Eric, who goes by the handle u/Turknor on Reddit, was kind enough to answer our questions about the epic Arachnid Manor, a project that he's been doing for Halloween for years now.
"Arachnid Manor has grown over the past 6 years, from a simple collection of little spiders and cobwebs, growing to two giant spiders, a man-eating plant, and various hand-built props," he told Bored Panda.
"Several kids have shared that the spiders are their favorite part about Halloween. That sealed the deal for me. The 'Arachnid Manor' sign is a new addition this year, and I also have four new 4ft spiders in the works," he told us about his upcoming plans.
Eric explained that he focuses only on taking on one major addition to the Manor per year, to keep things in hand. Otherwise, everything would be very overwhelming.
"The hairy tarantula probably took the most work, about 4 weekends, or maybe 40 hours. I build them so that they'll easily disassemble and store comfortably in my attic, which adds a few extra design challenges," he shared.
Some parts of the project have been quicker and easier to make, however. "The sign came together much faster than I worried, about 10 hours."
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Bored Panda was extremely curious about how Eric's local neighborhood had reacted to his Halloween project.
"The Halloween creatures have become a major draw for the street. Last year, I went through 4 giant bags of candy, maybe 200 kids!" he told us just how popular his place is. "We're great friends will all of our neighbors and they love seeing it come together."
However, u/Turknor noted that far from all of his Halloween creations have fared well over time. He suggested that anyone thinking of creating their own decorations ought to consider how they're going to store everything until next year.
"Lastly, be prepared for the question, 'Awesome, so what are you making next year?'"
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Halloween is an important time not just for candy and horror lovers, but for the economy as well. BBC Future notes that, according to the National Retail Foundation in the US, spending is bound to hit a jaw-dropping $12.2 billion (yup, with a ‘b,’ not an ‘m’) in 2023. To compare, last year, Americans spent $10.6 billion on Halloween-related purchases.
The average American spends around $108 each year on Halloween decor, costumes, candy, and other party supplies. This shows just how important the event is to people.
How you decorate your home for Halloween will depend on a lot of factors. If you live in an apartment, for instance, then you only really have your door, windows, and balcony to work with to wow your neighbors.
However, if you have a house and a yard, well then, you have a lot more space to play around with. That means that you can amaze your neighbors with the size and scale of your decor if you want to.
Aside from that, the only other things limiting you are your imagination and your budget! If you’re patient and creative enough, however, you can turn even a financially tight Halloween decor budget into something that goes a very long way. For example, if you’re skilled at DIY, you can make a lot of the props, costumes, and installations by hand.
If you’re a Halloween veteran, then you know where to start. If you’re not, then there are plenty of free resources on the internet to guide your way. And if you’re ever in need of inspiration, well… this list should spark a few bright ideas that you can change, combine, and borrow for this or next year.
On the flip side, if you’ve got the cash to spare but little time and energy after your double shift down in the popcorn mines, you can focus on setting up and positioning all of your elaborate decor for the biggest effect! But if you’ve got the time, the skills, the space, and the finances? Well, the odds are that you’re going to make such a massive splash on the internet that people will still be talking about your project years later.
Before you head down to your local Halloween shop and/or building supplies store, it really helps if you sit down and think about what it is you’re trying to achieve. Brainstorm some ideas. Do a few quick sketches of what you’d like the decor and the exterior of your home to look like. Think about the colors and the designs and whether they play well together or clash.
In short, choose a theme and focus on it so your yard doesn’t look like a mish-mash of a dozen different ideas. Unless that’s exactly the look you’re going for! The point is to have fun, whatever path you choose.
