Graveyards page under construction...apologies for the mess!
Five years ago tombstone props were a rarity, these days you can get them in most supermarkets.
A tip to observe is to buy multiple sizes in order that your graveyard doesn't have a regimented appearance, so check all the supermarkets & prop shops nearby, not forgetting ebay.
Go from small to super tall, & afterwards stick them all in a clear bag for storage together.
By making them higgledy piggledy in size, shape, decoration & written phrases you create a greater impression to youngsters, EVEN if you then place them all in a straight row..
However, what's a graveyard if all it contains is tombs??
This is where tea lights in small holders come into their own, whether they are on stakes, hung from walls tree's or placed immediately in front of a styrene (watch out for heat) gravestone, the flicke they create is a great bonus for a low cost.
Another thing, don't place flames where visitors are going to tread, too much risk in terms of flammables.
Graveyard settings can be the basis for all sorts of costume themes...
Zombies
Body snatchers
Ghosts
Reapers
Voodoo
Witches
Corpse Re-animators (such as Dr Frankenstein)
Insane shrieking dave, ..who simply lives in the graveyard & has gone a bit "peculiar" jumping out & scaring all who enter "His" home..
A tip to observe is to buy multiple sizes in order that your graveyard doesn't have a regimented appearance, so check all the supermarkets & prop shops nearby, not forgetting ebay.
Go from small to super tall, & afterwards stick them all in a clear bag for storage together.
By making them higgledy piggledy in size, shape, decoration & written phrases you create a greater impression to youngsters, EVEN if you then place them all in a straight row..
However, what's a graveyard if all it contains is tombs??
This is where tea lights in small holders come into their own, whether they are on stakes, hung from walls tree's or placed immediately in front of a styrene (watch out for heat) gravestone, the flicke they create is a great bonus for a low cost.
Another thing, don't place flames where visitors are going to tread, too much risk in terms of flammables.
Graveyard settings can be the basis for all sorts of costume themes...
Zombies
Body snatchers
Ghosts
Reapers
Voodoo
Witches
Corpse Re-animators (such as Dr Frankenstein)
Insane shrieking dave, ..who simply lives in the graveyard & has gone a bit "peculiar" jumping out & scaring all who enter "His" home..
Corpus christi ..our zombie prop
Chris has been our daughters bedroom zombie, dress up companion since she was 2 years old!
He generally sits amongst a few lights & tombstones, fake barbed wire, rats & bones, seeming ly busting out of his confines..
If you don't see anything else you will always notice chris on your approach.
By placing a larger prop amongst smaller items you create a proper "scene" that will have you searching around for more detail, the rest of the "tableux" is mere dressing, chris is the item that pulls it together..
(see below)
He may not seem that scarey, however he works well in setting a scene & drawing children of all ages in! (children sometimes have to build themselves up in order to approach a house, so it shouldn't necessarily be totally horror from the word go, they're often quite tentative & need coaxing..
He generally sits amongst a few lights & tombstones, fake barbed wire, rats & bones, seeming ly busting out of his confines..
If you don't see anything else you will always notice chris on your approach.
By placing a larger prop amongst smaller items you create a proper "scene" that will have you searching around for more detail, the rest of the "tableux" is mere dressing, chris is the item that pulls it together..
(see below)
He may not seem that scarey, however he works well in setting a scene & drawing children of all ages in! (children sometimes have to build themselves up in order to approach a house, so it shouldn't necessarily be totally horror from the word go, they're often quite tentative & need coaxing..
Brainzz..
A fantastic prop you don't often see, & usually they are rubbish! ..i'm glad to say this year theres a few around of differing quality & looks.. the one pictured here is in all sincerity the best i've seen to date.
Brains are a zombies best friend (or prop).
Great for lab settings, or as a centrepiece to a platter of chips & dips on a tray, ..off-putting in the best way!
Superb on a chopping block in a chop shop where the "scaractor" is hefting a cleaver into a board with a thud (wooden blocks bashing against each other via alternate means, eg, between the knees) ..sounds fantastic!
Everybody needs a brain! (£5.57 may 2011)
Brains are a zombies best friend (or prop).
Great for lab settings, or as a centrepiece to a platter of chips & dips on a tray, ..off-putting in the best way!
Superb on a chopping block in a chop shop where the "scaractor" is hefting a cleaver into a board with a thud (wooden blocks bashing against each other via alternate means, eg, between the knees) ..sounds fantastic!
Everybody needs a brain! (£5.57 may 2011)
Ronnie & Reggie ...giant rats
oversize is good, it's dark after all, children often view through slits in masks so any display has to draw them in!
Ronnie & Reggie are foam filled (originally from Asda for around £5.00 in 2007)
Quite menacing & worthy purchases to create a good tableux.
Ronnie & Reggie are foam filled (originally from Asda for around £5.00 in 2007)
Quite menacing & worthy purchases to create a good tableux.
Bags of bones...
great for scattering close together to give the impression of dug up corpses or recently eaten by nasties..
