Home Halloween Decorations with Ideas for 2011

Home Halloween decorations for the outdoors can add to an already festive Halloween atmosphere. Hallow scream for Halloween! It is time to become creative in producing some excellent outdoor Halloween decorations.

Don't be surprised when you open the door to a non-vacant coffin on the neighbor's lawn. Watch out for creepy crawlers and spiders falling from doorsteps and railings. From the top of the roof sits a witch with a broom who keeps an eye out for fresh "kid-knees." On ground level lays a pair of white and red striped stuffed socks inside of a pair of ruby red shoes as if the house landed right on top of the wicked player. The attic window shares a silhouette of Norman's mother as she calls for him. A raven uses your mailbox as their watchtower. And a scarecrow on the porch could very well scare even you. All of these things and more for a better Halloween experience to explore. Skip one paragraph to fall into the sharp details.

House prop party! Halloween is coming up fast so gather those supplies and prepare for another fun Halloween house prop party. For those who do not know a Halloween house prop party is when a person gathers others to join in on decorating their home for Halloween. Others may want their home decorated in return. You can create fond memories this way. But there is only one way to gather newbies - invite them. You play host and supply all decorative needs. The guests just relax and assist in putting the Halloween decorations up. Have refreshing drinks ready!

Items needed to pull off the Halloween decorations mentioned are as listed.

• One large long box (coffin size)
• Brown and black marker
  
• One large bag of fake creepy crawlers and spiders
• One box of Cheerios
• One doormat
  
• One bag of fake webs
• Box of safety pins
  
• One large witch (human size if possible)
• Large black coat, black pair of sweats, black socks, black gloves
• One witch hat
  
• One broom (in most closets)
• One pillow case
  
• Red and White horizontally striped knee high (or slightly shorter) socks
• Two newspapers
• Medium heeled old pair of dress shoes
• Standard glue
• Medium sized paint brush
  
• Red glitter
• Large piece of black poster board
• One set of two way radios, talkies, or a baby monitor
  
• One fake raven
• One old hat, gloves, raggedy scarf, pants, shirt, boots
  
• Some pine needles or straw
• White powder for the face
• Basic fish line or string
  
• Floral wire
• Scissors

Coffin from a dead cold? No remedies will heal that guy unless he came back to life. And here we have the old dead guy living in a coffin trick again. Gather a box the size of a human body (long) like a refrigerator box. Take the brown and black markers and make base and outer swirls to give the box that wooded appeal. Visit Youtube's "Drawing Wood" video to get an idea before becoming a wood artist.

Once the coffin is designed the next thing to gather is a dead man walking. If you are portraying the living corpse simply give the face a white powder puff while puckering your lips and squinting your eyes to reach that wrinkled decomposing appeal. When someone gets close to the coffin (which is next to the candy dish) "slightly" scare them. Moving in the coffin can snag some attention but jumping out at the wrong time may lead to EMS attention. Make sure you don't frighten someone to death. Not good.

Creepy crawlers and spiders come in a bulk invasion each Halloween. Step on one and hear a crunch can bring chills down the most relaxed back. For this back breaker gather one doormat to lay on top of Cheerios. The doormat should be placed near the candy bowl. Toss some creepy crawlers near that location and top the area off with spiders from dangling webs. The idea is to give the trick-or-treat a trick before the treat - as they step on what they may think are bugs. Or at least the crunching sounds gives them that impression.

Creepy crawlers and spiders can be placed between the rungs of stairways, doorways, under and above bushes, mailboxes, carports, around antennas of cars, from trees, hanging plants, lawn decor, and anywhere you see fit. Simply attach a corner of fake web to a nail you normally would use for hanging other decor. Meaning, there is no need for poking more holes into your house. String the web as far as it will go (work it) then attach the other end to a branch or tuck under a heavy item such as a rock. Dress that area up for Halloween.

Tip! It doesn't hurt to stick a couple of creepy crawlers and spiders inside of the candy bowl. Don't worry. If you fill it, they will come.

We get it. You just can't walk into a store and buy a human sized witch unless the witch is overpriced or easily punctured. To create your own witch gather a large black coat from the closet. If you do not own one purchase the coat from a second-hand store or a donation center for a couple of bucks. Stuff the jacket with crumbled up newspaper. Fill a black pillow case and tie shut with string. Form into a fake round head then tuck it into the full jacket. Safety pin the neck portion of the head to the coat collar. And, as if you didn't guess, the long black wig is attached by? A safety pin? No. Before pinning the witch hat to the pillow case place a long black wig on the pillow case first. Then pin the hat to the pillow case. The hair will be anchored by the connection.

Fill an old pair of black sweats and a black pair of socks. Attach the socks to the bottom of the pants by working them through the pants and pinning them with safety pins. Attach the pants to the inside of the coat via safety pins. Fill the gloves to appear like fingers and, again, attach the gloves to the coat arms via safety pins. And if there is someone courageous enough to tolerate heights then it is off to the roof they go. Simply place the witch on the roof next to (or holding) the broom. The broom can also be placed upright and leaning against the roof's fireplace. Or you could just sit the witch on top of a tree branch.

