My Yard Haunt 2013

[SIEFKA]

I have always loved the fall season especially Halloween. When I was younger I used to pull out every Halloween decoration we had and place them all around the yard. I remember as a kid collecting cherries and apples and just placing them in buckets to get ready to "harvest" them. I just let them sit in a bucket. I also loved raking leaves. I would get out my old radio put in my favorite set of Halloween music cassette tape and rake the leaves. The cassette tape was Monster Mash and other Songs of Horror. When I would pull out the decorations I remember seeing the neighbors watch and they got enjoyment out of me enjoying what I loved the most: Halloween. One of my best memories was one year I had really gone all out decorating and I saw this little kid and his family walk by and they said, "Mom look at his house! It's the Halloween house!" After hearing this it made me feel great!

Years went by and the most I would put out would be a few pumpkins maybe some hay and a scarecrow but not too much. I always wanted to really go all out but my mom would get overwhelmed when I would pull out too many decorations. Well this year I decided to really go for a great yard haunt this year.

Here is my house:



Here is my idea now:

This is my plan for this year 2013:



I am thinking of this idea. Everyone one of those orange circles that you see if going to be a pumpkin. The ones hanging are going to be suspended pumpkins. I plan on ordering the suspended pumpkin hangers so I can hang them on the hooks that we have out front. The rest of the pumpkins will be in the yard. I will carve them all the week of Halloween. I am planning there will be 25 but there may be more. Luckily my work hired someone who also works on a farm and she will be giving me free pumpkins. As for the question marks I am not sure if I want to have pumpkins on the roof or not. I would love to but I also do not want to burn the house down. As for the white lines I would love to make a Windowkin to go in one of the windows. I would love to have a creepy figure standing in the window or something of that nature. Whether in the top story window or the bottom one I am not sure. As for the purple spots, I am thinking of using a classic black light bulb in those areas. Whether I want to go with purple, green, and or orange I am not sure. Maybe all black for the lights. I would love to have a fog machine but that may have to come into play next year. I was thinking of maybe either this year or next year dressing up in sort of a graveyard shift costume or Michael Myers and just walking the yard during the night. Plus I would be able to keep watch over my pumpkins during the night.

That's my idea. I would love to hear your ideas! I am open to anything I want to really make this year great thank you!

[Murfreesboro]

You have a beautiful house!

For the pumpkins, especially those on the roof, you might use those flickering battery-powered lights. They are quite realistic and actually give off better light than candles do. And they are not a fire hazard.

[SIEFKA]

I have not used a candle for quite some time now. Since I saw the battery powered lights I have been using those. The only question remains is: is there a cheap way to light all these pumpkins? I wonder how other people light all their pumpkins in their yard haunt displays?

[Spookymufu]

I have not used a candle for quite some time now. Since I saw the battery powered lights I have been using those. The only question remains is: is there a cheap way to light all these pumpkins? I wonder how other people light all their pumpkins in their yard haunt displays?

go to the dollar store and buy some LED flashlights and mount them in the back of the pumpkins?

[SIEFKA]

I read somewhere about using clip lights and that would work. I was hoping to find a really cheap way to light all these pumpkins at once.

[Andybev01]

You have a beautiful house!

For the pumpkins, especially those on the roof, you might use those flickering battery-powered lights. They are quite realistic and actually give off better light than candles do. And they are not a fire hazard.

I expect Wally and the Beav to come running out the front door ant second. Great house.

[SIEFKA]

I was mowing the lawn today and I was really thinking about what I could do to make my Windowkins scary. I got to thinking what scares me and I want to use that. Rather than have some guy with a knife in one of the windows, or a giant face I want to take it a step further. I want to make a real life situation out of this house.

Have you ever seen this picture?




I got to thinking well what if these people were actually real. I mean they must be tired of standing around all day so lets give them some life. I really want to utilize the farmer. For the pumpkins on the roof of the house I decided that looks cheesy in my opinion for the theme I am going for. I am going for just this farmer watching over his pumpkins. He does not have to be holding a pitchfork rather I would just have him watching over the yard and looking after his pumpkins. So I will name him John. I at first was opposed to having the lines on the window but now I am going to utilize them! I would love to have the lines appear or I may cut them out and have half of his body to the left side of the window. As for the old lady I would love to make a real situation. I will take pictures tomorrow but I have these cool windows on the edge of the porch that Trick or Treaters will be able to see. I was hoping to make a large window kin for that area and almost make it as if the older lady is just sitting reading her book in a chair facing the opposite direction away from the window. I was thinking of just having on the other side of the window of having just a blank sheet and a lamp to give the impression that it is a living room.

