Tag Archives: Halloween

How to Make a Giant Spiderweb

We’re now 6 days into October, so I hope everyone’s Halloween decorating is going well.  I had a full Saturday putting out all of my yard decs, and I feel a little more complete now.  Halloween-time just does that to me.

I’m sure there are some of you out there that feel like you need a little more oomph to your yard, so I thought I’d give a quick tutorial for a simple project that makes a big impact: a DIY giant spiderweb.

Surprised?  You shouldn’t be. That’s the post title.  Keep up.

So for this little project, all you need are a few simple items.

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As you see in the pic above, you need a good length of clothesline, a few yard stakes, and scissors.  They’re not pictured, but you also need some nails to attach the cobweb to your house.

You basically want to make a six-pointed star with your nails and stakes, with the nails for the top three points and the stakes for the bottom three.  If you’d rather use hooks to attach the web base to your house, that would work, too.

The bottom side point stakes should be positioned a little behind and several feet away from the bottom point stake to ensure you get a good shape to your web.  If you position it too closely, your cobweb could turn out looking a little square.

Optional: If you feel so inclined and your circumstances allow it, you can make an eight-pointed star by using an extra string of clothesline  and a few more nails/stakes.  I think a six-pointed star is sufficient, but you can do this if you want.

After you have your nails and stakes positioned, take an end of the clothesline and tie it to your first nail.  String the clothesline to the stake, tie it off, and repeat it with the side points, crossing over the center string.

To make the rest of the web, start with the center ring.  Tie an end of the clothesline to the center line.  Then, you’ll just wind your rope around each line until you get back to the center line.  See the pic below:

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Doesn’t look to hard, does it?

And that’s really all you have to do. Rinse and repeat until you get the size of web that you want.  If you want to make sure your strings don’t sag, you can put a drop of glue where you wind the clothesline around itself, but I’ve never had a problem without it.

To make it even better, add a skeleton or body to the center of your web.  My mother-in-law had a few large spiders on hand when I made this web for her last year, so it really made an impact.

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There you have it.  It’s such an easy project to do, and as you can tell, it gives you a big bang for your buck.  I hope you try it out. Let me know what you think in the comments!

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Walmart

Anyone else out there have a love/hate relationship with Walmart?  It sucks you in with the promise of low prices and everything in one place.  I go in for one thing and come out with 20.  Every. Damn. Time.

I live in Walmart country very close to the main office, so I have about 3 dozen or so of these stores within driving distance.  That’s a lot.  And that means it’s way easy for me to go any time I need something, including Halloween supplies.

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They, of course, have a lot to choose from with dozens of options for lighting, hanging creatures, tombstones, skulls, pumpkins, etc…

And, might I add, their inflatable  game is particularly on point this year.  This threatening tree is pretty cool.  There’s a witch with a cauldron, and if you look really closely, you’ll notice a Halloween Minion (God, why won’t those things die?) and Frankenstein’s monster in the back.

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And you had to have notice good ol’ Jack, the Pumpkin King himself.

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I really liked their spider’s web display.  That pirate skeleton is toast.  Not sure how much nutrition the spider’s going to get out of him, though.

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They had many, many more inflatable decorations, including tombstones, ghouls, a cat that moves it’s head, and a skeleton in camo holding a skeletonized fish.

Walmart even got in on the IDK DIY crafty market with “homemade” wreaths you can buy yourself.  I’ve seen these mainly at craft stores, so I was a little surprised to see them here.

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Like everyone and their mom this year, Walmart also had a selection of skeleton animals.  Their display is a lacking, but they’ve got vultures and dogs for a good price.

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And what yard is complete without a cool, tacky skeleton-flamingo?

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Their food decorating section is quite extensive, and their prices aren’t bad for this kind of stuff.  BUT you might want to just catch these kinds of things on sale at Joann or Michaels to get them cheaper.

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The costume selection is pretty good this year.  The pic below is of the children’s costume aisle, so they have even more to choose from than what is shown.

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I’m loving these masks.  I believe I’ll pick up a few this year on sale for a new round of easy props next year.

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So is Walmart the best Halloween store?  It really depends on what you’re looking for.  I think you can piece together a pretty decent and cheap costume with Walmart’s supplies, and their decorations, although not totally original, are classic and can meet most of your Halloween needs.

If you’re looking for animatronics and larger props, Walmart has those, but you’ll have to look and buy them on their website.  I don’t know about you, but I like to examine stuff before I buy it, especially expensive items like animatronics.  So I’ll probably hold off on buying any of those unless they go on huge clearance.

As of right now, Walmart is where I’ll go to make my costume this year, and I’m sure I’ll be visiting at least one or two of my local stores the day after the big day to score some deals.  I suggest you do the same.

