.....where we are going to ?
May be?....some Witch Doctors practising ..... or Voodoo Ceremonies going on.....involving Human Skulls or Shrunken Heads?
Wonder what the going rate is, on "Real" Human Heads?
As long as it is.... "NOT".....Mine or Hers ......what ever they are asking.....we will gladly Pay it! LOL


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

I just finished my Halloween Bulletin / Message Board today.
It is going to be used, from the Last week of September till the 1st Day of November, in order to announce our Halloween "Food Bank" Charity Drive....and to give Thanks to those, that have contributed to making sure, that "No One" goes Hungry, come this Halloween season. 
I made the Message Centre out of cuttings from my Coffins, and was able to obtain the Plexi Glass and old hinges from work.
The Door Knob Skeleton, was purchased from Value Village, on our very first shopping spree at a Thrift Store , as of last weekend.
I am going to be wiring it, and installing a Tiny Speaker for Creepy sounds, and a "Flickering".... "Black Light" in its Canopy, so that our Halloween Messages and our ever changing Halloween Posters, will be seen during all hours of the Days and Nights, leading up to the Scary Night.
It will also be covered in Cob Webs and a few Spiders ....just to add some Ambiance to the Ghostly Messages.
It is finished in a Crackle Paint theme, to give it a more aged and beat up look.
It measures 18" x 24", and it will be mounted on a Weathered looking 4x4 Post, sticking out of the ground....in front of our Spooky Grave Yard.
Here are a few quick pictures of the almost finished Halloween Message Board.
I have also included a few of the Posters that we will Blow Up to 18" x 24" ...in order to Fill Out...the entire board.
Speaking of Boards.....I should also mention, that it has a Cork Board in the back of the case, in order to make Posting ( Pinning ) our Posters, and changing them out.....a Breeze!
Have a look, and see what you think?


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Still givin' er on new tombstones, but I've also decided the entrance to the Walk-Thru needs an upgrade. No more Black Visqueen screen. We're going with an evil "Mouth" that the TOT's will use to enter and exit. Why didn't I think of this years ago?
Y'know, it doesn't matter how long you've been doing this, there's always something new...


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## Deadview (Aug 9, 2011)

a fifth of Jack.............................oh props....................a moving skelly head and arm in a cauldron. Also testing my foggers to make sure there are no issues.


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## ThePirateHouse (Aug 9, 2009)

Storage is indeed an issue. We have a storage unit but use it only for big bulky things we seldom use. We have shelves that hang from the ceiling in the garage, a wall of cupboards in the garage as well, our lower level has a large unfinished space and one of our spare bedrooms is nothing but Halloween & mascots. Oh, and at our house there really are monsters under the bed.


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## acanton04 (Sep 4, 2016)

Palladino said:


> Today I started on my life sized characters. First, the Headless Horseman....still need gloves and a few other adjustments (replace bloody hatchet with axe etc) but I'm happy with him.


How did you get yours to stand?- I'm doing the HH as well this year.


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## acanton04 (Sep 4, 2016)

Just finished!


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

acanton04 said:


> How did you get yours to stand?- I'm doing the HH as well this year.


I usually build the basic shape out of chicken wire then wrap it in batting and/or bubble wrap to bulk it up. It also helps protect your hands and fingers from those nasty little chicken wires! I use Christmas tree stands and secure a log inside to make it stand sturdy. They are really cheap at thrift stores. (The stands, not the logs - ha! ha! I figure if the tree stands are strong enough to hold up a Christmas tree......and it works! My voodoo priest was built that way last year and withstood over a month of wind and steady rain. Didn't move an inch.


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## Windborn (Oct 10, 2011)

Next up for me is finishing the scale armor for my skellie knight and then the corpsing of his horse. Been a bit behind due to RL craziness and will lose a whole week to a beach vacation LOL


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## Malicious (Sep 8, 2014)

Had Tarot cards and wasn't sure how I was going to use them....started working yesterday on that mobile someone here posted but ran out of cards! 










also repainted my Gemmy crawling zombie to fit my swamp /vodoo theme! ( never liked his origional look)


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## Zombie4* (Aug 29, 2015)

I worked on the rest of my aliens and the mothership over the long weekend. Still alot if work to be done tho!


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

Malicious said:


> Had Tarot cards and wasn't sure how I was going to use them....started working yesterday on that mobile someone here posted but ran out of cards!
> 
> 
> [iurl="http://www.halloweenforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=466489&d=1504622229"]
> ...


I love your tarot cards! Are there cards on the backside of the cards facing us? I plan on doing one too. I picked up 2 packs of cards. Hopefully that's enough.


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

Zombie4* said:


> I worked on the rest of my aliens and the mothership over the long weekend. Still alot if work to be done tho!


All those aliens surrounding the bed is just creepy cool! Imagine waking up to see all them there.


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## Malicious (Sep 8, 2014)

Bobbiejo said:


> I love your tarot cards! Are there cards on the backside of the cards facing us? I plan on doing one too. I picked up 2 packs of cards. Hopefully that's enough.


So far that is one deck. There are some backs facing forward that i want to put face cards on. Im hoping one more deck will do it ( 2 total) as i only ordered one more deck!


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## Zombie4* (Aug 29, 2015)

Bobbiejo said:


> Zombie4* said:
> 
> 
> > I worked on the rest of my aliens and the mothership over the long weekend. Still alot if work to be done tho!
> ...


Hahaha!!!! I had them in my daughters room and she had a fit!! So I was forced to move them to my step sons room lol!!


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Fell a bit ill so got behind. Still have to paint the last glow skelly. Glittering spiders for a new wreath and I have to fix the railing outside the kitchen door again this week. Luckily it's going to be cool! I wish I was ready to actually out the yard out It's probably going to be nicer this week than the week I am planning to do it.


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## hplvr17 (Jun 21, 2017)

Eek 55 days!


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## djgra79 (Sep 6, 2017)

Oh wow I've only looked at a couple of pages and already love everything! I'm working on a peekaboo tombstone, where the tombstone splits in 2 to reveal a skeleton behind it. I've also mostly finished a flying crank ghost.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

Its Funny......how we all become sooooo obsessed with Halloween.....it just gets into your blood.
Now I know.....WHY...Dracula Loved it soooo much!
I guess, it was a little bit different for him...as it was HIM.....who was getting into other peoples Blood! LOL
In any case.....here it is.....4:00 AM....and I am getting ready to head off to work ( Grrrrrrrrrrrrr WORK!!!! ), and I was just looking out the window....thinking about and planning for .....my Grave Yard Fence and my Hearse!
Yet.....we are are leaving first thing tomorrow morning, for 2 weeks of Fun in the Sun.....and I am spending absolutely NO Time at all, thinking about that......but....Halloween is constantly on my mind! 
I guess we all have Priorities? LOL
I made the Two Long Panels or Walls or Sides...( Or what ever you are wanting to call them? ) for my Horse Drawn Hearse, the other day.....and am just needing to make the Frame.....in order to make up the Back Door and the Front section of the Box.
I am still needing to locate the Pipe, that I will use for my Axles....and once that is found and bought, I will be well on my way.
We drove out to the Country side on the weekend, and we bought an Old Rough looking Antique "Radio Flyer" Wagon.....that we will use in one of our Displays.
We got the idea off of Pinterest and Loved it, on first sight.
We have two Antique tricycles....and we will put some Child size Skeletons on them....and one of the Tricycles will be Pulling the Wagon, which will be full of Carved and Lit Pumpkins.
Yup....Time is running out.....but.....it is the STRESS......that makes it all that much more FUN!
Speaking of STRESS?.......Off to work I go!!!!
Work! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


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## Mapleton Manor (Aug 2, 2014)

Got about 95% of our display up this weekend and the lighting as well. Went out Monday night when it got dark enough to tweek the lights and see what needed further adjustment. Got those adjustments done last night and going to spend this week getting the small details added and the rest all set up. Friday night is out as i am going to see the new IT.


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

I'm doing a new entrance for the walk-thru, a giant " mouth". Gonna try and make it look like a cave opening, but, so far, it's all mouth...


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## Pumpkin215 (Jul 31, 2013)

I'm working on very little, if anything. This is going to be one of those Halloweens where there isn't much time. 

Hubby and I just moved so it looks like the only "project" this year is him building shelves in the garage for all of my Halloween items.

The coffin I have was damaged in the move and is falling apart. I don't mind that it looks broken because that adds to the effect. The issue is that it is getting ready to fall apart completely. Hubby made it when we were dating and this was his first ever Halloween project- so he didn't take into consideration of the weight of the wood. It takes two people to move and is not going to survive much longer.

I'll be in vacation for a week in early October and then at the end of the month- during Halloween- I'll be in Vegas for a wedding. I wasn't going to embark on a big project when I'm not going to be around for half the month and I'm bummed about it!

So I'm here to watch the posts! What everyone is working in looks awesome and I plan to live vicariously through others this year!


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

Myra Mains Haunters said:


> View attachment 467129


OMG - I LOVE THIS!!!! This is the kind of stuff I have in my display! The skeleton on the tricycle with the bug eyes is great!!


