[mesmark]

Wheels are rolling. I'm thinking of making a ... blood splatter/slasher type photo spot and haunted house section.

It seems so simple and something you can't really mess up. But I feel like it might be too simple and just easy enough to mess up

I'm thinking of getting some white fabric and then fling dark red paint at it. I'll lay it on the ground (outside) for some flinging with a paint brush and then maybe stand it up and try to get some rich drippy sections as well.

I'm going to do some streaking hand prints as well.

For props, I was thinking of having a hatchet and/or an ax. I'm also going to get a Jason mask to place somewhere.

Severed limbs would be good, but I'm not sure if I should go too far. This is for a small kids party.

Anyone have any experience with this? advice? tips?

[nosferatu]

It's a great idea.

As its for kids, you could have the children wear those disposable decorators cover alls, the paper type ones and masks and they could be CSI types, looking for clues that you have left scattered, or indeed, splattered, across the room. Maybe have a few slightly scary booby traps hidden along the way? Having to put their hands in buckets of baked beans, slime and goo to reach the clues? All have little clipboards, going through he checklist you have prepared for them one by one and maybe cameras?

You could also leave a section totally white where the kids could splatter each other. Whats the point of overalls if it isn't going to get a bit messy? Maybe they could have water pistols filled with red coloured water? Or green slime just for the sake of it being green slime.

I also like the idea of turning on a tap and blood coming out.

The thing about severed limbs is fine so long as they are not overly realistic. Maybe they could assemble all the body parts to put the victim back together again a la Frankenstein? My daughter will be 8 this year, she is fine with unrealistic scenarios, BBC have a Young Dracula programme for kids which is really good but not too scary. I wouldn't dream of letting her watch anything above her limit, even though she is very mature.

[cuvers]

I am planning on having a section similar to that at my haunt this year also. I found at the Dollar Tree they have severed hands, feet, bag of fingers, bag of ears and various organs all for you guessed it a buck apiece. they actually don't look tht bad, and would be great for kids and not too scary

[zombombie]

Great idea, I especially like Nos' idea of little CSI investigators! And the fact that they can get messy in the overalls would be sure to go down a storm

[ghostface]

Excellent idea!

[mesmark]

reading this, I'm now thinking I need some Police caution tape. It might be cool to have the picture section with Police tape, but when they walk into the haunted house they'd be all alone .... I might add the police tape once the party begins and warn everyone about the incident.

A severed limbs game sounds like a good idea. I might make it a card flip type game where they have to find all of the pieces, but not the "slasher".

Keep the ideas coming

[mesmark]

I've got some fabric and some red paint. I'm going to mix some red with a little black and get started tomorrow. I'm thinking some splatter sections, some splotches that are drippy, a streaky hand print or two, and warnings written in blood. For now, I'm going to write "RUN!" but I need another ... maybe a half finished phrase that trails off.

I have a day off tomorrow so two days to work on some projects. Hopefully, I'll make so progress and get a little of the heat off my back.

[zombombie]

What about something like "TURN BA....."?

I think I'll try using your idea this year Mark, but modify it slightly. Going to put a 'blood' covered sheet in my bath, covering pillows or something so that it looks like a body, then put police tape around it

[nosferatu]

Or "HELP" (or Japanese equivalent) with the final letter like zombombie said not finished with bloody hand prints dragged down and then trailing off across the floor.

[mesmark]

Thanks for the ideas. 'Help' might be simple enough. I was thinking "It's Mar..." but my wife said why would anyone write "It's" and then I said ... nothing and stormed out of the room.

By the way, I'm going to be a deranged Sushi chef with a bloody hatchet and my family are going to be sushi. It sort of all comes together that way. We had already decided that we were going to be sushi. (We feel like it's good to have a goofy year and show people you can be anything on Halloween. It doesn't have to be princess, witch, pirate, witch, witch, pirate, witch, witch, pirate, princess, princess, princess)

[monstermash]

I can't wait to see your progress reports mes. I always look forward to reading your decorating threads, you've always got tons of good ideas. Mad sushi chef and sushi? Brilliant.

[nosferatu]

Thanks for the ideas. 'Help' might be simple enough. I was thinking "It's Mar..." but my wife said why would anyone write "It's" and then I said ... nothing and stormed out of the room.

When we were first married, in our first run down house, I tiled the bathroom. Spent the whole weekend on it.. Once finished, I stood back and admired my achievement and called my wife, waiting for my new bride to gush lovingly about my ceramic heroics. She said, " That tile down there is upside down." I buried her body in the garden.

Only joking! She's in the cellar.

I was going to say that your room decorations are the most I look forward to seeing each year, however, that would be an injustice. You have like a theatrical staging, a proper set. Can't wait to see it.

[mesmark]

Nos - don't get to excited for this year. As of right now, this year is just a building year and we're going to try to work on smaller projects and details. But I appreciate the warm welcome for my props/display thread.

Got my schedule cleared and got everything together. Work officially started today.

I made machetes, one for the display and one for me:

I sketched the machete shape out on particle board (which I now love, by the way)


I cut it out and layered the handle with a second and third piece on either side.


Then, I sanded a blade onto one side:


There you have them



Inspired by MonsterMash's grim reaper, I made my own to go in front of the haunted house. Here are the progress shots and a loose construction at the end:








It will be done in all black fabric for the day, but I just needed to test the shape and fabric ideas. I made a bigger machete blade and added that to the stick I used as a staff when I was a spider lord. The guard will hold that in one hand and a lantern in the other.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Particle board blades. Look at you go. You've stepped it up from foam. Those machetes looks fantastic. It's always fun to have a prop to carry around like that.

I like seeing the steps of your reaper construction. This helps anyone else that is thinking of doing a similar project.

One thing that I always worry about when contemplating such a prop is the base. Always paranoid that it won't be sturdy enough. Wouldn't want it to topple over, especially with kids around. Are you confident with your solution? Do you think it could use brackets front to back also?

Another great use for the foam wig head. Compared to the ones I bought, yours have the benefit of coming with a bit of shoulder/chest as well. And already black... well suited for a reaper guard.

And your fabric test looks great, he should work quite well. A very imposing sentinel. Well, except for that wee bike he rode in on. Someone get that demon an appropriate skeletal steed to ride.

[zombombie]

The thought of that terrifying reaper riding in on that wee bike is brilliant

Mark! What can I say?! Thos machetes are superb, the particle board works brilliantly and your reaper is fantastic, so imposing! I love the 2 layers of fabric, little details like that make the difference. Can't wait to see everything finished!