Halloween Music: Get in the Mood

October 1!  It’s tomorrow! Halloween month! Yes!

As you can see, I’m very excited that my favorite month is almost here.  So close I can taste it.  There’s a hint of pumpkin spice.  I’m kidding. There’s a lot of pumpkin spice.

Since I’m always in the Halloween spirit, I don’t need a lot of anything to get in the mood for the month.  But I do love music.  And what’s better at setting the mood than music?

Lighting, you say? Don’t be a smartass.

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So because all I want in life is to help others find the spirit of Halloween (Hint: It’s been inside you all along), I thought I’d list 13 songs that embody what Halloween is all about.  Here they are in no particular order.

1. Feed My Frankenstein – Alice Cooper

So yeah, this song is basically a metaphor for sex, but it has the name ‘Frankenstein’ in it and begins with Mr. Cooper promising to feed his “monster.”  I enjoy it.

2. Living Dead Girl – Rob Zombie

I should have listed this one first even though I’m not really ranking these.  This song is one of my all-time faves.  It’s kinda my anthem.

3. Season of the Witch – Donovan

This song has a bit of a creepy, mellow vibe to it.  And of course, witches are quite prominent at Halloween (go figure, right?).

4. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Marilyn Manson

Yeah. I love the original by Eurythmics as much as the next person, but Manson’s version adds a little fright to the mix.  Plus, this song was the background for the best scene in the movie Trick or Treat, so it has that going for it.

5. Thriller – Michael Jackson

This has almost become the official theme of Halloween.  I hear it on the radio about a million times every October, so it’s easy to see why this one belongs here.

6. Trick or Treat – Otis Redding

I was fortunate enough to be introduced to this song just last year.  It’s a love song with a lot of soul, and it’s perfect for the holiday.  It’s also a nice change from the creepier songs on the list.

7. Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon

Werewolves.  A song about werewolves has to be on the list.  I love this one for its quirkiness.

8. Who Do You Voodoo, Bitch? – Sam B (Dead Island)

If you don’t play video games, you might not be familiar with this one.  It’s the theme of Dead Island, one of my favorite zombie games, and it’s so freakin’ catchy.  Seriously.  Learn it, and you’ll be singing it all the time.  Just don’t do it at church or, like, in front of your boss or mom or anything.

9. Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell

Paranoia!  Do you feel eyes on you?  Is someone following you?  Did you hear that noise?  Rockwell’s song is paranoia with musical notes.

10. Superstition – Stevie Wonder

Magic and superstitions make the month.  Wonder’s classic song is perfect for a funky celebration.

11. Bad Moon Rising – Credence Clearwater Revival

Lots of monsters and magic relate to the moon, so it has to make the cut.  It’s also been featured on a ton of scary/supernatural movies and tv shows, including An American Werewolf in London.

12. Disturbia – Rihanna

This song isn’t all obvious about its Halloween-relatedness like the others on the list, but I think it belongs here.  It’s a metaphor for the dangers of fame consuming you (I think), but if you stretch your imagination, it also sounds a little like possession with a hint of the demonic in it.

13. Walk Like a Zombie – HorrorPops

When I first heard this song, I wasn’t too big of a fan.  It’s very peppy.  After repeated listenings though (it kept playing on the Halloween Pandora channel), I grew to kinda love it.  Give it a listen.  It’s spunky and fun and about zombies.

I already have a playlist with these songs and more, and I suggest you do the same.  Start your celebration!  Halloween will be here before you know it.

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Dollar Tree

Oh, Dollar Tree, what would I do without you?

If you’re looking to decorate your whole house for Halloween and throw a party from scratch, I beg you to go to Dollar Tree to check out their awesome merchandise.  As the name implies, everything is $1, and you would be amazed at how good their Halloween selection is.

Just check out this awesomeness:

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They’ve got tombstones, cemetery fences, signs, holographic pictures, candy dishes, party plates, costumes, door hangers, napkins, treats, props, and so much more.

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If you’re looking for some fun party favors or treat bags, go here first.

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They have some great skeleton and skull merchandise.  No, they don’t have a full-size skeleton prop like some of the bigger stores, but they do have skulls, bone hands, and other items.  C’mon.  It’s all $1.

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Also, if you need to get creepy cloth, they have different colors to choose from.  It’s usually $3-$5 at most stores, so it’s definitely a deal here.

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I was also pretty impressed by their spider, rat, and bat selection this year.  Quite lovely.

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I’ll end my short review of my favorite cheap store by talking a little bit about the tongs below.  I bought a pair of these last year.  Target was selling something similar for $15, so these are a damn good deal.  Buy them. Buy five.

