PacManDreaming's Halloween Haunt

"Papering" the Kitchen Walls

2007-09-18T17:03:00.001-05:00

I finally got tired of looking at the original wallpaper in my kitchen, so I decided to do something about it. While at Garden Ridge, I saw some cool Halloween table cloths. I was looking at them and thinking the pattern would make good wallpaper. Then it hit me...why not make them into wallpaper?

This is the pattern I chose to cover the wall with:

Here is a partially done wall:

And here it is finished:

I used Duck brand double-sided carpet tape to stick it to the wall. It seems to work pretty well.

I also added some LED string lights and a fall garland to my kitchen bar opening. Sorry about the blurry photos...I really need to get a tripod for my camera.

Halloween stuff is out!

2007-07-26T13:51:00.000-05:00

I went to Michael's today and they had a bunch of cool Halloween stuff out. I also ordered several things from Terry's Village that came in yesterday. I have to admit, while I was at Michael's, I felt like a kid in a candy store. They only had one aisle of Halloween decor out and I was told that in the next day or two, more stuff might be coming in.

Here is the Spider Web Votive lit up:

Here's some pics of the resin pumpkin stack and the wooden haunted house lit up:

The silk leaves came from Hobby Lobby:

The wonders of Decoupage

2007-06-02T18:48:00.000-05:00

I was sitting around wondering what other useful things I could do with my jar of decoupage. I had some small, round vases that I got a while back and I decided to see if I could do anything with them. I repeated the same process as with my hurricane glasses, but this time, I used some black crepe paper to make a jack'o'lantern face:

I dropped in an LED tea light and took some video:

Halloween Chandelier v.1.1

2007-06-01T01:27:00.000-05:00

When I put up my chandelier a few months ago, I tried painting the hurricane glasses orange to give the light a more of a Halloween-ish look. I used orange paint, but they still look more like glowing jars of piss than the Pumpkin Orange light I wanted. I thought about using small glass tiles to make a mosaic on them, but the tiles are way too expensive to cover six hurricane glasses. So, the other day, I saw something that gave me an idea. I bought a few rolls of crepe paper(orange, yellow and black) and some "instant decoupage". Decoupage is French for watered-down white glue with a big price tag. An eight ounce jar was $5.99 at Hobby Lobby. Anyway, I cut the crepe paper into pieces about 1 1/2" square. I then glued them onto the hurricane lanterns with the decoupage. The decoupage is great because it also doubles as a sealer and waterproofer.

Here is what it looked like before the crepe paper treatment:

The end result was better than I anticipated. In fact, I was downright pleased with the way it turned out:

Now that I know this works, I have several small, round vases that are gonna be made to look like jack'o'lanterns. I started working on one earlier. When it's finished, I'll post pics.

New LED Candle

2007-05-26T09:34:00.000-05:00

I went to Michaels two days ago and found a cool pillar LED candle. Yesterday, I was at a thrift shop and found a pewter candle pedestal for five bucks. The candle is 6" high and the pedestal is 10 1/2"

Here's a photo of the candle and holder:

And here is a video of the candle in action:

Also, I finally got around to doing something with a mostly blank wall that I had:

It looks better in person, although I don't think my mice like having large objects suspended over their habitats(which can be seen in the bottom of the photo).

In case of vampires....

2007-04-05T20:54:00.000-05:00

I made an "Anti-Vampire Attack Kit". No, I don't believe in vampires, I just thought it would go well with the general feel of the place. I'm also in the process of making a kit for a zombie attack. I went to Hobby Lobby and purchased a shadow box(50% off, at that). Then I went to Michael's and picked up a wooden crucifix and a wooden dowel to make stakes with. After I painted and polyurethaned the cross and whittled the stakes, I secured the hammer and garlic to the backing with florist's wire. The stakes and crucifix were then rubber cemented into place. I have some lettering that I'll put on later. Across the front it will say "IN CASE OF VAMPIRE ATTACK, BREAK GLASS".

The cool part was that it was pretty inexpensive to make:

Shadow box-$10
Framing hammer-$5
Wood for stakes-$3
Wooden Crucifix-$1
Garlic-$.50

So, I pretty much made a cool* looking wall decoration for under 20 bucks.

*Well, it looks cool to me, but I'm pretty much a geek, though.

I also got a swinging wall hook for a flower pot. I hung a candle lantern by a chain from the hook. I like the way it looks, so I might go get another one.

And if you're wondering, that's The Mummy with Boris Karloff on the TV.

Minor update

2007-03-29T22:06:00.001-05:00

I found a good way to cover up some electrical cords. The hot chick I used to date gave me some plastic autumn leaf garlands and I used some electrical tape to secure them to the cords.

Got quite a thunderstorm brewing here in Ft Worth:

Man, I love gloomy weather, but unfortunately, here in TX, it's usually sunny and blistering hot. When it's not freezing cold, that is.

