There’s only 2 little weeks left until Halloween, but that’s still plenty of time to transform your home into a trick-or-treater’s best nightmare. Take these DIY wreaths, for example. While the wreath is typically used around Christmas time, this makes it perfect to transform for ghastly Halloween usage. People expect traditional pine boughs and red ribbon when they think of wreaths, and you can catch them off guard with spooky adaptations that include monster fur and fake gore. It is the ability to change the mundane into the macabre that has made Halloween so popular.

Both of these projects are incredibly simple, and don’t require sewing. Just a quick trip to your local Halloween store …

Other than the Attack
Alligator Prop that I mentioned a few days ago, a house full of haunted portraits are top on my list of Halloween props to get when I’m rich. Unlike the alligator, lenticular portraits don’t go for obvious shock, but instead create an eerie mood. Guests in your haunted home will have time to look at the pictures from a distance and perhaps shiver a bit when they realize they are surrounded by creepy old paintings. As they begin to approach, a distinct change occurs within the frame, and the eerie mood culminates with a shock as your visitors realise there is more to the portrait than they first assumed. It’s a more sophisticated way to scare people than just using gore, as it takes time to …

Zombie Costume How-To: Create an easy zombie costume from an old suit, some fake blood and makeup, or get creative with any outfit and a well planned story.

“She is cold, she is beautiful, she is evil… she is Miss Horrorfest. Do you have what it takes to be the Queen of Horror?” taunts the lush lips in the YouTube video. Horrorfest is a weekend of 8 films taking place November 17-19, 2006. It’s put on by After Dark Films, and they’re looking for a new Queen of Scream. The Grand Prize winner will receive $50,000 and reign as Miss Horror Fest for 1 year. If you ever wished you could be Elvira or Vampira, this is the perfect contest for you. It’s judged on physical presentation, best costume, scariest appearance, and personality, with each criteria being worth 1/4 of the score. You can either upload a video to their YouTube page (where voting also occurs), or participate in one of the 5 live auditions.

We agree with …

Looking for a more creative way to pass out candy? You’ve found it! This creepy cardboard zombie display makes trick-or-treaters reach inside the rotting zombie’s guts to get their free treat. I love this idea better than when people leave a big bowl of candy out on their porch because they aren’t home: it’s way creepier. Check out the look on that kids face. That warms my heart the way looking at babies does for most people. The Zombie Candy Grabber is available from ShinDigz and stands 5’1″ tall. Don’t just use it once a year, remember to bring it out for parties year round.

An alternative use that can add some zombies into your everyday life is to set this by the front door and use it to store your keys or cell phone in. …

Nightmare Snatcher Journal for your child’s bad dreams