Below you’ll find my wish list for Halloween items for 2022! I’ll try to add here when I come upon something that I really love and plan on getting or hunting for soon.
Skeleton Croc - Target
This is going to be a must for me. I want two but who knows due to space I may be forced to get one. Perfect for a bayou scene!
Link @ Target
More to come!
]]>I'm back with my first update for 2022. Since my last post, we have moved and a lot has been going on. The first thing is I planned on having a haunt warming party to celebrate our new home and being here a year in October, but things have sort of happened and it may make that idea not so great as I had hope. The big news is I'm PREGNANT! Therefore, all my spooky and crazy ideas for this year may not even happen. I have no idea what we will do. I am leaning toward maybe a falloween themed house warming instead so I don't have to get too crazy with the decor or maze(which may not happen.)
As for the Halloween craziness, I've already made a few Halloween purchases: LINK
Apprently, I'm a fool and can't figure out how to embed a code without adding all the extra gibberish Instagram adds on so it won't work here. You can just click the link above to see my latest purchase!
More to come!
]]>This year we attended our first trunk or treat. Normally, I would not be too interested in this type of event. However, now that I have a son any activity, especially an outdoor one becomes a good option for us!
So my husband’s work had a cook out and in the evening they planned on spooky activities. Although we arrived late, (20 minutes til event end) we were able to go “trunk or treating,” got a free pail of candy for our son, snowcone, food, and treats. We did miss the last hayride but it was probably for the best.
The best part about it was I was able to quickly throw open my trunk and set up a ghastly ghoul and non-candy treats. It’s all I had in a pinch but I had some awesome goodies. I threw open a pack of zombie fingers and those were a total hit. I even had people come and ask where they came from because more kids wanted them.
I ended up running out but giving one kid some other finger puppets I had and another girl’s dad even chased me down asking if I had found some more. I hadn’t and the poor dad sulked in disappointment. I had a cute Halloween plushie keychain that I bought for my son and I ended up chasing him down and giving it to him for his daughter. I felt like it was the right thing to do and boy was I right! The dad yelled “OH HELL YEAH!” Apparently even he understood how cute it was! I knew it was right thing to do if that was his reaction. I’m sure his daughter was excited about it too so that made me happy!
They even removed them from search from their website but I just used a trick to find them again. Haha!
Here are the two creepy crawly movies we have lined up to watch tonight. Eek!
Available to watch on Sling with a membership. 🕷
]]>Aren’t these bags amazing? While on our family trip to the farm my husband found a Goodwill nearby and wanted to stop. It added a couple of minutes to the drive which left me annoyed and naturally I gave him a hard time about it. I decided to stop with the intention of only him getting off.
My neighbor left these goodies by my door the other day! I felt like I was opening a Halloween birthday gift! I can’t tell when these are from but I feel vintage vibes (1990s.)
Imagine my surprise when my husband took me to a local thrift store that I never knew about! It is half outdoors/half indoors (large open garage building.) At any rate, these gems were waiting inside for me:
This year I went back and forth on wanting these two items from Home Depot. NOTICE: These items are no longer available online or through search engines! I had to go find the photos I saved on my phone to post them here. Craaaaazy!
Long story short, I did not get either one and ended up getting several smaller items which I will get to in a minute. The reason I did not buy the scarecrow is because I saw someone post a real life photo of it online and it didn't look as menacing in person. I wasn't sold even though I still like it, it just wasn't the right time for me to get it. The giant anaconda was going to be my top choice but I had to pass it up due mostly because I will be moving to a house with a much smaller yard than I currently have. I don't see it even working in the new spot unfortunately.
NOTE: Online the web is listed as $150 but in person at the store, it is marked $99. I have no idea why.
Next we have my newest Jack-O'-Lantern!
And lastly, I bought this lil gal.
...and theres more but these are the main larger items for the time being. And last but not least, I will leave you with the next prop I wish to attain... hopefully within the next week somehow!
