Essential Halloween Props

Decoration Props

Decoration props sit, hang or otherwise remain stationary. They can decorate inside or outside the home.

Standard round gravestones make for a great prop to use for a front yard cemetery. But even cooler are the centuries-old Saxon Cross tombstones that really add a sense of style. Anything that evokes a time long gone by fits right in with Halloween, which had its origins in the Middle Ages.

A fog maker is another excellent addition to the toolkit, both for cemetery scenes and near the front door. They can run for several hours and create just the right atmosphere for a spooky Halloween scene.

Don't forget the bats, either. What would Halloween be without lots of scary bats? Evoking vampires, dark caves and things that grab your hair in the night, they're the perfect prop to add to your holiday fun.

Costume Props

You might need a prop not so much for decoration but to complete a costume. Plenty of choices there.

One is a simple skeleton's arm that pokes out above the back of your collar. Sew it to an undershirt and let the hand grab the back of your neck. Add to the effect with a little stage blood and you've got a great looking prop.

Fake hands are a staple of Halloween props, just as they are in horror movies. Sprinkle a little stage blood on the end and let it sit on your shoulder. Sit one on a table to guard your drink. Creep out your date by dangling it above her head as she adjusts her costume in the mirror. Use your macabre imagination, you'll find a dozen uses for these props.

Your character this year might be Leatherface, Jason, or Freddy Kruger, two favorites of many Halloween partygoers. A prop chainsaw, machete or those scary razor hands are essential to complete the look. What would those ghouls be without their slicing tools?

Animatronics

'Animatronics' used to refer to robotic animals used in films, at Disneyland and elsewhere. Now it means any prop that moves. And there are plenty.

An animated gargoyle is the perfect prop for the front door. He comes alive right when the trick-or-treaters reach to knock on the door. Or, put one in the window and let some sound effects complete the ghoulish display.

Coffin lids that open by themselves are always great fun at Halloween. Add a bloody hand that crawls out from the crack and you've got a holiday hit. Put a leaping spider or flying bats inside and no one will want any candy after that.

Complete your Halloween fun with the right props for decorating and costume completion and get the most fun possible out of this spooky holiday.