Tombstones: the Last Word in Mortality

One big staple of Halloween Haunts are mock graveyards filled with tombstones.  Tombstones come in many forms.  Some come from the store and are made from plastic and Styrofoam.  Others are homemade and crafted from plywood.  My experience, which often requires me to work with what I have on hand, has led me to use materials like cedar shakes, rigid foam insulation, waste paper baskets with wrapping paper and concrete patch mix--see Chapter 4 in 10 Cheap Tricks to Haunt Your Halloween.

All of these materials have their virtues and today my mock cemetery is a mix of commercial and homemade stones in different mediums with some garden sculpture thrown in for good measure.  I like to start early, or rather the beginning of October--see my post "Who Wants to Go First?"-building my boneyard slowly with a few tombstones at a time.  I usually add my Flying Crank Ghost next.  I then incorporate other elements like flame-less candles, bones and Zombies as the Halloween season builds toward the big show on October 31st.

The beginnings of my haunt.  From left to right:concrete patch mix stone, cedar shake crosses and "headstone", and a Styrofoam Celtic Cross in front of a Flying Crank Ghost.

View of the cemetery by night.

From Chapter 4

Now let us take a moment to enjoy some of the great tombstones that popped up on lawns in the 2017 season.

The above is a Halloween store offering.  It has a nice shape to it. I like how the designer has included a string of ghost lights--which are cool all by themselves. They have also clamped a bat onto the tombstone.

Above is a traditional graveyard scene.  These durable, homemade, wooden tombstones have been used by their family for years. They have also built a nice modular fence to add authenticity to the scene.  Another cool thing is the above ground crypt style of one stone in the center.  This is a rare lawn haunt find. While this picture was taken during the day,  at night this display is lit with colorful spotlights.

This lawn has gone with quality homemade stones. They have taken full advantage of the customize-able nature of homemade stones by writing their own rhyming epitaphs.  One stone is even specific to the town it is located in.

One of my favorite memories from my early haunting career was the year that I introduced the cedar shake "stones".  I handed out black permanent markers and the volunteers decorated the plain white shakes with epitaphs from their personal lives.  I still have some of those monuments.

There's nothing wrong with having a little fun with a headstone.  Halloween is about facing your fears.  Particularly your fear of mortality.  So don't worry what your tombstones are made out of; get out your rhyming dictionary and a permanent marker and write something witty.  Then put your slabs in the yard so that they can have the last word in your haunt. 

Below are some real life inspirations.  Enjoy!

Who Wants to Go First?

A pre-Labor Day entry into the Halloween season.

I have seen the question posed, "When is it acceptable to start decorating for Halloween?"  If you are like me you have been champing at the bit since last November 1st or at least Memorial Day.  Not because you wish for the summer to pass quickly, but because you know that some of the best times are in the fall.  And Halloween is certainly one of the best of times.

So who wants to go first? One answer is an eager beaver in Quakertown, NJ.  The display pictured above cropped-up in mid-August and certainly got my attention as the first public display of Hauntification for the 2018 season.

What I find brilliant? The pure exuberance of it.  That is a lot of dedication to Halloween very early in the season.

What would I add to the scene?  I would install a spotlight at floor level--of course I would be careful to keep it out from under foot in a doorway.  Which means that I would place it on the right side of the greeter and wrap the cord behind him.  A light color, like orange or yellow would would make him stand out while casting a big shadow on the door and porch ceiling.  This would make him twice the prop.

I tip my pointy hat to the seasonally precocious.

Getting an early start circa 1983.

Oh Sweet Terror!

Not only is this the season of mocking our fears, but it is also the season of candy. Sure sweet treats are important to a lot of holidays, but, given our modern celebration's ties to beggars night, they are the superstars of Halloween. It is no surprise, then, that candy stores are some of the first places to decorate for the season.

Here's a no brainer, Lambertville's La Chocolate Box, has its window filled with vintage-look cat and pumpkin-head figures.  They also have black branches woven with a black bulb light string to create a spooky thicket against the glass while black vines and bats lead to the ceiling where a dark canopy awaits.