New Clock, Jack o'Lantern and CD

2007-03-23T21:07:00.000-05:00

I made a new clock while I was off for my weekend. I got a cheap($5.00) clock at Big Lots and a couple of clock number sets($5.00) at Michaels. I took the hands off and primered and painted the face. I put the numbers on freehand...so they are a little off. If I decide to get a nice clock and do this again, I'm gonna make a template to place the numbers.

I was bored earlier, so I got one of the many Funkins I have sitting around and carved a freehand face on it.I used a razor knife and it worked like a charm. That's one Jack'o'Lantern down and about nine more to go.

For the past few days I've been listening to a new CD I just got. I haven't been able to take it out of the CD player. You can listen to some samples at Amazon:Monster Bop. The next CD I intend to buy is Spooky, Swingin' Sounds of Kreepsville. If you want a taste of what it's like, check out Headless Spectre Radio....it's all done by the same fiend, Viktor Von Kreep. Make sure you download the shows and let all of your creepy friends in on the deal.

New Chandelier

2007-03-08T15:02:00.000-06:00

I wanted a new light fixture to replace a cheap ceiling fan that the previous owners had installed....and I knew exactly what I wanted. The only problem with that is the light I want costs about the same as a new car. So, I settled for a six light chandelier from Lowes. It came with some crappy looking rice paper shades that had to go. I got six hurricane glass shades, but clear glass doesn't look Halloween-ish enough. I stopped by my local hobby/model shop and ordered two cans of Tamiya Clear Orange spray paint. Believe it or not, the paint sticks to glass very well. Here's a before and after pic:

The bulb holders look like candles, but they were white. A little black electrical tape fixed that problem. After the glass and the ceiling medallion were painted and dried, I finally was able to hang the light...after a rather fierce fight. The SOB did not want to go up! I'm sitting here waiting for the damn thing to come crashing down.

And here are the final photos of my new light:

It gives off a nice bright orange-yellow glow. Perfect for a Halloween Haunt.

New Table

2007-02-23T20:45:00.000-06:00

I finally got somewhat industrious this evening and sorta "fixed" a minor problem. I had a bunch of power cords dangling down from one of my shelves so I found something to cover them up. I made a table to hold some more lighted decorations and stuff and it kinda does the trick. Then I hung a "spider's web" on another wall and mounted a clock in the middle of it. Since it turned out kinda decent looking, I'm gonna fix up the clock a little. I'm gonna remove the front cover and either paint the face or print out something that looks Halloween-ish.

Crappy pics of lighted decorations

2007-02-01T20:55:00.001-06:00

Of all of my Halloween stuff, the things that light up are my favorites. The camera I have is not the best for taking photos in the dark, not to mention my photography skills are crap, so please excuse the low quality of the pics.

Here are my two wall shelves:

My fireplace mantel:

The wall of my stair landing:

A closeup of one of the ghost votives:

More stuff goes up

2007-01-19T11:16:00.000-06:00

Finally got around to putting more of my Halloween stuff up. The house is coming along slowly, but surely. As soon as the weather gets warmer, I'm gonna paint a bookcase and some tables.

Here's some of the recent upgrades:

I put LED candles in these votives.

The potion bottles were rubber cemented down. I figured sooner or later I'd bump into the shelf and knock everything down.

Here's my new coat/hat rack. The hanging lanterns and the other votives have LED candles in them.

I was asked a while back what kind of look I was going for. I'm going for more of a spooky, campy look. Kind of a mix of The Munsters and The Groovy Goolies.

If you like corny jokes and monsters, make sure you grab the GG DVD.

A Haunting we will go!

2006-11-17T11:44:00.000-06:00

I'm finally moved into my new place....mostly. I broke out all of the Halloween Decorations and started putting them out:

First is my fireplace mantle.

This shelf is right next to the back door.

And this shelf is on the other end of the wall.

I intend to wrap that white cord with black electrical tape and some dead vines to cover it up.

Here's the back door.

My computer desk...temporarily holding my 'Funkins'.

This thing is like half a pail or something. I'm thinking I might go scrounge around outside and collect some dead branches and stuff off the local trees and shrubs and put them in there. One of my neighbors has a sweet gum tree. It has these spiky little seed pods on it and the dead leaves are cool looking, too. Maybe put some grapevine in there as well.

I just have a few more things to do and I'll have a cool Halloween Haunt to live in!

Soon......yes, soon....

2006-10-21T17:41:00.000-05:00

I'm nearing the finishing touches on the new haunted house I got. All I have left, as far as major work is concerned, are my two bedroom floors. Then I can start moving in and getting all of my spooky Halloween stuff out and decorating the place with it.

Here is the second Jack'o'Lantern I've done:

I don't know what kind of pumpkin this is, but I will never use another one to make a jack'o'lantern. The flesh is super thick and it took forever to do this one. I did save the seeds and I plan on growing some...they would make good fall decorations.

