# Ghost Town



## theworstwitch (Aug 14, 2006)

I LOVE IT!
I will be thinking on it...


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## darkness (Sep 1, 2005)

that is a an awesome idea!!


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## Jack Reaper (Nov 19, 2003)

Pallets!
Most are free, just laying around rotting in fields, behind buildings....use that lumber to build the facade!


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## saiynprincess (Aug 24, 2003)

Great idea Jack! In fact, I believe there is, of all things, a pallet company only about 15 minutes from my home.

I'll have to stop by there this week. I'm sure they have a bunch of junk they'd be happy to get rid of. 

Thanks for the tip!

A friend of mine mentioned getting one of those plastic life sized horses that people use to show new riders how to saddle a horse. I could paint it all black, but then i'd have to paint in the skeleton in glow-in-dark paints. The front of our house is dark, no streetlights nearby....think that would work? I've never done anything like that before.


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## tallula_g (Sep 19, 2006)

here's a cheap idea: invisible man/cowboy string up a cowboy hat, bandana and 2 cap guns with fishing line to look like a man standing up shooting, put cowboy boots with toy spurs where legs would be. Could also make a scene like this inside with guys playing poker at a round table, string up hands of cards, beers, hats, etc. Or you could do the same thing with the blucky blow mold skeletons from Big Lots. I string up their arms and legs like a marionette and pose them. One year we had a cowboy theme 4th of July party. We got pics of some of the guests and I made wanted posters of them with funny crimes that they committed and hung them all over. You can get plastic cactus and cover them with spider webs, lots of rubber snakes, spiders and scorpions. Put a boom box outside with sounds of crickets chirpping and coyote's howling? Use lots of hay bales. OK that's alot of crap I just typed but I can't help it, I live in Arizona and I see all this stuff everyday!!! If you need any tumble weeds let me know, got lots in my yard!


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## saiynprincess (Aug 24, 2003)

Great ideas tallula! I like the poker players. And I've got plenty of Big Lots skeletons. 

I would absolutely LOVE some tumbleweeds! I was joking with my husband that we'd have to tie them to the tree with fishing line so they don't roll down the street! LOL


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## tallula_g (Sep 19, 2006)

Hey, I thought of more ideas. Stand up 3 or 4 toe pincher coffins and put a corpse inside of one dressed in cowboy gear like in the movie Unforgiven. If you don't have coffins you can get the cardboard ones and use a wood graining tool and brown craft paint to make them look more real. I made mine out of foam board. Put up an undertaker sign and put something like "back in 10 minutes had to make a pick up at the OK Corral". I think you can get cardboard standees of John Wayne. Make him the ghost of John Wayne! Oriental Trading seems to have alot of cowboy themed stuff. If you give out favors you can get cowboy guns, decks of cards, poker chips, plastic horses and badges and put them in bandanas. You can find most of that stuff at $1.00 stores. I am the master of dollar stores and Oriental Trading!! I have to budget!!!! as for the ghost horse, make it like those silhouette's that people make out of wood. To do it on the cheap use cardboard or the thinnest piece of wood you can find, cut out the shape of a horse, paint it black, paint on the skeleton put a piece of rope around it's neck and tie to your post. You can make it stand up like a cardboard standee or you can just tape it to you wall. A cowboy graveyard would be really easy, just make wood crosses, dirt mounds and maybe put some cowboy boots sticking up out of the ground in a couple of them. Get some of that cheap wood garden fence at home depot and put it all around it and silk daisies (pushin up daisies!) Your food could be really easy, chips and salsa, corn bread, beans, barbecued corpse ribs. Do you serve food? I have a Halloween recipe book with cowboy themed stuff in it, if you need a recipe let me know. If you serve alcohol, get one bottle of Blavod vodka (little pricey) and use it to make martini's or shots and call them Black Bart's. I always make jello shots because they are cheap, cheap, cheap! You can use cheaper vodka or tequila in them. OK I will shut up until tomorrow!


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## pandora (Jul 15, 2004)

We did a Boot Hill yard theme for our yard haunt too. We did the skellys playing poker and used empty root beer and beer bottles scattered around. You could download some "saloon" style music for that scene.

We also had a blucky in a sleeping bag on the ground with bottles everywhere and a fake snake sitting on him. You could also pick up some of those cheap (usually on sale for $15) wagon wheels at Harbor Freight if you have them. 

