# Do you decorate your house for Halloween?



## buckytom (Oct 7, 2011)

my wife has been bugging me to get to our storage unit to get out all of our holiday decorations. i hopefully will get to it tomorrow.

but it made me wonder if anyone else decorates their house, and if they would like to post pictures.

i'll have my pics up soon.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Oct 7, 2011)

Post the pics tom mate they might inspire me.


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## Somebunny (Oct 7, 2011)

I sometimes decorate for Halloween, but haven't been inspired yet this year.  We don't get many trick-or-treat visitors (our new neighborhood is less densely populated and fairly dark). So I usually go with more of a fall theme.


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## Zhizara (Oct 7, 2011)

Somebunny said:


> I sometimes decorate for Halloween, but haven't been inspired yet this year.  We don't get many trick-or-treat visitors (our new neighborhood is less densely populated and fairly dark). So I usually go with more of a fall theme.



I agree with you about a fall theme.  I found myself drawn to several fall theme items at Walmart yesterday.  I love the fall colors, leaf decorations and mixed gourds.

I'm tempted by the gourds/mini pumpkins.  I love the way they look, but would probably pop them one by one into the oven to bake.

I was given a mini pumpkin one year, and just baked it whole in the oven.  It was wonderful.


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## pacanis (Oct 7, 2011)

I live vicariously through my neighbor's Halloween decorations... which have been up for a few weeks now


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## CraigC (Oct 7, 2011)

My favorite time of the year. We spook the house up pretty good.

Marie is a flying crank ghost. A motorized marionette we built (along with her crypt) that really grabs the attention. Kids in the neighborhood call us the Halloween House.






















Craig


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## JoAnn L. (Oct 7, 2011)

I just put out a few things for Halloween.
We used to live next door to a lady who went all out, she even had my DH make a her a coffin for her front porch.


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## CraigC (Oct 7, 2011)

Here is a link to Marie in action. Make sure you right click on the video to enter and exit full screen view.

About myself

Craig


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## Andy M. (Oct 7, 2011)

We do a little decorating inside and out.  We live in a townhouse condo complex so there are a lot of homes closer together than in a traditional neighborhood.  We get a lot of kids from other parts of town for Halloween as they know they can hit a lot of homes in a short amount of time.  Some of our neighbors really get into it.


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## SherryDAmore (Oct 7, 2011)

DH is from Oz. Didn't grow up with Halloween and he LOVES it. We don't go all out anymore (empty nest) but, I have windsocks from the porch, and some punkins the porch steps. I have a wrought iron bread rack and I have some jack o lantern lanterns, and paper lanterns I put out. I decorate the mantel and I have a "halloween tree" which is about 15 inches tall with little decorations and DH has some hideous spiders he like to hang on the walls. And I have some runners I put on the tables. That's it. Not much, but some.  

CraigC:  your house is AMAZING!!  In what part of the country do you live?


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## CraigC (Oct 7, 2011)

SherryDAmore said:


> DH is from Oz. Didn't grow up with Halloween and he LOVES it. We don't go all out anymore (empty nest) but, I have windsocks from the porch, and some punkins the porch steps. I have a wrought iron bread rack and I have some jack o lantern lanterns, and paper lanterns I put out. I decorate the mantel and I have a "halloween tree" which is about 15 inches tall with little decorations and DH has some hideous spiders he like to hang on the walls. And I have some runners I put on the tables. That's it. Not much, but some.
> 
> CraigC: your house is AMAZING!! In what part of the country do you live?


 
Thanks! We are in South East Florida.


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## Katie H (Oct 7, 2011)

I spent many years as an interior decorator so decorating for the seasons/holidays comes naturally to me.

We have a very large dining room table and that always has a big seasonal silk/dried arrangement on it.  It gets changed 4 times a year, as does the arrangement on the glass entryway table and the front and back door arrangements.  The front door "holder" is a beautiful ornate wrought iron garden hose holder that I couldn't use for a hose it was so lovely.  Instead I filled it with Spanish moss and add seasonal flowers.  The "holder" by the back door is something that resembles a little distressed white picket fence with a picket-like window box at its bottom edge.  I found it at a thrift store and fell in love with it.

As for the Halloween thing, I have several pumpkins placed here and there and black and orange garland in a space over the table in the kitchen.  The grandchildren have come to expect crazy ice cubes here, so I've made ice cubes that look like fingers, skeleton bones, pumpkins, and skulls.  When Halloween gets closer, I'll add my various lighted pumpkins and a witch or two.  I was digging around in our storage building yesterday afternoon and came across a string of orange lights.  I'll definitely find a place to use them.

