The Easiest Halloween Decoration: Old West Haunted Graveyard

We love Halloween here at the Curtis household. I thought I'd share some pics of our haunted graveyard. There's a sweet story behind these decorations, if you can believe it.


I have four siblings, two of whom are much younger than I. When I was a teenager, before they were born, I'd visit my dad's house around Halloween, and a house down the street always had the coolest old west graveyard decorations taking over their lawn. Around the time that I went off to college, it seems the kids from that home also left the nest. When my brother and sister were toddlers, the owners of that home passed along the decorations to my father & stepmother so they could keep up the tradition on the street. Now my siblings are almost in college themselves, so the decorations were passed on to me to share with Scarlet.


So these tombstones have history. We've also added a few new ones. I love the "old west graveyard" theme because it's inexpensive and easy to execute! You just take scrap wood and paint silly halloween tombstone sayings on them, then use a mallet to drive a stake into your grass and lean the tombstone on it. Rain, sprinklers, and the elements only make the tombstones look more old and authentic.


And of course, some skeleton limbs, zombie arms, and light-up brains only add to the fun.


My favorite addition this year was Scarlet's selection of rubber centipedes, which of course had to be placed on skulls.


And my husband's finger-on-the-doorbell brings me endless joy. I knew I married him for a reason.


Check out some more pics of our easy Halloween Old West Haunted Graveyard after the jump, and tell me, do you think it's too much?


My favorite tombstone saying is "Here Lies Mandy (too much candy)"


A chainsaw with a few severed fingers is just gross


Zombie arms!


Creepy spiderwebs and rubber spiders are always winners...


Creepy bats and spiders seem to multiply every year


Scarlet explaining to me where the light-up skull should be placed


I really, really wanted a fog machine this year, but that seems a silly expense. Maybe next year.


If only I could find a rubber tiger skeleton.


Too much? or too hilarious?


Hmm. Maybe my parenting could use a little work.


HA!