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If you didn’t get it already, I’m kinda in love with Dollar Tree’s Halloween stuff.  Another cool thing about this store is that the items can be dressed up or repurposed in Halloween crafts or other props since everything is so cheap.  I’ll even be doing a few posts about using Dollar Tree stuff in your Halloween decor.

So if you’re wondering where to go to start your decorating, run to Dollar Tree as fast as your little legs can take you.

2016 Halloween Merchadise Review: Gordman’s

Gordman’s has never been a big draw for me for Halloween merchandise because it usually only has the cutesier items just for decoration.  If you’re looking for just home decor items, you should check them out because they have a pretty good selection.  I was pleasantly surprised that they had an actual prop this year – even if it was a little overpriced.

It seems like there was more of a limited selection this year than for previous Halloweens, but they still had a pretty good mix of items:

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They had some pretty cool pumpkins and jack o’ lanterns for general fall decorating.  I especially liked the black/white and gold variety two pics below:

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A few items were less cute and more scary.  Check out these zombie and ghoul stand ups in the pic below.  They stood about 2 feet tall each, so they wouldn’t be considered a real prop, but they’re pretty cool.

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As always, skeleton and skull items get my attention faster than anything else, so you can imagine that I kinda fell in love with this little guy.  I might catch him when I do my post-Halloween discount shopping.

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Although I don’t like cute Halloween items as a general rule, I do love me a good countdown clock.  This one was pretty cool:

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And as I said before, they actually had a full-size prop this year.  Check out this bad boy:

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I got up close and personal with him to get a good pic of his face.  I really like the detail.

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With the exception of the prop, everything was reasonably priced.  I’d compare the prices to TJ Maxx and Home Goods.  The prop itself was priced at a little over $200, which for a prop that only lights up and doesn’t move, is a little too much.

Frightful Comedy: Stephen Lynch’s Halloween

I love scary things.  If you’ve been reading the blog, I’m sure you already know that.  But I like to laugh, too.  A lot.  So mixing creepy with funny almost always makes me happy.

I stumbled across this little gem a few days ago.  I’m already a fan of Stephen Lynch’s comedy (his song, “Beelz,” is one of my favorites), so I was surprised I hadn’t already heard it before.    And since I hadn’t heard of it, I’m sure there are people like me who would also like to check it out.

Stephen Lynch – Halloween

Thinking of all the cool creatures
That I will meet… on this night.
Ghosts and goblins and witches,
Roaming the streets… in moonlight.

Bowls of candy and goodies,
Delicious and waiting… in store.
The sound of cute little footsteps
As they approach…my front door.

Letting the children inside to drink beers,
Razorblades hidden in Three Musketeers,
Screams from the basement of kids begging to be set free,
That’s what Halloween means to me.

Tightening the clamps that are holding
Their little heads… so tight.
Putting my lips to their ears
As I whisper, “Please… don’t fight.”

I promise I’ll let you go home
If you swear not to tell… a soul!
Well, I’ll just untie these—I’m kidding.
Now, where is my chainsaw? Let’s rock and roll!

A pinch of your brother, a teaspoon of you,
With the head of your sister, would make a good stew.
I’d give you a taste, but your tongue’s in the stew. Irony!
That’s what Halloween means to me.

Trick-or-treat, smell my feet,
Give me something good to eat.
Trick-or-treat, smell my feet,
Give me someone… good to eaaaat!

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Home Goods

Home Goods always has a great Halloween selection, and they didn’t disappoint this year.  If you’re not familiar with Home Goods, it’s basically a bigger, fancier home section of TJ Maxx.  They even carry some of the same stuff, which makes sense because they have the same parent company. And like TJ Maxx, their prices are pretty sweet.

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When I first walked in, I was greeted by this cool display:

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I especially loved this tall grim reaper figure.  Most of their items are more decorative in nature, so they don’t have many things that could be used as props in a haunted house or yard.  But this handsome guy here  would look right at home in any cemetery scene.

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As you can see in the pic below, they had a wide variety of decorations, from the cool and creepy to the glam and cute.

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These skulls were also some of my favorites.  Yeah.  I know.  Surprise, surprise.  I liked the skulls.

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Of course, they had pumpkins of all types and colors for those that want to steer their decorating to the fall side of things.

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One thing I thought was really cool at Home Goods was the types of decorative skulls they had (again with the skulls!).  Just look at some of the different kinds in the photos below:

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There was also one that was copper instead of silver and one that was completely jewel encrusted.  I tried taking a picture of the jeweled skull, but my camera turned it into a sparkly blob.

And this little guy with his Burton-esque vibe had me almost getting out my debit card…but I stayed strong.  I can’t go spending all my Halloween moneys this early in the game.

