During a recent search of “handmade Halloween” auctions at eBay, I discovered a seller who is sure to impress and delight my fellow Halloween lovers. Among the pumpkin covered hair clips and collaged Halloween cards, the gory goods from sleepyhallowprops really grab your attention. The store is run by Erik, a high school student trying to make money for the summer up into October. His specialty is butchered limbs, so if you’re planning on Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Saw themed decor this year then you know where to go.

Erik says, “I love Halloween and have been making props and decorating my front yard since I was little. This summer I decided I would take my skills and use them to make some extra money and to make quality homemade props that people can enjoy too. I will be making props to be regularly listed on eBay until the end of October. I am creating and sketching out new plans for more props that I will be making and selling soon. I am hoping soon to open my own Halloween prop website and selling homemade Halloween props.”

PS- Only 60 days until Halloween! And Happy Birthday to our resident 365 Halloween zombie, Sean!

When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still. That is the time when deals are present and you should create your own Haunted Mansion with full size working replicas from Gothic Manner. Was that cheesy enough for you? That’s right foolish mortals, everything from the coveted Haunted Mansion Gate Plaque, the infamous 4 stretched paintings, the all-knowing Madame Leota, and even the wallpaper and doors in the spooky hallways. It’s all there and it’s all on sale.

They only have one sale a year, and this is it! It’s over October 2nd, so remember to act quick because some items vanish without a trace before then. As a special bonus for those who deck out their mansion with over $250 worth of ghastly goods will get a special gift. Those who get even more spooky decor will get even more free gifts.

For those of us who want to know the secrets behind the magic of the Haunted Mansion look no further than GrimGhosts.com secrets of the major effects.

When was the last time you saw a creative use for a mini pumpkin? During Fall they’re usually displayed next to a bunch of other mini pumpkins, just sitting there and looking all tiny and cute. Or being painted on Kountry Kitchen-style or being made into kid crafts… Learn how to transform the little buggers into something cooler using these tutorials. Starting with a “ghost” white mini pumpkin you can make big creepy bloodshot eyeballs. I have a feeling we’ll make a bunch of these this Halloween to go along window sills, float in punch, and add interest to props.

For the more technically inclined, you might enjoy taking apart a bicycle tire light and making a blinking LED pumpkin. As the tutorial mentions, this project is great for us who want to decorate our work space in October but don’t have the time or desk real estate for a standard sized pumpkin. Plus, it’s always fun to gut electronics.

Have you seen any interesting projects involving mini pumpkins, or have you come up with a unique way to use them in your Halloween decorating? Drop us a comment and let us know.

It’s March 1st, kids: only 8 months left! 2007 has unofficially been dubbed “The Year of the Zombie”, with numerous movies slated for release, which is in turn inspiring all sorts of creepy, crawly products. Naturally, we’ve been brainstorming ideas daily for this year’s Halloween decor theme and I wanted to share some of our newest online finds with y’all.

First up are some magnet sets from Sick on Sin. You have to love a store that knows Every Day is Halloween! If you dig their illustration style you might also enjoy the Zombie Love set of buttons.

In an effort to line the walls in everything zombie we’ve stumbled upon Atomic Monkey Design and their zombie posters*. My favorite, although a rather morose message, is the “Better One in the Head than the Living Dead” poster shown at left. Is it wrong that I immediately envision hanging this above my bed? Probably, but for a zombie lover it’s too cool a phrase and artwork to pass up. Reminds me of a car I once saw driving that had a “redead the undead” bumper sticker. I was so shocked that someone a) created and b) bought such an awesome zombie-related item that I almost got in an accident trying to get another look at it.

For those of you not on Fright Catalog’s mailing list; their spooktacular savings sale has been extended until 3/20/07. Get up to 25% off by entering in the coupon code FCSALE during checkout. I suggest some Gortraits (gruesome morphing portraits) to add the extra creepyness that your hallway walls have been moaning for.

Finally, these amazingly illustrated Spider Portrait cards definitely fit the “creepy, crawly” bill, and would make a great surprise for a fellow Halloweenie. Imagine waking up one overcast March morning, cursing the calendar for separating you from Halloween, and then finding a member of the Spider Family in your mailbox. The images are actually sewn onto card stock, which looks amazing, and makes them ideal for framing if you can’t bear to part with the cards. Available from the awesomely named Head Explodie.

*[via Retro Crush]

Well boils and ghouls, you made it through the holidays. It’s the beginning of the year, and a whopping 9.5 months until Halloween. It might seem like you’ve got plenty of time to prepare, but there are actually 2 time-sensitive online offerings that you need to check out before January 15th.

First, Fright Catalog is offering 20% off your total order, using coupon code FC20. It’s the off season, and a lot of products are not currently in stock, but now is still a good time to stock up. We just purchased the Solar Corpse Light, which we were enamoured with last Halloween, and are anxiously awaiting its arrival. Like you’ll be reading in an upcoming article, its never too early to start planning for next Halloween, and sales like this are excellent places to start.

Next up is Dark Candles, who is the “originator of gothic and horror themed candles for… people with dark and eccentric tastes”. Hey, that’s you! They have a limited edition set of holiday themed scents, aptly called Dark Holidays. The black “Midnight Mass” candle sounds like quite a mood setter, and there is also a matching body care line in the same rich scent. After January 15th these candles disappear… Via [Ghost Droppings]

It may be too early for some of you (amateurs), but the folks at BuyCostumes are offering a whopping 50% off all their clearance items until December 31, 2006. That’s 50% off adult costumes, kid costumes, pet costumes, costume accessories, party decor, party supplies and anything else that is marked as clearance. We’re using this opportunity to snag a couple costumes that we had our eye on this year, but were out of our price range. Assuming the holidays haven’t bankrupted you yet, this is a great chance to stock up on Halloween supplies at killer prices.

Coupon Code: use code OUTTAHERE06 to receive 50% off any clearance items, while supplies last.