Up the Fright Night Fear Factor
Whether you're planning a Halloween party or just getting your house ready for trick or treaters, you can either keep it light and fun or up the fear factor. Here are some ways to turn up the fear factor:
- Capitalize on the element of surprise. Decorations outside and in your living room are pretty straightforward even if done really well. Add special touches where your guests might least expect them. For example, put a talking head in the refridgerator so when a guest goes to get a drink, they're caught off guard. Or hire performers to dress up and freak people out. Last year I took my kids to an amusement park around Halloween. The park's performers came and silently stood right next to me -- it completely freaked me out!
- Use all five senses. Create gruesome sights, incorporate wicked sounds, utilize unusual scents, mix in some unpleasant tastes, and make guests touch some thing icky. For example, have guests put their hand in a bowl of spaghetti (aka intestines) to find a special key to enter your party.
- Tell a story. Create a story and tell the story through your decorations. For example, a family of vampires broke into the house and killed the whole family. Place gravestones outside to get guests wondering. Then dress as vampires and leave shreds of your former selves (fake body parts, torn clothes) strewn across the house. You can even break some things to make it look like there was a struggle. Of course you don't want to break any of your own things so browse yard sales and dollar stores.
Hope this gives you some inspiration to get started. If you have ideas you want to share, post them on our Facebook page!
Enjoy Planning.
Penelope