I mean, really! What a strange name for this but I'll take it! I have yet to see this prop in person and I'm currently being too cheap to pay for shipping on it. I hope I can find it in a store soon. This prop I actually saw on someones facebook photos they took at Lowe's and I knew as soon as I saw it, I needed to get it. It would add the perfect eerie glow to just about any scene and I think that's what makes it so versatile to me. Stay tuned to see if I'm able to find it!
]]>I decided to update to post about my lack of motivation for creating anything Halloween related this year. Normally, by this time I'd be working on several projects for my haunted maze/back yard haunt. However, this year my motivation is severely lacking in part because I will be moving. I honestly don't know what the future holds for my haunts at this point. We're supposed to move right in the middle of October too! I have some Halloween items to share and a few videos in the works but no actual creations. I should be updating my blog more and when I'm lazy I'll just update my new Halloween instagram with new Halloween finds in the meantime. Take a look here!
]]>I’m back with some creepy and spoopy Halloween items on my Halloween wishlist! It may be because I have a toddler now but I’m totally obsessed with Hallmark’s Halloween kid selection this year!
Take a look at these spoopy items for 2021!
How cute is this? And it’s wearable? Count me in! Price $19.99 @ Hallmark
This plush combines three of my favorite things in one— spooky plushies, eyeballs, and LED lights. How can eye go wrong? Price $8.99 @ Hallmark
That’s all for now but I’ll update this post as I shop and search!
]]>A couple more signs I made for my prison themed haunt in 2017. I used puffy fluorescent paint to add pops of blood that looked great under black light.
Here’s another sign I made in order to tease that I would be putting out decor until Halloween.
I’m pretty pleased with this sign. It’s a variation of a sign I saw on a Facebook Halloween group. I changed the wording and the fonts. I ended up screwing it to a wooden plank/pole for sturdiness. This particular sign is fading a bit due to the Texas heat but it’s nothing that can’t be touched up.
For the type on the sign I actually just picked out a style I liked and projected it on the wood. Pretty simple stuff. Prior to this all my signs were just free handed but I thought it would elevate my designs to look cleaner and slightly more professional to get the font accurate.
Our first Halloween tree is up!
Daytime/night time shot. It took me awhile to get to this point but I’m quite pleased with it!
Sometime in August I decided I wanted to try to set up my first Halloween tree ever. Not really my thing but being stuck in quarantine, it kind of became something to cheer me up plus I love our tree because I can program the lights myself. I initially programmed the lights with a candy-corn colors but for the final tree I went with purple and orange.
The tree also sat quite bare and dingy looking for some time. I had only a few ornaments and it didn’t look complete at all. I had some eyeball ornaments I loved but they weren’t enough. I decided to make more out of materials I had on hand. Here’s how they came out:
I finally started setting up my new tree scene setter! I have been unable to finish work on it but this is what I have so far.
Close-up! A little fluorescent spray paint combined with lighting goes a long way to make this prop super eerie!
This is one of those items that look good in the daytime and night time which gives it 2 klaws up in my book!
This was a part of my first “quarantine/online” Halloween Haul of 2020 and inspired by one of my favorite places featuring the same spooky scene setter!
Below: A few night time pics with lighting!
What’s left to do:
Add more texture around the tree to make the branches and tree prop flow seamlessly. I’ll do that by adding more loose branches and making them appear intertwined with the tree—almost like an armor of branches. I may or may not add some obviously fake leaves to be over the top. Not sure yet!
I’m sincerely hoping I feel well enough to complete this sometime this week!
To cheer myself up, I started working on a few Halloween projects of mine for 2020. This was one of ‘em!
I took an old skull prop that I previously altered to look like a clown complete with a slurpee lid paper mache nose and gave it a look as if it was naturally decaying in the elements. I saw someone do something similar to a full size skeleton and it looked like it would fit my haunted trail/spooky garden theme for this year so I gave it a try myself.