Tumbleweeds are excellent if you can get them - but I would tie them down. They like to "keep on rolling". 

Good luck!!


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## saiynprincess (Aug 24, 2003)

I KNEW I could count on you guys for great ideas! Thank you so much!

I like the silhouette idea for the horse tallula. It would certainly fit within the budget. My son says I should just take the silhouette and drape a big sheet over it if I want a ghost horse! Ha! Kids....

The cowboy cemetery is perfect as well. I will do that on the side of my house, I think, since everyone has to walk that way. As far as the coffins go, I already have one toe pincher made of plywood that my husband made for my birthday 2 years ago. (I'm such a lucky girl!!) I can definitely use that, propped against the porch. The sign is a nice touch!

My husband wants to get a fire pit and make some bedrolls with skellies draped over them, and a friend of mine is going to let me borrow her saddle and some various pieces of tack to place around strategically. This will be in the front yard.

I've got the wagon wheels (I actually got one on sale at Harbor Freight for a whopping $8.00...yeehaw! - ok....I'm getting into this theme WAY too much...)


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## saiynprincess (Aug 24, 2003)

Oh, and yes, I do serve food, but I like to keep it simple. I figured I could do beef BBQ and baked beans, which I could keep warm in crockpots. Chips, salsa & guacamole are staples at all our events (my husband is the guacamole king!) Corn bread is a great touch, wouldn't have thought of that.

I always have 2 punches, one "leaded" and one "unleaded" for the kids & drivers. I haven't really found any type of "cowboy" punches. Is there anything in that recipe book that would work? I can't tell you how much I appreciate the help! I was almost ready to scrap this theme because I was having "haunter's block"....LOL


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## GDfreak (Jul 11, 2006)

Have you thought about music? Phantom manor in dinsey land paris has a haunted ghost town in the ride with great old western music.


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## saiynprincess (Aug 24, 2003)

GDfreak said:


> Have you thought about music? Phantom manor in dinsey land paris has a haunted ghost town in the ride with great old western music.


I have been trying to figure out what will work for music. Outside is going to be a ghost town, but inside is going to be a saloon. I figured player-piano type music for inside. Outside I figured I'd need some sound effects - coyotes howling, crickets, and the lonely flute you always hear. 

Is there somewhere I can get a sample of that music from disney?


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## Boo_Dacious (Oct 13, 2005)

Here is a link to some of the music from the Phantom Manor!

http://www.soundofmagic.com/sounds/tributes/PM/phantommanor.htm

I LOVE your idea! It is just coming together so nicely! I am going to save it for another year. Perhaps next year?!


Good luck! Can't wait to hear what else you've come up with!


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## tallula_g (Sep 19, 2006)

I'm glad I can help you, it's too much fun thinking of things for your party. Here are some drink ideas:

Down Home Punch:
1 Part Jack Daniels, 1 Part Peach Schnapps, 1 Part Sweet & Sour, 2 Parts OJ, 1 Part 7-Up, 1 Splash Grenadine. Mix in pitcher with ice.

Jim Beam's ******* Friend:
1 Pint Jim Beam Bourbon, 2 Liters Sunny Delight OJ, 2 Liters Fruit Punch. Mix all together in punch bowl.

Texas Bar Punch:
1.5 Liters Ruby Port (2 bottles), 1 liter ginger ale, 1 liter 7-Up, 1 lemon sliced, 1 orange sliced. Pour port, ginger ale and soda into large bowl and stir. Add one block of ice, lemons and oranges. Makes 20 cups.

Cactus Jack:
to make one drink: 2 Oz Jack Daniels, 6 oz Cactus Cooler Soda, 4 Oz. Pineapple Juice. Serve in beer mug. Could modify and make this a punch.

For The Kids: Brown Cow
Coca Cola, Scoops vanilla ice cream. Pour coca cola in punch bowl and top with vanilla ice cream. or you can make a Cactus Cooler by using 7-Up and green or pink sherbert.

Roy Rogers:
4 oz. ginger ale, 2 oz 7-Up, 1 t grenadine and orange wedge. Modify to make a punch.

