# Halloween 2015 .. Come on, you know you're thinking about it. Theme??



## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

My theme is the same as always...NO PIRATES!! NO CLOWNS!!! NO CHAINSAWS!!


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## James B. (Oct 8, 2009)

I always do graveyard I just build it up. I am tempted by clowns especially after Twisty on AHS this year. However I know I am just going to build up new Zombies for next year.


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## Grimm Pickins (Nov 7, 2013)

I live in an old farmhouse in Vermont with a barn, which I am rather ashamed to say hasn't made it into the haunt... yet. We're planning a Victorian era Creepatorium, a collection of creepy things - living, dead, undead - many left behind by the forefathers of the 'estate'. Our goal is to reach outside the usual setting whilst still using some familiar themes. 

After the feedback this year, our mojo is definitely working towards getting it done. Work starts, umm, now?


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## Darkslide632 (Sep 10, 2010)

Unfortunately I live way out on a dead end street on the outskirts of town and I've never seen a single TOTer out this way, so my home decorations aren't anything special. 

Our yearly haunted house that we do as a fund raiser for the local rec center, however, is already being talked about. Considering a horror movie theme. Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm St., etc.


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## Penumbra (Jul 28, 2011)

I'd love to do clowns, but nothing I have is related to them so it would be hard to do. I'm thinking of maybe redoing a mad lab for next year, but it's still a ways off and I need a break for right now.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

Ha! I wondered who would start this thread and how long it would take! yes, I am most definitely thinking about it - have been for a year or more. I really wanted to do something different this year but just could not get motivated in time. Hopefully I can make it happen for 2015.
I am so bored with my cemetery! I do have other additions, like my stirring witch which is a huge hit with little kids and adults so I hate to not have her, but I've got to change things up. I've thought about doing an all witch theme but I have a pretty big yard and I don't know if I could think of enough witch things to fill it up.
Considered Nightmare Before Christmas. I even considered doing Peanuts and a pumpkin patch theme but I just don't think I can go that "cutesy", even though I love all things Charlie Brown.
What to do...
I'll be watching this thread closely for inspiration!


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## StanFam3 (Oct 5, 2009)

I don't know what we are doing yet. The biggest problem (other than budget) is STORAGE!!! That limits us greatly. 

Sooooo.... unsure which way to go for next year.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

I need a little break from the Halloween stress hangover / November depression before I start thinking about next year. I'll probably get back into it early next year.


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## Skeletoncrew (Oct 10, 2013)

StanFam3 said:


> The biggest problem (other than budget) is STORAGE!!! That limits us greatly.


That's my largest problem too, storage! 

I'm just in the thinking stage right now, I won't act on anything until after Christmas/New Years.


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## xxScorpion64xx (Oct 15, 2011)

Skeletoncrew said:


> That's my largest problem too, storage!
> 
> I'm just in the thinking stage right now, I won't act on anything until after Christmas/New Years.


Me three, storage is stunting my creativity


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## BarryJ (Oct 17, 2009)

I don't have theme planned, but I have a few props I want to try. I want to try Mr. Chicken's corpsing technique (thinking a bride and groom). I also need to do the drinking skeleton I ran out of time for this year. Last, I really want to build a bleeding wall, and since the first pump I bought for my skeleton was too powerful, I'm halfway there on this one.


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## MrToad (Sep 30, 2014)

I've been thinking about it since the day after Halloween. I want to include a funeral home into my cemetery setup (walking through the cemetery to get to the funeral home). I was thinking of using our dining room as the actual viewing room with the coffin and then build up around that. Hopefully the start of an actual haunted walk through instead of just walking up the yard to the front porch.


