Give a man a couple chisels, the back side of a hammer, and two old wood pallets and in no time at all you can have a spooky fence for Halloween.
You wanted a spooky fence right?
I did. I needed it for a haunted trail.
Nor did I know that using old wood pallets was going to become all the rage 10 years later.
This is the tale of pallets and days gone by many Octobers ago.
We have friends that use to own a cookie company and they were happy to relocate as many pallets as we wanted to our yard.
I wouldn't of minded relocating cookies as well.
I didn't want to seem greedy, for cookies or pallets, but looking back I wish I would of accepted more of them both.
Pallets are the perfect Halloween prop, especially when they don't cost anything.
At night in the glow of candles and the moon, it really didn't matter what they looked like. We just needed to put creepy thoughts in peoples minds to distract them from the human haunters about to jump out at them.
When we had our whole gaggle of kids at home, we hosted a haunted trail each October.
It was a 1/2 mile long walk that went over the river and through the woods.
Opps, wrong holiday.
I meant the trail twisted through the deep dark forest where anywhere from 25 to 40 of our friends and fellow parents, helped haunt the way.
At night in the dark.
That was about the time I learned there is nothing I like more than scaring the crap out of people.
*Disclaimer* I however, do NOT like to be scared!
I also learned that pallet wood is ugly and spooky at night and that you could use full pallets as a wall so people didn't wander off the path.
Nothing more than plops of black spray paint were needed for night. In fact, fine details get lost in the dark so can be a waste of precious time.
We didn't have much blood and gore on our trail, that's not scarey, just gross.
We played on the usual fears that people have.
Spiders.
Snakes. (The snake pit was a real scream inducer!)
Wild animals.
Witches.
Monsters.
Illusions.
And clowns.
I had no idea how many people were afraid of clowns. But seriously, who expects to see a clown in the woods at night? A talking deer or crazy chainsaw man maybe, but not a clown.
This is one of my friends who helped haunt each year.
The clown had a certain area to wander and held a creepy looking box from which people were offered to help themselves to some candy. When the brave ones reached in, the clowns' other hand was inside the box and grabbed theirs.
People screamed, and scary clowns happily laughed.
One of my favorite scares didn't involve clowns or pallets.
All over the path we had corn stalk decorations, you know the kind, where you gather the stalks all together like this.....
Brawn made me a custom one with stalks around chicken wire but hollow on the inside.
Then it was lifted over me, and I was inside it. I looked just like a harmless decoration.
All I had to do to make people scream was shake my stalks and lunge toward them in the dark as they passed by.
Really, who expects the decorations to move? Worked every time.
My stalk had handles inside so I could pick it up a few inches off the ground and follow people down the path.
When the trail was over, our haunter friends came in the house for a pot luck where we swapped stories of the terror and havoc that had ensued the previous three hours.
11 months out of the year I was/am a normal bleacher sitting, car pooling, church going, baby loving mom.
But when October arrived I was possessed/obsessed with thinking up new ideas to scare people.
I haven't really changed much.
Next up for Halloween around the Ranch are Quick Set Concrete Pumpkins.
LOL I love that you were so far ahead of the trend! but then I'm not surprised either!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween! Is it really almost time for Halloween?
i so wish i could come o your halloween party. amazing.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this. Where do you keep all your stuff for the other 11 months?? I wanna come get the crap scared out of me.
ReplyDelete-andi
LOL too funny! I HATE haunted houses.... I'm easily scared. :)
ReplyDeleteWe too, had scary haunted stories... ours was in our basement. It's scary enough even when not decked out of Halloween.
Fall is fun!
gail
So the Children of the Corn have the Queen Corn...I wish you still had these wild parties.
ReplyDeleteOMG I LOVE this! A girl after my own heart, I tell ya.
ReplyDeleteHoly Creeps... I was picturing it all while I read and I bet you guys scared the crud out some people!!! What a freaking fantastic tradition!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the scary decor. You must have had a blast in your corn stalk costume. I can just picture it.
ReplyDeleteYou are SO creative! Did you think up this stuff on your own? You would've been a great stage prop creator. You come up with the best things and they always look so professional. I love that you hide in the corn stalks like that. I'm not scared of clowns, but have heard of people being that way. Must be something from their childhood. LOL! Your kids must thing you are so "hip" to have a haunted trail.
ReplyDeleteLove seeing your trail projects and wish I had known about the walking cornstalks in my haunted hey-day! How fun!
ReplyDeleteLike I said...this is your milieu. You have the best ideas for stuff...especially outdoor stuff. I will never forget that scarecrow in a raincoat...the best scarecrow ever. I have a raincoat, but I've never made the scarecrow. I know you are a great wife and mom, but you might have missed your "calling"--designing stuff for theme parks.
ReplyDeleteNow I know where you hide dead bodies! You're such a fun loving, kid haunting soul! Love the chicken wire corn stalk costume. It took me just a little too long to figure out the men-ewww.
ReplyDeleteMy sons would have loved growing up at your house! I'm not into Halloween at all, but my youngest son has a HUGE fascination with the holiday. In fact, he plans a HUGE party with all the scary trimmings every year...and it gets bigger and bigger every year, so he tells me. You're way more fun than I am!
ReplyDeleteLove these. Happy Halloween.
ReplyDeleteThat is just awesome....what a great idea and I love all the decorations. My fav would be the haystack that attacks! Ha!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love this, Bliss! We used to make haunted houses in our garage or basement for parties...too fun! It would have been so fun to make a trail! The pallets bring back a memory of building a porch swing 30 years ago from pallets...nothing trendy then...we were broke, and they were free wood.
ReplyDeleteOoh ... spooooky! Everything's great but, for some reason, I like the fence the best.
ReplyDeleteI love it!!! I have to admit, clowns themselves don't scare me too much, but a clown in the woods, that grabbed my hand when I went for some candy???? That would give me nightmares. My favorite was the haunted Corn Bushel. If I lived anywhere in your vicinity, I would beg for an invite to the Halloween party, or just show up unannounced. Instead, I will have to just live vicariously through what you write about it. I am really creeped out by the idea of that clown!
ReplyDeleteI'd be screaming like a teenage girl if you came after me in your corn stalk costume!!! I never knew you had such evil bottled up inside a soccer mom body. hehe
ReplyDeleteYou are the king and queen of Halloween parties!!!
Love this Bliss! My girls hate clowns! They've always thought they were scary. I personally wouldn't have noticed the scary stuff in the trail... because I would've been the crazy lady studying all the pallet projects...taking notes and taking pictures! You guys have always been cool and talented!
ReplyDeleteLOVE!! My gosh I am so disappointed we don't live closer. For more reasons than one. I have no doubt we would get in a lot of FUN trouble together!
ReplyDeleteThis is like the best how-to on how to make a haunted trail EVER. I wish I could make one just to use your ideas, but even adding some of these spooktacular touches on a front porch or in the front yard would be a blast!! Your kids and all your friends must have such awesome memories, Bliss. LOVE and pinning!
ReplyDeleteYep I'd be screaming too, but I bet everyone (including me) wants an invite to one of your Halloween parties !
ReplyDeleteYou should have taken out a patent on reusing pallets. You'd be rich!
ReplyDeleteI so wish I had the space for a haunted walk. I absolutely love scaring the crap out of people too!!! So, for now, the garage will have to do. Preparing is almost as fun as the actual haunt.
ReplyDeleteMy prep starts in late August and I enjoy every second of it! Your parties sound like they were a blast! I am a true fan!!😊