Invariably these are styrene foam (painted to look ageed & blached) ..so are very light watch out for winds, when setting up try placing them under zombies hands, by rat props, ..basically against sturdy items in case of wind.
In season bags of bones go for as much as £14, out of season around £5.
Work well to enhance graveyards, scenes with zombies, rats, anything spooky really, keep them clear of areas where children walk as they will be crushed underfoot, however in normal use are very lifelike & durable!
Recommended.
Invariably these are styrene foam (painted to look ageed & blached) ..so are very light watch out for winds, when setting up try placing them under zombies hands, by rat props, ..basically against sturdy items in case of wind.
In season bags of bones go for as much as £14, out of season around £5.
Work well to enhance graveyards, scenes with zombies, rats, anything spooky really, keep them clear of areas where children walk as they will be crushed underfoot, however in normal use are very lifelike & durable!
Recommended.
Fake barbed wire..
Hhmm, has it's place however can be difficult to see, so simply contemplate tangles of this rather than stringing it up, can be hard to see otherwise.. not cheap unless you get lucky!
CHUNKY CHAINS..
Super stuff to have, you can never have enough of this..
Whether it's hung from walls, coiled or left "carelessly" on the ground, wrapped round props, or used as part of a monsters restraints chains work in a Halloween setting, great for "chop shops" too.
Whether it's hung from walls, coiled or left "carelessly" on the ground, wrapped round props, or used as part of a monsters restraints chains work in a Halloween setting, great for "chop shops" too.
Witches cauldron & fog mister
More an indoor effect than outdoors, the amount of "mist" created by one of the expensive little l.e.d. & fog makers is pretty minimal & if a light breeze or hand waves above it will dissipate & take time to recover..so you've been warned.
If you buy a cauldron (around £3.99) & sink a fog mister unit in it wll be too deep & the effect minimised, raise the unit by means of a few clean house bricks or similar & test to obtain the best effect..
watch your water levels, these things spit a bit of water, so make sure the area is waterproofed, towel over the area & no electrics nearby that could get soaked & cause a shock hazard.
(other than that they're quite nice)
Expect to pay around £24.00 for a 3 l.e.d. mister unit (smiffy's brand)
If you buy a cauldron (around £3.99) & sink a fog mister unit in it wll be too deep & the effect minimised, raise the unit by means of a few clean house bricks or similar & test to obtain the best effect..
watch your water levels, these things spit a bit of water, so make sure the area is waterproofed, towel over the area & no electrics nearby that could get soaked & cause a shock hazard.
(other than that they're quite nice)
Expect to pay around £24.00 for a 3 l.e.d. mister unit (smiffy's brand)
"Lost" Limbs
Often in the form of a hand or foot, these should be strewn around a tableux or hanging as part of a chop shop scene, also handy props for zombies & monsters to gnaw on.
cheap at around £3.99. ..so no need to pay an arm or a leg ...(sorry)
Big flayed skin limbs are available for around £8.00 upwards, hands, arms, feet, legs, can be used time & time again very durable!
Life size rubber Severed Mutilated Foot with blood streaks and exposed bone. This is a well crafted Halloween Prop or Sweeney Todd Prop with superb toe detail. Apply fresh blood gel or liquid for best effect. A great addition to any Halloween dungeon, Sweeney Todd themed area or any general gorefest Fright Scene. Will last years if stored with care.
The best range i've come across (including the above) are obtaine from a mail order shop you will be taken to if you click the photo (opens a new window), my favourite range is the "saw" franchise limbs, nicely discoloured & old, makes for a good variety of fresh & "well hung"
cheap at around £3.99. ..so no need to pay an arm or a leg ...(sorry)
Big flayed skin limbs are available for around £8.00 upwards, hands, arms, feet, legs, can be used time & time again very durable!
Life size rubber Severed Mutilated Foot with blood streaks and exposed bone. This is a well crafted Halloween Prop or Sweeney Todd Prop with superb toe detail. Apply fresh blood gel or liquid for best effect. A great addition to any Halloween dungeon, Sweeney Todd themed area or any general gorefest Fright Scene. Will last years if stored with care.
The best range i've come across (including the above) are obtaine from a mail order shop you will be taken to if you click the photo (opens a new window), my favourite range is the "saw" franchise limbs, nicely discoloured & old, makes for a good variety of fresh & "well hung"
Doorbell Greeters no.1
This one I love, A classic £5 from Asda (available most years)
Plays Toccata & Fugue ..Halloween classic organ music,(honest, you do know it)
Check out the You-tube video..
Great, monsterous "Be-ware" lit up & spoken at the end of it's run through!
(runs on AA batteries)
I often have this one stuck to a tree for children to press as they approach, it gives me vital seconds warning of their approach.
Plays Toccata & Fugue ..Halloween classic organ music,(honest, you do know it)
Check out the You-tube video..
Great, monsterous "Be-ware" lit up & spoken at the end of it's run through!
(runs on AA batteries)
I often have this one stuck to a tree for children to press as they approach, it gives me vital seconds warning of their approach.