Another thing we did at my cowboy party was use disposable pie tins from the $1.00 store as plates and used kerosene lanterns. We also had a pool with sand in it and rocks that were painted gold and let the kids pan for gold with pie pans with holes punched in them. We served smores as desserts and made them over the fire pit. You could also make your invite envelopes say delivered by Pony Express. If you want more drink ideas go to www.drinksmixer.com.


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## saiynprincess (Aug 24, 2003)

Awesome drink ideas! I'm liking the Down Home Punch and the Cactus Jack for the kids/drivers. Those will work very well, I think. And of course, beer. There's ALWAYS beer.....

I think I will also steal the pie tin as plates idea....cheap and disposable. Very nice.

You should be a professional party planner! You've really got some fabulous ideas!


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## tallula_g (Sep 19, 2006)

Hey Thanks! That would be my dream job. I love planning parties. Be sure to take lots of pics of your party and post them, can't wait to see what your bash turns out like!!! I am working on my vampire theme party right now, I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL HALLOWEEN, I feel like a little kid!!!!!!!!


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## saiynprincess (Aug 24, 2003)

Vamp themes are always my favorite....blood, fangs, coffins, bats...what's not to love?? 

But like I said, everyone wanted something different this year. I'll be sure to take pictures. Somehow I always end up all into the party and forget the photos! LOL. I'll make sure I put someone in charge of them......


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## theworstwitch (Aug 14, 2006)

Yes, pictures! I really like this idea but not sure if I would be brave enough to tackle it, so I'd love to see how it turns out!


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## LilsheDevil (Aug 30, 2005)

What about this:
Old west wanted posters,they run about @2.75 each......http://oldwestreplicas.com/posters.html

Old west cookin:
Buffalo (or beef) Steaks with Chipotle-Coffee Rub

Ingredients

3 teaspoons ground coffee 

3 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper (or chipotle chile powder) 

1/4 cup paprika 

2 teaspoons toasted cumin seeds 

3 tablespoons sugar 

1 tablespoon salt 

4 buffalo or beef steaks (8 ounces each) 

Combine coffee, ground chipotle, paprika, cumin seeds, sugar and salt. Rub mixture into steaks. Grill steaks until desired doneness. Makes four servings.

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BBQ Biscuit Pie 

Ingredients

2 Tb Canola oil 1 lb Ground Venison
1 Small onion, diced
3/4 - 1 Cup of your favorite BBQ sauce 
1 Can Refrigerated, uncooked biscuits
2 C Cheddar cheese 

Brown ground venison in Canola oil with onion and season to taste. Stir in BBQ sauce until venison is evenly covered or to taste. Grease a 9 x 11 baking dish and line bottom of pan with biscuits. Pour Venison mixture over busciuts. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top liberally and place in an oven preheated to 350o. Bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned on top. 
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Chuckwagon Stew 

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb Beef cubes.(5 cups)
2 Tb All-purpose flour
1 Tb Paprika
1 tsp Chili powder
2 tsp Salt
3 Tb Lard
2 Sliced onions
1 Clove garlic, minced
28 oz Can tomatoes
3 Tb Chili powder
1 Tb Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground cloves
1/2 tsp Dry chrushed red peppers
2 cup Chopped potatoes
2 cup Chopped carrots

Coat beef in a mixture of flour, paprika,1 tsp. chili powder and salt. Brown in hot fat in a large Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Then add tomatoes, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves and peppers. Cover and simmer 2 hrs. Add potatoes and carrots and cook until vegetables are done, about 45 minutes. Serves 6.

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Quick Southwest Chili


Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds hamburger or ground turkey 

2 cans kidney beans 

1 can pinto beans
or 

3 cans black beans 

1 can whole kernel corn 

1 can pitted black olives (optional) 

1 small onion, diced 

1 can Rotel tomatoes 

1 can stewed tomatoes 

1 package Taco seasoning 

1 package Hidden Valley ranch dressing 



Fry the hamburger with the onion. When done, drain the grease and then add all the other ingredients and stir to mix well. Heat for 15 minutes or until all ingredients are hot. Serves 8-10
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Cowboy Sausage and Sweet Taters

2 Lbs Sweet Taters 

1/2 C. sugar 

1/2 C. brown sugar 

1/4 C. water 

2 tbps. butter 

1 tsp. salt 

1 Lb. of your favorite sausage 

Parboil the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes. Peel and cut into strips. Place in greased oven. Mix sugars, butter, salt, water and boil in a sauce pan. Pour syrup over the potatoes and bake for around 40 minutes. Place sausages on top and bake for and additional 30 minutes.
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Dakota Fried Tomatoes