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

It is so nice out tonight. It's almost cold and every fibre of my being is screaming to start putting Halloween out at least on the porches but I dare not since I don't know what's happening with the hurricanes. We aren't in real danger but like with the corpse of Harvey if it comes for us we can get tornados and nasty straight line winds.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

What with packing.... for our "4:00 AM" departure ( YUP........4:00 AM! Grrrrrrrr ) , for the Airport tomorrow morning....for two weeks in the SUN, I was still able to sneak in some Halloween time.
As the wive left, to get her Nails done....and as soon as the coast was clear, I headed down stairs, to work on my much "Bigger" Coffin.
The packing can alway wait....as it is...we all know....that I will forget something......as I always do! lol
Have a look at my "Food Drive" Coffin......we will be using this, for the collection... of all of the "Donated" Canned Goods, that we will be collecting for the more Needy and for our local Food Bank.
I have included a picture of the "BASE" of the "Food Drive" Coffin......standing up next......to the "Base"... of one of our "ADULT" Sized 6 Foot Coffins, that we use in our Haunt.
As you can see, the Food Drive Coffin is much Bigger.....just not sure, if I should go even BIGGER?
The Bigger it is.....the HEAVIER that it becomes.....and Finding Storage for it....is always an issue.
I was thinking, that if the sides are HIGHER than Normal.....it should do the job...and if not?.....I'll either empty it as it Grows ( Hopefully ) or.....I'll just place another Coffin besides it?
Its just the Base of the Coffin....but.....once you get the Size and Shape of the Coffin, the rest of it...is pretty simple for the most part.
What do you think?
Is she BIG Enough?
Errrrrr...G












ot to run.....I just heard her car pull up......"Man".....I am such a SLOWWWWWW Packer....for some strange reason?! LOL


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Making eyeballs. Ping pong ball, yarn, mod podge, Terras eye templates (thank you! these are so useful) and clear nail polish. Going to have a big, nasty pickle jar of these sitting on my fruit stand.


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

kakugori said:


> [iurl="http://www.halloweenforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=469249&d=1504930871"]
> 
> 
> 
> ...


. 

Yours are so much better then mine! I also used ping pong balls, but simply drew on them with sharpie markers. Are there instructions somewhere on how to make these?


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

kakugori said:


> View attachment 469249
> 
> 
> Making eyeballs. Ping pong ball, yarn, mod podge, Terras eye templates (thank you! these are so useful) and clear nail polish. Going to have a big, nasty pickle jar of these sitting on my fruit stand.


OH I need to make some of those.

Working on some glow skull ghost things right now. 









Oh, the hell?


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

http://www.monstertutorials.com/2014/12/18/eyes-1-easy-realistic-eyes-eyeball-tutorial/


There's the link for making the eyeballs.^^ He links to the pinterest page, so here's a direct forums link for Terra's eyeballs

A standard 40mm table tennis ball is larger than real size, and the original size printout was too small so I resized it 150% and now they're just right. You can get smaller balls, but not as easily. Mine have logos on them that I didn't bother to paint over or scratch off, I just hide them under the yarn. It does scratch off with a craft knife pretty easily though.


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## ReelSore (Jan 19, 2015)

I working on making signs because of the issues we had last year.










Also been working on drop panels.


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## ylz1230 (Aug 2, 2017)

made this super cheap  $10.00


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

ylz1230 said:


> View attachment 472249
> 
> 
> made this super cheap  $10.00


That looks........soooooo Frigging COOL!!!
Please tell us all...how you made it....in Full Detail?
I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!!!


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## HereForTheBoose (Aug 21, 2016)

ylz1230 said:


> View attachment 472249
> 
> 
> made this super cheap  $10.00


Details, please! If you used wire for the body please give us a peak of that. This is awesome for the price.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Skull Ghost done. One down 2 to go. Not sure where I am putting them yet, maybe near the graveyard, maybe elsewhere.


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

lilibat said:


> View attachment 472697
> 
> 
> Skull Ghost done. One down 2 to go. Not sure where I am putting them yet, maybe near the graveyard, maybe elsewhere.


Love this! How did you do it?


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Palladino said:


> Love this! How did you do it?


A plastic glow in the dark skull I painted up with the matte black acrylic paint and some cheap white tulle. 3 squares of tulle one under, two over the top one is half the length of the long one. I shredded the tulle with a razor blade haphazardly.


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## halloweenjoy (Jul 27, 2017)

I made these-- FOR FREE! 

Woohoo! 

Ok, spent 75 cents on craft paint, but the wood came from a scavenged crate (son ordered a new engine and I claimed the wood crate)
Did it all by myself because even though I have 4 guys in this house, they don't do anything other than work on cars. LOL

Not "scary" but I really wanted something cute out front for FALL!
I made two more that I forgot to include in this picture... oops, lol.


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## Zombie4* (Aug 29, 2015)

halloweenjoy said:


> I made these-- FOR FREE!
> 
> Woohoo!
> 
> ...


Super cute!! Great idea!!!


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## thruster (Sep 17, 2014)

My kid ghost killer. Still have to add blood on the knife and ghost. I am using perma blood which looks so realistic but doesnt show up on camera very well.


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## SusanSpooky (Jun 16, 2014)

thruster said:


> My kid ghost killer. Still have to add blood on the knife and ghost. I am using perma blood which looks so realistic but doesnt show up on camera very well.


 Oh my gosh, that is amazing! It already looks nice n'creepy! Great work, be sure to show a picture after you've bloodied it up proper.


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## ReelSore (Jan 19, 2015)

Gotta do some more on the signs, repair a few things that broke last year, build a few more controllers. 

























All made out of foam board.


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## Malicious (Sep 8, 2014)

Finally settled on a name for my bayou ....lol now working on the sign. So much to do so little time!


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## Zombie4* (Aug 29, 2015)

Well I had to fabricate a brace for my crashed ufo. It didnt take too long but its soooooo stinkin hot!! I need to do a couple more little things and I will be finished. Im sure lighting on this will be a challenge. Im looking forward to it  I added alot more lighting this year. I got color changing led tape lights and flood lights, and led scattered dot lights...im dying to try them out!!! I also added alot of battery powered lighting to lessin the load on the breakers lol


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## ReelSore (Jan 19, 2015)

Currently building & programming controllers. Bought a new laser sensor and tried to get it to work with the arduino but haven't had any luck with it,yet.


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## Illysium (Jul 15, 2016)

halloweenjoy said:


> I made these-- FOR FREE!
> 
> Woohoo!
> 
> ...



They look great! 

I prefer colorful pumpkins and fall decor, over Halloween stuff anyway.

Good job!


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

Construct scene setter backgrounds for the cornfield/pumpkin patch graveyard. It's been raining for days but today looks clear and I'm off work. Need to do as much outside work as possible at this juncture. String lights, change bulbs, other ladder work. Clean and.put away barbecue and patio umbrella for the season to make room for Icabod's "Class Deceased" school room.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I've got to finish packing up and cleaning out my mom's apartment and find a home for all her things before I can get my Halloween stuff down from the attic. It will be all moved out by Sunday but then I'm afraid I'm going to have no where to work on anything. So, I guess that's what I'm working on - finding a place to work on stuff!


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

OK, I'm starting to stress now! Tomorrow is the Spawn's birthday, so that means Friday is when I start to set up! I have blowmolds, animal skeletons, headstones, the sign & fence all sitting on my patio. But the blowmolds haven't been cleaned up yet - in fact one is still filled with pinecones from a certain bushy-tailed rodent (and here I felt bad when I saw a hawk grab one of them! Not anymore. <expletive>) I've put a coat of DryLok on my elderly plywood headstones, but need to paint the new epitaphs on them. I need to mow the front lawn. I need to get the human skeletons out of the garage. 

Plus, I promised to make cupcakes for Spawn to take to her dance classes tomorrow night. 

And the inside? My house looks like a tornado hit so I NEED to get it cleaned up before I can do anything. I'm pretty sure there are 7 or 8 people living there that I haven't found, since there's no way 3 of us could make such a mess when we're away most of the day!.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

lisa48317 said:


> OK, I'm starting to stress now! Tomorrow is the Spawn's birthday, so that means Friday is when I start to set up! I have blowmolds, animal skeletons, headstones, the sign & fence all sitting on my patio. But the blowmolds haven't been cleaned up yet - in fact one is still filled with pinecones from a certain bushy-tailed rodent (and here I felt bad when I saw a hawk grab one of them! Not anymore. <expletive>) I've put a coat of DryLok on my elderly plywood headstones, but need to paint the new epitaphs on them. I need to mow the front lawn. I need to get the human skeletons out of the garage.
> 
> Plus, I promised to make cupcakes for Spawn to take to her dance classes tomorrow night.
> 
> And the inside? My house looks like a tornado hit so I NEED to get it cleaned up before I can do anything. I'm pretty sure there are 7 or 8 people living there that I haven't found, since there's no way 3 of us could make such a mess when we're away most of the day!.


Do you have cats? A cat can make the mess of 3 people. Dogs? 5 people.


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## Malicious (Sep 8, 2014)

lisa48317 said:


> And the inside? My house looks like a tornado hit so I NEED to get it cleaned up before I can do anything. I'm pretty sure there are 7 or 8 people living there that I haven't found, since there's no way 3 of us could make such a mess when we're away most of the day!.


omg mine is a disaster too! yesterday i just said to heck with it I'm working on my props!


