# HELP! Ideas for Halloween 2012!



## Danielj2705 (Jun 17, 2012)

History....
Do old movies count?
You could have a theme of old horror movies.
Have movie posters with something representing that movie. 
I am sure you could put loads of old decorations up just to get the Halloween vibe going. 
This theme also allows you to make props. 
-Have a floating ghost face using black fabric, PVC pipes and Scream mask.
-if you have time make a 'Here's Johnny' set up
I'm sure you can think of other things to do...


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Thank for that Danielj2705,. I have now enrolled my 13 yr old into the think of a theme for Halloween! She came up with a pretty good idea, a Wicked Woodland, Dark, Dark Wood, Fearful Forest, etc...bad fairies, naughty nymphs and creatures of the night and creepy trees that creak and sway type stuff, which I quite fancy, but I'll keep the movie theme in mind as I do have a good supply of movies, its not so easy to get hold of the posters though.


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## Rania (Oct 27, 2011)

Inside or outside?


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## AthenaHM (Oct 27, 2011)

I would say, definitely check out this thread:

http://www.halloweenforum.com/party...-great-way-organize-your-halloween-ideas.html

It has many, many of our members' Pinterest halloween boards. If you are not familiar with Pinterest, there is a brief explanation in the thread, and I find it has really, really made it easy for me to organize my haunt, and get great ideas that are so easy to execute, and at a fraction of the cost/effort as I normally would put into it. I will be in the middle of taking college classes during Halloween, as well, so I am also getting organized now.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Hi Rania, AthenaHM

Mainly inside, allowing for the logistics of furniture and props, but I will be hinting at it outside too. My back garden will be easy as its small with plenty of foliage, the front is just a large patch of grass and that's it, hence it being concentrated indoors, plus Uk weather is rubbish!! I've requested an invite to Pinterest, the screamingbtree looks cool, but I doubt I'll have the technical/arty knowhow to do it. I'm pricing up materials as I type this. . I've already informed my daughter that we'll be doing a lot of Halloween craft stuff over the summer holiday, as I'll be too busy once the new semester starts with assignments.


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

creepy tree branches plain or spray painted, super cheap and easy. You can hang them with fishing line or put them in small containers with a little cement, cover it with spanish moss or hang the moss from the ones hanging


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## Danielj2705 (Jun 17, 2012)

Check out The Halloween Lady's profile, se did an Alice party but theres some hints of creepy woodlands in there


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks for that Offmymeds. Its on my list of things to collect on one of my nature walks, acorns, pine cones ,branches and twigs (already off the tree of course), I'm going to paint them black and break the habit of a life time here and let my daughter have a bit of glitter on them. We're going to dress up as a green fairy and a dryad, so lots of fabric leaves to make in the summer hols along with lots of creepy moths which I'm also going to mount on wire to make it look like they're swarming! I'll try to get hold of some spanish moss, although it's very hard to get hold of in the uk, the stockists always seem to be sold out. I am going to cheat a little and get the Haunted forest scene setter for the front room, but the hallway will be dressed with green(and painted with trees) and black fabric. I have quite a long front room so the half that joins the hallway will be woodland and the other side, which I'll screen off joins the kitchen and will be a gothic style scene party/food room. It's quite a coincidence but I'm reading 'Once...' by James Herbert at the moment which is inspiring! I hope I succeed with all this!


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks for that Offmymeds. Its on my list of things to collect on one of my nature walks, acorns, pine cones ,branches and twigs (already off the tree of course), I'm going to paint them black and break the habit of a life time here and let my daughter have a bit of glitter on them. We're going to dress up as a green fairy and a dryad, so lots of fabric leaves to make in the summer hols along with lots of creepy moths which I'm also going to mount on wire to make it look like they're swarming! I'll try to get hold of some spanish moss, although it's very hard to get hold of in the uk, the stockists always seem to be sold out. I am going to cheat a little and get the Haunted forest scene setter for the front room, but the hallway will be dressed with green(and painted with trees) and black fabric. I have quite a long front room so the half that joins the hallway will be woodland and the other side, which I'll screen off joins the kitchen and will be a gothic style scene party/food room. It's quite a coincidence but I'm reading 'Once...' by James Herbert at the moment which is inspiring! I hope I succeed with all this! Thanks Danielj2705, I'll check her out.x


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## Paint It Black (Sep 15, 2011)

Here are a couple ideas: 
painted dolls from the dollar store







attach fairy wings to skeleton (replaced wing material with black stockings)


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

The Halloween Lady's two tree entrance is fabulous, but not something I can replicate sadly, but I'd already thought about having a few skulls and bones hanging around at the base of a shrub or tree.