We live way out in the country so the likelihood of little ghosties or goblins stopping by begging for treats is zip, save for Glenn's daughter bringing her girls.

If I get ambitious today, I'll take some pictures and post them.


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## Andy M. (Oct 7, 2011)

My daughter and SIL bring our grandson here for Trick or Treating.  That's a kick because we get to go around and see what everyone else has done (and grab some candy).  Here he is in last year's costume.


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## jabbur (Oct 7, 2011)

We usually just do a jack-o-latern and put a skeleton on the door.  Before it stopped working and we removed it we had a lamp post in the yard and I'd replace the regular lantern with a plastic pumpkin one.  Not a lot of decorating and even less now that the kids are grown and basically gone.


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## roadfix (Oct 7, 2011)

We decorated the place of our business but not our home.  We never decorate our home, one reason being that we get zero trick 0 treaters coming up our steep hill.  Lazy kids and parents.


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 7, 2011)

Living alone the Halloween decorations could become the Christmas decorations and the Christmas decorations have been known to linger until St Patrick's day.

I only decorate now if I am sure that small children will be around.

I do enjoy seeing the imaginative efforts of others.


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## Silversage (Oct 7, 2011)

We go crazy!  Inside & outside.   

Most of the neighbors love it, but we really scare some of the kids, though. I have a big cauldron, in which I hide a smoke machine.  I set a dish of treats on top of the machine, and I stand over it in a witch's costume and a broomstick.  I make the kids reach in and get their own candy.


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## JoAnn L. (Oct 7, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> My daughter and SIL bring our grandson here for Trick or Treating.  That's a kick because we get to go around and see what everyone else has done (and grab some candy).  Here he is in last year's costume.



What a beautiful smile on that little guy. Thanks for the picture Andy.


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## babetoo (Oct 7, 2011)

Somebunny said:


> I sometimes decorate for Halloween, but haven't been inspired yet this year. We don't get many trick-or-treat visitors (our new neighborhood is less densely populated and fairly dark). So I usually go with more of a fall theme.


 

same here. i too just do fall colors and decorations.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 7, 2011)

CraigC, good stuff!  Andy, the kids are adorable!

I used to do a lot when we had more kids in the neighborhood.  Full sized Grim Reaper, a man hanging from a tree, various body parts, stuffed full head masks as severed heads, a huge dragon head with my bathrobe on to answer the door.  The last few years I've just put out the severed heads and the full size mummy, along with a giant jellyfish made from bubble wrap.

Some new families have moved into the subdivision, may have to do more this year.  My favorite holiday!


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## chopper (Oct 7, 2011)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> My daughter and SIL bring our grandson here for Trick or Treating.  That's a kick because we get to go around and see what everyone else has done (and grab some candy).  Here he is in last year's costume.



Now, that is cute!


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## babetoo (Oct 7, 2011)

when my kids were growing  up, my husband really got into it.  we had a pumpkin outside that had a speaker in it. my husband would make scary noises. he would ask the younger ones if they liked pumpkin , mostly they would answer yes. then he would say you are eating my friends. always gave the kids pause. he was easy with the younger ones. sometimes he would dress as a hunchback and come around garage dragging his foot on the cement. scared the s888 out of the pre teens. i really miss all that fun. my husband is no longer with us. sad to say!


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## Dawgluver (Oct 7, 2011)

babetoo said:
			
		

> when my kids were growing  up, my husband really got into it.  we had a pumpkin outside that had a speaker in it. my husband would make scary noises. he would ask the younger ones if they liked pumpkin , mostly they would answer yes. then he would say you are eating my friends. always gave the kids pause. he was easy with the younger ones. sometimes he would dress as a hunchback and come around garage dragging his foot on the cement. scared the s888 out of the pre teens. i really miss all that fun. my husband is no longer with us. sad to say!



I love it, Babe!  What a great guy!

My grandpa would put together small decorated bags containing little onions, garlic, and Limburger cheese, and hand them out.  Grandma would try to beat him to the door with her wonderful popcorn balls and candy apples.


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## 4meandthem (Oct 8, 2011)

We have one of the more decorated houses every year in our neighborhood.We gave away 25lbs of candy last year. I'll post some pics when I am done.


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## 4meandthem (Oct 8, 2011)

Here are a couple of pics from last year. This year is even bigger. The Jack Skellington prop is one I am making as well as a  big scarecrow.

