# Lovecraft / Cthulhu Party Ideas



## EvilAltar (Oct 10, 2009)

Hi All,

I'm having a party in the theme of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu mythos this year. I'm from Massachusetts in a city that could easily be a spot-on match for Arkham. We have had famous Asylum.

I'm setting up my typical graveyard in my side yard. I'm going to transform the back entrance into my basement into a "portal" to another dimension where my guests will see horror, meet challenges, attempt to retain their sanity - and even have a close-call with Cthulhu himself.

I've already ordered a Tentacle from FrightProps, although I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet. I would love to rig something where it can break through the ceiling on command with a roar - but that may be a bit ambitious.

I'm building a FCG from the yard that will warn people to turn away via hidden speaker. I'm also planning to build a Necronomicon for the party, or at the very least a few pages from the Necronomicon to scatter around. The invitations are going to mentions people that went missing from the area last year. The missing people will be my guest alter egos from last year using the photos I had taken, and the guests will be asked to investigate the area for clues.

I could really use some more ideas for how to flesh out these plans. Anything from small details to larger props is appreciated - but I don't have a huge budget so anything that would cost more than $150 to execute will likely be filed under "Would be Nice." Although I'm more flexible on items that can be re-purposed for other projects. I don't really count motors, or controllers in the same category as props - but that doesn't mean I can string for a 5K light/sound controller either.

Thanks so much for your support and assistance. I'll be sure to keep this thread updated on my progress and post pictures as I complete items.


----------



## EvilAltar (Oct 10, 2009)

I'm also really trying to come up with a good idea for the invitation. I want that to be something unique that people will want to keep. I usually do scroll type invitations, but I think I should do something special this year.


----------



## thanosstar (Aug 5, 2012)

sounds great! i am currently building a prop of shuma gorath a marvel comics villian. look him up. may be a good idea for your party


----------



## EvilAltar (Oct 10, 2009)

thanosstar said:


> sounds great! i am currently building a prop of shuma gorath a marvel comics villian. look him up. may be a good idea for your party


Post a pic when it's done. I would love to see it.


----------



## thanosstar (Aug 5, 2012)

no problem  prolly be around august


----------



## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

I think you're blazing a new trail for Halloween. I've looked for others that might have done a Lovecraft theme but am coming up short. The few I've found are here: http://pinterest.com/zim2/halloween-lovecraftpoe/ Also in this link are some giant tentacle stickers from Etsy. Post some pictures when you're done so I can add it as a resource!


----------



## Saruman of Many Colours (Sep 8, 2010)

thanosstar said:


> sounds great! i am currently building a prop of shuma gorath a marvel comics villian. look him up. may be a good idea for your party


Heh. Awesome.


----------



## EvilAltar (Oct 10, 2009)

Well - I figured out the Save-the-Date cards at least. I'm going to send some of these tiny Necronomicon Notebooks with the date and time information in them. I'll try to get these out in mid-late July. The actual invitations will go out near the end of August. I'm think I might do a file of some sort. Maybe a case file from the Arkham police, or a patient file from the Arkham Asylum. Since only people that attended last year are getting the high-quality "prop" invitations, I could customize them. Make a template and fill in the details for each person as their "Arkham Patient File." Still lots of planning ahead.


----------



## EvilAltar (Oct 10, 2009)

Found this site: http://www.cryptocurium.com/

Great Lovecraft crafts there. A tad pricey - but I may get one piece.


----------



## BarbWire (Dec 14, 2010)

Sounds like youve got a great party plan. Perhaps some spooky back round music or some lovecraft audio books playing in select corners of the house would lend to your atmosphere, and a fog machine of course.


----------



## EvilAltar (Oct 10, 2009)

So yesterday, between waiting for coats of molding latex to dry on a prop for an unrelated event, I had time to work on a little project for the party. I carved a custom rubber stamp (about 2" diameter round) that I will be using to stamp my Save-the-Date cards and invitation envelopes and other props. I'll post a picture later.


----------



## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

I'm doing a Steam punk/Victorian Gothic theme this year I hope!! Just trying to figure out how, as I'm not much of a power tool/big project person, more a paper/needlecraft person. I was thinking not only Lovecraft, but H G Wells too, so lots of alien type horrors...red weed...the suggestion of Cthulhu with a tentacle or two sticking out from the green and purple fabric swathes and lights at the foot of my stairs and a claw...maybe the tip of a wing...I keep thinking swimming noodles as that seems to be a popular choice for tentacles. They need to be thinner though so I was wondering if anyone here has sliced noodles into thinner lengths and tried threading picture wire through it, to enable bending, then wrap the lengths in duct (gaffer) tape...I will probably go with Poe as my horror bit...any tips on how to make a tell tale heart? We're a bit limited with items to make props from in the UK, SO other than a papier mache heart...I can't think how to do it.