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

Oh I like that skelly! 

Made this from the little skeleton garland from DT


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Looks great, our two UK versions of the Dollar Tree; (99p shop and Poundland) aren't so great. What size is the skeleton?
I have a Poundland skelly garland, but the skeletons are only about 4 or 5 inches tall I think.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

The dolls look great, although they wouldn't fit my theme, but maybe another year I could do a terryfying toy shop and incorporate that sort of thing?


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

That's exactly what that skeleton came off of, a DT garland and they are about 5". I bought a 2 pack of dinosaurs with a teradactyl (sp?) and cut it's wings off and just glued them on.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Ah I see, it's a good close up, I thought it was a lot bigger. But I quite like the idea of mini fairy skeletons too, I've seen that somewhere on here before.


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## katsscare (Jun 28, 2012)

Last year I did a pirate themed party. Props were inexpensive. I made a pirate skeleton using a cheap plastic skeleton. I wrapped it in panty hose and painted it with latex. The hat came with some hair and the eye patch was plastic from party city. The treasure chest was about $10 and unfinished wood. The band around the chest was fake leather from a fabric store. I stained the treasure chest, filled it with foam and lined it with gause and topped it with fake jewels. The inside treasures were cheap plastic pearls and gems along with rings.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

katsscare said:


> Last year I did a pirate themed party. Props were inexpensive. I made a pirate skeleton using a cheap plastic skeleton. I wrapped it in panty hose and painted it with latex. The hat came with some hair and the eye patch was plastic from party city. The treasure chest was about $10 and unfinished wood. The band around the chest was fake leather from a fabric store. I stained the treasure chest, filled it with foam and lined it with gause and topped it with fake jewels. The inside treasures were cheap plastic pearls and gems along with rings.
> View attachment 116326


Brilliant, I love the idea of the chest, but I don't think I've ever seen something like that cheaply in the UK unfortunately. I think my wicked woodland thing will work out okay. I've already started cutting out leaves and I've even painted a couple of creepy papier mache masks to decorate with foliage and twigs, which I'm going to strategically place within the bushes outside, so it looks like leafy demons staring out at you! I have also revised what I said about the dolls too, after putting my thinking cap on, I could make them look like evil pixies/leprachauns with a few 'features' attached! These ideas are all great and provided our 99p shop and Poundland sell the same stuff, I may be able to replicate and adapt some of them. Thank you so much for the hints and tips. Its just taken my summer brain a little while to click into Halloween brain!


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Rania said:


> Inside or outside?


 I just checked out your blog and the website. It all looks amazing. I wish someone in my town would do something as cool, but alas Halloween isn't such a big deal here so most of the haunts are little local ones inside and outside peoples homes. Some are great, some are a good attempt. My own haunts are not great, as the things I'd like to do would not be allowed, for instance doing mock ups to add to my home. Its quite difficult when you are limited to what type of house you are in. I also don't have much in the way of trees in my tiny garden, just a few shrubs and a couple of ornamental trees in pots, but I do what I can. My haunts tend to just be for my friends and I and the tots.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Yay!!! My Haunted forest scene setter and creepy black owl have been delivered already...and the Halloween songs and sound effects are being uploaded onto the pc!!!


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

Sounds like it's all coming together!! Can't wait to see some pictures.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

I hope I don't disappoint then!! My haunts will never be of the same calibre of some of the US ones, but I'll try my best!


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## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

Good luck w/ the haunt prep, Carmilla! I was going to say considering what you study maybe some year you could do a Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones theme. I did something similar one year and it was pretty easy! Just a thought!


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Hopefully I'll have a decent camera by Halloween this year, one of those things that I keep meaning to do but never get round to. I like the idea of an explorer and adventurers themed party, but not sure I'd do it for Halloween, unless I concentrated on the monsters instead of the explorers themselves. I did think about that as my theme for my 40th a couple of years ago, but went for the Gothic Horror theme instead, I even put an invite together years ago, with Lara, Indy, Carter, Lord Canaervon etc. on it.,


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

When the scene setter came, I thought I'd have a problem as the thing is only 4ft high, I couldn't figure out how to disguise the glaringly obvious bits of cream walls and blue that would have shown still, but my daughter and I did a trial run and decided we would layer the scene setters over each other starting from the top of the wall and working down, which would also give a darker more sinister looking forest scene anyway! Sorted! The owl is gorgeous, he's about a foot in height and is covered in black feathers and has red eyes! I already have a crow that has red LED eyes and squawks every time someone walks past, freaks the guests out brilliantly, even though they know he's there. I want to get a scary black cat with flashing LED eyes and a blood-curdling hiss//squeal next! In the hallway, I'm going to hang swathes of black fabric as I do every year but I'm going to hopefully pin strings of green LED fairy lights underneath(low power/low temperature, especially for use with fabric) to hopefully give and eerie green glow and I might cut out some silhouette trees from black card and attach it to the fabric, so the card falls forward a little into the room, brushing peoples heads as they pass under, what do you think? Cheap I know, but about all I can manage financially.