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## Regions Beyond (Sep 11, 2010)

Madame Leota said:


> Ha! I wondered who would start this thread and how long it would take! yes, I am most definitely thinking about it - have been for a year or more. I really wanted to do something different this year but just could not get motivated in time. Hopefully I can make it happen for 2015.
> I am so bored with my cemetery! I do have other additions, like my stirring witch which is a huge hit with little kids and adults so I hate to not have her, but I've got to change things up. I've thought about doing an all witch theme but I have a pretty big yard and I don't know if I could think of enough witch things to fill it up.
> Considered Nightmare Before Christmas. I even considered doing Peanuts and a pumpkin patch theme but I just don't think I can go that "cutesy", even though I love all things Charlie Brown.
> What to do...
> I'll be watching this thread closely for inspiration!


There is a lot of possibilities with witches - depends on how scary you want to go, could do 'evidence' of trick or treaters they snatched up, abandoned candy bags, costumed legs sticking out of pile of leaves, lots of bats and cats, cauldron with fogger, if can rig it, a 'flying'/suspended witch on broomstick, etc.


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## brimagic (Nov 2, 2014)

Living in a townhome, I've got limited front lawn space. So I think next year I'm going to utilize the front porch and build up a mausoleum and extend the facade to over the garage to match the current crypt wall I put up this year. Unfortunately, I've got marching orders to get christmas decorating started from my better half so that won't begin until after the new year.


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## weeping angel (Oct 27, 2012)

I really want to fine tune the props we made this year, the things that we ran out of time for that were just good enough to put out and looked great in the dark! I need to add another coat of paint to our stones, dry brush and tea stain. I wish I had torched some and added cracks before I painted them. My props need better hands than the one set I tried to make and the other set that I just taped into position.

Once everything was set out, I realized that we had room to stage more 'scenes'. Next year I would like to try to make static hitchhiking ghosts and the caretaker. I had bought masks and outfits for them, but switched themes when I was inspired by the Phantom Manor. I was going to try to make some of the graveyard stones, or perhaps the tribute stones that used to be in the old cue that are still at DW...and a pet cemetery. But after taking down the mausoleum stones and trying to find storage for all 32 where they would be out of harm's way, I'm ready to pass on that. We recently had fake turf installed, so I'd probably have to make them stable with wood bases, which would make them much harder to store.


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## SaltwaterServr (Jul 28, 2014)

The wife and I were lying in bed the night of Halloween talking about next year. We were both so dang excited about how things came out, the reactions of the ToT's, parents taking pictures with the kiddos, everything.

Our working theme right now is medieval/dark ages with a bit of Lord of the Ring crossed with Clash of the Titans. Heroes fighting monsters and what not. Merlin will make an appearance, skeleton warriors, dungeons, and anything else we can come up with. Oh, and Excalibur too if I can build a cauldron big enough to hide a hand/sword pop up prop inside. Going to do an ice dragon as a side highlight, and a bottomless pit/mine because I've never seen one until the doctor here put a link to his video.


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## Cal78 (Nov 15, 2010)

Since My Depression got the Better of me and I didn't do a Damn thing this Year, I have to step up for 2015. for 2015 I'm doing a 16x4 Mausoleum in front of that I'm Making A Miniature Model T Hearse, with a Tiny Toe Pincher in back of it, putting on Foam False Fronts with Lettering on My 12 Standing Graves that I Made Last year, and at the End of the Mausoleum I'm putting the Wooden Real Estate Sign Holder, I found, it will be painted to look like it's rusted Metal, and of top of that I'm putting two Revolving Police Lights that I bought awhile ago, and looking at some spooky music.


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## James B. (Oct 8, 2009)

brimagic I saw your wall on Pintrest and plan to do that to my garage next year. Great idea.


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## StanFam3 (Oct 5, 2009)

Skeletoncrew said:


> That's my largest problem too, storage!
> 
> I'm just in the thinking stage right now, I won't act on anything until after Christmas/New Years.


Us as well.

Just finished boxing/organizing everything, and putting what I can (by myself) into the attic. Will get the rest of it up there this week (with the help of most wonderful hubby).


Right now -- the strongest ideas are a Carnival/Freak-Show theme... with a small element of swamp-witch thrown into it, since we live in the area Home to the Okefenokee Swamp.


