halloween fun

This is one of the "trippiest" Halloween Decorations that I've ever seen. It's really more of a Halloween Effect. This is an outrageously simple and easy Halloween project that, once made, you can roll out year after year. If you are using black-light for cool glowing stuff, this is a MUST! We added it to our entryway a few years back, and now we can't live without this glowing Halloween Illusion.

This may be obvious to some, but not to everyone. You must be using ultraviolet (black lights) to make this thing glow. This is old-hat to some and new to others. If you are new to using black lights, all you need know is that black lights will make most fluorescent objects seemingly glow. Get a few shop light fixtures at the home center. Also pick up a few 40 watt (tube style) black lights and insert them into the shop light (one bulb per fixture is sufficient.) The location will dictate how you mount these. I use bungee cords around the fence and pillars outside. What's particularly wild about this effect is that we are used to walking on dark (non-illuminated) surfaces, so when we introduce a glowing, luminescent walkway, it's almost like you feel like you're "hovering" as you walk. You don't feel "secure" or "grounded!" It's a little disorienting. It's a GREAT feeling to give to your Halloween guests! Keep 'em a little "off balance".

And now, back to our walkway: Go to your local home center and in the drop cloth aisle of the paint department, you should be able to find large rolls of paper. You can either choose brown (that's what we used) or white. The brown paper will not be reactive to black light so only the bricks will glow. If you use white paper, the whole walkway will be ablaze (white typically "glows" purple in color.) As our walkway is rather long we got a thirty foot roll of paper and used four shop-lights and black lights.

Next stop, the local office supply store. You need a stack of neon (fluorescent) paper. You can choose either one vibrant color, or get a pack of many colors (our choice.) Unless you have kids doing the gluing, we highly suggest the ease and efficiency of using spray-mount spray glue. Pick up a can of this at the office store (although you may also find it for much less at the home center--we did!)

Cut the fluorescent sheets in half to make "bricks." Roll out the Roll of paper outside. Use some stones or other heavy objects to weigh it down at the end. Next lay the bricks...I mean glue each brick in alternating rows on your roll of paper. Just spray the back of each half sheet thoroughly and press it down. You'll only need four or five bricks per row, depending on the width of the paper.

Make sure you glue this thing together outside. That spray glue "sticks to everything." I also highly suggest either putting a little petroleum jelly on your hands or wearing protective (latex) glove. The glue will not harm your fingers, put it will inevitably get on them and annoy you. It really makes them sticky!

Give this creation a bit of time for the "tacky" to dry up. Then, roll it out! Secure the finished walkway to your sidewalk using duct tape along the sides.

If you want crazier shapes or another approach to doing this, you can forgo the neon paper and use fluorescent spray paint. Make a few stencils from poster board or cardboard. Cut out brick shapes or stone shapes or ? Then simply spray paint through the stencil onto your roll of paper. (This works best on the brown non-reactive-to-black-light paper.) I suggest only doing a light dusting of paint. It looks more organic (better) and will dry quickly with less smudging and using way less paint. Once the paint dries you can tack down your walkway and welcome your Halloween party guests.

While others are using expensive, low-coverage, unimpressive Halloween decorations from Halloween stores, you're gonna blow away the 'hood! People are gonna walk all over you to find out how you did this!