Ingredients

6 large green tomatoes 

Salt and Pepper 

3 cups flour 

1 cup cream or milk 

1 Tblsp flour 

1 Tblsp butter or margarine, melted 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper 

Slice the green tomatoes very thin and salt and pepper each slice liberally. Then dip these slices in flour until each is thickly covered. Deep fry in hot oil until nicely browned. Draning the fried slices on brown paper. When all the slices are fried and drained, empty the skillet of excess cooking oil. Now put in the cream or milk. Add 1 tbl. flour to thicken. Stir in the butter, salt & pepper. Blend well. Place the fried tomatoes in a bowl and pour this mixture over them. Serve immediately.
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Indian Breakfast
Ingredients

15 oz hominy 
chopped yellow onion 
2-3 slices fried crumbled bacon, sausage or ham 
bell pepper (optional) 
dash cayenne pepper (optional) 
5 beaten eggs 
Saute in large skillet hominy, handful of chopped yellow onion, and meat. Optional: Add a small amount of finely chopped bell pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. After sauteing on medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes add 5 beaten eggs. Stir & cook until eggs are barely done. 
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Venison Parmesan Over Pasta 

Ingredients

6 thinly cut steaks of Venison tenderloin 

1 C Italian bread crumbs 

2 lg eggs beaten with 1 tbsp Milk 

Olive oil 

2 C Mozzeralla cheese 

1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce or homemade sauce 

1 lb long, thin spagetti pasta 

1/4 C Parmesean cheese 

Place enough oil in the bottom of a frying pan to coat (about 1/4 inch deep). Heat oil on Med-Low setting. Dredge steaks first in bread crumbs, then egg, then bread crumbs again. Place steaks in heated oil and pan fry until both sides are browned. Then, drain excess oil from the steaks. Next, coat the bottom of a 9 x 11 baking pan with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce and place steaks on the bottom, then, add another layer of sauce over the breaded steaks. Finally, sprinkle Mozzeralla and Parmesean chese liberally on top. Bake in a preheated oven set at 375o until mozzeralla cheese is golden brown on top. Serve over long spaghetti.

Old West Sourdough Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups flour 

3 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup shortening 

1 cup sourdough starter 

1/3 cup milk 

Combine dry ingredients in bowl; mix. Cut in shortening until it looks like coarse meal. Add sourdough starter to milk. Stir with fork until moist. Do not over-stir. Turn dough out on lightly floured board, then gently pat into a 10-inch circle. Cut; place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees F for 12 minutes

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Wagon Train Biscuits 

Ingredients

2 cups flour 

4 teaspoons sugar 

2 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon soda 

4 teaspoons baking powder 

2/3 cup (lard) shortening 

2/3 cup buttermilk 

Measure all dry ingredients and place into a large bowl. Cut in shortening thoroughly, until mixture looks like meal. Stir in buttermilk. If dough is not pliable, add just enough buttermilk to make a soft, puffy, easy-to-roll dough. Round up dough on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Knead lightly 20 to 25 times, about 1 minute. Roll out until 3/4 inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter (you could also use a glass). Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. 
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Green Chili

Ingredients

3-4 lb pork roast 

1 15oz can stewed tomatoes 

2- 8oz cans green chilies 

2 3.5oz cans whole jalapenos 

large onion 

salt & pepper to taste 

3 cloves of garlic (or to taste) 

1 15 oz can refried beans (optional) 

dash of cumin 

2 tsp chili powder 

2 cans chicken or vegetable stock 

Cook pork in water with salt and pepper and garlic till it falls off bone. Let cool, skim off grease, remove bones and cut up pork into serving pieces. Chop up remaining ingredients and cook with pork in crock pot 12 to 16 hours on low heat setting.

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Invitations

Make invitations that are designed like Wanted Posters from the Wild West.


Use the picture of the guest of honour or surprise the guests by having their own face on the poster, along with a bounty.

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Decorations

Decorate the house like a Western saloon. Make your own Saloon doors out of cardboard or Styrofoam and tape them at each side of the doorway for guests to swing open.

