Fall Butterfly Wreath

$10 - $15 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes one wreath

The Dia de Los Muertos portion of 2017’s haunted house required dozens of wreaths for an intricate funeral scene. To prevent myself from using the same design for each prop, I did variations on the motif. For this version, I incorporated the butterflies common in the holiday. What I like about this prop is its versatility. The colors of everything from the leaves to the ribbon can be altered for a unique look, from a dull monochromatism like the one I made to a vibrant polychromatism like the butterfly wreath.

• One six-inch grapevine wreath
• Three four-foot garlands of fall leaves (roughly thirty-six leaves per garland)
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Three decorative butterflies
• One foot of red ribbon

1. Separate the leaves from their garlands and, using hot glue, adhere them to a large portion of the wreath, leaving a spot open for the ribbon in step three. For visual interest, build up layers and vary the color patterns so leaves with the same hues and shapes are not concentrated in one area.

2. Add further flourishes to the wreath by gluing butterflies to the foliage. You can use an evenly spaced pattern to create balance or a random placement for extra irregularity. While I used insects with brown wings to complement the leaves, the hues can be modified for your specific scheme.

3. To create the bow, fold the ribbon in half to establish the first fold. Then, working outward from both sides, cluster the ribbon into tight loops to form an accordion, leaving the ends on both sides free to dangle down. For the time-pressed haunter, it might be easier to purchase a premade item for this project. Once the bow is formed and the glue holding it together has dried, attach it to the open portion of the wreath. Although I used hot glue, you can utilize superglue for a sturdier hold, especially if you plan to display this item in windy conditions for an extended period.

4. If the wreath did not come with hanging loops, you can fashion one with steel wire. Likewise, the wreath can be enhanced further with additional details, like acorns, pinecones, or small gourds.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

"One need not be a Chamber to be Haunted" (A Poem)

Originally written in 1862, Emily Dickinson’s poem “One need not be a Chamber to be Haunted” plays with a staple in Gothic literature: the haunted house.[1] Yet, the symbol is not used literally but figuratively, becoming a metaphor for consciousness being haunted by the specters of the mind.[2]

One need not be a chamber – to be haunted –
One need not be a House –
The Brain – has Corridors surpassing
Material Place –

Far safer, of a Midnight – meeting
External Ghost –
Than an Interior – confronting –
That cooler – Host –

Far safer, through an Abbey – gallop –
The Stones a’chase –
Than moonless – One’s A’self encounter –
In lonesome place –

Ourself – behind Ourself – Concealed –
Should startle – most –
Assassin – hid in Our Apartment –
Be Horror’s least –

The Prudent – carries a Revolver –
He bolts the Door,
O’erlooking a Superior Spectre
More near – [3]

Works Referenced

Dickinson, Emily. “One need not be a Chamber to be Haunted.” Emily Dickinson: Selected Poems and Letters. Peterborough: Broadway Press, 2023. 34-36.

Leiter, Sharon. Critical Companion to Emily Dickinson: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work. New York: Facts on File, 2007.

Vendler, Helen. Dickinson: Selected Poems and Commentaries. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010.
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[1] Leiter, 159.
[2] Vendler, 184.
[3] Dickinson, 34-36.

Maggot Jar

$10 - $15 (based on 2020 prices)

Makes one jar

Little details can have the biggest impact in a haunt, reinforcing the theme and keeping guests intrigued. This is why I spend part of the building process creating small items, like this maggot jar to nestle next to the medical cabinets of severed limbs and organs in 2020’s laboratory.

• One 1.25 oz. glass jar with lid
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in red chestnut*
• One bag of maggots (roughly fifty insects per bag)
• One 0.3 fluid ounce bottle of red food coloring*
• One 4 oz. bottle of clear, all-purpose tacky glue gel*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic silver*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One piece of 8” x 11.5” copy paper with biohazard labels printed on it
• At least one tablespoon of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the copy paper
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint the jar with the wood stain. Apply a thin coat and pat it with paper towels to produce a hazed appearance. Likewise, brush the opening to create the illusion of grime buildup. You do not want the coverage to be too thick, though, because it will obscure the maggots.

2. In a plastic container, pour in your desired amount of clear glue gel and slowly add red food coloring to the solution until it achieves the sanguine hue you desire. To give the blood further density, add blue food coloring and mix well. Then, roll half of the maggots in half of the blood glue (save the other halves of both for step four) and fill the jar with them, using a pair of tweezers to arrange them. You want the insects as visible as possible, so try not to cover them too much with the blood. Likewise, you do not want them to settle to the bottom, so rest the jar on its side as the glue dries to prevent this.

3. As the blood glue dries, build up layers of black and metallic silver spray paint to give the jar’s lid the look of steel. It works best to apply a base coat of black followed by sliver, working in quick bursts to allow parts of the black to remain visible. Once the spray paint dries, create a wash of brown paint and use it to add a level of grime to the lid, allowing the liquid to settle in the crevices.