I needed to take a moment to document my BIY (Boo-it-yourself) ideas for 2020. I actually discovered that term on Micheal's official website. I also picked up tons of inspiration from the site too!
I write and plan out what I want to do each year but with quarantine I have not been in a mood to bother with Halloween DIY's at all. I recently got a sudden bump in inspiration with the recent Fall weather we had yesterday. It put me in the mood for sure!
Anyway, here are all of the projects I have planned out for now! I'll add and update as needed. I'll be sure to link back to this post any time I complete one of these projects so I can check it off the list.
Outdoor Projects
-Paint (4) silver skulls with realistic color and mossy texture and affix to shutters (IN PROGRESS 8/24/20) - DONE - pics not yet uploaded
-Repaint/redo large skull (currently a clown) to more natural colors/nature texture, add webs, light behind eyes and hang on house DONE!
-Touch up tombstones with moss and paint, add flowers and webs - DONE! Can be seen here!
-Attempt to make handmade bale of hay for display! (IN PROGRESS) 8/24/20 DONE - pics not yet uploaded
-Repaint broken birdbath and give "eerie" make under. (Actually repainted neutral tones to use all-year around 8/24/20) DONE! Link here!
-Make two pillars to hold pumpkin lanterns?! (need materials) - DONE - Link here! (seen in b/g)
-DIY porch or stand out of scrap wood for "organ donation" scene (IN PROGRESS 8/24/20) DONE - Link here!
-Alien scene, repaint barrels using fluorescent lighting - NOT DONE
-Tree creature - spook up the store bought tree creature and put it up securely! (IN PROGRESS 8/24/20) DONE! - Link here!
Signs
-Build coffin sign with scrap wood (words to TBD but perhaps a welcome sign) - NOT DONE
-Repaint a store bought sign (words TBD but decided on fishing theme - IN PROGRESS 8/24/20) - DONE - pics not yet uploaded
Entryway/front door
-Create spooky wreath with a tombstone and critter theme DONE!
-Rearrange Halloween props and items near door, add spooky mat - DONE! Link here!
Indoor crafts
-Cut paper bat silhouettes to attach to white and orange balloons (hang up a week before Halloween) - NOT DONE
-Pennant craft with spooky paper for Robert's room or living room (pennants overlap) DONE! Link here!
-Spooky & cute crafts for mijos room (varies) - DONE - pics not yet uploaded
-Make spooky ornaments for "Halloween tree" DONE! (Our first Halloween tree was a success! See it now!)
Costume
-Begin mijo's Splatoon costume! (need wig, jacket, shorts, and white shoes)
-Construct weapon for costume
DONE! Costume post here! (5/7/21)
I finally got around to making a complete blog post about my son's cosplay after my husband posted a picture of his finished costume on Reddit and it got an insane amount of upvotes and lots of questions!
Four years ago around this time I shared a photo of a crazed clown running around my neighborhood. No one believed me until I captured this rare image. He went by the name of "Farty the Clown."
I redid this pumpkin pot my sister gave me last year. The paint peeled off because apparently it wasn’t meant for outdoor use. Oops!
It developed this terrible texture and looked just plain awful. I finally got around to giving it a fresh new feel. Sanding those rough areas helped! I even added fake mum-looking plants and I think it looks adorable now!
This is our first year ever to put up a Halloween tree. What is a Halloween tree? A Christmas tree drowned in Halloween or spooky decor!
I love our Twinkly tree! It was our first family tree we bought together as a family a few years ago. We used hand-me-downs for the longest but we wanted something with amazing LED lighting that we could control. Now I just want to use it every chance I get.
I programmed candy-corn colored lights to start out with and although I hate candy corn, I love how these colors look together!
I added the strings to the ornaments and my Lil Ghoulster hung them up as high as he could reach. I had to snap a pic before I rearranged them!
