How to Create a Scary Halloween Porch

Create a Scary Halloween Porch

Autumn means ben! Arack to school, football and Halloweound the end of October, your house will be visited by strange and wonderful creatures of all shapes and sizes. Don't greet them with the same old pumpkins and wreath! Get your porch ready for these visitors by really dressing it up for Halloween. The scarier, the better!

Difficulty:

 

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fake cobwebs
• Dark candles
• Spooky sounds CD
• Scary costume
• Fake skull
• Dark light bulb
• Fog machine
• Candy
• Fake bugs
• Old chandelier

1. • 1
     Banish anything cute. Put your smiling jack-o-lanterns away for the night, or place them in a different part of the yard. Take down your fun autumn flag. Get rid of your leafy wreath on the door. Move your friendly scarecrow to the garage. This is a night for fright!
   • 2
     Set the mood by getting rid of the light! Of course, you will need to see the trick-or-treaters, so do replace one light bulb with a dark bulb, such as a dark purple or blue bulb. If you wish to get really creative, try hanging an old, black chandelier directly above your front door and string it with fake cobwebs. You can wire it directly into your porch light, or choose one that is lit with candles. Black candles in the windows (do not leave open flames on your porch within reach of children) are also a great way to create moody light on your porch.
   • 3
     Camouflage and confuse. String fake cobwebs all around the porch and create a narrow path for your trick-or-treaters to navigate. Making them squeeze their way to the front door will give them a shivery feeling, especially if you place fake dead bugs, eyeballs and other gross items in the cobwebs. If you really want to go all out, confuse them even further by investing in a fog or smoke machine.
   • 4
     Add some scary sounds. Invest in a spooky CD. Many Halloween CDs feature sounds like people screaming, werewolves howling and ghosts moaning. Hide it and set it to play continually as the trick-or-treaters arrive.
   • 5
     Add some scary movement. Consider having someone act as a "ghost" on the porch. That someone could hide under a sheet, or be disguised as an inert scarecrow sitting on a chair. Nothing is scarier than having someone grab you suddenly when you least expect it! Just make sure to stay away from scaring the littlest kids.
   • 6
     

     Don't forget the inside. Nothing spoils the mood more than opening a door to see a cheery living room. Darken the inside of your house, set out some candles and dress up in your scariest costume. Hand out treats from a bowl shaped like a skull and use your best scary voice to greet the children.