DIY Halloween Haunted House for under $30
This Halloween, turn your humble abode into a pit of seething horror for the neighbourhood kids with a few simple house-of-horror pranks. You can give your kids a thrill or create the ultimate Halloween party location without spending a fortune.
The first step is to demarcate the path through your house of horror. You may choose to do this in your garage, in your garden or make a pathway through your living room by using garbage bags which can be split open along the sides for added length. Lay the bags down on the flooring to show participants which path they should follow. You can also cover walls and furniture with black bags for added effect.
Play a suitably spooky Halloween soundtrack. There are many on offer for free download. Here are a few to get you started:
Free Halloween Online Radio Stations
- AOL Radio – Halloween
- Slacker.fm Halloween
- Pandora – Halloween Music
- Halloweenradio.net
- Doomed SomaFM
Salvage polystyrene packaging from your local appliance stores and cut out tombstones. Paint them with a sponge to get a weathered look. Make it extra scary by writing the names of your party guests onto the tombstones.
Create dead bodies and severed limbs by stuffing old clothing with bedding and adding a liberal application of ketchup. Put ketchup on your hands and make bloody handprints on windows and furniture.
Make a path with several gruesome scenes or tableaus along the way for participants to discover. You can get additional props from the dollar store to create your tableaus.
The important point is to set the scene with a great background story before people enter the house. Then use music, dim lighting (turn off the lights and use candles in jack-o-lanterns) to create the right mood.
If you really want to give people a scare, get volunteers in costume to jump out at them as they walk through the house.