Tuesday was October 1st, so it’s officially Halloween season.
To kick things off, I spent the morning at my husband’s office helping coordinate costumes and props for their Trunk or Treat social media promos.
This year will be their 5th Annual Trunk or Treat event, and every year, the crew gets more excited to decorate cars and greet the kiddos.
Organizing these events is fun, but there’s a lot to do, and I don’t always have time to showcase the event here.
Since I’m knee-deep in Trunk or Treat mode, I thought I would share some scenes from 2023.
Promotional videos were on the to-do list in 2023; my job was providing the costumes and props.
We did several spots, but this group of buccaneers was a lot of fun. They took their characters very seriously as they sailed to Trunk or Treat in the back of a Chevy Silverado.
I’ve been decorating for a local photographer’s annual Pic or Treat for the past few years. Because of her studio’s layout, we were limited in how big we could go with the decor.
Last year, she teamed up with a small event space, so we were able to kick things up a notch.
Since the Pic or Treat was part of a larger downtown event, we needed to get people’s attention, so I first wanted to make a sign that pointed the way.
I scaled a skeleton arm image to 5′ long, printed it on paper, and cut it out.
Then, I transferred the image to foam, cut out the background, and painted it black.
Next, I cut out each bone, painted them white, and adhered to the background piece.
I made two skeleton arms, each pointing in a different direction. These were hung from the sides of the building to point the way.
These made such an impact that I used them again for the car dealership Trunk or Treat.
Because the event space is a large open room, we need some big props to fill it up.
With a small amount of time and an even smaller budget, I opted to make a series of classic monster faces using the same techniques used to create the skeleton arms.
The large (over 3′ high) monster heads were positioned on top of stands draped with costumes to give the illusion of a full-body creature.
Frank stood at over 7′ tall with a long cloak.
Drac, draped in a cape of black fabric, peeked out from behind a foam coffin lid.
The Mummy was perched on a sarcophagus and wrapped in fabric bandages.
The werewolf donned a faux fur dog costume and perched on top of a cardboard playhouse turned into a dog house.
I was in costume at both events, but my only photo is of the outdoor trunk or treat. (I swear, I can never remember to get pics of myself in costume.)
For this event, I went as a Spider Princess.
Because I was so busy crafting with foam, this costume was courtesy of Amazon, Target, and my costume closet.
The costume is a Victorian Rococo Ball Gown. It comes with a dress, a waist belt, and a hoop skirt – which I did not use.
Non of that one-time wear, the material on this costume is very sturdy, and it is really comfortable to wear.
My crown is a Spider Web Tiara with pink gems.
This headpiece has some weight and is not at all flimsy.
I used the included hair pins and it stayed secure throughout the event.
While it’s hard to see in this photo, I’m wearing Temporary Tattoo Eye Stickers in the spider web design.
As I’m usually busy running around until kick-off, I needed something quick and easy and these did the trick perfectly.
I’m wearing vintage black satin gloves, and the boots are from my costume closet.
Around my neck is one of my favorite pieces, Emerald Venom, by Alchemy Gothic.
I offered their products in my online shop many years ago. This piece is one of the few I have kept for myself, and it’s still available!
My little pet was a hit! Only one kiddo was skittish, and most asked if they could pet her.
These spiders come in a pack of two and light up.
She’s relatively heavy, so I had to rig things a bit for a leash to support her.
I recommend a much lighter spider, such as this one at Target, paired with an invisible dog leash if you want to recreate this prop.
I hope this provides some inspiration for your Halloween event, party, or yard.
Ok, gotta run. I’m off to cut into some foam for our 2024 event.
Until next time – stay spooky.