I also took 2 of my props that didn't have torsos and mounted them to oscillating fans so they are now animated.I zip tied aves to their hands so the swing them.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

I'm a party pooper. I don't do Halloween or Thanksgiving. I barely do Christmas. I used to do Christmas, but I got tired of packing everything away. So now Christmas is a few ornaments, the Spode XMas dishes, and that's it. I think if one has kids, one is more into it, but when it is just two people, well, it is a lot of work for what?


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## chopper (Oct 8, 2011)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> I'm a party pooper. I don't do Halloween or Thanksgiving. I barely do Christmas. I used to do Christmas, but I got tired of packing everything away. So now Christmas is a few ornaments, the Spode XMas dishes, and that's it. I think if one has kids, one is more into it, but when it is just two people, well, it is a lot of work for what?



You make a great point. When the kids were little we decorated on Oct.1st. Now I don't really decorate any more for Halloween. If my grand kids lived closer I think I would decorate still. We live where we don't get trick or rewarded any more either, so I just have a welcome pumpkin.  That's it!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 8, 2011)

We sit in a darkened apartment and watch movies...no decoration.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 8, 2011)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> I'm a party pooper. I don't do Halloween or Thanksgiving. I barely do Christmas. I used to do Christmas, but I got tired of packing everything away. So now Christmas is a few ornaments, the Spode XMas dishes, and that's it. I think if one has kids, one is more into it, but when it is just two people, well, it is a lot of work for what?



I have a feeling that you have lots of other things occupying your time, CWS!

4Me, you have impeccable taste.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

The three houses we have are rural, and in the years we've owned them, it hasn't mattered in which we were in residence, we've never had trick or treaters, so what would be the point? I have enough stuff, I don't need H'ween decorations as well.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 8, 2011)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> The three houses we have are rural, and in the years we've owned them, it hasn't mattered in which we were in residence, we've never had trick or treaters, so what would be the point? I have enough stuff, I don't need H'ween decorations as well.



I totally get it.  We are semi rural and don't have a lot of kids around here anymore.  Being a big kid myself when it comes to Halloween, I almost wish we had more kids in the 'hood.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 8, 2011)

We don't get trick or treaters at home, but there are three local schools that come through the facility so the residents can hand out candy.  It is great fun for everyone and I always volunteer to run candy for the residents.


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## Zhizara (Oct 8, 2011)

No trick or treaters here, but I do like to decorate with fall colors.


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## babetoo (Oct 8, 2011)

my great grandchildren come by . i like to see their costumes. they are my only trick or treaters.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

When I was in MN, my dad went to the base in Grand Forks. He brought back a couple of bags of "snack" size Snickers and Mint 3-Muskateer bars for H'ween. I kept finding the candy bars under the sink--my "squirrel" mom puts the weirdest things under the sink. And, they don't have any trick or treaters who come by.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 8, 2011)

When I was a kid, my mom would give away OUR hard earned candy to later trick or treaters as we lived on a busy street and she would run out of candy.  She also squirreled away the chocolate.


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 8, 2011)

We always put the peanut butter cups on the bottom of the bowl

When I was very young we lived out in the sticks and we only went to three or four houses for trick or treat.  I always will remember one elderly farm couple we went to every year.  The dining room table was covered with homemade doughnuts and cider, popcorn balls, polished apples, cookies and homemade candies.  We always left with full stomachs and full sacks.  Today if you did it the parents would throw out the food and call in a police SWAT team to haul you in for questioning.   Different times.


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## msmofet (Oct 8, 2011)

Here are some of our past Halloweens


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 8, 2011)

Nice pumpkin carving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## PattY1 (Oct 8, 2011)

CraigC said:


> Here is a link to Marie in action. Make sure you right click on the video to enter and exit full screen view.
> 
> About myself
> 
> Craig



The Link is not working for me????


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## chopper (Oct 8, 2011)

Aunt Bea said:
			
		

> We always put the peanut butter cups on the bottom of the bowl
> 
> When I was very young we lived out in the sticks and we only went to three or four houses for trick or treat.  I always will remember one elderly farm couple we went to every year.  The dining room table was covered with homemade doughnuts and cider, popcorn balls, polished apples, cookies and homemade candies.  We always left with full stomachs and full sacks.  Today if you did it the parents would throw out the food and call in a police SWAT team to haul you in for questioning.   Different times.



Wow. It sounds like you grew up by me. We also had that house to go to. We would sometimes have a hay wagon ride to get there with the neighborhood children. Fun times. Things are so different now.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 8, 2011)

Beautiful!!!