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

I so wish I had a dedicated workshop area to do projects. It's been a matter of work on things where you can, and that isn't very conducive most of the time. Anyway the major item I'm working on right now is a giant Mantis upper torso to fit over the side fence. When pulling together my parts for him that I had picked up weeks ago, I discovered that I hadn't picked up all the connectors I needed thinking I'd get them when I went back for the remaining lengths of pvc. Had to budget out stuff so I could pick up the props I wanted to buy at the time. Last week picked up the pvc pipe but not the connectors! I hate the extra trips out to locate things and the time lost doing so. I still have a month to work on him but I do feel some pressure.

I have a shower curtain "backdrop" for my photo op area ordered that's suppose to show up 10/4 - 10/11. Hope it arrives at the early end of the delivery window. Will need to set up the hanging "rod" suspended from our house eaves to mount it to and decide how to weigh down the bottom of the curtain so it doesn't fly around. Should be easy to do that but still one more thing to check off. 

Pulled out my Skully zombie ground breaker and still need to locate Larry and Harry and work out bodies for them to be sitting in one of our cars at the drive-in. The other car might be with skeleton movie goers. I have a number of the Costco pose-n-stays I can use and they do pretty good with posing. That's an easy set up too.

Have a drive-in concession sign I still want to make.

Think I know what I'm doing for the Creature from the Black Lagoon "lagoon water" area. Need to find the lighting for it and do a test run at night to see if it's the effect I want.

Last item on the table is suspending the giant king kong hand horizontally for the photo op. Have ideas on this but still very much in the planning stage.


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

lilibat said:


> Do you have cats? A cat can make the mess of 3 people. Dogs? 5 people.


I guess that's the problem! 3 cats + 1 dog! Boogers need to stay out of the fridge & leaving pop cans & dishes on the coffee table in the living room. Oh wait - that's the kid. 



Malicious said:


> omg mine is a disaster too! yesterday i just said to heck with it I'm working on my props!


I'm ready to tell the family they have to make their own dinners so I can work on stuff outside! It was killing me last night to stand in the kitchen and look out the window while food was cooking, watching it get darker & darker. I did some painting by the light coming out of the garage door!


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

I finished a laser & fog vortex last weekend. This weekend I will get our cauldron witch prop up to speed. It's nice to have props that are not affected. Y weather; you can set 'em up in the back yard, do a little fine tuning, and leave them out until the last week of October.


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## Kwll2112 (Sep 14, 2016)

My cheese is so close to slipping off the cracker. Between having to run the kids around for sports, band, and finding a dress for Homecoming for the daughter… my wife and I are so far behind right now, we're pretty sure that light we see at the end of the tunnel is a train.


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## mb24 (Sep 7, 2013)

The light-up black cat mask from Walmart. Cant find it anywhere.


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## Neuf350Z (Feb 12, 2006)

Anyone else stressing besides me? I spent the summer building my own shed, by myself, which took 2 months and every ounce of my time and budget. It did come out great though.  On top of that, the muggy and hot summer didn't make it very easy to work outside - my only place to build. I'm now down to a month left and have only a couple of things completed.  To make it worse, these two little kids walked by with their mother last week and said they were excited to see what I had on display this year. PRESSURE!!!

With only weekends available to build, I've got a few ideas but can't seem to get much done. I resorted to buying a mannequin on eBay last night instead of building a body from PVC pipe in order to speed up the process. I've always wanted one and will always use it so I figured it was a good investment. I like to stick to making everything, but the upkeep of a home + work + errands + life make it hard to do that sometimes. In the end, I won't have much this year, but will probably use multiple window projections to make up for the lack of what's outside on the lawn. I'm sure the ToTs and their parents will enjoy what I have and me thinking it's "next to nothing" is just in my head.

Good luck everyone!!


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## CH31 (Jul 10, 2017)

We found some old wrought iron fencing for our cemetery on offer up over the weekend. We decided to make a cemetery entrance archway too. It was a last minute decision but it's the first thing we've actually made instead of just bought so I'm pretty excited about it.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

I have all the basic stuff out including the new ghost lady. Still need to work on tweaking the lighting and adding details. I need to do something with the horse skelly. Then I may try and rebuild my 7 foot monster that met a bad end last year. I also have a lot to do inside. I may have invited more people to the party this year than usual so I need to step up my game.


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## ThePirateHouse (Aug 9, 2009)

CH31 said:


> We found some old wrought iron fencing for our cemetery on offer up over the weekend. We decided to make a cemetery entrance archway too. It was a last minute decision but it's the first thing we've actually made instead of just bought so I'm pretty excited about it.


That is going to look great! Wood will last so much longer. Did ours out of foam but didn't last. Awesome!


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Pretty happy with this beef netting spider webs business.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I finally found some time and got my tombstones repainted yesterday. I got them all out a few weeks ago with the plan of getting them repaired and repainted in plenty of time before my set-up. Of course life got in the way and it didn't happen as planned. I had tombstones sitting around all over the house just waiting. They had gotten very faded in the sun over the years and just didn't look good anymore plus I have wanted to paint the backs and the pvc pipe black so that when I look out my windows they look a little less makeshift. Well, It's finally done! Yay! Something got done this year after all!


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Madame Leota said:


> I finally found some time and got my tombstones repainted yesterday. I got them all out a few weeks ago with the plan of getting them repaired and repainted in plenty of time before my set-up. Of course life got in the way and it didn't happen as planned. I had tombstones sitting around all over the house just waiting. They had gotten very faded in the sun over the years and just didn't look good anymore plus I have wanted to paint the backs and the pvc pipe black so that when I look out my windows they look a little less makeshift. Well, It's finally done! Yay! Something got done this year after all!


Tonight I have to do some touch up paint on the ones that are out, maybe even some epoxy putty repairs.


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

Madame Leota said:


> I finally found some time and got my tombstones repainted yesterday. I got them all out a few weeks ago with the plan of getting them repaired and repainted in plenty of time before my set-up. Of course life got in the way and it didn't happen as planned. I had tombstones sitting around all over the house just waiting. They had gotten very faded in the sun over the years and just didn't look good anymore plus I have wanted to paint the backs and the pvc pipe black so that when I look out my windows they look a little less makeshift. Well, It's finally done! Yay! Something got done this year after all!


Yesterday must have been the stone remodel day - I was doing the same thing! My original 'stones' are from 2008 and are basic sheets of plywood & exterior paint. So yeah, they're showing some wear & water seepage damage. I coated them all in DryLok and my daughter & I were out painting last night by the light shining out of the side garage door, putting new names on them. 

Today is her birthday, so I'll be able to start setting up the cemetery tomorrow!! Tonight I'll need to mow the front lawn (screw the backyard, my dog hasn't gotten lost yet!!) and do some final touchups on the stones so they're ready to go. 

I also removed (using tongs) a bucket's worth of pinecones from one of my blowmolds. Thanks rodents! I'm almost afraid to look in my shed again, since the pile of pinecones I dumped on the ground last weekend is now gone. The (expletives) probably loaded up one of my snowmen again.


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## Kwll2112 (Sep 14, 2016)

I think the worst part about this time of year is the lack of sleep. Too many nights my brain won't shutdown and let me sleep.


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## Zombie4* (Aug 29, 2015)

Kwll2112 said:


> I think the worst part about this time of year is the lack of sleep. Too many nights my brain won't shutdown and let me sleep.


Im rite there with ya!!! Ive lost sleep tryin to plot how I want this display to look.....layout, lighting etc. Im waiting on some led color changing lights to be delivered. Im dying to see how they look and where they would look best


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

The interior of the house has been done for a couple of weeks now and after learning that the most trick or treaters I can hope for on Halloween night is 12, I've decided not to do much outside other than setting up a fortune teller table with a fringed blue velvet tablecloth & associated themed accessories (ouija board, fortune telling tea cups, tarot cards, candles, crystal ball, gemstones, etc.). My hocus pocus & palm reader signs will be on the window overlooking the display. The final piece is a tarot card mobile like the one seen at Roger's Gardens. I have all the supplies to make the mobile and hope to get working on it this weekend.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

Finding a Swivel Chair Base, to be used on the Front Steering axle, on my Halloween Hearse, has proven to be a challenge.
I have now finally found one, and I have everything now ( Except for my Axles ) that I need for my Hearse. 
I have my Side Coach lights, my Big "Steel" Wheels, I cool wrought Iron seat, and now my Swivel Base, for my Front steering.
Now.......I just need another "Month".... LOL.....and I will be Good to go!
Funny how Time just Flies by, when you have a Time Frame to complete things in!


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Did a test to see how the hallway webs were going to work for the party. I'm going to do them over the book shelves and do a second overlapping layer on the whole thing. There are a lot of mini pumpkins and skulls and other lighted things on the shelves to peek out from the webs too.


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

So far, I haven't had any trouble sleeping at night....but concentrating at work is a different story! Case in point - I'm at work right now and I'm on here! I also have a notepad in my drawer and I keep pulling it out to add / edit my to-do lists. 

But on the other hand, once I get home there must be a time warp. I get home at 4, so that's a good couple hours to work before making dinner (why do I have to feed the family EVERY night???) - but I seem to blink and nothing has been done! 

But I have 98% of the headstones staged just inside the (privacy) fence, along with the sign & cemetery fence. Of course I still need to dig out the rebar for the fence & the zipties! They weren't on my list, so I forgot (eyeroll). My goal tonight is to get the fence, sign and headstones out as quickly as possible, since yesterday was the kid's birthday (aka my decorating starting line) and we'll be taking her out to dinner to celebrate.