]]>I’ve started putting decor out in my yard. My favorite thing so far that I want to share are my windows. Classic and simple. I love my bright purple LEDs! More progress photos soon.
🧡
I finally have my Halloween YouTube up and running! Here's our first vid!
]]>Every year I feature clowns in my maze in some way, shape, or form. One year my entire theme was Carn-evil and everything was clown-themed but otherwise, even if I don't do a clown theme, I use the clown props in different ways each year to fit with whatever theme I choose.
Here are a few of my no-budget, low-budget clown props! To pull off a real clown feel, I add in actors wearing masks, clown outfits, bozo shoes, and holding honkers and/or spraying silly string. The clowns bring the scenes to life! I also add in balloons, lighting, and fog machines to really set the mood.
This prop is extremely simple and uses recycled material. Take a thin piece of cardboard painted with a cone-like texture and glue it into a cone. Add some fuzzy pillow stuffing to the top to resemble ice-cream and spray paint with a fluorescent color for a spooktacular effect under black light. I added in some eyeballs I altered with a little bit of latex and blood to resemble flesh for a special touch!
Who doesn't love popcorn? These paper popcorn baggies were purchased at Dollar Tree and stuffed with plastic bags. I added some ruined spray foam insulation intestines I had and cut them up into pieces resembling popcorn and glued them to the top. Lastly, I added some fresh eyeballs to complete the snack.
Below you can see a few photos in the daylight on how we used the props. These props coupled with strategic lighting and our live actors decked out as clowns in a tent made for many memorable moments!
I hope these simple tips help you! I try to make our haunted house interactive so I'm always pondering inexpensive ways to make props that won't break the bank! More to come!
One of my newest and best source for ideas comes from our favorite place to visit during Fall with my family, which is Yesterland Farm in Canton, TX. I found out about this farm while looking up activities to do with my family when my son was still an infant. If you hear me mention this place a lot, it's because it's my favorite place on Earth. The cornfields, the maze, the spooky DIY's everywhere and the hayride... I just can't say enough good things about it!
Today's inspiration comes from the haunted hayride located within a wooded area. Among the many props along the path, my favorite are the prop ideas that utilize trees. Trees are often overlooked during Halloween but they can become a part of your display with a little help.
My next wishlist from the store At Home! Unfortunately, you can't order online or do curbside even though their website technically says you can. It's probably only for certain items. None of the items I've listed below can be ordered online but are still worth sharing!
Price: $16.99 - At Home
I can imagine a couple of these with some lit seaweed decor in an underwater cave scene.
Price: $16.99 - At Home
I wish I could buy a few of these for my garden! The moss gives it an eerie touch.
I love this simple fence as a backdrop for any spooky scene.
I would hang this hanging above my pumpkin patch, for sure!
Price: $19.99 - At Home
This would go perfect near a glowing pumpkin!
Price: $4.99 - At Home
]]>I've been online Halloween browsing for awhile now. I recently stumbled upon Target's Halloween goods. You can actually preorder them! Some of the items are already sold out but the website says "check back on release date." I'm going to check back in on August 27th to see if I can score some of these items. I had NO EARTHLY IDEA you could pre-order Halloween items from Target. I've been checking many sites for months but failed to check Target for some reason. Arrg! Either way, here are my favorite spooky new items for Halloween 2020 all from Target! I've also linked directly to the item if you're interested!
This is probably the neatest new Halloween item I've seen for 2020! I can envision two of these near my front door or even sitting on my kitchen window sill. It's great for that spooky tropical feel!
Price: $15
Where to buy: Target
These spooky ornaments are sold out on pre-order and it's no wonder why! They're simply spooktacular! I would personally add a string and colorful beads in Halloween colors and make necklaces using these!
Price: $5
Where to buy: Target
Cute and spooky bowls for eating your favorite ghoulish goodies.
Price: $6
Where to buy: Target
