Apart from Christmas, Halloween is probably the holiday where most people decorate their homes. Halloween started about 2,000 years ago with the ancient Celts, and is still an exciting holiday for adults as well as children. Here are some good ideas for transforming your home starting at the top.
Spooky Castle Ramparts
All you need is some light plywood or even heavy cardboard. You can cut, paint, and decorate it to look like some ancient Gothic castle or spooky mansion, and set up panels around the edges of your roof. You will have to steady them with some struts or brackets. Also, be sure they’re safe for anyone in costume sneaking across the roof to add to the fright.
Cheesecloth Roof Ghosts
You can find some sturdy but pliable wire and wind it into any shape you want, such as a gargoyle or threatening witch. Wrap the form in cheesecloth. They won’t look like much by day, but up on the roof with a pale white or blue light, they become ghostly figures. It takes a little artistic ability, but cheesecloth ghosts are light-weight and you can place them anywhere.
Bloody Victim
Some people find blood and mayhem a little more to their scary tastes than ghosts. Make up a mannequin or two by stuffing old clothes, and use cheap masks for the head. Dribble some ketchup or fake blood around liberally, than leave them hanging over the edge of the roof, maybe with a hatchet in the head or stake in the back. This will create a grisly chill in everyone who comes near.
Fire Baskets
Real fire baskets are too dangerous, but you can find modern facsimiles that look pretty good from the ground and especially from a distance. You could buy them or create your own, such as painting a basket or planter black and running an extension cord to a red bulb in the basket. A small fan blowing up from the bottom to animate red-orange streamers resembles leaping flames.
“Pop-up” Figures
Place some life-size figures on the roof where there are deep shadows, such as around the chimney or under overhanging branches. Use a motion-activated light so that they “leap” into view when anybody approaches the house. However, it’s always a good idea to have a professional from a company like American Renovations look over your roof first. You don’t want heavy decorations or human activity to do damage, or someone to trip over a loose tile or shingle and fall off.
For some reason, fear is fun. But you should always think safety and preparation so the fun doesn’t lead to disaster.
