by istargazer

6 Unique Decorating Tips for Halloween

Thinking about decorating for Halloween?  Here are some tips on what you can do to make your home stand out from the rest!

1.    Fake Spider Webs – Creating fake spider webs is not complicated yet you see so many people decorating their homes with clumps of cotton that looks like they were taken out of the bag and thrown on the wall.  Try to make it look somewhat realistic.  Stretch the cotton material until it becomes a silky transparent thread.  You want it to look real enough that it will fake a real spider. Another idea for spider webs is using dark threading hanging from the ceiling in front of the door.  Note: this will only work in a dark setting.  Wet the strings so when guests enter your house they’ll walk through the web and get freaked out!
2.    Floating Skulls – This is one of my favorites.  You need a TV or monitor, a DVD (preferable) or a VCR, a video of a head or skull, a large sheet of glass or plexiglass.  Lay the TV/Monitor facing up right below the window where you want the image displayed.  Have the top of the TV/Monitor facing the wall. Place the glass or plexiglass above the TV at a 45 degree angle where one side is resting on the bottom of the TV and the other side is resting on the window. Make sure the video of the skull is adjusted where the area surrounding the head is dark.  The end result is a floating head in the window. For more dramatic effects, you may want to add a background surrounding the area.
3.    Lighting – You want to create the right ambiance. Replace the light bulbs on your chandelier and your front porch with a black light.  You can even add a strobe light for a more
4.    Tomb Stones – These are pretty easy to make. You need Styrofoam which you can get from a local arts and crafts store or Lowes, grey primer, and acrylic paint. Cut out the shape for the tomb stone, paint it with primer, and write the epitaph.  Roughen the edges to give it a weathered look. You can also create a cross with two pieces of boards and nail them together in a shape of a cross. You may want to break pieces off the end or burn parts of the cross to make it appear old or weathered.
5.    Birds – You can add fake crows and perch them on a tree, bush, or anywhere in your front yard.
6.    Michael Meyers in the windows – This is relatively easy.  Get a jump suit from a thrift store or ask a mechanics garage for an old outfit, get the Michael Meyers mask which can be found in virtually any Halloween store, get some construction gloves, newspaper, a fake or dull kitchen knife, double stick tape, a long stick with bottom support or a coat hanger with removable hangers, and a directional light.  Stuff the jumpsuit with all of the newspapers. Stick long newspapers in the forearms so that the newspaper sticks out of the sleeves later to be used to stuff the gloves.  Stuff the mask with newspaper as well. Cut a hole in the butt are of the jumpsuit and stick the support through until it reaches out of the neck area.  Stick the mask on top of this portion of the support. Use the double stick tape and wrap it around the knife and close one of the gloves around the knife. Stand the figure in front of a window and place the light facing up so that it shines on Michael Meyers face.

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