Minette's Candies in Frenchtown, has kept it seasonal with hay bales and artificial squashes including Rouge Vif D' Etampes pumpkins--the preference of Cinderella's fairy Godmother.  It is look that can work from September through November with a little tweaking.  Here the scene takes an eerie bend with the addition of a black light tree and crows.  Amazing how one simple addition makes the difference between fall and Halloween.

The Goody Bag & Basket Company in New Hope, PA has never been a shrinking violet when it comes to the macabre.  Here they show off a split personality with a warm orange window and a sinister green window. The former with autumnal decorations and Jelly Bellies. The latter features everybody's favorite green, electrified, Victorian monster and old favorites like Pop Rocks, wax fangs and licorice pipes.  I like the juxtaposition of the two seasonal windows.

Where do I find brilliance?  All these windows make great use of vertical elements, the vines in Lambertville, the tree in Frenchtown and Frankenstein with green lights in New Hope, that move the eye both up and down to take in the entire scene rather than keeping the elements at normal eye-level.  Although it is difficult to see in the pictures they also suspended things from their respective ceilings which is great way to get more elements into your scene and make it more robust.  Additionally, everybody was well merchandised with smaller thematic items.

Don't let these frightful windows scare you off, take a trip downtown and see how your own Main Street is celebrating this season. While you are there you may want to pick up some sweet indulgences for yourself, how much is between you and your dentist.

Fright in Frenchtown

I recently found myself in Frenchtown, NJ and before I knew it I was taking stroll through the town. While being one of the more sedate Delaware river towns, Frenchtown offers sublime vistas, historic architecture and small town charm. Moreover, like its urban sister to the south--Lambertville, it is picking up steam as a Halloween town.

Pictured below is a new display.  This exhibit features those very popular skeletons. I find the versatility of these guys amazing. Here the designer choose to use a rocking chair, possibly already on the porch. Also joining in the fun, man's best skeleton, skeletal dog. Notice how the designer gave these skeletons activities. The dog is chomping on a rubber chicken.

Our lesson here: allow your props to interact with each other.

Frenchtown also offers some natural inspiration for the holiday as well.  Check out the historic Frenchtown cemetery.

Nothing like Edwardian monuments to put you in the holiday spirit.

Haunt on!

Happy Fall 2017!

The leaves are turning, the crows are cawing and the sun is setting early. Fall has arrived and it is bringing with it the excitement of the Halloween season. We are just getting up and running for the holiday, but to get everybody in the mood here are some pix from a haunt I saw last fall.

 As you can see, the homeowner was not shy about their feelings for the holiday.  He or she touched on a lot of classic themes in this display.  These include: a cemetery, giant spider webs, a witch, and a ghoulish wedding ceremony (gives new meaning to "...until death do us part").

 

There are a number of things that add brilliance to this display.  For starters, the designer was not afraid to accessorize the props.  Just because a prop was made a certain way, doesn't mean you can't add to it.  Check out the witch silhouette, a lantern has been hung from one hand, a broom placed in the other and a fire pit and kettle have been placed before her.  Other standouts include the blood and crow on the tombstone and the ghost in the cage.

Another great idea, a significant amount of this display is in light colors like white and gray.  Light colors will make it easier to see this yard haunt at night and to "paint" it with colored lights.  I would recommend a weather-resistant color wheel to give the scene movement and to keep it changing throughout the night.

This is the first time I have seen a burnt-tree made for a yard haunt. Kudos to them for bringing something new to the table.

 The home owners have also managed to use the various levels of the house's facade to their fullest extent.  It is always a good idea to be upwardly mobile in your haunt.

And finally, who can resist a skeleton with a little attitude.  Haunt-on bone-head!

Season's Greetings from 10 Cheap Tricks

Hi Folks,

While I have not had time to write a book for winter holidays yet, here is Cheap Trick for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or  any time you need a gift for a wine lover.

Download the PDF instructions

Watch the Video Instructions

Please craft responsibly.

Happy Holidays!

Victoria

A Walk in Lambertville

Let's face it, on any fair-weather day or evening, Lambertville, NJ is a great urban hike.  Lambertville is home to numerous historic homes and buildings that have been meticulously restored and adaptively reused.  It also contains numerous bars, restaurants and inns overlooking the gentle flow of the Delaware River.