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## StanFam3 (Oct 5, 2009)

xxScorpion64xx said:


> Me three, storage is stunting my creativity


Doesn't IT JUST BLOW??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ugh. I hate not having a storage unit or big enough barn. When we lived in the Atlanta area, we had a two story dutch style barn for storage. I'd give my left pinky toe to be able to magically make that sucker appear down here in S GA right now. Woman who bought our home doesn't even use it.


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## StanFam3 (Oct 5, 2009)

Regions Beyond said:


> There is a lot of possibilities with witches - depends on how scary you want to go, could do 'evidence' of trick or treaters they snatched up, abandoned candy bags, costumed legs sticking out of pile of leaves, lots of bats and cats, cauldron with fogger, if can rig it, a 'flying'/suspended witch on broomstick, etc.


LOLOL Great ideas! We have done witches every single year, one way or the other. (They are near and dear to my heart! LOLOL)

BUT... I think this next year, there may only be one included.


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## Skeletoncrew (Oct 10, 2013)

We have an old house, so not much storage at all. When we bought the house the cottage out back was used for storage, but we repurposed it into a gym for me and an office for DH for our log home business. Now we rent a storage unit in town and that's where over flow goes, but even that fills up relatively quick if you're not careful. Right now my dismantled hobie cat and jet skis are in there with all the other stuff. My Dh has a enclosed trailer with business logo and tools are kept in that. When you have tools/machinery, house stuff, boat/fishing gear, ect ..Seasonal storage takes low priority. We are constantly outgrowing our bounds.


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## chaoscat (Nov 3, 2005)

I want to do a radical make over this year. I want focus more on making my yard a month long event, rather than a one night show. How I'm going to do this? I just don't know yet. Some limitations have already been brought up. Storage. Where do you put all this crap the other 11 months? Also, I've got a LOT invested in what I have now. I really don't want to start from scratch. I've developed my yard haunt over the course of 20 years. It just sort of happened. There was never a "plan". It was add one thing, then another, it was like tribbles, it just multiplied out of all reason.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

I also have a storage problem. My side yard is full of scrap metal , my garage 4 blocks away also is packed full of scrap metal and numerous other things to "someday" become "Something Else?" The wood has to be kept indoors, the metal is not so fussy. It can rust but a quick "Buzz" of a grinder wheel makes it look pretty new again.
I recently tried to imagine how I would even go about making an entertaining gory display.. it felt as if I was trying to learn a very foreign language. I just don't understand what anybody finds the least bit entertaining about such things? Oh,Well?
My "Theme" will always be the old, classic Haunted House full of oddities, and history, and Spirits,and architecture.
I really don't feel as if I am disappointing anyone's gore and monster expectations.. because they can get this at almost every October Haunt,right?
This old house sometimes has provided my show here with special effects. Every once and awhile and when they happen, nobody is more caught off-guard than I am! (But I am not running away screaming peeing myself!) I am pondering just exactly what happened , and wondering what else could have caused it to happen?
Many highly-coincidental things have happened here. Talk about something, then it turns "On" and runs for a few seconds...Or pointing my flashlight at a certain corner of the room saying"You should never invite a ghost into your house" and as soon as I said "House", a small object fell from where it has successfully stayed for several years..... I had been pointing my light at the female mannequin standing in the corner representing the legendary ghost of this house.


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

We already started discussing our theme the day of. LOL


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

The hubby bought me an airbrush for our anniversary and I'm itching to use it. Going to be setting up a buffy themed cemetary with headstones for some of the series big bads. Sadly too busy getting ready for the other holiday and I don't have a good indoor space for smelly painting, so it'll probably have to wait until spring to get started.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

StanFam3 said:


> Doesn't IT JUST BLOW??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Ugh. I hate not having a storage unit or big enough barn. When we lived in the Atlanta area, we had a two story dutch style barn for storage. I'd give my left pinky toe to be able to magically make that sucker appear down here in S GA right now. Woman who bought our home doesn't even use it.