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## princeofdarknessMikeW (Jan 30, 2009)

Been awhile since I posted here. I'm working on a lot of things. I still need to make Zero's dog house for Zero. I'm doing 3 new tombstones which will be real cool and will post them here when they are finished. And my new table top display. Maybe 2 if I get time. Mean time I did these two table top displays last year. Believe it or not they cost me $25 in materials. The Witch is Samantha and the Victorian Vampire is Elizabeth Bathory. Most of the stuff I got at the Dollar store believe it or not, some at a garage sale and the rest at a thrift store. Few things I also had around the house. They are fun to make. This years is a bit bigger and more detailed.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

OMG it's almost October.....

I have a foam tombstone that needs to be painted. I have several foam pumpkins that I bought last year that I need to dig out and carve. I have 2 paper mache projects that I'm working on. If I don't lose my mind getting those done I finally came up with a halloween countdown sign that I want to do, but I have a feeling that's going to be a project for next year. And I have to do all my decorating, I just broke the seal yesterday by putting out a pair of spots and a pair of small tombstones.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

Sorry to those, that were asking for the dimensions of my smaller coffins.
I did not see your requests till last night...when I just happened to be browsing my own gmail account.
Once again, so Sorry.....for not seeing that you had asked for the measurements.
You will laugh as I did, to my little drawing of a coffin....but....it might help explain, what I am referring to ?
The Coffin was made from just some Old weathered Fence boards that some one was throwing away on Craigslist.
Craigslist is such a great place to find things for FREE....that we are wanting to use in our Halloween Builds.
Breaking up Pallets for our projects, is such a total waste of time and energy...when you can find perfectly weathered boards for FREE...and TONS of them..on Craigslist!
My little Coffins are 4 feet long.....and 10 inches wide across the Top ( For the Head ) .......8 Inches wide along the bottom ( For the Feet ) ......and 20 inches wide..... ( across the Shoulders ).
For the bottoms of all of my Coffins, I always use 1/2 or 5/8 plywood.....I just find it quicker and easier, to be drawing out my Coffin on the Plywood, than to be using Boards for the base.
Once you have your Coffin shape drawn out on your plywood base.....you are well on your way.
Hey.....you can do it anyway that you like.....I just find this to be the easiest way for me.....as I am definitely no Carpenter! lol
I have a few Coffin bases cut out right now, that I am hoping to finish this weekend....but....the Pressure is on! 
Through out the Year.....the Little Halloween Pumpkin "Count Down" Clock is Fun to Watch.....but.....now?.....that we are just one day away from October....I absolutely "HATE" that thing!!!!!!!! LOL
Seriously .......I do!
How many others of you....Feel the Same way? LOL
Its just annoying!
We put enough Pressure on ourselves, to complete our own Halloween Projects.....We certainly do not NEED some little Pumpkin adding to that Pressure! LOL
OK....enough of that Rant.....back to the Coffin.
I am constantly looking for Building materials for my projects....on Craigslist....in my daily travels....Construction sites are a great place to find FREE plywood...2x4s etc....Back Lanes with Old torn down fences....another good source for building materials.
I find that making our Projects with FREE Material ...just makes it, that much more Fun to do.
Any other questions regarding the Coffins just write to me directly at [email protected]
Its pretty easy to miss someones questions, due to that Stupid Pumpkin reminding us.....to get going on our Builds!
This year......I Stared in July on my stuff......next year?.......I'm starting on November the 1st! LOL
Oops ........I Forgot to down load my drawing ....Doh!
Be right back!
Happy Haunting everyone.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

Ok......Back again! 
Here are some pictures of my Cut Out.... Plywood bases, for my Bigger Full Size Coffins, that I will trying to put together "TODAY" and over the weekend!
Also here is my little pathetic drawing of my Child size Coffins.
Once again.....not really sure if it is in Bad taste?......to be making Child Size coffins.....but.....if they Creep me out.....I guess others will feel the same way? 
If you notice in one of the pictures......you will see, on one of the bases.....that the Center Line.......is Marked Out.....on the Base of the Coffin.
The Center Line is crucial to making all of your measurements from......Just Winging it......doesn't always work.
Having said that though.....Coffins... certainly do not have to be perfect!!!!.....actually.....the uglier that they are......they better that they are.
Like I say.....I'm not all that bright....when it comes to building stuff......soooo.......the more measurements that I take.....the better off that "I" am.
Oh ya.....the sides are the little Coffins are 8 inches high....or 2 Boards High.
Once the sides are done......I flip it upside down...onto about 5 or 6 fence boards tacked together ..with the base side up.....and I just Trace around the Coffin to get an exact fit for my Lids.
Seems to work pretty good so far.
Like I say.....Coffins to not have to be exact.
Have Fun building your own.
One more thing......You can nail them.....or just use Dry Wall screws ( Which are perfect for everything and CHEAP to buy ) to put them together....or....go out an buy yourself a little 3 Gallon Air Compressor and a Brad Nailer or an Air Stapler ( as I finally did )......and it is sooooooo much Easier and Quicker to do.
But........Dry Wall screws....work just as good.
Have Fun.


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## Myra Mains Haunters (Jan 1, 2017)

Made another Two FULL Size coffins today.
Took pretty well all day to make them.....what with an early morning run to Home Depot , after buying another Prop for our Haunt.
Yup......October is almost here ( Just one more Sleep ) , and our Rain came storming in today, to close out September.
Where did our Summer go?
I made the Coffins in our Garage....but...the wood was stored outside....and it sure made working with it, a little more difficult.
I will be using these Coffins for Photo Ops, and they will be Standing straight up, while being secured to the wall.
Because they will be Open....I was not going to make a Lid for either of them.....but.....I think that I will make Lids for them, in the Morning.
The Lids will be Hinged and Open....for the Big Night......and then.....by having the Lids.....I can use them for more Storage, for all of our stuff, once the Night is over.
Coffins not only look Cool, "in any Haunt"....but....they make for unreal Storage Boxes, for the rest of the year.
I also figure, that IF... my "Road Rage" gets the better of me, one day.....I always have a place to store the bodies.
With any luck, the Bodies should be either partially or fully decomposed, by this time, next year.
For that reason alone, one can never have too many Coffins lying around! LOL


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Myra Mains Haunters said:


> Made another Two FULL Size coffins today.
> Took pretty well all day to make them.....what with an early morning run to Home Depot , after buying another Prop for our Haunt.
> Yup......October is almost here ( Just one more Sleep ) , and our Rain came storming in today, to close out September.
> Where did our Summer go?
> ...


I need to make some of these so bad, urgh.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Makin' signage out of some vintage Halloween card art I found on tumblr, sized up rather a LOT to fit 20x30" foam core. Here's the poem if you wanna read it


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## 0100 (Sep 30, 2015)

Oct. 1st!!! Ok starting to slip into panic mode. I have today and monday off and will be putting in 12+ hr each day throwing up as many walls as I can.

I am going big this year, probably too big and opening night is Oct. 14th. I can't fall asleep at night for a good 2hrs because I can't stop thinking about the haunt and what needs to be done and how I am going to build it.

At least the weather is going to be nice this week as I have no workshop so everything gets built outside or in the living room when it rains. Wife is not a fan of that.

Yeah and feeling the pressure as some of you said from the neighbors. I had at least 5 people last week ask about the Halloween display, and told them no display this year full out haunted house. No turning back now.... I am in way too deep.


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

October 1! I can finally start hauling stuff out of the garage and dressing the front yard. That means I can clear out the 'Dead and Breakfast' area and start putting that together. Things will start taking shape and showing holes. More shopping.  Halloween is coming!!!


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## HB Haunts (Nov 6, 2016)

working on EVERYTHING!!!!

Have all my stages built now need to paint tops and facers,Kissing booth sign to go, ticket booth sign to go and age the booth.finished main sign but decided to add a skull to it so thats tomorrows project to finish. then set it all up.. Taking the week with two of my employees to finish it up and get it out!


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Tonight I need to get some cleaning done, then back to the garage to work on rebuilding my monster. Not sure I can get it done in time with everything else I need to do but I can get started.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Holy crap I talked myself into more projects. I got the stuff for them this morning. 

Hitching bar for the skele horse and a couple witch brooms.

A Halloween street lamp, then ones you can buy are all short and dissapointing.

Fixing the monster, I actually got the stuff to do it.

ARGH!!!


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## guitarist155 (Sep 25, 2007)

First year in the new house. So this year I feel like I'm doing everything all over again. Im rebuilding the control system, waterproofing everything possible, planning how light is going to look in the new yard. And doing maintenance on everything, pneumatic cylinder cleaning and oiling, fixing any air leaks, replacing broken wood on crates and things... an all over refurb really


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## Malicious (Sep 8, 2014)

Gah......stating to stress. I put a skeleton above my dining room table with various dress / pose every year. Just put the finishing touches on my swamp monster fpr my haunted voodoo bayou/swamp theme


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

One of the extraneous projects is a street lamp. This is the design concept, I just can't decide if I want to leave the skulls and bones off white or if I want to do the whole thing in the faux metal like my fences.


