Top 10 Halloween Tips & Tricks for Home Haunters

Decorate your house in style this Halloween! Here are 10 ideas for your home haunt or party.

Choose a theme:
Stick to one theme and sell it. You can also do a combination theme or one theme per room. Cohesive themes help any story you’re trying to portray as well as help all of the props work with each other. Some popular themes we’re seeing this year are sideshow, asylum, butcher shop and graveyard. With an asylum theme not only can you get an asylum restraint bed but you can throw in a couple straight jackets, get a standing Ms. Blitz, and maybe a few medical instruments on mayo stands. Add some specimen jars on the shelves and lay some bones out for good measure as well. Don’t forget, props from different categories can be mixed and matched!

Ms. Blitz
Utilize your space wisely:
Whether you have a one bedroom apartment or a four-story mansion make sure that there is enough decoration and props to excite any haunter or party goer and not leave anyone bored. Mix it up with big props and small. Try a jumbo spider or a few skull stacks to add to the space. In a small space? Use the walls and ceilings, hang some creepy portraits, zombie quarantine signs or a Victorian girl for added decor.

Huge Room Sized Spider
Rent Rent Rent!
Most high priced props are also available to rent. Work with your budget! Looking for a casket or a coffin? Those rent for only $100-$300. What about a standing character like a Zombie or Werewolf? Those are only $250 per week.

Jawless Zombie Martin
Don’t be afraid to get messy.
Fake blood is a great way to make a room go from boring to gory. Worried about the mess? Pick up some EZ Clean blood, a Dapper Cadaver original recipe. It’ll mop up from your floors with ease-but make sure to test a bit first! If you need to leave the place spotless on November 1st you can always use our resin blood pools to create your scene.
Don’t forget the classics:
Spooky skulls, haunted trees, light up pumpkins, giant scary clowns, tombstones and candelabras will work with multiple themes and make great additional decorations. Add them to the walkway or windowsill or as centerpieces. Add small decor like monkey skulls or a mystic hand to your platters or tables for a classic Halloween vibe.

Centerpiece Candelabras
Play with size:
Big props are great crowd pleasers but the detail is in the smaller items. For example, in your sideshow haunt you can not only have a cyclops and her baby but a two-headed bird and a monkey paw on display. Speaking of displays, using a bell jar or a wire dome makes everything look more detailed!

Two Headed Parrot in Medium Bell Jar
Stock up on makeup:
Prosthetics are a great way to look professional and make your costume stand out. Tie your costumes in with your themes. Try this sightless prosthetic for an eyeless zombie look or these vampire gashes to make your get-up ultra realistic.
Mix up the real and fake:
Having food served at your party? There’s no better way to freak people out than having an ear or a hand next to their plates. Have actors stand with some standing character props that match their outfits so when they move it especially spooks your audience. Try Zombie Kemmler or Ms. Snipper for inspiration.

Zombie Kemmler
Don’t be afraid to DIY:
Not everyone is a Pinterest pro and we know that. We make it easy though. Watch this video to learn how to create your own spiderwebs-use one of our candelabras or gargoyles to complete the piece.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qZO_Bx0urs
Play with sound and lighting:
Imagine walking into a dark room and all you can hear is someone whispering in the corner. Or flashing lights with horse demon peering out of a closet. Playing with extremes of lighting and sound will not only scare your guests but will mean you can focus on specific decor that will be seen. Try placing a coffin in the corner and have an actor jump out just as the lights are flashing. It will spook and leave people on their toes.