Storage is an issue here too. It sucks, hard. Don't have a usable attic, basement is part of the living space, and the shed has other outdoor stuff. I have to shove things into the furnace room or the crawlspace under the stairs. I'd love another outbuilding to use to house my toys.


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## dee14399 (Aug 24, 2010)

Our theme for 2015 is Disney Villians/ Nightmare before christmas. Our themes are mainly for our big party
not ToT as much. Im looking forward to making a lot of Nightmare before christmas stuff and being able to leave it up till after Christmas


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## SaltwaterServr (Jul 28, 2014)

Ugh. Storage. The bane of every haunter it seems. I really need to see if the HOA allows storage buildings if they can't be seen from the road. 

We've got two big attic spaces, but some of it just won't fit. I got lucky and my 6 year old thinks having the glowing coals from the cauldron creep in his room is the coolest thing ever. So big win there. 

Next year though...man. If I were down in San Antonio, no problem. Empty two story house on the ranch, plus three full sized trans oceanic shipping containers at my disposal. Not to mention 140,000 sq ft of industrial structural metal shop space for fabrication. The scrap steel lying around dad's office alone could build a haunt the size I can't imagine right now. 

Le sigh...


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## StanFam3 (Oct 5, 2009)

I'm so glad to hear that we aren't the only ones out there STIFLED by the sheer lack of storage. And not to mention HELP for CAST and BUILDING... or hey, MONEY!!!

NEED. TO. WIN. THE. DAMN. LOTTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Back in 2010 when weather wiped out my storage, we threw together a theme in 2 months. Someone on here was making fun of people that put out "nothing but some corn stalks and pumpkins, boring", so I decided that's what we'd do. 

At the time there was 2 elements, the front, based on this:










Turned into the basis for our front yard up till 2013. 










And the back, I had an idea for an "orchard" area to go along with that...It really sucked...I don't want to talk about it. Since then the back has been a thorn in my side consistently with disjointed mini themes that don't flow well at all. Sure, I've made some great little pieces in the back, I just haven't liked how they flow together with the front. 

However, I think we got a lot of the orchard idea worked out THIS year as that's what I revisited for the front, but I was hindered by circumstance and budget to really do it properly. 

So, I think I'm going to revisit the 2010 concept as a whole, and do a full on harvest theme. 










Oh, I also discovered my town does a scarecrow contest. Started last year. I swear it was a carebear on a stick that won this year...I think I might just have to enter...


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## Berserker (Sep 4, 2012)

Thinking about doing a zombie theme this year with a bunch of my neighbors...but not sure yet.


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## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

I'll be sticking with my spider theme for another two years, tweaking it out into a full fledged and mostly automated trail in my front yard. I'll also be adding several extra RC spiders for "Spider Wrangling." I'll be using cars with wired controls,so the kids will look like they're walking them on leashes.

I will be insulating the basement this winter, so like 10 sheets of foam will mysteriously vanish to become tombstones. A cemetery will follow the spider theme. 

I've already got $1k set aside for storage growth. A steel shed needs a new floor and will be relocated atop a small floating yard deck. Another steel shed will be erected about 30 feet away, so the two sheds are facing each other. In between I will build a breezeway,which will function as yard equipment storage for the ride on mower, chipper, and snow blower, plus Halloween storage. 

The stuff I have to do to ensure my storage remains "temporary structures" so the don't add to my property tax bills. It sucks living in the state with the highest property taxes in the country.


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

SaltwaterServr said:


> Our working theme right now is medieval/dark ages with a bit of Lord of the Ring crossed with Clash of the Titans. Heroes fighting monsters and what not. Merlin will make an appearance, skeleton warriors, dungeons, and anything else we can come up with. Oh, and Excalibur too if I can build a cauldron big enough to hide a hand/sword pop up prop inside. Going to do an ice dragon as a side highlight, and a bottomless pit/mine because I've never seen one until the doctor here put a link to his video.


Nice! I look forward to seeing your haunt next year.

Y'know, that's definitely a big part of why I enjoy decorating for Halloween so much: I get to be the Dungeon Master, but for real . . .


