Halloween Props: Making Monster Mud

Monster Mud is probably the single most important item for a home haunter to have on hand, if they intend to create their own Halloween props and decorations.
Monster mud is a mixture of joint compound and paint. How to mix monster mud is often done according to personal preference and needs, but the common rule to make monster mud you need 1 part paint, and 5 parts joint compound.
Monster mud can be used in several different ways. It is often used to smooth around headstones, and crypts to give them a really rough stone look, or you can use it to create monsters, which is how it got its name in the first place.
First you create a frame out of PVC pipe, or some other type of framing, and then you wrap chicken wire in areas where you would like dimension, finishing it off by covering the chicken wire with duct tape. You may also create the torso, arms and legs entirely with chicken wire and duct tape. At this point you can duct tape a Styrofoam head onto the neck.
When your frame is complete, you take strips of cloth and dip in the monster mud, wrapping them around your monster until it is entirely covered. If you want to add extra layers you should let the first layer dry before adding more. The process could take several days. Once your monster is completely dry, you can paint him the way you would like and add a coat of acrylic clear coat to help provide some weather protection.
The more you use monster mud for creating your Halloween props and decorations, the more uses you will find for it.

Halloween Haunted House for Kids

Kids love to put on their own haunted house for Halloween, but until the advent of the inflatable haunted house, it wasn’t too easy. The inflatable haunted house can be put up in your yard so the kids can run their own haunted house, or you can add it as an element of your own home haunt.
Many of the people visiting your home haunt on Halloween Night will be there with their kids. We have always made a point of letting parents know that the haunted house, or spook alley may have elements that are not child friendly. In this way they can make an informed decision about if they want their kids to tour the haunted house or not. Some will go ahead and go through it anyway, others will opt to take their candy without entering.
Setting up the inflatable haunted house would be a way in which you can better accommodate your younger ghost and goblin visitors. Another option is to add a small section to your home haunt just for the younger crowd, and incorporate silly props, like funny face pumpkins, silly ghosts, etc.
Adding a haunted house just for kids can help get a crowd to your home haunt on Halloween, and keep them coming back every year.