----------



## EvilAltar (Oct 10, 2009)

Hi Carmilla,

I ended up using one of these for my Lovacraft party 2 years ago. I can't begin to say how impressed I was with the quality of this prop.

http://www.frightprops.com/tentacle-0745.html


----------



## miles (Sep 18, 2013)

awww man I wish I saw this earlier! wicked good idea, I don't know how helpful it could be but check out "arkham horror" its a table top game, lots of cool references. I will agree as well with the music...great atmosphere. I know you can make tentacles from pool noodles.


----------



## EvilAltar (Oct 10, 2009)

miles said:


> awww man I wish I saw this earlier! wicked good idea, I don't know how helpful it could be but check out "arkham horror" its a table top game, lots of cool references. I will agree as well with the music...great atmosphere. I know you can make tentacles from pool noodles.


Hey Miles,

I love Arkham Horror. I have all it's expansions and accessories. If you have't tried it, I highly recommend Eldritch Horror. It's a slimmed down rule-set with all the fun of Arkham, but a 1-2 hour play time instead of 3-5 hours.


----------



## hhh (Mar 1, 2012)

I did a lovecraft themed puzzle room for halloween last year. it was lots of fun

http://www.halloweenforum.com/party-ideas-experiences-and-recipes/140276-lovecraft-puzzle-room.html


the hp lovecraft historical society has some materials for printing,
http://www.cthulhulives.org/toybox/PROPDOCS/PropFDLpack.html


----------



## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Hi EvilAtar, hhh, and miles

Thank you for the link/s, but I'm afraid that 80 dollars plus postage and packing to the Uk would be too much as I have so many other bits to get. I'm the only wage earner as my daughters still in education. Looks like a great prop though, it would be bigger than the width of my stair case lol!! I will check out the game sites though and I love some of the puzzle room ideas. I have a cd storage jar like the one in the pic. I've just given it a clean and its now in my ideas box along with a music box insert(no key  ), an unused LED jellyfish tank light thingummy and some safety goggles!! I'm thinking that a clockwork toy mechanism, an led battery powered light and plasticine/modelling clay could be utilised for my tell tale heart?


----------



## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

I did put this on last years monthly Steampunk discussion but nobody has replied so I'll put it here instead. There were some great ideas on it. I hadn't thought about a proper SP theme until two of my daughters guests for last years Halloween came in full SP gear, although I had touched on the Victorian Gothic horror theme many times and last year touched lightly on a colonial/world tour theme, with Egyptian artifacts etc...it was a rush job though as I was working too many hours!! I was wondering where to get the clear plastic jars from, am I right in thinking they are take away cups from coffee bars? In the uk, i'm not sure where to get them without Costa or Starbucks printed on them. I'd love to do some specimen jars for my SP theme this year.


----------



## miles (Sep 18, 2013)

> I was wondering where to get the clear plastic jars from, am I right in thinking they are take away cups from coffee bars? In the uk, i'm not sure where to get them without Costa or Starbucks printed on them. I'd love to do some specimen jars for my SP theme this year.


these?









or these?









i'm sure if you wanted to use plastic cups you could, I would try an Iparty or an equivalent to it, they sell them in bulk, if your doing the other style I would just buy mason jars or even use old, pickle jars, baby food jars any glass jars really, give it a little paint job


----------



## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

Camilla, we did the pool noodle tentacles last year and they're very easy. Each one took 3 pool noodles but I've seen them done with 1 and it had a great effect. Also you mentioned thinner noodles, u could always try to see if u can find pipe insulation (that's what I used for my suckers but it could work for the tentacle). Another thing is go check out halloween tricks albums, she also did a pirate theme last year but took a different approach on her tentacles. ...I loved hers!!!! I believe she used great stuff foam insulation.


----------



## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

K grabbed my pics...














And here's hers...


----------



## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

PumpkinPie, what did you and K do with the pool noodles to make all those tentacles? Looks like two different methods. Very cool!


----------



## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Thank you. Been at work all day, so only just got a chance to get on here. It looks fab, I did wonder about using flexible hose/corrugated pvc pipe for thinner tentacles or cutting the noodles into thinner strips and inserting bendable wire(garden wire) and wrapping each in duct/gaffer tape. Either could work...and I could bend it into shape.


----------

