What day am I, when owls do fly, when monsters shriek, when doors do creak, when witches ride, when goblins hide, when bats are seen? I'm Halloween! Signs of Halloween are all around us. The totem sign above left can be seen along the driveway to Uncialle's Stronghold, opposite the abyss.
It's easy to make a Halloween totem sign--a bold, bright entrance-marker for Halloween festivities that can be used year after year. Making a totem sign is a good way to use up odds and ends of lumber from other projects. You can point the way to various attractions, or just paint on general messages of the season, like "Happy Haunting," "Beware of Vampires," or "Trick or Treat." On a totem sign, goofiness looks good. As the sign ages, it looks more and more Halloweeny!
To make a totem, you will need: a 2" x 2" board at least 8 feet long, various other bits and pieces of board, odds and ends of paint, nails or screws, and spray varnish. Simply paint your messages on the scraps of board, and nail or screw the scraps at 2" intervals to the 2" x 2". Uncialle's bat-crowned skull totem-topper was first drawn on folded paper, transferred to plywood, cut out by Magnus using a jig saw, then painted. After the whole thing is assembled, spray it all over with varnish to weatherproof it.
Tie the totem securely to a fencepost, or bury it at least two feet in the ground--or screw it to the corner of a garage, tie it to a tree--or whatever works at your stronghold.
More Signs: Your computer makes great signs, and fast. Uncialle uses CorelDraw software to make her indoor signs, but any graphics software, of course, will work. Just print them out, then use Spray Mount or rubber cement to bond the signs to Fomecore-brand mounting board, cardboard, or tagboard. Some examples are seen below. These signs can me laminated, backing and all, to make them almost indestructible. Signs add loads of Halloweenish atmosphere. A pilot friend of Uncialle's declared his favorite to be, "Up here, no one can here you scream." A refreshment table with a pitcher of punch and some cups gave people a new chill after Uncialle labeled it, "The Jonestown Grape Kool-Aid Drink Your Cares Away Center."
When bats swoop in the frosty night, when Dracula has you in sight, when Jack o' Lanterns spice the scene, celebrate--it's Halloween!
Previous Haunt: How to Make a Died-of-Fright Skeleton
Uncialle's Fly-by-Night Tips for Fast Haunting
Strange Things of the Real Universe