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## stick (Apr 2, 2009)

Lilbat I like the bones off white it will make that stand out more.
Like the light post.


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## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

Oh my! I just started decorating inside, so much to do! I was out of the country and just got back Tuesday night, so just getting going. Thankfully, I'm not making anything new this year. But still have to set everything up....and finish my costume! ugh...


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## scarenoob (Aug 17, 2017)

I was going to get mostly everything outside this week but put a stop to it when I heard about another Hurricane / Tropical Storm Nate coming my way.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Nate and the unseasonal heat have completely derailed my projects. Hope I can get back to them after it passes.


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Yo, Red Sonya, good to see you posting again! I was afraid we'd lost you...


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## HauntedWyo (Apr 13, 2017)

Finishing up my cauldron witch and my grim reaper. Have to assemble the witch and figure out her stance then bolt the joints in place and I am making my own skeleton hands as I can't find any big enough to go with the size of my reaper. I don't know why nobody makes or sells skeleton hands about the size of a basketball player's hands.


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Haunted Wyo, have you thought of using glue sticks for your larger skeletal hands? Quick, easy to work with, pose PLUS they glow under black light...
i spent a few hour yesterday putting up panels for the Dot Room. My grandkids are coming over for a visit, they'll get to start gluing dots up today.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

I had the basecoat on my foam tombstone done, then my very rammy 5-year-old took a chunk out of it. So now I get to try to figure out how to turn it into "weathering damage" and repaint it before I can do the teastaining and drybrushing.


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## bailey (Sep 30, 2017)

jahnkekong said:


> Finished my spooky town bases, started work making these ornaments for a black xmas tree I thrifted this year
> View attachment 456945
> View attachment 456953
> View attachment 456961
> ...


Woo Hoo amazing and cool work!


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## HauntedWyo (Apr 13, 2017)

Wolfman said:


> Haunted Wyo, have you thought of using glue sticks for your larger skeletal hands? Quick, easy to work with, pose PLUS they glow under black light...
> i spent a few hour yesterday putting up panels for the Dot Room. My grandkids are coming over for a visit, they'll get to start gluing dots up today.


Didn't even contemplate glue sticks as a way to make skeleton hands. I ended up making "bone beads" using saran wrap. I used a thicker wire (a little thicker than my clothes hanger wire) to wrap the saran wrap around then I heat shrank it, then I heat shrank some white garbage bag strips around each bead. I folded my saran wrap several times to the desired bone length then rolled it onto the wire to the thickness I wanted. I then made smaller folded strips of saran wrap to wrap onto each bead to give it a little more thickness/joint on the ends. I made the hand using the 3/4" PVC and clothes hanger wire that I found a tutorial on. I made the finger tips on each end of wire, then strung my beads and put the wire in the holes I drilled into the PVC. 
The glue sticks would probably have been faster. Wish I would have known about it sooner. Oh well, will keep that tucked in the old brain locker for the next time I need skeleton hands.
Hope you are having fun with the grandkids gluing on dots. Wish I could get some help from my grandkids, but their mom and dad keep them pretty busy.


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## Zombiekillah (Oct 24, 2016)

First time poster, long time lurker. It's October 10th and I'm beyond panicked. I make most of my props. Nothing animated so far. My fence of skulls still have their basic dollar store look. I have a giant spider we made years ago and last year added bloody bodies wrapped in tarps in the yard. I used to paint & decorate 20 pumpkins but the garbage men do not like me trying to throw away 20 pumpkins. I've started adding fake pumpkins instead. I do most of this on my own, my husband helps here and there but still enjoys getting compliments from people walking past the house. At least now he plans on making some baby spiders to go with the big one.

This year my plan was to make arches over the sidewalk and attach LED dream magic lights which I can just leave out for Christmas. I've got 4 made but the lights for 2 were a fail because an extender and LED strips were not compatible with the controllers. I ordered 2 more separate strips with their own controllers. At least I have the arches assembled now waiting on the lights to be shipped. 

The next (and worst) fail was adding a projection in the yard since everyone loves the zombies in the window. I bought another projector, got phantasms and did a test in the yard hanging up some painters plastic between 2 trees. Fail because I'm on a corner with 2 street lights. There's no way to have something to project on without it looking really cheesy and obvious so I need to hide it somehow. First fix was to build a mausoleum, but I didn't want it to look slapped together and it's too big of an undertaking this late in the game. Next fix was build a cave. I was in the garage yesterday in the sweltering heat and humidity working with chicken wire and Great Stuff, it just wasn't working out. Well as I was trying to sleep last night I think I finally figured out a fix. Big cardboard boxes, Great Stuff and spray paint. I will go ask Best Buy for fridge and dishwasher boxes this weekend. I think this one will work out. 

One more plan I had was to have big white balloons with glow sticks in them floating high in the sky to draw people from blocks around. I don't know how this will go. The main thing is that my 3' big balloons are somewhere in a black hole between Houston & China. I'll only get one shot at this so I won't know till Halloween night how it'll go.

I have nothing to do at work so I sit here for 8 hours looking at Halloween stuff. I've been told I'll be getting laid off soon and I'm actually looking forward to it and considering asking them to do it within the next couple weeks to give me more time to work on stuff.

I hope this posts in the right place


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## FIESTEE23 (Aug 6, 2017)

Im midway through my maze build. It's a 30' long by 10' wide area ... and damn it's more space then I anticipated. Here is a snippet























Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk


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## scarenoob (Aug 17, 2017)

oops wrong thread


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

FIESTEE23 said:


> Im midway through my maze build. It's a 30' long by 10' wide area ... and damn it's more space then I anticipated.


Looks awesome!


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## mrincredibletou (Sep 17, 2007)

I always finish up on October 1 to enjoy for the month. Then I look too long at what I have and then boom, here comes some pneumatic parts for a trash can pop up, then here comes more lights, then ...... It just never ends. No stress on the October builds cause I really don't need them, just fun. Good god I love October!


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Spiderwebbing inside tonight. Tomorrow it will again be cool enough to work outside.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Always wanted one of those Halloween street lamps but they are always pricey and small. So here is a WIP of the one I am building. It's over 6 feet tall. Letting the glue cure on the skulls then tomorrow I will paint it black then the same metal as my fence. The bulb is a blue flickering flame deal.


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

I'm wrapping empty boxes to be sent out via owl post (Harry Potter theme). Jute string will be added after all the packages are wrapped.


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## Cephus404 (Oct 13, 2017)

Honestly, just little stuff to finish up. Putting the finishing touches on a couple of tombstones, plus I decided to make one more prop at the last minute and I should have all of the parts tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed. Otherwise, I'm done working for the year.


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## Mapleton Manor (Aug 2, 2014)

You can see in my video in my signature that we have a 75' driveway with a double garage. Each year the TOTers have to go all the way up the driveway and in the side door of the garage for their treats. If cold we have a heater set up in the garage and always do hot chocolate that night. We decorate the garage with scene setters to kind of match our costume theme each year. This years theme is Renaissance. I started putting up a new scene setter for the garage. 
















This stockade will be out in the driveway with another scene setter (stone wall with a drawbridge and outside caste windows, setting it up as a photo op for the TOTOers:









Also finished up making the frog belt for my sons sword that I hand made for his Knightly prince costume, to go with my rapier sword I mad a couple years ago, I will be a royal muskateer this year.


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## hevnsnt (Oct 14, 2017)

This looks awesome!


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## mrincredibletou (Sep 17, 2007)

Me like, me like alot!


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## Boone6666 (Aug 22, 2014)

everything sinse I finally got some work and now it 12 hour day's but I think I'm finally there not with the things I wanted to do this year,
but I guess there is alway's next year


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## McBernes (Mar 10, 2015)

I have a giant spider to finish making, i'm about 75% done. I am also trying to figure how to secure my outdoor props so they don't get snatched, I want to use chain and rebar stakes but that might get expensive fast. We have some animated lights and a couple of inflatables, nd a huge resin skull from Home Depot.


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

Potted Skull Landscape Lights
Resin urns, filled with expanding foam embers (foam, orange LEDs, paint), each topped with a single black skull. Going to line the front walk with these. Also building a burning skulls fire pit (more foam, skulls, paint, and LEDs).
Waiting for the paint to dry on three urns, waiting for the foam to set on four more urns and a 2' x 4' trough for the fire pit.


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## Cephus404 (Oct 13, 2017)

McBernes said:


> I have a giant spider to finish making, i'm about 75% done. I am also trying to figure how to secure my outdoor props so they don't get snatched, I want to use chain and rebar stakes but that might get expensive fast. We have some animated lights and a couple of inflatables, nd a huge resin skull from Home Depot.


Depending on how close your props are together, you can chain them quite easily with something like this, which I just suggested to someone else:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Crown-Bo...teel-Security-Cable-Wire-Rope-64752/202972292


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

I had to take down about about half of my cemetery today , thanks to the wind. When it gets to be 40+ mph gusts like we're having, it gets to be a wind tunnel between mine & the neighbor's house - so half my stones are now leaning against the house, the skeletons lying down flat, the horse moved closer to the house, the cat & dog skeletons inside the coffin. Oh, and last I checked - there was a large-ish branch down outside the fence. I'm OK with that, since it's OUTSIDE the fence and not on anything or in the road. I haven't looked out there recently to see if anything else has been deposited.