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## DarkhavenManor (Sep 27, 2014)

I'll be sticking with a traditional haunted house, only scratching the graveyard and focusing in on more detail work. Getting a lot of inspiration from a local haunt 
(seen below)


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## HalloScream (Jul 31, 2011)

I got a couple of things in mind. I hope to change it some next year .


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## Flychiguy1985 (Aug 19, 2014)

I would love to expand my usual Halloween hodgepodge display to the back yard as well. I'll have the family friendly display in front, and the scary route leading from the gangway to the backyard. One can dream right? ?


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## Spooky_Girl1980 (Jul 12, 2010)

My theme for next year is a chop shop call The Little Butcher Shop of Horrors as of right now . We already have a few things bought and a ever growing list of ideas.


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## 3pinkpoodles (May 2, 2012)

We do classic Halloween..... But I'd like to add a creepy kid's room/haunted nursery (freaky baby dolls everywhere, not Spirit zombie babies though). 

I also want to ante up my seance room and really spend some time working on the details of that space.

This year we did our first ever haunted back yard walk through and I am inspired now for 2015!


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## Bratwitch (Oct 30, 2013)

Thinking of doing a version of Twisted Tales for next year with lots of witches and turning our long, dark downstairs hall into some kind of creepy forest with tree silhouettes, spiders, webs hanging bats, hidden creatures and illuminated eyes. Would love to incorporate a couple of drop panels too.


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## Castart (Aug 29, 2010)

I am staying with the Cemetary as the base idea. Space is becoming a concern for me as well. My plan has always been to make my driveway into a Lousiana style cemetary with the yard being the more traditional. So that is were my energy will be, crypts. I am also looking at Facades, I want to bring my house in line. Not 100% sure how yet, but I am looking for something I can pull off that I like. 

I am also looking at replacing store bought and static tomb stones with other things. I am thinking I want more movemetn in the graveyard, just not sure where the line of "To much" is drawn.


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## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

Ive done several vignettes for the last 4 years but this year I did one theme, circus/clowns. I didnt get to roll out all my ideas but was happy with the result. 

For next year I want to setup my witches, since I have a ton of stuff for it and ideas for more, however, my family wants to revisit the clown theme for next year and move it to my aunts house (leaving my hood in the dark) since we had a very low tot turnout. (its been declining every year).

I mainly want to rotate themes so my electronic stuff doesnt get too dusty in storage and not work but Im unsure what to do. 

I suppose if I could get at least a week off of work I could go over and setup at my aunts, plus she would help me and I wouldnt do it all by myself like Ive been doing. Though Id want to do witches not clowns like everyone else wants. Conundrum. (we all live about 45 mins away so I cant do both.


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## Michael Smith (Nov 5, 2014)

I'm really just starting on the whole home haunt thing, so it'll likely be a couple of years before I worry about a theme. I'm more interested in simply exploring some unconnected ideas and techniques for now. I have already started scribbling some ideas, though, that I'll be bugging all of you fine folks about over the coming months (spoiler: carnivorous toads).


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## Ragged Grin (Nov 5, 2012)

The Tombs of Ragged Grin

Dilapidated, forgotten burial ground. A twist on the tried and true cemetery, just very overgrown and dirty.


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## SaltwaterServr (Jul 28, 2014)

Michael Smith said:


> I have already started scribbling some ideas, though, that I'll be bugging all of you fine folks about over the coming months (spoiler:_ carnivorous toads_).


Um, not to spoil your spoiler but all toads are carnivorous by definition. They, like all Anurans, eat other animals. If you're looking for a term that refers to man-eating frogs/toads/any animal, well, to the best of my brain there isn't such a phrase outside of the colloquial "man eating." My best poetic license and lowly biology sheepskin says "hominidivorous". But that right there ain't no word.


