Badge: Halloween Décor Outdoor

It’s not Halloween without a bit of decor (or a lot) in your yard. It might be something small or obvious. Most of the items will be ones that need to be built, but purchased ones will be mentioned as well.

NOTE: Be sure to check out videos online if you need help making items.

Steps

1. Simple.

You may have great plans for your decor. If you try to do it all at once, you will be stressed. Instead, as you go through this badge program, make notes of what you want to do. Afterwards, break it down so you have a few things to do each year . . . or perhaps only one if you are looking at something complicated. This way not only will you have time to do it right, your decor will be different every year.

2. Theme.

When you’re outside, your theme will probably be dark. You need more than that to define your theme, however. You can also choose a movie theme with Halloween-type elements that you can use as a guide. “Harry Potter”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “Frankenstein” and “Nightmare Before Christmas” each have their own elements that can be used in movie-themed decor.

Perhaps you’d like something like a graveyard, asylum, clowns, farm or pirate theme. Choose your theme so you can select elements that works together. Then, build a dark view of it.

3. Think.

Ask yourself some simple questions before starting your decorating. These are just a few. You’ll probably add to the list each year as you learn about what to do and not to do.

Is it safe for kids of all ages?
Will you build or purchase your pieces?
If you’re building pieces, do you have a place to save the tips / tricks of experts?
Where will you display the decorations? Do you need to move / adjust / clean the areas?
Have you planned a layout / timeline so you can get everything done for Halloween?
Will you need electricity for movable elements, lights, fog machines, etc.?
Is your display large so you need to determine traffic patterns and plan for items like fencing or rope lights to help guide people?
Is your decor visible from the road? Will people stop and park? Do you have a plan to keep kids safe?
Do you have enough light so people don’t trip? Check for dark spaces.
Do you have a maintenance plan / time for repairs, repainting, etc.?
Do you have special pieces that you will only be putting out the day of or a couple days before Halloween to minimize damage / vandalism?
Do you have storage for the pieces during the off-season? Are there issues (such as fitting through doorways) that need to be considered?

In addition to thinking about each piece of your décor, you need to think about the piece as well. Outdoor props need special attention to make sure they are protected from the weather and sun. If you have a display you want to protect, adding fencing will help minimize vandalism. Brainstorm ways to keep your outdoor decor safe.

You also need to make sure your pieces are in good shape. Check your decorations twice. As you set up and as you pack away your decorations each year, look them over carefully. If something is damaged or not working, determine if it’s worth fixing it or if it would be better to replace it. This will save you aggravation in the long run . . . and you can spend time in the off-season repairing your Halloween decor.

Selecting the Pieces

4. Tombstones.

You can choose to do a few tombstones or an entire graveyard. Use names of friends and family on the tombstones or choose to do the corny version with names that are more humorous than realistic.

To make an effective graveyard, you want to go beyond just the stones. Lighting your tombstones can make a big difference, so if you decide to use this kind of decor, plan on this. You can also add dried / dead flowers, body parts and other small pieces to help draw interest to the area. Give your audience more to look at than just a bunch of fake tombstones.

5. Caskets and coffins.

Fear of the unknown — or what might be in the box — is a great idea to play up on Halloween. False bottoms, triggering mechanisms, costumed adults and other possibilities allow you to “break out of the box.” Explore sites to see ways these can be built and displayed.

6. Monsters.

You might want monster parts, full monsters, monsters coming out of the ground . . . well, you get the idea. Monsters include undead, aliens, ghosts and anything not considered “human”. Don’t limit your monsters to the fake ones you can make. Ask a friend or more to bring live action to your outdoor décor. As you look at monsters, keep track of those you’d like to incorporate into your theme. You can even choose a specific type of monster and create a theme around it.

7. Bats and cats.

Black creatures . . . such as bats and cats . . . can be added to your decor. With proper lighting, the silhouette of smaller creature can look huge on the side of a building. Or you might make a spinning display to make it look like vultures are flying away from a corpse. Hm . . . I might have to try that.

8. Jack-o-lanterns.

Use of jack-o-lanterns can be for light, mood setting or just decoration. Experiment with different looks for your jack-o-lanterns that fit with your theme. If you plan on using candles inside, be sure they are out of the way of flying capes and the like.

9. Spiders.

When you’re outdoors, your spiders need to be larger, your webs more elaborate . . . and perhaps filled with body parts. Fishing line hung in pieces over a trail can grab like webs and add to the creep factor. Look at the ways you might incorporate these elements into your theme or even be your theme.

10. Recycled.

Using recycled materials to make props is a great idea . . . especially since you save money. Look through the list below and see if you can incorporate any of these into your decor.

Bottles and jars
Tin cans
Chicken wire
Bare, fallen branches, dead flowers, etc.
Candle stubs and wax drips
Animal bones, shells, feathers
Dolls
Costumes
Treat buckets
Statuary
Planters
Pallets
Boxes

11. Detail.

Really small pieces won’t be noticeable to people dropping by. However, the details are what keep people looking. The little surprises keep people coming back . . . especially if you move some of them around. Include items like fake hands, dead flowers, wigs, scratch marks, broken finger nails, bloody hand prints and fake webs in your decor. Also look at your area to see if you can make use of it as well. Drag marks to the coffin? A high heeled scuffed shoe stuck in the crack in your sidewalk? Well . . . you get the idea.

12. Sounds.

When you’re doing sound outdoors, it’s hard to make it loud enough without an amp and large speakers. These also can be damaged by the weather. Hiding cords is also necessary. Don’t try to cover an entire area with sound. Instead, do focused sounds in specific areas. A sudden sound can be more effective than continuous noises. Think screams, begging, bones breaking, etc.

13. Dry ice.

Dry ice or a fog machine will help create a moving fog to help set the atmosphere. Check out how each of these works and which you would be most likely to use for your chosen theme.

14. Scents.

Outdoor scents can be very soft or harsh. I’ve been to many haunted houses where you can smell the plywood and paint. Not too scary. The scent can be as simple as incense or burning sage. You might make some faux rotten eggs that really stink. Burning wood from a fire is a great scent, especially if paired with a spooky storyteller. If you have a fog machine, you might be able to get scented solution.

Check out what you have available and brainstorm how you can add this sense to your outdoor decor.

15. Other props.

Depending on your theme and materials on-hand, your possibilities for decor are seemingly endless. Check out these ideas and add some of your own.

Porch light to black or orange bulb
Rope lights
Spotlights
Signs directing traffic
Maze made out of black plastic trash bags, hay bales, sheets, plywood, shrubbery, etc.
Blow-ups
Friends and family dressed up
Leaves and yard debris
Monster tracks

From your list, write down the materials needed and a step-by-step instruction on how to create it. This will help each year to quickly identify what you have available, what you need and you can hand these off to others to help you with decorating.

Supplements

SUPP_Halloween Decor Outdoor_2in_12up_larajla

Avery 2” round label printable, 12 up

SUPP_Halloween Decor Outdoor_Checklist_larajla

Badge checklist

Sites to Explore

Get the infographic here > larajla blog post

Get the PDFs of the badge program / supplements here > Full badge PDFs