Doorbell Greeters no.2
This Is a Tesco's item / generic chinese seasonal import, check out Asda & Morrisons for similar
Bought by the wife whilst out shopping it's enough for some... whilst not as loud as your doorbell as long as the throng of munchkins havent encountered 50 of this already it may keep them entertained & alert you of their presence (if your not already hiding behind the door & about to thump it back after they knock).
I may mount it to a plain gravestone in order to make it a bit more interesting..
various phrases, very bright L.E.D's
(see You-tube clip below)
Bought by the wife whilst out shopping it's enough for some... whilst not as loud as your doorbell as long as the throng of munchkins havent encountered 50 of this already it may keep them entertained & alert you of their presence (if your not already hiding behind the door & about to thump it back after they knock).
I may mount it to a plain gravestone in order to make it a bit more interesting..
various phrases, very bright L.E.D's
(see You-tube clip below)
Wilkinsons ...cheap but some good buys!
Wilkinsons is a cheap & cheerful superstore shop originating in the north, but pretty much everywhere now.
They do some great seasonal items, so always worth a look in the October month.
I bought some fabulous (5yrs old now) flashing pumpkins (£1.99) which I set up with a couple of rechargeable batteries & hang from walls, or bushes in the week leading up to Halloween, they can be easily seen from the main road (some 80 metres away) & let folk know in an instant that we are preparing, allowing a mental note for those passing to drop by on the night.
I cannot stress enough, make your location known, not just quickly assembled on the night but a few days beforehand so people cannot help but see & talk , then recommend a visit to your haunt!
They do some great seasonal items, so always worth a look in the October month.
I bought some fabulous (5yrs old now) flashing pumpkins (£1.99) which I set up with a couple of rechargeable batteries & hang from walls, or bushes in the week leading up to Halloween, they can be easily seen from the main road (some 80 metres away) & let folk know in an instant that we are preparing, allowing a mental note for those passing to drop by on the night.
I cannot stress enough, make your location known, not just quickly assembled on the night but a few days beforehand so people cannot help but see & talk , then recommend a visit to your haunt!
Grim reaper ..animated prop
A firm favourite which I originally obtained from the states, but is now available over here (when I find a link I will provide it)
Stands around 4 ft tall, operates via 4 x duracell AA batteries for the evening (gets alot of use).
Set to sound sensor mode, he will pop up from the ground on a long arm, screeching, wind noises, cawwing crows & states "welcome to our graveyard" placed near where the children walk by he will surprise quite a few!
..also comes with a wireless remote control for impromptu activation.
He's pretty loud & does the job well.
Worth noting if you purchase this prop, screw him down to a weighty ply board, this way he doesn't tip or jar, if not you risk him blowing over or knocking himself over as he LAUNCHES upright.
Highly recommended prop, costing around £40 in the uk.
You tube video to be uploaded....
Stands around 4 ft tall, operates via 4 x duracell AA batteries for the evening (gets alot of use).
Set to sound sensor mode, he will pop up from the ground on a long arm, screeching, wind noises, cawwing crows & states "welcome to our graveyard" placed near where the children walk by he will surprise quite a few!
..also comes with a wireless remote control for impromptu activation.
He's pretty loud & does the job well.
Worth noting if you purchase this prop, screw him down to a weighty ply board, this way he doesn't tip or jar, if not you risk him blowing over or knocking himself over as he LAUNCHES upright.
Highly recommended prop, costing around £40 in the uk.
You tube video to be uploaded....
Guardian Of the Grave
Again a firm favourite which I originally obtained from the states, but is now available over here (when I find a link I will provide it)
He takes time to set up (around 15 minutes) if using the optional fogger which kids love..
He's pricey, & whilst he works mine needs onstant attention, the wiring is SO thin it's prone to break, ..he's been a bit tempremental since his second year of use & for the last 2 hasn't fogged! ..
If I can ever get the wiring schematics I'll be fine.
but for around £75 I feel let down!
He's a great concept, the mechanics of which are a 2 piece polystyrene large tombstone.
The cowled skeleton guardian rises via an electric car antennae from behind making his operational height around 48 inches.
There is a tube to attach a fogger through so he breathes out a mist in operation,
looks good when it works.
if the wiring were durable or at least the equivilent of fairy light wiring this would be fine, however as it stands, don't buy it! ..it's simply not durable!
He takes time to set up (around 15 minutes) if using the optional fogger which kids love..
He's pricey, & whilst he works mine needs onstant attention, the wiring is SO thin it's prone to break, ..he's been a bit tempremental since his second year of use & for the last 2 hasn't fogged! ..
If I can ever get the wiring schematics I'll be fine.
but for around £75 I feel let down!
He's a great concept, the mechanics of which are a 2 piece polystyrene large tombstone.
The cowled skeleton guardian rises via an electric car antennae from behind making his operational height around 48 inches.
There is a tube to attach a fogger through so he breathes out a mist in operation,
looks good when it works.
if the wiring were durable or at least the equivilent of fairy light wiring this would be fine, however as it stands, don't buy it! ..it's simply not durable!