It'll probably only take me 1/2 hour or so to put everything back out tmrw.


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## dmcke5 (Aug 17, 2015)

I'm part of the way through building my most complex maze yet. We don't get trick or treaters around here so this is just for my party guests on the Friday night before hand. My maze pretty much takes up a double car garage worth of space. 
Within that area I have, 5 automatic doors, 5 Passive IR sensors, over 200m of wiring and a rather complex setup in the middle of the maze involving a reaper that floats towards you, a strobe light, an air dump and a camera. All of this is hooked back to an arduino mega which controls the whole maze, smoke machines, lights doors etc. Over the weekend I completed most of the wiring so by the end of this week I should just be putting up the walls and roof of the maze before Friday night. I'll have to make sure I get a video walk through of the maze this year before I pull it down


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Probably not final placement but the spooky streetlamp is pretty much done. It needs reinforcing as it is a bit wobbly but hopefully it'll survive the rest of this season.


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## mrincredibletou (Sep 17, 2007)

lilibat said:


> Probably not final placement but the spooky streetlamp is pretty much done. It needs reinforcing as it is a bit wobbly but hopefully it'll survive the rest of this season.
> 
> View attachment 507545


Looks very creepy, I like it!


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## titleist1 (Oct 31, 2016)

The haunted trail date is the 28th so I started testing the air and wiring connections on the mechanical props over the weekend. Replaced the plastic bladders in the air horns, tightened up a few loose screws & bolts (on the props not in my head!), batteries are all charged. I am about halfway done testing the props out. I still want to hack in a doormat trigger for the creepy clown since its built in trigger didn't work so well last year. 

I will start putting up some of the outside stuff that can get wet this week, like hanging the doors in the woods & the directional fencing. I noticed I need to cut up a tree that fell blocking the trail. I think I will test out the foggers tonight.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

So as it turns out PVC pipe scratched up, layered with a couple coats of stain, then a layer of wiped on brown spray paint does look like wood. I think not bad for my first try at PVC to wood.









That's the hitching rail for my skele horse and a couple witch brooms.


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Wiring and lighting. So nice to be way ahead of the game...


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

I got the horse and street light in place and I decided the room behind it needed... something. I started working on a smaller monster just using stuff I have on hand to be looking out one of the windows. Completely sidetracked me and I ended up not getting as much done as I planned but oh well. Can't finish him till a few rounds of paint dry and I get his robe made. Basically he's just going to be a dark face with 6 glowing eyes and a weird mouth, maybe mandibles if I can do the quickly, a claw like hand in a black hooded robe. Probably won't even make a second hand for him till after Halloween.


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## ElGuapoGuano (Oct 5, 2006)

Cemetery is up, giant spider web built, Electric chair scene is 100%, Freddy's Infinity furnace is ready to rock. Ready to deploy the cauldron creep this weekend in the yard (I waited for this one since it does screw up a bit after running for several nights in a row). 1 out of 2 window animations is ready to deploy.

Building and outfitting the garage haunt / maze starts this weekend. This is my first year in the new house so it'll be interesting to see how it all comes together. But I'm feeling pretty good about things this year, I've actually had some days in October where I didn't have to work on anything. 

Happy Haunting Everyone!


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## mrincredibletou (Sep 17, 2007)

Added some foam to this half skull. Gotta add some detail paint when it dries.


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## Muffy (Sep 25, 2006)

We are gonna finish the bushes tonight and haul the cemetery to the front yard. I found all the Halloween totes in the basement but still have to get in the storage room down there and my office. My office has all the life size props. Ya know I do very good when my set-up is the same every year....but when I change things I get in trouble. It takes me that long to plan things a different way. This year I'm really winging it because I have so much new stuff from the last few years and most it never got up. So...I'm a bit stressed....I can move or carry something several times before finding its final resting spot. Made a promise to myself...in order to get this all done whatever I unpack gets put in one spot and I don't move it. Think that will work?


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## ryanlamprecht (Oct 8, 2009)

Here's what I'm working on. Just need to finish my cemetery columns so I can mount her on top of one.


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## Cephus404 (Oct 13, 2017)

Actually, it's more like what are you fixing right now? One of my static props (well, it would have been moving if I had gotten to it, next year) fell over and I had to reconstruct it because the waist got all wobbly. It's now been reinforced and should be fine for the rest of the season. Yesterday, one of my moving props got blown over in the wind onto one of my tombstones, which bent, but luckily did not break. That prop now has about 100lbs of weight on the base and it's not going anywhere.

No idea what I'll have to fix tomorrow.


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## titleist1 (Oct 31, 2016)

Got the doors from their storage spot in the pole barn, carried them out & placed on the trail...









Got the bridge sturdied up nicely for heavy use....









I also got the welding screens and home made screens out to put together later tonight.

Forgot that i checked over the zombie baby in the carriage. The pneumatic stuff works fine. I need to find the ipod i used last year for the growling sound when she pops up.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Cephus404 said:


> Actually, it's more like what are you fixing right now? One of my static props (well, it would have been moving if I had gotten to it, next year) fell over and I had to reconstruct it because the waist got all wobbly. It's now been reinforced and should be fine for the rest of the season. Yesterday, one of my moving props got blown over in the wind onto one of my tombstones, which bent, but luckily did not break. That prop now has about 100lbs of weight on the base and it's not going anywhere.
> 
> No idea what I'll have to fix tomorrow.


Me too. Just had a casualty. Easy fix but I need to hit the hardware store in the AM before I go to bed. Ah well.


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

This weekend we move the haunt structure from our warehouse to our place. We'll set it up on Sunday and through the course of next week, place props, lights and do some painting.. We should have it ready to go by Thursday. The corn maze just needs to be set up and the front yard completed with the witches and a few other smaller props. Will take a night and work out the lights for the front display but we have a good start on that. also have to set up the front porch photo op area. Everything is ready to go, just a matter of timing the set-up to coincide with our open house/friends and family night and a media night. We have ample help lined up for Sunday's labor and the rest can be done by my haunt partner lewlew and myself. Have to admit I'm stocking up on Advil for next week. Going to be fun but a lot of lifting, bending, stooping and climbing. Start two weeks of vacation on Saturday so at least I don't have to worry about work.


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## titleist1 (Oct 31, 2016)

This morning I corrected my wiring mistake from last night as I wired in the step pad to the singing Mini Skelly Reaper. I realized it was time to quit for the night when I soldered the step pad wires to the demo switch side rather than the controls side.  Took 5 minutes last night of scratching my head wondering what was wrong before i realized the 'duh' moment. He's not scary but kinda comical as he sings Another one bites the dust. He was picked up last year after halloween for dirt cheap because the sound trigger doesn't work on him. Not sure where he'll get placed just yet.


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

I'm trying to build a new partition for our walkthrough. 









Also trying to wrap up "The Bat Signal".









http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/184465-slow-start-2017-gotham-themed-haunt.html


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## mrincredibletou (Sep 17, 2007)

Just started a picture frame to hold an old computer monitor in. Gonna use living portraits on it.
So cool


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Stabilized the streetlight because there was an incident. I think a bird landed on it, it's near the feeders, and it went cattywampus. It has steel L supports now, not going anywhere.

Need to start hanging the rest of the inside webs, set up the graveyard candles, and rig the comedy ax for the stump outside.

Also adjusting the lighting a bit outside. I am not especially hoopy on the green for the climbing skelly but it's what I had.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Hanging inside webs, working on lighting.


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## mrincredibletou (Sep 17, 2007)

Picture frame is done. Now I’m done, I hope.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

The monster in the window was made just from stuff I had on hand. He's not actually done, but he's done enough for this season.


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## Bobbiejo (Aug 9, 2017)

I put together a real quick owl post area in the kitchen (Harry Potter). My second owl just arrived, so he will probably be added to the display shortly.


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## Rigormortor (Sep 7, 2009)

Hooking up all the electric today, putting out tombstones and lights and a small spider web a 12 foot one
with spiders...... the rest goes out next weekend and the morning of


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

I bought a cheap carvable foam pumpkin on clearance in 2015. In 2016, I had grand last minute plans of carving it so I glued a welcome template to it, and apparently didn't chuck the bit in tight enough because it came out in the pumpkin, and being an idiot, I tried to immediately pull the bit back out, burning my fingers and losing the bit through the slats in my deck. I set it aside, now a little gunshy, intending to get back to it in those last frantic days before Halloween and never did. What I did do was buy another identical pumpkin, a larger one, and 2 halfs on clearance last year, and on Thursday I busted out the Dremel, a little more confident, and zipped these out.


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## Vandalay Industries (Sep 1, 2014)

Everything! I'm still working on everything. So far behind.


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## Cephus404 (Oct 13, 2017)

Decided the graveyard looked a little sparse so I cut another 6 this morning and am currently carving lettering and taking a break because my back is killing me. Luckily, have everything I need to get these knocked out, don't have to go buy anything new.


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## Muffy (Sep 25, 2006)

Well we still do not have up all the yard lights! After 2 days of doing nothing except resting & trying to feel better we went out the door tonight to get those lights up. We have always done them in the dark a lot easier to get them on straight......well guess what we found out tonight>>>>>Diabetes finally is bad enough that neither one of us can see anything in the dark especially on unlevel ground. Oh my God where does it end.......ok we quit outside and came in.

