You’ve seen people come up with all sorts of Halloween haunts right in their own backyard. Haunted houses, hayrides, walk-throughs and other small attractions that become the highlight of a night of trick-or-treating. If you have the desire to build one of these yourself but have put it off because you think it would just be too complicated and expensive, here are some easy steps to simplify making your very own haunted attraction.
First, get a bunch of your friends or family members together who want to help create the attraction. Decide where you want to have it: your yard, a garage, in the woods, etc. Then divide up the project assignments. Giving each person their own tasks is key in simplifying your haunt. Divide up as the tasks as follows, and let each person choose which they would like the tackle:
Design a floor plan of the attraction.
Create costume ideas for any characters in the attraction; buy clothes/fabrics at thrift stores and flea markets for the costumes and any additional fabric props (such as curtains, tablecloths, draperies, etc.).
Purchase additional props at thrift stores and flea markets; ask friends, neighbors and family to loan some items to be used in the haunt.
Build the stage for the set, such as haystacks, scarecrow poles, gates, doors, etc.
Design ads and flyers for the event to be posted at your local library, online, or just to be handed out to friends. You can also design specially-made tickets to your attraction.
Different types of Halloween attractions to try are:
Haunted house in your house, garage, basement or shed
Walk-through haunted cemetery, pumpkin patch or scarecrow show
Here is a list of items and props as a starting point for your haunted attraction. Some can be built, others can be found at thrift shops and donated by friends:
CD-player
Extra speakers
Spooky sound effects CDs
Spot lights or flickering lights
Wooden coffins
Standing
Candle-holders and candles
Spider webs and plastic spiders
Skeletons (life sized) Costumes for characters
Wigs
Hats
Make-up
Tombstones of all shapes and sizes Fake body parts
Fake blood Shovels (to be put by open graves)
Jack-o-lanterns and other pumpkins
When you have your floorplan finished, you’ll know more about the specific look you want for your haunt. You can also think about if you want your haunt to be on Halloween night, or during the last few weekends of October.
Don’t be afraid to ask small businesses for financial support. Some will jump at the chance to be part of a fun Halloween event that is sure to draw big crowds, who, for them, are potential customers in town who will see and remember their name.
Dividing up the time, effort and costs among everyone putting together the haunt can really get your ideas off the ground. So don’t wait! Start planning your very own haunted attraction today, and bring it to life to thrive this Halloween season!
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