Haunt Your House for Halloween: Decorating Tricks & Party Treats

"Haunt Your House for Halloween", despite its ominous title, isn't really geared towards the scary side of Halloween. The book presents mainly tame Halloween décor and on that level it works very well. You just have to know what you're getting. Author Cindy Fuller wastes no time with lengthy histories of Halloween myths and traditions...we've all read those time and time again. She jumps right into the many projects found in this 96 page book. One of the semi-scary projects to be found is the Floating Phantom, made with just a handful of items that you may have at home or can be picked up at the local craft store. Made from primarily a piece of old white bed sheet (I prefer an off white or gray to make it seem no so "pure") and some line for hanging, you can achieve more of a terrifying look by drawing a more evil face on your phantom before hanging from a tree or perhaps an awning. Halloween wreaths are becoming quite common place today and allow a decorator to really use their own imagination in coming up with unique designs. There's a wonderful Halloween wreath, decorated with tiny ghosts that serves a dual function. It not only looks good, but you can stick suckers all around the wreath for a distinctive way of passing out candy to trick-or-treaters. A very simple, yet effective way to make scary décor for Halloween is to cut various shapes of ghosts, or bats, or other traditional Halloween characters out of Acetate and stick them to your windows, using light to create some very spooky silhouettes. Fuller also has many projects for décor inside the home including a neat little pumpkin patch village that can go on top of your mantle or on a table. There are also a number of items that can be made out of pine if you have the right tools to cut the wood. The book contains patterns for all of these wood projects. There are also things like recipes and décor for Halloween parties. The book features a full color photograph of each completed project and each is detailed in clear, concise instructions, and is accompanied by a full materials list. While it's more crafty than scary, "Haunt Your House for Halloween" presents some great-looking and simple projects to accent your home's holiday look. Reviewed by Tm Janson