Here’s a favorite tradition of our family in outdoor Halloween decor:

RING OF GHOSTS

Materials: 3 Twin-sized Sheets 3 Four foot lengths of flexible 1/2 inch PVC Piping, Wooden Stakes or Dowels 3 Small White Plastic Garbage Bags Masking Tape Newspaper String or Twist Ties Black Marker (optional)

Instructions: 1. First, determine a good location for your ghost gathering. Find a wide open area, or you may decide to group them around a tree or light pole.

2. To make the ghosts’ heads, crumple up newspaper and stuff the three small plastic trash bags to the desired size.

3. Stick one of the PVC pipes into one of the bags and wrap the neck with masking tape to secure. Repeat for the other ghosts.

5. Cover each ghost head with a sheet, gathering with string or a twist tie under each head. The head should be in the middle of the sheet, so the outer edges can be attached to the neighboring ghosts.

You can make taller or shorter ghosts, but you must adjust the size of sheet you use to accommodate. Our ghosts will be just under 4 feet tall.

4. Push the PVC piping into the ground in a circular formation about 1-2 feet apart. The sheets should touch the ground and cover up the support. You can also use wooden stakes or dowels, but your ghosts won’t have as much movement as they will with the PVC piping.

6. Finally, knot the ends of the sheets together to give the impression the ghosts are holding hands. Because the PVC is flexible, your ghosts will now bob and sway in the wind!

7. If desired, make Casper-like faces on the sheets with black marker.

We have 3 children, so we always make 3 ghosts, but you can connect as many ghosts as you wish!

They’ll look like they’re playing a spooky game of “ring-around-the-rosy”!

Click here to view our Ring of Ghosts

FLAGPOLE SPOOKS

These spooky decorations are easy if you have an angled flagpole attached to the front of your house.

Scary Flagpole Ghost: Hang a “Scream” style mask off the end of the flagpole. Tie a white sheet or a generous length of white tulle around and behind the mask. This scary creature will appear to be flying as his white garment flutters in the wind.

Flagpole Frankenstein: Hang a Frankenstein mask off the end of the flagpole. Tie a dark colored trash bag tied behind it. Shredding the trash bag around the edges will add to the spooky effect.

Flagpole Witch: Hang a witch mask off the end of the flagpole. Attach a witch hat to the mask, then tie a dark colored trash bag tied behind it. Shred the trash bag to make the witch’s robe flap in the wind.

By: Patricia Jensen

About the Author:

Which Halloween costumes are best is a matter of personal taste, certainly. But year after year, the ones below continue to be hugely popular.

Superheroes and Villains

Whether it’s the Joker thanks to a recent Batman movie or the latest TV show, superheroes and the villains they conquer are always near the top of any list.

It’s not just the associations with popular characters that does the trick, though. Just think of all the cool makeup possibilities with someone like the Joker. He’s gone through several variations from TV and films from the past 50 years. Superhero masks offer an outstanding way to avoid that trouble, though. Pop it on and you’re ready to party.

And, one of the best things about this category is it works for both genders and all ages. Whether the wearer is male or female, one or 100, a superhero or villain costume fits, in every sense of the word.

Celebrities

Celebrities like Hannah Montana are a close relative to superheroes. These days, they’re treated like ones, anyway. Lots of tweeners love the fashion options that come with picking her, but there are lots of other choices, too.

For the older crowd, celebrities from the past are often a big hit. They bring a little nostalgia to the party that can produce big laughs. Anyone remember John Travolta’s white suit in that disco movie… what was the name? Oh, yeah, Saturday Night Fever. Who could forget!

Sexy

Of course, if you happen to be an adult, **** is always a hit. Naughty Librarian is right up there with the all-time favorites. Cool Cop works for the guys (or gals) every time.

The possibilities are endless, not least because what is **** to one Halloweener is a big yawn to someone else. That means you have lots to choose from without worrying about whether someone else is going to show up at the party with the same outfit.

Fantasy and Fairy Tales

For kids and fans, this category continues to be a crowd pleaser. That crowd starts with the parents, but the Halloweener get just as much fun from them.

Fairy Tale Princess has been the choice of the little princess in the house forever. But add a frog to the mix for the little (or big) guy who goes with her and you have a winning combination.

An Alice in Wonderland theme opens up tons of possibilities. There’s Alice herself, of course. But Tweedledum and Tweedledee are a perfect pair. The White Rabbit is easy and comfortable on a Fall night.

Easy Choices

Things that are easy to wear, easy to move around in, easy to assemble are always big hits. Togas are the classic example, pun intended. But Doctors and Nurses are a perennial favorite because all you really need is a white lab coat or dress and a stethoscope.

The trick in this category is to not make the costume so generic that no one can tell what the character represents. Putting on a pair of glasses, holding a book, and mussing up your hair may be your idea of Einstein, but it doesn’t work for most people.

With hundreds of variations to choose from in these categories you can’t go wrong.

By: Shannon Medley

About the Author:

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