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

You can also hang fishing line down. It's cheap and feels really creepy. 
The green color will look great coming through black fabric.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

offmymeds said:


> You can also hang fishing line down. It's cheap and feels really creepy.
> The green color will look great coming through black fabric.


Good Idea! I have loads of cobweb too, and as its cheap I'll buy loads more to hang everywhere. Thank you.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Well, I have so far collected a few twigs, and leaves and got some green fabric in three different shades for my daughters dryad costume(her choice). I now have to start cutting fabric leaf shapes out and stitching them to a green mini dress I got cheap, but the designs are drawn for both our costumes and the invites are printed out, although I've already had several verbal rsvps and offers of help cutting the leaves, tree silhouettes etc. out (in return for a sneaky glass or two of vino). Here are some images; My daughters costume;






, my costume;






, and my lovely owl;


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

and this is my invite;








Not sure how it will come out as it's a photo of the invite, I made it using PowerPoint, and can't upload it.. I find it the neatest and easiest way to create my own invites/cards etc. as I'm not very technically minded!  The invite is actually a very vibrant green.


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

Wow, your costumes are going to look great! 

Your invites have a very spooky feel, nice! and I love the little owl..


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

He's great isn't he? They do a white version with yellow eyes too, which would be great for a ghostly theme and thank you for the comment on the cozzies and invite, I like it to fit the theme. I just hope I haven't taken on too much! LOL!! Mind you I've spent the last few weeks making curtains and cushions for my daughter and her friend, so this should be a walk in the park in comparison, no clever sewing needed, just lots of patience...a spooky film and a glass of vino! My social life rocks! LOL!!


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Well I've spent the majority of the afternoon (its 8.05pm here) cutting out fabric leaves with a pair of pinking shears. Its harder than it sounds! Pinking shears are not really the best thing for precision cutting, but at least I won't have to hem them to stop them fraying! . I have at my last calculation between 64 and 72 leaves so far! I've got a mixture of sycamore, oak and elm and they are around 6 inches long and 3 inches wide. So no backing out or changing plans on the costumes now! I just hope it will look the part.


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## Minshe (Jul 7, 2011)

I did a mother nature themed costume a few years ago. I bought leaf garlands, took those apart and hot glued the leaves onto the costume. You can get quite creative with the design and it came out really good ( got lots of compliments). I actually overlapped them so it was almost like a material made of leaves.

I was just imagining having to cut out all those leaves by hand and this might be much easier and time saving. You can get garlands relatively cheaply on sale or here the dollar store often has them as well. Used them to make a garland head wreath with flowers as well.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

That's what I planned to do initially, but unfortunately I've not been able to find any leaf garlands here so far! The leafy area of the costume isn't too big (its only like a mini skirt) so I think I probably have close to enough leaves cut now and I already had some appropriate fabric as I make a lot of soft furnishings as a hobby so it didn't really cost me much to do it this way.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

carmilla1970 said:


> Well, I have so far collected a few twigs, and leaves and got some green fabric in three different shades for my daughters dryad costume(her choice). I now have to start cutting fabric leaf shapes out and stitching them to a green mini dress I got cheap, but the designs are drawn for both our costumes and the invites are printed out, although I've already had several verbal rsvps and offers of help cutting the leaves, tree silhouettes etc. out (in return for a sneaky glass or two of vino). Here are some images; My daughters costume;
> View attachment 120039
> , my costume;
> View attachment 120040
> ...


This is my daughters costume so far:


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

I lost count at how many leaves were attached in the end, but I ended up cutting out extra after the last post! Its getting there. My green LED lights have come too, I still have a ton of stuff to do though and I'm away on holiday(vacation) for a week then only two weeks after that I'll be back with my head stuck in text books, not sure I'm going to achieve everything I want... I'm hoping to get these fabulous false dryad dreadlocks from a company called Woodlandwild, to add to the costume, but they are running out of stock so whether I'll manage I'm not sure but they are worth checking out.


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