# Circus of Spook - Beginning stages



## Kenneth (Feb 14, 2014)

Yay! I'm so excited that all of this dark carnival energy is flowing between a lot of us. 2014 is going to be the BEST! ^_^


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

It is, Kenneth! It's funny how people come up with these themes so far in advance, and then *boom!* a whole bunch of people have decided on nearly the same thing. We're all riding one brain wave.


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## diajoh (Sep 25, 2010)

Haven't been to a circus or carnival in years, but this past week I've been looking up the "laughing clown" game, hoping to find a DIY (no luck). It might be too childish for you, unless you turn it into a drinking or fortune game, but basically you have a rotating clown head with a large, open mouth. The throat is a simple chute. You drop a ball into the clown head and it comes out the bottom, sliding into one of several numbered slots. If you have three balls, you do it three times and add up the numbers. The size of the prize depends on the sum of the numbers. But I imagine it (at a home venue) with each slot containing a small prize, a drink, a fortune, or a task. 
I think it could be made with a simple rotating motor, papier-mache head and shoulders, and a piece of PVC pipe. Now, if it only had an articulated jaw with teeth ...


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

How fun! Here's a link to lots of Carnevil ideas http://www.pinterest.com/zim2/halloween-carnevil/ and evil clown art http://www.pinterest.com/zim2/art-clowns/ Before you pay a lot of money on streamers, consider picking up plastic marking tape at Home Depot. These are usually in the safety area of the store. They're in fluorescent colors and glow really well in black light. One roll will decorate a lot of space.


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

Sorry for duplicate post. Don't know how to delete this.


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

No worries about the double post, dawnski - it's happened to me before, too.  Thanks for the tip! I'm going for a more vintage-inspired vibe this year, so no neons or black lights, but I'll keep that tape in mind for future displays. 

I've been working each night (except tonight - I'm going to bed as soon as I finish this comment, haha!) and have gotten a little done here and there.

I was inspired by Hilda's runes, and made my own version, painting Viking runes on Dollar Tree rocks:








I also began re-painting this little cabinet I found at a garage sale over the weekend:







I also found the little jars at a different sale (2 of each in the pic,) and they fit perfectly!

I've been searching for images for the fortune teller display, and I especially love this phrenology chart:








Last night, I collected DIY carnival game ideas on Pinterest. 





















You can view my inspiration board with more DIY games here: http://www.pinterest.com/likeengland/circus-of-spook-halloween-2014/


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

Love the games! How did I miss Hilda's Runes? Going to look for them. Now, to show my ignorance, aren't they used for fortune telling? If so, I am so borrowing this idea. Where did you find the symbols. these look simple enough for even me to duplicate. LOL


Diajoh, that games also sounds cool. 

You could use colored cones for witches hats for a ring toss.


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

Diajoh, I accidentally missed your comment! That sounds like an awesome game, and one that could be made to look really cool.

PD, here are Hilda's runes.

I used real examples of runes (as did Hilda,) but mine are Anglo-Saxon futhorc, commonly called Viking runes. You can google futhorc alphabet and get lots of good illustrations of the runes. If you just search for runes, you'll find all kinds to mix and match if you like!


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## Kenneth (Feb 14, 2014)

I LOVE the rune idea. I actually might do this for my fortune teller space. I was thinking about getting some spirit dice and having them spell out a message on my fortune teller table.


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

I'm trying to figure out the layout for the yard. This is what it looks like.

The view entering the yard.








The west side of the yard.








I think I'll put my pop-up tent in the center of the yard, where there's no tree cover, and create a grave yard in the garden area. That' all I have planned for sure so far. I'm not sure how to set up the games and concessions.

I'll have the fortune teller's "booth" on our front porch, and the inside of our apartment will be her gypsy caravan. The right door on the first floor is to our laundry room, where I'll have the oddities and freaks.


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

Awesome sized yard. How exciting. THere is room for everyone. I wish others close to me did things like this.


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

Fortune teller images for you. Also a few more here. http://www.pinterest.com/zim2/halloween-paranormaloccult/


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

Awesome - thank you!


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

boy do you have some great things going here


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

Thanks, hallorenescene! I'm going to try to get as many friends and neighbors involved as possible. Last year, we only had a handful of trick or treaters, and we were the only house/apartment decorated on the block, which made us and our neighbors in the main house a little sad.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

oh, that is sad, but I bet this year it will be better. every year it will increase I am sure.


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## Kenneth (Feb 14, 2014)

I saw this image on my Facebook and it made me think these would be really cool for an outside event. They could definitely be circused up.


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## diajoh (Sep 25, 2010)

For some really nifty artwork, google Harry Clarke. He was an illustrator who did great stuff for Poe, fairy tales, and my favorite translation of Goethe's Faust. His stuff was early 20th century. I prefer his black-and-white to color, but it's all marvelous.


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

Kenneth, those are so cute! I want to make some to have in the back yard all the time. 

Diajoh, thanks so much for the tip.


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## Kenneth (Feb 14, 2014)

Yeah it's just a shower curtain on a hula hoop so they're fairly simple


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

Kenneth, those are cute. I want them for my grandchildren.


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

Kenneth, I shared your info on these and the picture on the Fortune Teller thread under Party Ideas area. I gave you credit. Thanks for sharing. This is great!


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## Kenneth (Feb 14, 2014)

Thanks guys! Yeah I was just scrolling and someone had shared it and I thought it was pretty nifty. I might do one inside for our fortune teller space with long, blood red cloth.


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

Have you done a fortune teller area in the past? Please share photos on the Party Ideas section in the fortune teller's thread. Even if you don't have photos, join the fun as we come up with ideas for ours and spend some time looking over all the posts and links.


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

I've gathered about an hour of music for the Circus of Spook(s) on youtube.

I may add some music from The Devil's Carnival, Emelie Autumn, and a few others I keep thinking of. If anyone has suggestions, feel free to let me know!


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

love, that is a nice compilation of carnival music. thanks for posting


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## Kenneth (Feb 14, 2014)

There is actually a really awesome guy on youtube I discovered this year who makes really interesting circus/freakshow styled music. 

It varies from like glam rock to hardcore to vaudeville style music and even some electro but I have a lot of his stuff on my playlist this year. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg5XUx8WlBdhm_AkvDdQ0JQ


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

Kenneth, that guy is strange, but the music is very good.


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

Our team's Etsy Craft Party was tonight, and I made and scored some great stuff for Halloween!

We recrafted old photos with embroidery, paint, glitter, and other stuff. Here are mine:








One of our team members made this fantastic moon prop (and backdrop) from foam board and paper mache (the cheeks and eyes are raised.) I got to bring it home with me! It goes perfectly with the color scheme.








The same friend who made the moon also brought me a couple of brand new, large, orange glitter skulls. I made out like a bandit tonight!


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

Wow - that a great prop, havent seen one before for Halloween. I think it will go great with your theme.


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## LoveAndEyeballs (May 17, 2014)

Things have looked a little crazy here, what with the making of things:









You can see in the left corner that I've painted and cut out my circus marquee letters. I started making a crystal ball for the fortune teller area, and painted the little cabinet I found at Goodwill black and added white spider webs. I've found quite a few more glass jars, a few of which I've altered, for the oddities/freaks area. I've also been collecting scarves and other fabric, mostly in black and white so far, to match the color scheme. There are several things I've bought, or that I'm crafting that aren't in the photo, but I think it's a pretty good representation of the progress I've made.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

love, I love all of that. is that you on the moon. that is an awesome picture. you need a special frame and to display that. cute crafts too. and you have some pretty crafty items there.


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