However, when October rolls around, Lambertville takes on an additional persona.  It becomes a Halloween city.  Private residences are bedecked with ghouls and goblins then bathed in black light in celebration of the spooky holiday.

Earlier this month I took a walk through the streets of Lambertville while many of the standout exhibits were being assembled by their creators.  Below are some examples of brilliance that I found in a few short blocks.

First up: this resident took the typical sheet ghost to the next level by creating a faceless specter.  What a cool way to imagine a ghost.  He or she also made sure the ghost was accessorized with skeletal hands clutching chains and a lantern.

This Frankenstein-green house has made the most of its structure by using the door to display a mural of the body of the revived monster.  The head is above the door; presumably trick-or-treaters will enter through the belly of the beast.

This Victorian inn has gone skeletal.  These popular, poseable, plastic skeletons have been making the rounds—not surprising considering they are weather proof and light weight.  I find brilliance here because the designer dismantled one of the skeletons and used the upper and lower sections separately for comedic effect.

Some other standouts include: a haunt based on Van Gogh’s (or is it Van Ghost’s) Starry Night (not pictured)—I would have never even thought of that as a theme; and a pirate ship on a deck (not pictured)—which is an excellent exploration of theme.

Of course, no tour of Lambertville in October would be complete without a stop at the home of Dolores Dragan on North Union Street.  This spectacular black light installation grows annually.  It was even filmed for TLC’s Four Houses in 2012.  This celebrated home does not need me to gush over its genius, but this haunt is the complete package and well worth the trip.

If you have an evening free between now and Halloween: don comfortable walking shoes, grab a flashlight, park on the edge of town, and to spend an hour or two enjoying the sights.  While you are there make a night out of it by trying one the restaurants, coffee shops or public houses. 

For more information about fun activities in Lambertville and along the Delaware River check out: http://delawarerivertowns.com/.

#10CheapTricks #Halloween #fall #Lambertville #haunting #yardhaunt #trickortreat #DelawareRiverTowns #LambertvilleChamber

News Page Added to 10CheapTricks.com

Hi Folks ,

Just added a news page to collect the articles about 10 Cheap Tricks to Haunt Your Halloween.  Check it out.

Thanks,
Victoria

http://www.10cheaptricks.com/news

#10cheaptricks, #Halloween

Hey Folks,

I hope you're fall is going great.  The skies of New Jersey are clear for the moment and fall is looking lovely.

I am starting a multi-part series featuring yard haunts.  I will be discreetly taking pictures of local yard haunts so that we can all learn from their effective design choices.  I will also make some recommendations on how to add to these haunts whenever possible.  Please feel free to jump in with pictures of your own haunt and your feeling on the yard haunts posted.

To get us started off, this is an early presenter--which alone makes them worthy of my praise.  Above you see the traditional cemetery scene.  The home owner had his yard regraded this summer so he is using the fresh earth resident in his haunt space to create the feel of a cemetery.  The addition of the ground breaker skeleton is whimsical and calls attention to the plot. The home owner has also used the playground equipment as part of the haunt.  He has simply installed a floating vampire figure on the slide.  The juxtaposition of a fun play ground and a ghoulish fun seeker puts a smile on my face.  What else is cool? At first glimpse you may mistake the slider for an actual child.  The double take and surprise are part of the fun.

I would add to this scene some lighting so that the fun continues at night.  A simple, all-weather spot aimed at the skeleton and tombstone possibly in red would go along way.  The vampire on the slide could also use a spot.  I would recommend  a white light because of his dark color.  I would plug both into a photo-electric outdoor timer for efficiency and ease of use.  Another simple thing to add is some interest to the eyes of both the skull and the vampire.  Craft stores carry packaged gems that can be glued in the eye sockets.  The mailbox section of your local home and hardware store may sell small stick on reflectors that could be placed in the eyes as well.  They will catch the eye at night and add life to the display.

All in all a good show from this home owner for enhancing the existing terrain for Halloween.

#10cheaptricks

Available on Amazon

It is finally here in trade paperback: 10 Cheap Tricks to Haunt your Halloween.  Available at Amazon.com

Hi Everybody,

Here is a quick trick for your Halloween haunting pleasure. 

Enjoy!
A Quick Trick for Halloween from 10 Cheap Tricks