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I would definitely check out Home Goods for your Halloween decorating needs, especially if you’re looking for more decorative items instead of actual props.  They had quite a few unique items that I truly liked.

Plus, if you’re throwing a Halloween party and want to stay away from paper goods, they have a ton of plates, cups, and food serving items to choose from.  Just check out the selection in the pics below:

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I’m pretty sure I’ll end up with that cheese plate at some point.

Make sure to check out my other Halloween merchandise reviews to know exactly where to shop to fulfill your needs.  Also, make sure to follow me on Facebook for blog updates and additional pictures of Halloween products.

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Home Depot

Well, I had the pleasure of going to Home Depot yesterday, and yet again, they have KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE FREAKIN’ PARK.

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Last year was the first time I really took notice of Home Depot’s Halloween decorations, and I think that’s because they had just seriously upped their Halloween game.  I’d been looking forward to this year’s display, and I wasn’t disappointed.

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They have a wide selection of prop items from fake lanterns and jack o’ lanterns to bone animals and animatronics.  And everything is priced pretty reasonably, too.

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Check out this cool Frankenstein’s monster:

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He wasn’t plugged in, but he lights up and says a few phrases.

They, of course, had a great display of animatronics.  My favorite was the dragon.  She flaps her wings and just looks pretty badass in general.

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As you can see in the second picture of the post, there were a lot of smaller prop items.  My favorite was this guy just because he’s pretty unique:

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That would be a great prank to pull on someone, too.  Imagine if you were to go to someone’s house to watch horror movies and secretly placed that outside their window until the perfect moment where you say you heard something outside the window and they go to check, move back the curtain, and promptly piss their pants.

You can tell that I’ve thought about this.

I really liked their hanging items.  A few lit up and talked, and they were only $19.98.  That’s pretty awesome.

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This cool trio of witches wasn’t lit up when I went, but I thought they were fun.

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I also liked this guy:

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Home Depot also has more light show items this year.  If you don’t know what those are, they are light stakes that project creepy shapes or lights on any surface you choose.  They’re great to supplement a sparse spot of your yard or house.

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So should you go to Home Depot to check out their Halloween stuff?  Yes.  You should run there.

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Kirkland’s

I’m not that big of a fan of Kirkland’s just because I don’t like looking at the type of decorative items the stores carry, but I thought I’d venture inside one a few weeks ago to see what their Halloween selection looked like.

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They are definitely lower on my list for Halloween merchandise providers, but I admit that they had some fun stuff.  I’m going to apologize in advance for the picture quality.  This store was worse than Bath and Body Works regarding the VERY fragrant aroma in the air as I walked in.  I felt like I was slapped in the face hard by 15 different air fresheners.  That being said, I was in a hurry to get out of there, and my pictures suffered.

Here’s blurry pic of some cute ghosts and pumpkins along with a cool Day of the Dead platter at the bottom:

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Here’s another of the back of the same shelf.  Their stuff is definitely more on the cutesy side of the Halloween merchandise spectrum, but I think everyone could find at least one thing they liked out of their selection.

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For instance, I really liked this metal guy:

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They also had some pretty cool canvas pictures, including this one of trick-or-treaters out on Halloween night and the one below of a cool haunted house.

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Right before I fled to save my nostrils and avoid a headache from the overpowering smell, I saw this:

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I think the pillows at the bottom were adorable, and I’m always game for anything skull related.  The little nutcracker-like dolls on the top shelf were pretty cool, too.

So would I go back to Kirkland’s for their Halloween stuff?  Probably not, but I can see where their items would appeal to certain types of Halloween decorators.  If you’re looking for scariness or gore, this ain’t it, but if you want cute and accessible, try it out.

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Lowe’s

Lowe’s is a regular weekend trip for my husband and me, so I was very pleasantly surprised last weekend to see that they’ve finally put out their Halloween item.  I have to say, last year’s Lowe’s Halloween merchandise was lacking.  I think they upped their game this year.

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Just check out the lovely display they have as you walk into the indoor garden section:

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Doesn’t it just get you in the mood?  For Halloween, that is.

And they had another cute display pretty close by featuring some light-up decorations:

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One thing they had over other places is a large selection of blow-up yard decorations, including the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters, a pumpkin, a spider, minions, a dragon, and – my favorite – a grim reaper shown below.

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I thought these metal and wicker pumpkin decorations were pretty cute.  If you’re going for a folksy theme, these would be perfect.

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They had two animatronic props: a witch and a ghost.  Unfortunately, my video is too large to post right now, but I’ve shared them on Facebook if you want to see them.  And you do.  They’re pretty cool.  And while you’re there, follow my page.  Just do it.