Haunted Cavern

I promised a tour of my basement  Haunted Cavern.  This is where many of the games for the kids party are played.  You all saw the Haunted Cavern sign on the kitchen tour pointing it's way down the stairs.  In the staircase is a low hanging, bloody chandelier.  Taller adults will need to duck or risk grazing their heads.

One of my friends pulled this brass '80's fixture out of her home, and just knew that I'd find a use for it.  A little black spray paint, some red sharpie, and some flicker candle bulbs and we're in business.

Below the chandelier is a witch that lights up, pops off of the wall, cackles, and warns you to "Be afraid, be very afraid."

At the base of the stairs you turn right into the Haunted Cavern.  The family room is wrapped in black plastic with glow in the dark sprayed items everywhere.  The effect is a bit difficult to capture on film with my meager photography skills.  Some of these were taken with the flash off, some with it on.

There are glowing stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the cave.  They are made from packing foam, shaped with a bread knife, and sprayed in glow-in-the-dark spray paint.  We hang them from the drop ceiling cross members with paper clips.

Straight ahead is a tablescape with mini glowing skeletons hanging from a tree branch.

There are skulls in every room of the house.  Many of these skulls work double duty as skulls are key in pirate decorating and with two boys, there's ample reason for a pirate party.

Pivoting to the left, you see the glowing footprints left from some phantom wall walker.

And further to the left is this cheerful partier.

It's a little frightening how much of our everyday decor works so well at Halloween.  And that layer of dust on the deadhead?  Let's just pretend that's for Halloween and not my lackluster cleaning skills.

Keep turning and you'll see one of the many carnival style party games that will occur in the cavern.

The kids love to win the little spider rings, whistles, and lick-n-stick tattoos playing simple games like bean bag throw, ring toss, and plinko.

As you round the black plastic wall towards the powder room, you pass by our fish tank smeared in blood spatter.

And if that didn't scare you from continuing down the dark hall, maybe this werewolf will turn you away.

Time to exit the cavern, don't let this guy get you on the way out.

So that's all it takes to turn a basic basement family room into a Haunted Cavern.

Thanks for popping in for the Haunted Cavern tour.  Enjoy all the other fun links at Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphasis Monday, My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday, Fireflies and Jellybeans Show Your Stuff party, and All Thingz Related's Anything Related Party.

Also check out all the Halloween stuff at the CSI project.