We lost Friday cause Hubby had some kind of portal put under his skin and they had to put him under, after the VA on to the radiation treatment.....sorry radiation was first. They left at 6:30 am and got home at 6 pm. I was to stay in bed all day and rest cause I been doing to much & this infection I have is not healing. Today we started the day at the laundrymat cause this new machine which is just over a year old has stopped spinning. Oh Boy.......gotta hit it super hard tomorrow.

Gonna start tomorrow by dragging that cemetery with all its belongings to the front yard!


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## Mapleton Manor (Aug 2, 2014)

Rain Yesterday so we set up the inside of the garage for Halloween Night. And today we finally put out our dog walker prop.


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## scarenoob (Aug 17, 2017)

A lot of woods lying around so I came up with some ideas. Here is one of them:
- Rubber bats (11" W x 4.5" L)
- Tacks
- Dead woods
- Paracord Rope (Parachute cord) Black and Orange Halloween Style

























I also made swings using woods for hanging props.


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

You rocked it. Cool details everywhere I look. More pics please!


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

How cool. Now I'm imagining a bat chandelier. I wish I had a porch!


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

*Potted Skulls*

These came out even better than I had hoped. I still need to touch up the paint on a few to tone down the red. But for a first stab at a burning pile of embers, I am happy with the result.

The six small urns (12" x 18" tall), will line the sidewalk.
The one large urn (16" x 22" tall) will go next to the front door.
The skull pit (24" x 36") will sit in front of and below the Hellmouth.

Dayum, I love it when a haunt comes together. RAIN RAIN GO AWAY!


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## mrincredibletou (Sep 17, 2007)

harboe69, I love the walking the dogs!


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## Muffy (Sep 25, 2006)

Well we still are not to far ahead of where we were a few days ago but I have good news! We have these people that ride their horses up our road here and they wave all the time. So low and behold they came by yesterday with their daughter. We called them down the driveway and asked their daughter if she thought the other girls that ride their horses would be interested in helping us get the haunt up. Her Mother jumped in and said we can help you and so Tuesday after school her and her Dad are coming down to help us each evening until Halloween.

I can't tell all of you what a relief this is for us. Jerry just could not go anymore yesterday and after all the days I put in last week I cannot walk at all. So there is hope that we will get the whole thing up after all. yeah!!!!!!


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## titleist1 (Oct 31, 2016)

Did some fog testing tonight. There was no wind so the effect was real good. Figured the best pipe placement to get bridge and cemetery coverage...
No flash doesn't give the best depiction of the density...









With a flash....









I need to extend the timer interval...it got quite thick back there!!


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

Looks like what I was driving through yesterday!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Not doing our normal boardwalk, this year, I strung up sections as a "Fence" (didn't have enough posts to secure the whole thing, thus the gaps...










We found this crow literally rotting behind the fence. He originally was created in 2008. He also had pants and a head back then...those have rotted. Stuffed in some milkweed to go with the rotting corn stalks in his guts.


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## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

Adding fog to cannons..gotta finish painting wheel and mast. Will be creating a rowboat next and finishing up my kidnapped mermaid illusion costume.






these are foam clay for gluing to my fiances face. 

Also gotta make boxes/barrel and figure out a jail scene. I need ALOT of duct tape to do this. 

And tentacles. I can make those in like 5 mins.


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## xredge (Oct 24, 2012)

I just gave up pretty much for the home stuff this year, put out a couple of blow ups I got for the grandkids. Might put the skellies up and some graveyard stuff. But with still being real sick and basically rain and rain/snow in the forecast almost everyday until Halloween don't see doing much. Wanted to but with still having a wicked cough and the wife threatening me to go back in and have chest xrays just taking it easy.


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## pacman (Oct 18, 2009)

I set the bar to high as usual and am struggling to meet the big day deadline as regards my static props , i think sometimes i over think and then over do my props , i got a fake Pennywise static prop scene but not sure whether to leave that as is and then to concentrate on getting more props made or to take it to another level and make this static prop a more interesting one ? so i thought i would throw it out there for some consturctive opinions ? so here i am , should i leave it as is , or beef the character up more , like more detail to the clown prop such as more of a body to add more to the scene , and even maybe incorporate a media player or ipod with sound or dialog within the box area ? i hope you guys would be so kind as to share your opinion ?


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## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

Finished mast.


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## stick (Apr 2, 2009)

Pacman I think you could add a red balloon above the box. That be quick and easy.


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## Edmund K (Aug 18, 2017)

pacman said:


> I set the bar to high as usual and am struggling to meet the big day deadline as regards my static props , i think sometimes i over think and then over do my props , i got a fake Pennywise static prop scene but not sure whether to leave that as is and then to concentrate on getting more props made or to take it to another level and make this static prop a more interesting one ? so i thought i would throw it out there for some consturctive opinions ? so here i am , should i leave it as is , or beef the character up more , like more detail to the clown prop such as more of a body to add more to the scene , and even maybe incorporate a media player or ipod with sound or dialog within the box area ? i hope you guys would be so kind as to share your opinion ?
> View attachment 514393
> 
> View attachment 514401


Is there a way to rig a speaker inside the box, connected to a microphone? You can talk to the ToT'rs as Pennywise live and real-time while viewing the ToT'rs from inside your house(through your window) Or you could also put a bowl with some candy in front of his arms and see who's willing to go for it? Looks very creepy, by the way!!


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## pacman (Oct 18, 2009)

Thank you Edmund K , i have made some creepy clown stalls and and booths to go with the Pennywise prop but will not put them out until Halloween night along with the Pennywise prop and so i will be in my yard outside on the night , but i could do what you kindly suggested which would be very creepy or get my daughters to do it as i usually act as a kind of meet and greet character and act as someone who can pass sweets down the driveway to the kids who are too scared to come up to the door lol , for the U.K. we have an awful lot of TOTers and we make up little bags of sweets usually between 350-450 and last year we only end up with 14 bags left by the end of the night , in fact one year we had way over and had to hand out crisps [ potato chips ] as we ran out of sweet bags.
thank you for your suggestion i am seriously going to see if i could do the speaker thing and get one of my daughters to operate it , thank you again .
also some pictures of my booths and concession goodies to goon them -


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## pacman (Oct 18, 2009)

Hi stick my daughter did suggest that and maybe a sign saying " they all float " so yes i think now you have suggested it also i will do so , i am not sure if i can get a helium red balloon in time but that would be better i think if it was constantly trying to fly off rather than a normal balloon flopping around , thank you again stick .


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## fowldarr (Sep 25, 2017)

Just finishing or finishing 'enough' my big static props, doing some repair and replacement of props that met their match against mother nature, working on lighting and fog machine placement. My display is nothing compared to some on here but I've gotten lots of comments from neighbors, and at least one kid that has to close his eyes when they drive past (his mother suggested I should tone it down a bit, I respectfully declined, it's really not that scary). Looking forward to the big night.


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## FTWingRiders (Jul 24, 2017)

This rain doesn't help, still need to finish my haunted woods, but it did keep me in the shop today to build the rest of my plug in motion triggers. 

IMG_6752.JPG


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## ibjeepin (Nov 3, 2008)

programming lights animations props and tracks etc and streaming it


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Kind of feel like the answer at this moment is everything. Lots of things still in the works, some almost done but still have a few touches to do. Good news is hubby came home today and told me he asked for the 31st off. First time ever. Needs to be approved still but Yipee. Will make setting up halloween day so much easier on me.


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## titleist1 (Oct 31, 2016)

Haunted Trail party is tomorrow night. The weather is cooperating, nice dry weather today and tomorrow, the rain isn't supposed to start until after midnight tomorrow night.  
Porta potty is being delivered today. Running the extension cords and air hose along with setting up a few things outside today and hanging the plastic in the pole barn for the butcher shop and maze. I set up the hoop frame for the tunnel yesterday, its a new feature for this year and ready for the plastic cover tomorrow. 

The rest of the props will go up tomorrow along with the outside plastic sheeting. I hope the wind stays away so the plastic sheeting survives and also so the fog is effective.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Vacation day 2. Yard mostly together. 

Candy drop will be where that chair is (placeholder) 










Hector.



















Don't know how we're fitting 100+ jack o lanterns in there still, but the neighborhood kids will find a way. Carving party on Monday.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

It's an off year all the way around here, so I just figured may as well mess around. Trying a lighting concept sans-torches for the first time.


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## Tired_Yeti (Oct 27, 2017)

This year, my little one is going to be a garden gnome. I'm dressing up a red wagon to look like a little garden for her to sit in while I pull her around the neighborhood for ToT.

I still need to get the Astro turf and assemble the whole thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Cephus404 (Oct 13, 2017)

Tired_Yeti said:


> This year, my little one is going to be a garden gnome. I'm dressing up a red wagon to look like a little garden for her to sit in while I pull her around the neighborhood for ToT.
> 
> I still need to get the Astro turf and assemble the whole thing.


Heh, I read that as you were dressing up *AS* a red wagon and I was wondering how the heck you were going to pull that off!


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## scarenoob (Aug 17, 2017)

Today...


























I finally finished working and testing on the step on trigger. Just need to put it in a large garbage bag for protection.









Ice chiller for fog. I still haven't bought the fog fluid/juice yet.