Jack'o'Lantern

2006-10-13T20:26:00.000-05:00

I made my first jack'o'lantern of the season today.

Maybe if I cram in another candle it'll really light up. I just wish they made 100 watt flicker bulbs.

Even more Halloween goodies!

2006-10-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

I got lots more goodies! I picked up some stuff at Jo-Ann's(some fabric/craft store) at like 30% off. Then I went to Hobby Lobby and got some more Funkins and the rest of the stuff at 50% off.

The four black metal votive holders have metal stakes that have been removed for photographic purposes.

Here is a photo of my uncle. I got the frame at Hobby Lobby and the pic is artwork done by Daniel Horne.

I'm almost finished with my downstairs rooms at my new house. Another week or so and I should be putting Halloween stuff up, Lord willing.

More goodies!

2006-09-29T19:55:00.000-05:00

I got the Frankenstein's Monster Lamp at Target and the potion bottles came from Michael's.

All of my Halloween stuff should go nicely into my new house. The living room walls are a dark, drab gray and the ceiling is a muted, flat black.

I still have a bit of work to do. Right now I'm prepping the floor so I can paint it. Then I'm gonna make my shelving and stain it to look like old wood.

On Hiatus

2006-09-18T19:58:00.000-05:00

Making Halloween stuff is coming to a slow down right now. I just got a new townhouse and I'm fixing it up....to look like a haunted house! I'll post pics in a few weeks after I'm done. I'll also be making/buying new Halloween goodies in the meantime, just not like I had been. I did make two more Ghost Lamps last Friday. Hopefully, I can find the lighting kits I want and I'll be making some cool lanterns that will be lighting my new staircase.

I got a couple of these lanterns at Super Target.

I may wire them to use those flicker bulbs.

And check out this cool Candy Cauldron!

Man! I can't wait to get my house painted and the floors done! I've wanted to live in a haunted house since I was a little kid. Hopefully, I can finally achieve this dream!

Yard Signs

2006-09-04T12:29:00.000-05:00

Last year I bought several wooden and metal yard signs and I had to come up with an idea on how to keep them from being knocked down, pulled up, trying to find a place to put them, etc. I got one of those cheap plastic cauldrons and I scrounged up several ceramic flower pots(spray painted black) I had laying around. Then I went to Home Depot and got some pea gravel and a gallon of Elmer's Glue-All. I filled the bottom half of the pots with some dirt, placed the signs in them and leveled them up. Then I filled them up the rest of the way with the gravel. I poured a generous amount of the glue over the gravel and let it dry for a day or so. After they were dry, I sprayed some glow-in-the-dark paint over the gravel.

Now that the signs were in pots, I could place them wherever I wanted to. Very handy when you're decorating your house with them.

Ghost Lantern

2006-09-02T21:27:00.000-05:00

I made a "Ghost Lantern" yesterday. I took a cheap kerosene lantern from Wally World and sprayed the glass with Krylon Frosted Glass Finish to make it opaque. Then I used Krylon Glow-in-the-Dark spray paint and coated the inside of the globe. Here is a photo of the lantern exposed to a UV light:

Here is a pic of it glowing on it's own:

And here is how it originally looked when I sprayed the whole lantern with glow paint:

You'll probably agree with me when I say it looks a lot better with only the glass glowing. I'm debating on whether or not I want to install a UV LED in it. I probably will just to see what it looks like. As it is, it has a rather ghostly feel to it. The pics really don't show how cool it does look. I'll probably be making more of these since I can get the same lantern at Big Lots for $2.99.

Halloween Jackpot

2006-09-01T18:52:00.000-05:00

I went by Hobby Lobby today and I stumbled into a goldmine. They had Funkins on sale for 1/2 off! I may have to go back and get some more.

I originally went to get a shadow box. I got something better...a table top photo box. It was 1/2 off as well. I intend to make a lighted display out of it. I have a translucent Creature From the Black Lagoon/Gillman figure that I'm gonna light up with another LED circuit that I'm making. This should be a quick project. Should be. I have to drill two holes, make the LED circuit and black out the the whole glass area except where the Gillman will be standing. Should be a piece of cake.

*Edit*
The lighted pedestal for the Gillman didn't work out. The pedestal is fine, but the light transmitting properties of the Gillman leave a lot to be desired. I have some small resin jack'o'lanterns that might work perfectly in his place.

Halloween is coming

2006-08-27T18:32:00.000-05:00

Halloween is coming and I'm already starting to get stuff ready. If your local craft store carries the Funkins brand of carvable foam pumpkins, get'em! I've gotten four already and I'm trying to get a least one a week to stock up on them. I've been building LED lights for them since you can't use candles or anything over 7 watts in them. LED circuits are super simple to make and can be made rather inexpensively if you shop around. I'll be posting pics of my stuff whenever I get around to it.

Here's a link to last years Halloween goodies.

I wish I was a creative as the guy over at Pumpkin Rot.

And make sure you check out Monster Shindig!