4. Glue the cap to the lip of the jar, making it appear the lid has popped off and allowed the maggots to escape. For a sturdier hold, use superglue. Then, roll the second half of the maggots in the remaining blood glue and, akin to step two, arrange them in the lid using a pair of tweezers. You want it to look like they are spilling into it, so concentrate a majority of the bugs in the juncture where the jar and lid meet.

5. Add the coffee to a cup of boiling water. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Since I wanted irregular spots rather than a unified discoloration, I placed the copy paper on a baking sheet, splashed coffee and grounds onto its surface, allowed the liquid to sit for a few minutes, and then moved it to a space to dry.

6. Cut out one of the label and glue it to the top of the lid. Then, tear the two ends and glue them to the sides of the jar. This will give the illusion the seal has broken as the lid popped off. You can also coat the torn ends of the label with a light layer of glue to give them further rigidity.

7. Use the remaining blood glue to accent the lid and the rim of the jar. As with steps two and four, you do not want the application to be too thick and make the maggots difficult to see.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

The Varied Symbolism of the Bat: A Mini-Essay

     The only flying mammal, bats have become synonymous with Halloween, with works like Bram Stoker’s Dracula making them a staple in vampire lore. Yet, even prior to the 1897 publication of Stoker’s novel, the bat had a long association with witchcraft in many European countries, as many believed witches could either turn themselves into bats or use bats as their familiars to enact misfortune on others.[1] In fact, Cornish folklore dictates that anyone who sees a bat should offer it bribes of bread and cake to prevent it from bringing bad luck.[2] Outside of Europe and the United States, though, the bat possesses a positive symbolism. In China, for example, the sighting of a bat indicates a long and happy life.[3] Likewise, certain tribes in Africa perceive the viewing of a bat as a sign of good fortune.[4]

Works Referenced

Doran, Laura Dover. The Big Book of Halloween. New York: Lark Books, 2000.

O’Connell, Mark, and Raje Airey. The Complete Encyclopedia of Signs and Symbols: Identification and Analysis of the Visual Vocabulary that Formulates Our Thoughts and Dictates Our Reactions to the World Around Us. London: Hermes House, 2005.

Pickering, David. Dictionary of Superstition. London: Cassell, 1995.
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[1] O’Connell and Airey, 209.
[2] Pickering, 22.
[3] Doran, 17.
[4] O’Connell and Airey, 209.

2023's Haunt (Night)

2023: Vampire Graveyard

I had wanted to do a vampire theme for several years, especially after acquiring a set of faux stained-glass windows from a local theater. Although I started the year with strong ambitions, those plans began to wane as the months progressed, with only one build (the mounted vampire head) reaching completion. Despite the setbacks, I strove to see the theme through and created a small scene with a vampire bride and two coffin-carrying skeletons. Presented here are images of the haunt in all its nocturnal glory (for the daytime images, click here).

"Hallowe'en" (A Poem)

Originally published in Harper’s Weekly on October 31, 1896, Joel Benton’s poem “Hallowe’en” blends a nostalgic glimpse of Halloween with references to mystical creatures like elves and pixies. As the fanciful beings spend the evening making mischief, the narrator reflects on how magical the holiday would be if everyone maintained a childlike wonder: “Were we once more but sixteen, / Precious would be Halloween.”

Pixie, kobold, elf, and sprite
All are on their rounds to-night,
In the wan moon’s silver ray
Thrives their helter-skelter play.

Fond of cellar, barn, or stack,
True unto the almanac,
They present to credulous eyes
Strange hobgoblin mysteries.

Cabbage-stomps-straws wet with dew -
Apple-skins, and chestnuts too,
And a mirror for some lass,
Show what wonders come to pass.

Doors they move, and gates they hide,
Mischiefs that on moon-beams ride
Are their deeds, and, by their spells,
Love records its oracles.

Don’t we all, of long ago,
By the ruddy fireplace glow,
In the kitchen and the hall,
Those queer, cooflike pranks recall?

Eery shadows were they then-
But to-night they come again;
Were we once more but sixteen,
Precious would be Halloween.[1]

Works Referenced

Benton, Joel. “Hallowe’en.” Harper’s Weekly 40.2080 (1896): 1079.

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[1] Benton, 1079.

2023's Haunt (Day)

2023: Vampire Graveyard

I had wanted to do a vampire theme for several years, especially after acquiring a set of faux stained-glass windows from a local theater. Although I started the year with strong ambitions, those plans began to wane as the months progressed, with only one build (the mounted vampire head) reaching completion. Despite the setbacks, I strove to see the theme through and created a small scene with a vampire bride and two coffin-carrying skeletons. Presented here are images of the haunt by day (always less atmospheric than their nighttime counterparts, but the best means to reveal detail).