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## scarybella (Aug 4, 2010)

I'll be finishing some new homemade LED spots for our graveyard tomorrow. position the the moving props and get them working. Then I've got to finish my ground breaker coffin.. Of course there's loads I've not even started, normally I'd be soooo peed at this but this is the first time I've actually thought.."oh well I've done loads this year. there's only me that will know what not been done" 

Now I wonder if I can make some columns on Monday and Tuesday mmmmmmmm lol


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

I can't love Hector enough – what a gorgeously simple, and yet simply evil-looking beast. Will he come down for storage, or be recreated every year?


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

The Dead & Breakfast dining room and check out lobby. I was going to do a guest bedroom but the name doesn't say anything about offering a bed for the night! LOL I'm going to focus on the outside work while the weather holds and do the inside stuff when the temp drops and the rain/snow fall. I also have to rig a 30 lb cage - not sure how that's going to happen - and finish the schoolroom. Make a head for the graveyard scarecrow and make the small scarecrow for the front yard. After that, it's mostly weather repair and maintenance. Sound like a lot but I had a very productive day yesterday so I'm feeling pretty good. It's supposed to be dry for the morning then start mixed snow and rain pretty much until Halloween. Not downpours but enough that I'll have to keep up with repair and maintenance. No cobwebbing until Tuesday - no point. 

Monday is devoted to light and sound checks, shopping for the after haunt dinner and prepping whatever I can for that. 

Not thrilled about the precipitation but as long as it's not windy and clears by Tuesday, I'll survive and thrive!


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

P.S. I actually remembered to buy candy this year! Usually I'm rushing at the last minute or relying on my haunters.


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## Cali Specter (Sep 16, 2015)

Great job guys an ghouls, tons of great ideas! There's definitely going to be a lot of "ahhs, ooohs, and mommy I'm scared" that's for sure! I have to take a back seat this year due to a career move and construction on our street. Keep up the great work and Happy Haunting!


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## Frogger (Oct 26, 2016)

Made my first fog chiller using a 32 gallon brute trash can and 3" PVC.


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## scarenoob (Aug 17, 2017)

Protected from weather and else.


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

Frogger said:


> Made my first fog chiller using a 32 gallon brute trash can and 3" PVC.


This is gorgeous. The toxicity is palpable. Good on you!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Well...









They are all gutted and ready for the carving party tomorrow night. 

Remember that original scarecrow above? Threw a head on him with one that had a rotting spot. Just carve out around the rot, and make it work. 










Father had lost his (fake) head over the winter as well, so I just carved him a real replacement. 










I don't love it as much as I do some of the previous years, but I like how different it's feeling just the same.


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

lilibat said:


> Yeah I put stuff out mid September usually so I'm already feeling a bit of a crunch to catch up since I didn't get anything done this past winter.
> 
> Tonight I am planning to paint the eyes and do shading on some new glow-in-the-dark skellies I got for the blacklight area of the graveyard.
> 
> ...


You're an over achiever (but you know that! 

We finally finished the front walk with all of the new Potted Skulls, the Hellmouth, the art gallery, and the new flickering flame projectors. It looks very cool – quite a step up in lighting. I gotta call it done at some point – and this may be it. But I'm satisfied that there's enough new stuff that we've raised the bar one more time.

Happy Hallowe'en all.


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Well...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You are an inspiration. I can't wait to see some of the pumpkins from the mass hack.


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## Deadview (Aug 9, 2011)

I'm going to be working on everything tomorrow once the wind dies down. It blew today with gusts to over 30 mph. Half my cemetery has been damaged. Tombstones have been knocked over, a black partition that separates my yard from my neighbors yard has been destroyed. A lot of work to get done in less than 48 hours. MAN !


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

I'm still trying to figure out how to have a functional doorway with a projection screen in it. Gray plastic table cloth. I've got if fairly well secured with thumb tacks around the top and one side, but trying to make a flap that closes back easily has been trouble. Magnetic tape isn't strong enough, the slightest breeze blows it open. Magnetic strips were old, adhesive dead and wouldn't even stick to the fridge. Bought one of those "magic mesh" screen door things on clearance at the dollar store and I'm gonna see if I can hack it into service.


Also, if you ever need to clip plastic sheeting to your roof, Xmas light clips aren't strong enough but the big binder clips work pretty well. I'm draping over the top of a walkway, to hopefully provide enough shade for a window projection to be visible. Grim reaper, bay window, and you walk right in front of him. Looks great after dark, but I get a lot of reflection in the glass.

Also gotta finish up lighting, arrange things on my fruit stand, and move/setup the big animatronic stuff.

I think I'm gonna half-finish my "pumpkin" vines, just spray paint them black and call it good. The great stuff coating takes too much time for a non-focal prop.

And dry out the sand for the luminary bags, then fill and put candles in. I did buy the remote control LED tealights, so that will be handy. Too bad the batteries die really fast if you leave them switched on but "off" via remote.

Then I gotta get all the stuff off the porch - boxes of lights and electrical cords and creepy cloth - and get that relatively cleaned up and decorated with my new/vintage Beistle stuff.


Glowstick eyeballs, pumpkin carving...


Eeeeeeeeh. Back to work.


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## Cephus404 (Oct 13, 2017)

Deadview said:


> I'm going to be working on everything tomorrow once the wind dies down. It blew today with gusts to over 30 mph. Half my cemetery has been damaged. Tombstones have been knocked over, a black partition that separates my yard from my neighbors yard has been destroyed. A lot of work to get done in less than 48 hours. MAN !


Yeah, we got some real good winds today too, the only damage was one of my static props, one that I hadn't reinforced, fell over. He's reinforced now and should be good. We did a full light test tonight and it all looks good.


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## Mapleton Manor (Aug 2, 2014)

Working until 3 p.m. today and on vacation tomorrow and wednesday. Still have 5 pumpkins to carve tonight and fill jars for the garage display with colored water. Tomorrow have to line the driveway with pumpkins and get the lights ran and music light box set up for those. Put up the scene setter on the outside of the garage. projector set up in the front window. Double check all the lights, (notice one of the lights for the lightning storm was out last night). And get the hot water and hot chocolate ready as it is going to be a bit chilly out.


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## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

We are so behind with the JOLs! We just got them last night and will be carving them tonight. Luckily there's just 3 and we do it as a family. 

I would have been blissfully ignorant of the Home Depot 50% sale if my sister hadn't texted me a picture of the skeleton pony and a big price tag saying $49! Needless to say - now I have to figure out where I'm going to put him in the cemetery! He's chilling out there by the horse with a 3 foot skeleton sitting on his back, but nothing else going on with him.


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## Tired_Yeti (Oct 27, 2017)

If it wasn't for this forum, I'd be done already. You guys have raised the bar for me. My wife's not really into Halloween much. I've loved it since I was a kid. I'm hoping that my daughter will like it and the whole family will jump in. That said...

Last night after the family went to sleep, I grabbed my flashlights and raced between setting up my yard set and watching the World Series (go Astros!)
I got my inflatable pumpkin patches up and set up my Star Shower projector. Still have to carve another JOL and, of course, set up my garden gnome wagon.
Didn't manage to make a wreath this year, but I plan to make one next year. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fowldarr (Sep 25, 2017)

JoLs. Holy Moly, haven't made it that far yet. And I have ONE day left! 

Also, after a test run last night, I'm going to build a quick and easy fog chiller to try to get better results than what I had (going with the drain extension, frozen water bottles version), and that is probably all that is getting done. Oh, and I still need a costume....

Other than that, everything is fine. just fine.


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## Tired_Yeti (Oct 27, 2017)

Costume?!
How could I forget?! I have my daughters ready. I didn't even plan a costume for myself! Aaagh!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SURT666 (Sep 30, 2008)

I am tryin to finish up my clown face enterance. It's going over my front steps. Darn weather is putting a hinderence on my progress. Hopefully I can get it done. If not I will have to wait till next year to unveil my project.


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

Palladino said:


> P.S. I actually remembered to buy candy this year! Usually I'm rushing at the last minute or relying on my haunters.


I finally bought candy last night. But that's for me. The ToT'ers get packages of microwave popcorn and packets of hot chocolate.


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## duxallinarow (Oct 21, 2014)

SURT666 said:


> I am tryin to finish up my clown face enterance. It's going over my front steps. Darn weather is putting a hinderence on my progress. Hopefully I can get it done. If not I will have to wait till next year to unveil my project.


Evil clown over the door? Well that's one way to keep ToT'ers to a minimum!


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Gotta put some sand in Georgie's shoes, pin his clothes together & get him & his ballon to the grate at the corner of my street. 

Other than that, I put it all out tomorrow. 

The chili has been made, the corn bread will be made as soon as I get off here, then I'll clean up the kitchen & while I'm doing this I have on an American Masters about Poe called "Edgar Allen Poe: Buried Alive." Dennis O'Hare from American Horror is playing Poe. Great stuff there.


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## Tired_Yeti (Oct 27, 2017)

With a toddler running around and getting into everything while squealing "Halloween costume!!", I didn't get to take as many progress pics as I'd liked.
Anyway, here's the beginning stages of the garden gnome wagon.









The ALMOST finished product























It's my first attempt at this and it's looking considerably ghetto, but we'll tighten it up and and tweak the decorations tomorrow before Go time for the ToT'ing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

I need to find someone to take the big pieces off my hands after Halloween XD


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