How-To #1 Halloween Tree

This past year, I had a brilliant idea to create a "Haunted Tree" in my front lawn for the 31st.

I used the lower, thin branches of the Bradford Pear Tree in my front yard to hang random spooky objects. They are as followed...

I cut the skeletons off of the garland, and tied each individual skeleton to

the branches.

I used small plastic skulls exactly this size in the little nooks of the branches. I hot glued them to small pieces of twine and tied the twine to the branches, so they sat on the branches rather than hung.

I also used...

Random, creepy-looking bottles that I hung

Some of that fake cobweb stuff

Some fake ravens

Some "werewolf claws" really plastic bear claws

a fake owl

and some other stuff...

Haunted House Ideas and Inspiration

Looking for fresh ideas to inspire this year's Haunted House? Look no further than the awesome ideas HGTV features!

Transform your garage into a haunted funeral parlor! If your garage is anything like mine, cobwebs and dust are already included! ;)

"Boney Island" - a skeletal take on the popular theme park, Coney Island! Be sure to fill with many skulls, skeletons, and other body features such as brains and beating hearts!

Be sure to make an ancient-looking sign for the entrance of your Haunted House! The creepier the better!

The graveyard is always a classic, but mix it up with a haunted maze built from pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns! For something that will really scare the neighbors, make custon headstones that feature people that you know are coming!

Fog always increases the amount of horror, so be sure to include it in your decoration!

These ideas and more can be found on HGTV.com

Scary Halloween Decorations From... Martha Stewart?!?!

Okay, I know this sounds a little odd, but I have gotten some of my best Halloween decoration ideas from none other than Martha Stewart. Yeah, I can't believe it either! Just look at the following pictures and see what I'm talking about!

"Black Magic Carved Pumpkins" are made by spray-painting your Jack-O-Lanterns black!

My suggestion: Try ditching the traditional candle and opt for creepy colored glow sticks!

"Creepy Candles" made by dripping red candle wax on white candles.

My suggestion: Try with black candles for a scarier effect! And if you have a spider themed decor, try black wax dripped on white candles!

"Mouse Motel" made by carving small holes inside pumpkins and placing in small toy mice.

My suggestion: Try using other creepy-crawlies! Roaches and spiders will be happy to rent some space at the Mouse Motel as well!

All these instructions and more can be found on marthastewart.com

Samhain In Ireland: Halloween's Origins

The origin of Halloween was the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain (pronounced sow-en), the time where the harvest ended, and winter began. It was also viewed as the time where the living and dead interacted with eachother, and the dead caused mayhem for the living, from crop failure to disease. People would dress up in masks, veils, or cloaks to impersonate the evil and the dead, and the tradition was carried down through the ages. These traditions were eventually brought to America after mass immigration in the 1800s.