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There's no easier theme to incorporate into a Home Haunt than the standard graveyard. The props can be simple or elaborate, consisting of an enormous, overgrown, unkempt cemetery or nothing more than a few sparce graves of long-forgotten pioneers from an earlier time. All that is really required for a graveyard is space to build it. My Home Haunt is nothing more than a graveyard, and I try to add onto it each year with new figures, themes, and special effects. If you are just getting started, here are a few projects and things to consider when turning your front yard into a picnic for the walking dead. These are not original ideas. I found many sites on the Net that explain similar methods for the following props. The idea is to take the information, add your own influences and ideas to them, and make them your own. But, before you begin, I highly recommend doing a little planning first by rough-drawing a layout of the space you have to work with. This helps define spaces for your props and effects, lets you accomodate for safety issues, and helps you to begin visualizing your final setup.

Here is a rough sketch of the front yard I build my graveyard in. What does this drawing tell me? A lot of things.

1. Which direction people will travel to reach the front door.

2. Where I can place my props for ideal viewing.

3. Is there a streetlight? How will its light affect my layout?

4. Where are the electrical outlets? Can I safely run extention cords and not have people trip over them?

5. What areas require different lighting, sound, or special effects.

6. How much room do I really have to work with?

7. Which areas would be dark?

8. Where can I put the keg?


As you can see, drawing out your ideas first might be really helpful and save you some time. Now let's get to the projects!