What would you do for a Halloween party ?

Brian Daniele

Hey guys so i am having a halloween party and the themes are gothic mansion which is in a 20ft by 15ft area and the other is glow in the dark themed in the basement any ideas or suggestions for things to make or do  mainly for the gothic area ? also for the glow in the dark 

Mikey March

Blacklights, neon posters, RGB led accent lights, and chem glow sticks/bracelets/misc. for the glow in the dark part. No clue about the gothic section, but bats are probably a safe start. I don't know your prowess as a maker so I can't begin to suggest all the things to build.

Good luck!

Chris Ellerby

When I take on a new project my first step is research.  In this case I would start with image searches on keywords related to "gothic mansions" and "glow in the dark" and start taking any images that I like and sorting them into a folder for that aspect of the project.  

The images can then serve as reference for specific elements, or as general inspiration to get your own ideas flowing.

One thing I would suggest is boiling down each element to its essentials so you can spend your time on elements that will have the most impact on creating a thematic environment with the least impact on your allotted time and budget.  For example the "gothic mansion" theme could be boiled down to dark patterned fabrics (for wall coverings to simulate wallpaper or for curtains), old paintings, and candles.  Each of those things has a big visual impact, and once you have such broad strokes covered you can focus on details like cobwebs, smaller decorations, etc.

I also try and make sure every item you add to a scene helps to tell a story.  Why would it be there?  How would it be used?  How would the environment change it over time?  How would it change the environment over time?  What does it add to the story?  If it were removed, how much would be lost?

Addressing those basic questions insures that you are not just throwing random items together, which is a big problem set dressers (and folks in the Haunted Attraction industry) face.

For the glow in the dark section, you may want to have a bit more of a focused theme.  Circus, mad scientist, witches lair, undersea, etc.

One idea that works with the mad scientist/witches lair theme that is used by a lot of home haunters is glowing potion bottles.  Simply take any glass or plastic bottle, fill it with water, and then soak the ink cartridge from a fluorescent highlighter maker in it.   Once the water is sufficiently colored remove the marker cartridge and place the container in an area illuminated by black light.  The liquid will glow brightly for a great effect.

You can also print out custom labels for the bottles that add to your theme and help to tell a story.

One fun thing to do when you have a UV reactive and glowing room full of bright colors is to provide your guests with chroma-depth glasses.  These glasses take bright colors and offset their perceived depth for each eye.  The result is different colors occupy different depths in 3D space.  The glasses are relatively inexpensive and you can purchase them online  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChromaDepth

A google search on "Chromadepth" will give you examples of how it's used.  If done right, the effect can be extremely dramatic.

Happy haunting!

/Chris

Carrieann Reda

As an avid Halloween nut I'd say It depends on your budget and how long you'd like the decorations to last, also who's coming. For gothic columns on the cheap I use concrete tube forms and coat them with a kind of homemade staff (staff is an old fashioned jute and plaster coating, it's pretty awesome stuff. They used it for the exteriors of the buildings in the court of honor at the Chicago worlds fair), composed of leftover latex paint and plaster of Paris. Using that method you can get as over the top as you like, using left over junk, goodwill finds,  and cheap Halloween decor. Depending on the ratio and how thickly you apply it you can get various crackles textures, but it's fragile so its got to be coated.  Then you can do all that fun painting work. Just make sure your mud has something substantial to cling to so it can make a mechanical bond, a smooth surface will break your heart, and do things patiently in layers.  Just think about all the awesome architectural ornaments you can make out of those creepy porcelain dolls they have at goodwill. 
You can also do some neat things with a heat gun and that cellophane gift basket wrap and packing tape...just don't kill yourself, it stinks. 
Cheese cloth is also your best friend, you can get big bunches of it on amazon. 
For the glow in the dark part I'd make it a garden, an extension of your gothic mansion. Giant carnivorous plants, big spiders, great big moths are super easy to make.  I happen to have a fantastic specimen of Eyeballadonna, and a trick-or-treater eater.