Halloween happens to be my favorite holiday. Ever since I was a kid, I loved getting dressed up, and heading out for an evening filled with treats, and yes even a few tricks. The treats were yummy, and the tricks were harmless.
I remember our entire neighborhood, running from house to house, with our sacks open chanting trick or treat. It was an organized frenzy that lasted but a few short hours. Every year we vowed we would make the most of that special night.
We had a couple of "scary" neighbors; every neighborhood did. It would take a few passes before we got up the nerve to ring their bells. But the allure of free candy won out, and we always did ring those bells. It always turned out that they gave out the best candy too. In our young minds, though, they were still scary.
There was one house on our street, where every year there was a haunted house. These folks went all out, and never failed to scare the costumes off of us. Then they would treat us to doughnuts and apple cider. I don't have to tell you, that was the most popular house in the neighborhood.
Folks always had, at least a Jack-o-lantern in their window, or on their stoop. Decorations were just as important as the treats on Halloween night. And in that spirit, here are a few decorating ideas to scare away the ghost this Halloween.
A Body Parts Grave Yard
You will need
an old flannel shirt
an old pair of jeans
a pair of work gloves
an old boot or two
some red paint
a few piles of leaves
Scraps of rope or twine
Cut the shirt in half, so you have two arm pieces. Cut the jeans so you have two legs. Stuff the "body" halves with newspaper or leaves, and sew (or staple) them closed. Fill the work gloves the same way, and tie the ends with scraps of twine or rope. Fill the boot/boots with rolled newspaper, to make them appear to have a foot in them.
Choose the location for your graveyard. Somewhere people will see it as they drive by, and where trick-or-treaters will have to walk near. Now it's time to "plant" your body parts. Set the pieces out in a scattered fashion. An arm here, a leg there, a glove over there. Wel,l you get the idea. If you want the look of bloody parts paint portions with red paint to resemble blood. Now prop your parts up with small piles of leaves. You're shooting for the look of body parts coming out of the ground. Now you have your graveyard.