The wicked witch is not going to like the next prop one bit my pretty!

To create ruby slippers lay down newspaper on a flat surface then place an old medium heeled shoe on top of the paper. Spread standard glue with a medium sized paint brush on the outside of the shoe. Use a throwaway paint brush if you must! Sprinkle red glitter all over the outside of that shoe except the bottom of the shoe. Allow to dry and re-apply areas where needed. Do the matching shoe in the same way as you completed the first. Again, allow to dry and re-apply where needed. Stuff a pair of red and white striped socks with newspaper then tuck each sock into each shoe. Place the shoes under a set of outside stairs, on the side of the house, from the opening of the carport, or any other fitting area where it is noted that Dorothy's house has landed on the wicked witch.

The outer shape of an old lady is simple. Remember the bun, the old-style granny shirts, and the casual outdated skirts. Outline an old lady's body (from lower waist up). Dim the attic light and stick the poster where it could be faintly seen from the ground. Most Halloween goers would probably notice this silhouette. Especially when it talks. It talks?!

Let that two way radio, talkie, or baby monitor work for you on Halloween. Place one of said items in the attic and crack the window. Turn it on loud enough for those below to hear. Every time someone comes up say something pertaining to them. Personalize it. But for the most part just say words like "Norman" and "mother" a lot. You can also stick the voice carrying throw-offs inside of bushes, behind rocks, inside of the mailbox, even hidden next to the candy bowl or inside of the bowl itself.

A large raven can be purchased at some department stores and most craft stores. Stick that raven anywhere you see fit. The mailbox is a great location for a raven. Other locations can include the roof, a large window sill, stairway post, the front porch, on top of a scarecrow or the roof witch.

To create the porch-crow put on an old shirt, pants, and boots. Tuck pine needles or straw inside of shirt sleeves and pant openings. Make a grumpy face and pat face with white powder. This will give that old flavor to go with that scary outfit. Put on the scarf then hat and tuck even more pine needles or straw. Put on the hat. And lastly, tuck pine needles or straw under the hat. Save the gloves for last. Put them on. Sit on the porch as if you were a scarecrow. When someone comes close to grab a candy from the candy bowl on your lap - reach for their hand (just don't grab the hand unless you actually know the person falling for your Hallow-act).

Fishing line and floral wire comes in handy when decorating. Create a large spider and tie it with a fishing line from the porch ceiling. Fishing line is clear and often gives nighttime viewers the idea that something is hanging in mid-air when that something is attached to the clear line. Sometimes the line is just not that strong. Floral wire can assist at that point. Or perhaps the next point.

Other Decorative Halloween Ideas

Three ghosts dancing around a mother ghost is precious in the trapped afterlife. Take one large sheet and cut into three even squares (there will be scrap leftovers). Take a large ball of newspaper and place in the center of one square and use floral wire to tie the ball inside of the sheet. Meaning, you are going to create a head and body of a standard ghost. Do the same for the two other squared sheets. Create a large ghost with one separate large white sheet.

Don't forget the black circles for eyes and mouth. Eyes and mouth could be painted, drawn, glued, or taped with use of black oval shapes.

Take three wooden rods approximately 4' tall and stick them into the dirt to form the shape of a triangle. Stick the sticks straight up so that you can simply place each small ghost on top of each by sliding the wood inside of the small opening at each ghost's neck. Tie the "hands" together to form a ghost triangle. And finally, take a large post and place it in the center of the triangle. Slide the post inside of the large ghost's neck area. A ghost family has just moved in! Boo-tiful.

For a quick kick place a prop inside of a floating canoe. Keep the canoe tied and anchored by length. Allow a scarecrow to do his thing - scare (or try to). If you plan on using a more visually gore ridden prop make sure you have a "Happy Halloween" sign where people can read it. Let's avoid any wasteful 911 calls from the lake.

A living prop can be convenient. Simply allow your cat to roam the porch and banister area for the night. Charlie, our cat (photo by Lori Lane, L.A.), has no problem giving others the evil eye. And let's not forget the lighting.

The Lighting

Lighting is important. You can use a purple, orange, or sci-fi green bulb. Green does appeal to the scientific aspect of the mad scientist. Orange is favored on Halloween by orange and black tradition. Purple is just freaky - perfect for Halloween. Using a black light can be interesting as well. Red bulbs are just tacky and are cursed by other "traditions" (wink).

Using light to cast shadows is not out of the question. Shadows blanketing the porch offers a nice "should I go in the shadows" appeal.

Additional ideas may be needed to cover the 2011 Halloween bases. Halloween costumes come in all shapes and sizes. Check out the Halloween costume choices from a loaded selection, the zombie isle to, yes, more Halloween costumes with ideas. That should keep you busy for a while.

Happy Halloween!