Love the pumpkins.


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## msmofet (Oct 8, 2011)

Aunt Bea said:


> Nice pumpkin carving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


 


Dawgluver said:


> Beautiful!!!
> 
> Love the pumpkins.


 Thank you. I have more pics just gotta find them. LOL

People come every year to see what's new. Sometimes the adults come alone TeeHee Sometimes people come to take pics


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## Dawgluver (Oct 8, 2011)

CraigC said:
			
		

> Here is a link to Marie in action. Make sure you right click on the video to enter and exit full screen view.
> 
> About myself
> 
> Craig



CraigC, I had a chance to explore your website further, and I gotta tell you, it is impressive!  I couldn't get Marie to load her video, but your decor and pumpkin carving skills are fantastic!  Wow!


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## CraigC (Oct 8, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> CraigC, I had a chance to explore your website further, and I gotta tell you, it is impressive! I couldn't get Marie to load her video, but your decor and pumpkin carving skills are fantastic! Wow!


 
Thanks! Most of the carvings were done by my wife Karen. She has a lot more patience than I do. Do you see the player on the page or is the link just not working at all?

Try this link to the whole page:
http://home.comcast.net/~kclark49/2003.html

Craig


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## Dawgluver (Oct 8, 2011)

I didn't see a player.  I clicked all over.

Years ago, I found similar plans for building a Marie, was yours the original?  She's gorgeous!

Will have to check it out on the laptop, am on the Ipad.  Thanks!


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## PattY1 (Oct 8, 2011)

CraigC said:


> Thanks! Most of the carvings were done by my wife Karen. She has a lot more patience than I do. Do you see the player on the page or is the link just not working at all?
> 
> Try this link to the whole page:
> http://home.comcast.net/~kclark49/2003.html
> ...


After you click on the ghost, the next page comes up, but it only shows the "script" for the video. No clickable link.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 8, 2011)

I always buy candy that we like, in case we don't get trick or treaters.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 8, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:
			
		

> I always buy candy that we like, in case we don't get trick or treaters.



I try to buy candy we don't like.  Same reason!  Then I can hand it out at school later.


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## Claire (Oct 8, 2011)

I put out enough to let kids know they're welcome here.  But it seems Halloween has turned into more adults than kids!


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## Claire (Oct 8, 2011)

I have an elderly, chair-bound friend who loves sweets, and her doctor says, whatever she wants, she gets (she was on her death-bed when I met her a decade ago).  So I buy stuff I like, my husband likes.  We munch on a few, give a lot away, and bring the rest to Pat.


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## msmofet (Oct 8, 2011)

CraigC said:


> Thanks! Most of the carvings were done by my wife Karen. She has a lot more patience than I do. Do you see the player on the page or is the link just not working at all?
> 
> Try this link to the whole page:
> About myself
> ...


 I clicked the About Me link and got a message that Media Player needed an add-on so I allowed it and the player started on it's own but *VERY* small so I clicked full screen and it worked great.

Is that the Dark Shadows theme I am hearing?


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## pacanis (Oct 8, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I always buy candy that we like, in case we don't get trick or treaters.


 
Ditto! I buy a couple bags of candy, those mixed Hershey's candy bars and Almond Joys. And I _know_ I don't get any trick or treaters


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## pacanis (Oct 8, 2011)

msmofet said:


> I clicked the About Me link and got a message that Media Player needed an add-on so I allowed it and the player started on it's own but *VERY* small so I clicked full screen and it worked great.
> 
> Is that the Dark Shadows theme I am hearing?


 
As soon as I got the pop up something was trying to add an add-on, I clicked the red X


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## PattY1 (Oct 8, 2011)

pacanis said:


> As soon as I got the pop up something was trying to add an add-on, I clicked the red X




I didn't get the pop up......Just the page with script where the link should have been.


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## CraigC (Oct 9, 2011)

Sorry it isn't working for some folks. We've sent others to the site and they haven't mentioned an issue.

Dawgluver, we found the plans online as well. There are several plans for different FCGs, but we are limited in the space. I have been thinking about animatronics, particularly a "rising" dragon. Got it pictured in my head with most details, but I need to win lotto first!

Craig


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## Max Sutton (Oct 9, 2011)

*No Candy Here!*

No, I don't decorate my apartment for Halloween.

I put up a "No Candy Here" sign so the trick or treaters won't knock on my door.


