Okay, so you know how to detail haunted house walls. But such knowledge means absolutely nothing without any walls to detail! So I have combed YouTube for the greatest selection of videos on the subject I could find. Although I tried to cover the greatest variety of walls possible, there is bound to be some …
Tag: How-To
Sep 18 2016
The Fungi From Yuggoth, Part Two
Here are the construction details of the flying Mi-Go created by Mark Jones. It’s a clever, inexpensive method for creating large-scale props using expanding foam over a PVC armature. I’ll turn things over to Mr. Jones: Body: The body parts are made from Expanding Foam used in packing. I traced a shape of the body …
Sep 17 2016
The Fungi From Yuggoth
This is what Halloween should be like. Mark Jones was kind enough to send over some pictures and background material from the Lovecraftian presentation he created for his Halloween get together. It not only featured a Mi-Go brain cylinder, but an entire swarm of the Fungi flying overhead. I host a big Halloween party every …
Apr 25 2016
More Tentacle Fun
Let us have a moment of silence for the pool noodles that sacrificed their lives for the cause. You will not be forgotten! Last week I posted some shots of the awesome textures produced when you slash a pool noodle with a razor knife and then blast it with a heat gun. I picked up …
Apr 21 2016
A Solution in Search of a Problem
When I need to relax there are few things more rewarding than melting things with a heat gun. Today I was goofing off with a spare pool noodle and tried slashing it across it’s width with a razor knife before gently melting the surface. The result was a really interesting ridged texture interspersed with bubbly …
Jan 12 2016
Comes the Kraken
I’m in the process of making a sideshow-style gaff of a “Kraken tentacle”. The basic technique is identical to the one in the original “Making a Tentacle” tutorial, but veers off a bit from the “Tentacles: The Suckering” followup. This approach produces much more realistic suckers by using short lengths of aquarium tubing attached to …
Oct 14 2015
How To Review Haunted Attractions
Let me start off by stressing how the intention of this article is NOT to make people duplicate my reviewing style. Given the flaws in it which will be shared below, I actually want people to avoid making the same mistakes I did. Step 1: Reading Reviews Reading the work of other haunted attraction reviewers …
Oct 13 2015
Tricks and Treats VI
Not sure whether or not you want to make a paper pumpkin or witch decoration this year? Get the best of both worlds by making a combination of both using these handy instructions. Facebook has a ton of great decorating ideas. Home Haunters shared some great advice on making “Bloody Handprint Window Clings,” World Of …
Dec 22 2014
Making A Krampus Costume
The last time I discussed constructing a Krampus costume, I focused more on assembling something from store bought costume parts rather than making one from scratch. I wanted something that would be a relatively easy way for even those without the best costume or prop-making skills to make a Krampus suit. But I also realize …
Oct 19 2014
Make Your Own Spooky Sound Effects
Many years ago my younger brother and I tried making a custom soundtrack for our homemade haunted house. Emphasis on “tried.” It started out great at first, the door to the basement already creaked when it opened and my brother’s impression of an old witch welcoming visitors in was perfect. The trouble started when we …
Oct 15 2014
How To Make A Freddy Krueger Glove
Getting your hands on a good quality Freddy Krueger glove can be expensive, especially if you can’t find one in your area and have to order it online instead. The poor quality of the lower priced unlicensed versions is also less than attractive. Thankfully you can easily make one of your very own for next …
Oct 07 2014
Lighting Tips For Halloween
Lighting is one of the most important aspects of spooky decorating, whether it’s for a haunted attraction or just for your house on Halloween night. Dim light can create atmosphere and hide flaws in (if not enhance) props while a light in the darkness and can lure eyes (or people) to a specific location. Lights …
Oct 06 2014
Yet More Tricks And Treats
Ray O’Bannon has not only updated his yearly selection of Halloween treats, but he’s really outdone himself this time around. And there’s even more free downloads on the other sections of his website! wikiHow has great articles on nice tricks you can play on Halloween and a must-read one on how to avoid annoying performers …
Dec 11 2013
How to Make a Scary Wreath
Do you want to have a Scary Christmas this year? Do you want your Christmas display to have something the neighbors will never think of doing? Then Allen Hopps (from the legendary Stiltbeast Studios) has just the project for you: Oh, and did I neglect to mention that he has other videos showing how to …
Oct 17 2013
How To Detail Haunted House Walls
It’s odd…despite being a Halloween/horror blog, we rarely discuss how to make props for Halloween displays and haunted attractions. And when the subject is discussed, it’s usually focused on printable stuff. As you have probably noticed, we’re slowly changing things around here so that we have more how-to stuff in the mix. As you can …
Oct 13 2013
Quick Makeup Tips and Costume Ideas
If you’re still not sure on what you want to be for Halloween, I’ve assembled a little collection of links that should be of great interest to you. Although I’m a huge fan of Halloween masks, I do have to admit how makeup does have some advantages of wearing makeup instead of a mask. Wearing …