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## Michael Smith (Nov 5, 2014)

SaltwaterServr said:


> Um, not to spoil your spoiler but all toads are carnivorous by definition. They, like all Anurans, eat other animals. If you're looking for a term that refers to man-eating frogs/toads/any animal, well, to the best of my brain there isn't such a phrase outside of the colloquial "man eating." My best poetic license and lowly biology sheepskin says "hominidivorous". But that right there ain't no word.


I'm aware of that, but it was easier than saying "toads that are scary by virtue of the appearance that they eat things larger than insects" and I was pretty sure people would still know what I meant.


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

Michael Smith said:


> I'm really just starting on the whole home haunt thing, so it'll likely be a couple of years before I worry about a theme. I'm more interested in simply exploring some unconnected ideas and techniques for now. I have already started scribbling some ideas, though, that I'll be bugging all of you fine folks about over the coming months (spoiler: carnivorous toads).


Reading your post, I remembered immediately one of the illustrations from the AD&D 1st ed. Monster Manual. (Ignore the text above the pic, which concerns a different monster.)

http://instagram.com/p/vGcfvkNkWo/

Now, imagine that paired with a kicking legs prop . . . Heh. 

Edit: Hmm, having some difficulty using the *







*


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## Halloween_Hippie (Jun 26, 2014)

I am not sure yet. I am thinking Disney. We are moving to Nebraska in April so I will have to see what I have to work with when I get there.


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## Muffy (Sep 25, 2006)

Gonna start right after Xmas. With limitations with my hand issues it takes me twice as long to do stuff. My New Year's resolution is to COMPLETE all these unfinished projects that go in different scenes of my haunt. Also our cemetery is not up to par. Looking at Davis Graveyard's Cemetery just makes me cry. That thing is so real looking. Another part of my resolution is to keep my butt in here all year. Things fell apart at my haunt when I stopped visiting here on a regular basis. Sticking around helps to keep me focused throughout the year. I finally may have found some help to get things completed. Goal for 2015: Polish off my scenes. Add a few new scenes, re-constuct the cemetery for a brand new Collinwood841.


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## Icepick (Nov 24, 2013)

I thought I was going to do pirates again next year, and just add more to it. It now looks like I will be doing a "Haunted Mansion" theme. So I have all year to make everything from the ground up. Good thing I have been collecting items for a couple years to do this theme in the future. Just didn't think the future was now.


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## Michael Smith (Nov 5, 2014)

Saruman of Many Colours said:


> Reading your post, I remembered immediately one of the illustrations from the AD&D 1st ed. Monster Manual. (Ignore the text above the pic, which concerns a different monster.)
> 
> http://instagram.com/p/vGcfvkNkWo/
> 
> ...


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## Eblore (Sep 18, 2013)

I have several idea but haven't narrowed it down yet. I would like to do a new build - Star Wars. But I'm having knee replacement in December and I'm not sure how I will feel in march to start the build Besides, ill have medical bills and "Star Wars" doesn't lend itself to reclaimed pallets. 

I may revive "carn-evil / freak show". I have several props/booths already, but will need to make some more. The biggest issue with that is convincing my friends/helpers to come up with a act. They aren't as Halloween crazy as I am. For them Halloween is 4 hours party on 10-31. For me its 3 months planning, 6 months building, 1 crazy week of setup, 24 hours of manic details and 3 weeks of tear down and packing away. 

Pirates were very popular this year, but I prefer not to do the same theme every year. So, Pirate will have to sail away for a couple of years before returning.

I have jokingly said I'm going to do an everything but the kitchen sink theme and bring everything out of the warehouse. It would be a Pirate, Graveyard, carn-evil, Mayan apocalypse mash up. I've also threatens to just a Tardus next year and place it somewhere in every theme from here on out. (Does that make me a Dr. Who nerd?) 

Good luck everyone! Lets start building. (opps, wait, I still need to clean up from this year)


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

I know that someone here (Bobzilla, pethaps?) has made an awesome full-scale Tardis replica . . .


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## Deadview (Aug 9, 2011)




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

Deadview said:


>


Oh, sorry. Was it you who had built the Tardis? Meant no offense.


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