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## SherryDAmore (Oct 9, 2011)

> I have been thinking about animatronics, particularly a "rising" dragon


  Ok, DH would go berserk.  No more showing Honey the pix on _this _forum.......


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## JoAnn L. (Oct 9, 2011)

Last year we ran out of candy so I started giving out mini packages of microwave popcorn. The kids loved it, they were going up and down the street telling the other kids. Some came back and asked if we had anymore. Even the parents seemed pleased.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 9, 2011)

JoAnn L. said:
			
		

> Last year we ran out of candy so I started giving out mini packages of microwave popcorn. The kids loved it, they were going up and down the street telling the other kids. Some came back and asked if we had anymore. Even the parents seemed pleased.



Great idea, JoAnn!


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 10, 2011)

I am not sure if others do this but, years ago, when I had a house, I used to remove the lower window from my screen door and hand the candy out through the opening.  It was easier than reaching around and it kept the little ones from trying to come completely into the house.

I also used to pass out shots of peppermint schnapps, in plastic cups,  to the moms and dads that stood hiding in the bushes.  Just the ones I knew from my street!


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## pacanis (Oct 10, 2011)

Aunt Bea said:


> I also used to pass out shots of peppermint schnapps, in plastic cups, to the moms and dads that stood hiding in the bushes. Just the ones I knew from my street!


 
I thought Mount Pilot was a dry county


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## buckytom (Oct 10, 2011)

SherryDAmore said:


> Ok, DH would go berserk.  No more showing Honey the pix on _this _forum.......



lol. what's his email address?

max, i'm curious, do you block your chimney and put a "bah humbug" sign on your door at christmas? 

and i need to move to mount pilot. schnapps? he'll yeah.
that's awesome, bea, to think of the parents. 

in contrast, i often want to tell the parents who carry infants up to my door to go take a hike. their kid doesn't have teeth nor can comprehend halloween, so why are they truck or treating?


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## msmofet (Oct 10, 2011)

buckytom said:


> lol. what's his email address?
> 
> max, i'm curious, do you block your chimney and put a "bah humbug" sign on your door at christmas?
> 
> ...


 I agree!! I didn't take my girls out till they could walk, chew and say "Trick or Treat"!! I have passed comments to those parents but just got a chuckle from them because they were in a group with 1 or 2 older kids..


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## buckytom (Oct 10, 2011)

SherryDAmore said:


> Ok, DH would go berserk.  No more showing Honey the pix on _this _forum.......


if they have older kids, well then, ok.

but a single infant?

get a life, ya fat bastards. go buy your own candy. it looks looks you've got some stuffed in your pants already... lol (yes, i know that's mean. i'm only talking about parents who can't wait until their kids get old enough to do something. chillax, it'll be gone before you know it.)


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## msmofet (Oct 10, 2011)

buckytom said:


> if they have older kids, well then, ok.
> 
> but a single infant?
> 
> get a life, ya fat bastards. go buy your own candy. it looks looks you've got some stuffed in your pants already... lol (yes, i know that's mean. i'm only talking about parents who can't wait until their kids get old enough to do something. chillax, it'll be gone before you know it.)


 I am talking about parents with babies that are WALKING around and come to my house with OTHER kids NOT theirs.


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## buckytom (Oct 10, 2011)

that's even worse!


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## 4meandthem (Oct 16, 2011)

Here are some pics from this year!


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## Dawgluver (Oct 16, 2011)

4meandthem said:
			
		

> Here are some pics from this year!



Impressive, 4me!  An inspiration!


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## Somebunny (Oct 16, 2011)

4meandthem said:
			
		

> Here are some pics from this year!



Fabulous decorations 4meandthem!  Very creative!!


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## 4meandthem (Oct 16, 2011)

Afew more


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## Somebunny (Oct 16, 2011)

Would love to know how you made Jack.


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## 4meandthem (Oct 16, 2011)

I made a stick figure with 1'' PVC and laminated 4 layers of 1 1/2'' styrofaom to the torso area. I carved the foam like you would a surfboard. I made the hands out of ball point pens with a wire rinning the length. I put duct tape at the joints and palm.
I painted the hands white then black at the joints.His jacket is actually a square pc of material I split to make the lapels and then just draped it over the top and rolled the sides. the sleeves are just tubes of the material and come off with the arms.
I actually used a mask for the head. It took me about 4 afternoons.


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## Somebunny (Oct 16, 2011)

Very clever!


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## MountainMath (Oct 19, 2011)

I wish I did!  Looks like fun!


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