[SPOOKMART]

For carving rigid foam I'd get a foam cutter instead of using the Dremel, they cut much cleaner.
Dremels make a huge mess with foam. You also choke on the little particles.

As others have said the LED on the market are very cheap and very bright and last
a long time. It can get tedious having to light so many pumpkins over and over.
We usually have lots of wind. Although last year was calm.

With a pumpkin on the roof you've got to ask yourself the question, who will see it?
Thing about black lights is they only work with object that are white or florescent.
Also small blacklights don't do much. Moderate size black lights or led's could be used
on some skeletons to break up the monotony of the pumpkins and infuse contrast.

[SIEFKA]

Nice I actually never knew the history of this famous painting! I always saw it everywhere but never knew about it! Learn something new everyday!

I was thinking last night before I went to sleep on how I can make this windowkin. The way I was hoping to do is sort of the opposite to what I have seen generally. When I see the windowkin it is usually black with the patter cut out. I was thinking of using this idea if possible:

I decided I will use the center window since you will be able to see it from the road as well as walking up to the door to get candy. Now the idea I have I am thinking of either doing just the right side of the window or possible the whole window. The idea I have is a little different. I want it to look real as if it were a shadow of the farmer watching over his pumpkins. So I want to switch the colors almost if this is possible.

My window has this frame work which cannot be seen from the outside so I will use that to my advantage. I want to have just the outline of the window in black. On the inside I want it to be all yellow as if a light was on in the room. Then in the right window I would love to have the black silouette of the farmer with some detailed etching such as have his wrinkles showing or have him wearing glasses staring down at the yard in a scary way. So behind him will be all yellow tissue paper so I want to make that seem like a light is on. I am not sure if I just want to shut the left window shade and just have the right one open if that would make it more life like.



This is my window with the frame work highlighted.



I will do my best in paint to show you what I mean.





This is part one of my design. I want to have a foam board either across my whole window or just the one on the right. I will have just the foam on the frame of the window and have Farmer John also connected to as well on the right side. Everywhere else you see in the window will be all yellow tissue paper. I want to give the impression that this is just his shadow. I would love to include the window lines as well I am not sure if they will show up on their own or if I should have them with the foam board.

Now onto part 2 of my design.





I would love to have just details showing of just his eyes maybe have him in a shirt and cut out a pattern on it or have him wearing glasses. This will be staring at the back view of the room.

Do you have any advice so far?

[NeverMore]

Nice shop skilz!

How about hanging a white sheet in the window and projecting on
to it? I did that last year and it was a hit. You can find some pretty
good videos on Youtube and Vimeo.

[SIEFKA]

I also decided to use only one shade since it looks better that way and it will also save me some money.

I know my shop skills are fantastic! I could do that as well. The hardest part would be getting the projecter up there. I think I am going to go with the Windowkin idea but I have thought about it and I want to use a mixture of Hugo Strange mixed with that American Gothic painting. I love the detail in both pictures.



This is Hugo Strange. I love the glasses look, the beard, and the suit. I would love to incorporate him into my Windowkin. I am not sure if I would also include the pitchfork as well or not. I would love to make a Windowkin of just having him standing there.

[NeverMore]

My all-time favorite American Gothic variation...

[SIEFKA]

Thats great!!

I love the ideas whirling around in my head of all the possiblities that I could do! The main issues that I have now are how am I going to light up all these pumpkins and what is the cheapest way possible. I am not really into using the christmas lights since they will be spread out in the yard. I will choose a different light color since the black light bulb won't show up as well. Maybe green or orange would be better. I am thinking that this yard needs something more. I can feel it but I am not sure on what to add exactly. Maybe an animated scarecrow now that would be cool! Or even a non animated one!

Any other ideas?

[SIEFKA]

Any ideas on how to light multiple pumpkins at once? They will all be spread around my yard and I was hoping to light them all still while being safe about it.

[NeverMore]

I'm thinking, if you feel comfortable with electrical, you can get some wire and
c9 or c7 sockets and make your own string lights. You can place the sockets
according to where the pumpkins are and plug the line(s) into a surge strip with
and on/off button. Cut a slice in the ground and stuff the wire between pumpkins
in there so it isn't seen during the day.

Last year I just bought a pack of LEDs and taped them to some watch batteries
and dropped them in the pumpkins.