Try to buy fake cattle skulls to hang on the walls. You could maybe try making your own from paper mache. 

Have piano music playing on a CD player and stop it each time someone enters the party like infamous cowboy scenes.

Put Wanted Posters along the walls featuring pictures of yourself or the guests.

You can scatter straw about the yard, making fake fences out of cardboard. Cheap hay or straw can often be bought at pet stores where it might be called “Chaff”. It will require some raking later on but the guests will have a ball!

You could use hay and glue it to cardboard boxes to make your own hay-bales to line along the walls.

Make a Tee-Pee in the backyard for guests to sit in for a Pow-Wow.

Use a small plant pot and spraypaint it gold for a spittoon.
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lilshedevil


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## saiynprincess (Aug 24, 2003)

LilsheDevil - 
I think that's the longest post I've ever seen! LOL
Thanks so much for the ideas!
Wanted posters - check
House decorated like saloon - check
Saloon doors - check (got an old pair of shutters!)
Cattle skull - check (my son actually has a real one, quite large)
Player piano music - still looking for a source for this...any suggestions?

I love the idea of stopping the music when people enter! I'll have to let everyone know that as others come in, they'll have to stop what they're doing and stare at the newcomers! Too funny!!

The recipes are great, but I prefer to go for the "finger foods" - less prep, less maintenance and less mess! We don't start till 8pm, so I can get out of serving a "dinner"....


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## LilsheDevil (Aug 30, 2005)

lol,yeah sometimes i end up going on and on,but I enjoy helping when i can.
As far as music,why not something from Deadwood? amazon has good prices for cd's.

http://www.deadwoodsoundtrack.com/

I know there is a place that has sheet music,I just can't seem to find it at the moment.


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## tallula_g (Sep 19, 2006)

How's your party planning going? It's been awhile since I've been on your post. I was just wondering if you've made any props yet and if so have you taken any pics?


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## saiynprincess (Aug 24, 2003)

Hey Tallula!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. We've been quite busy, but sadly not so much with the props. Invites are done and go out on Friday (I'll be posting pics tonight from my home computer). My husband is making a gallows for the front yard, but that's not for another 2 weeks. See, we have a bathroom remodel planned for this weekend, which has been taking up much time and $$. However, since we are gutting the thing entirely, including floors, I'll be getting all the wood I need for the gallows for free! And it's already old and crappy, so bonus for me! That's why we're waiting on that part. Besides, it will only take one afternoon.

I have a fire pit for the front yard, and there's going to be 4 skellies with cowboy gear sitting around it - one with a tomahawk in his head, one with multiple arrows sticking out of him, one decapitated. Fourth one's going to have an acoustic guitar, but not sure how he died yet..... Bedrolls, a saddle & reins over the bedroll. In the background will be the gallows. 

As things come together, pictures will be posted. I'm determined to have a video archive this year!!

How's your prep coming along?


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## halloweenking (Aug 6, 2007)

Just get cheap skeletons, tumble weekds and those dollar cowboy hats and you should be good to go. Also wanted signes (you can make on your computer easily)


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## tallula_g (Sep 19, 2006)

I just posted some pics of my progress so far under a post called "Party Props" 

Bathroom remodel, how fun! (just kidding, been there done that, it sucked!) but don't worry when you see your new bathroom it will all be worth it, just keep telling yourself that!

I can't wait to see your pics, good haunting!


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## steelerfantam (Oct 23, 2009)

I am doing a Haunted Western Ghost Town theme this year (our basement is our living room...and is finished with poplar wood walls, and done in a western theme...so 90% of the work is done. Just have to creep it up and theme it out). I would love to see some of your cowboy themed Halloween recipes. please?


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## Willodean (Sep 13, 2010)

I suggest going to a tack store where they sell horse items, saddle, blankets, brushes and such. See if the have the life sized model of a horse. Also, look in the paper or online for a couple cheap horse blankets, the western ones have the look you want and just maybe have them lay over your railing on your porch or on the ground.......also look at antique places or second hand stores for old bottles. Oh, and I did this trick this year. I printed offline photos, search cowboys or outlaws. Print them in black and white, crumple them up and then use this chalk stuff called Chalk Ink Block. rub it all over the photos to give it that old creepy look and put them in frames. Relatively cheap and home made. If my stupid camera would work I would show you


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