It’s that time of year – when sunflower fields are abundant. Luckily, there are farmers in my area who give their sunflowers away. So how could we not go for a photo op, and a free super large bouquet? What we didn’t realize, was how to keep our cut sunflowers fresh for longer than a few days. Continue reading
Category Archives: Seasonal Decorating
Newest Additions to the Stranger Things Yard in Charlotte 2023
If you’re looking for a free Stranger Things(ST) experience, here are a few sample photos of what you’d find at 3632 Cole Mill Road, in Charlotte, NC. With over 15 features that encompass the Stranger Things show, visitors won’t be disappointed. Some tutorials are already posted. We hope to see you there! ~ The Morrow Family




Part 2 of The Mind Flayer Prop Tutorial

Part 1 of the Mind Flayer Prop build, covered how to build the torso. Now we’ll move on to the head, and if not too lengthy, the legs.
Supplies Needed for Building Head
- A Large Cardboard Box (Like from a 45″ or larger, flat screen TV)
- Extra Cardboard for pointed end of head, and protecting work table
- Pool Noodles (at least 2)
- Wire
- Toothpicks
- Red/Black Acrylic Paint
- 2 Hot Glue Guns
- Glue sticks: Clear, red, and black
- Plastic Dip or Flex Seal Rubber Spray
- Plastic bottles or waterproof packaging, and Styrofoam, to add shape to head, and act as filler
- A Can of Expanding Spray Foam (preferably the type for gaps over 1″)
- Disposable Gloves
- Clear Packing or Clear Duct tape
- Black 6 ml Sheeting (* FOLLOW LINK IN PART 1 FOR WARNING)
- Heat Gun with Hi/Lo options
- Scissors
- 6 ft. or longer table to work on
- 2 Plastic coated garden stakes ( approx. 3 feet each, optional, but recommended)
- Drill
If you haven’t gone over Part 1 with the body frame, please do so, before moving on. A few tips there can save you some unnecessary steps later.
Directions:
Continue readingStranger Things Comes to Charlotte, NC

With an unrelenting pandemic, coupled with the rest of the world’s chaos, how could I not think of, The Upside Down World, of Stranger Things? It seemed like the most appropriate idea for our 2021 Halloween yard.
After mulling over the size of the Mind Flayer, the next consideration was how to get it on the roof. I’ve seen a few folks have one stand in their yard, and thought, NOT BIG ENOUGH! My husband said, “Build it, and we’ll figure a way to get it up.” Also, it couldn’t just be a Mind Flayer, but the whole yard had to be an Upside Down World.
Continue readingWelcome, Dr. Finklestein!
Just a brief post to introduce my latest Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloween prop created: Dr. Finklestein. I’ll try to add the tutorials, when I get the chance. He joins Jack Skellington, Sally, Lock, Shock, and Barrel, Oogie Boogie, and the Duck/Vampire prop. Zero, the ghost dog, was sadly showing his age, so I actually found a new one the same size, and is now happily flying in the yard too.
If anyone wants to scramble to make this fella, he stands about 5 feet or less, and I used extra couplers of 40 degree or 90 degrees to have him sit. So if you follow my usual PVC prop skeletons (See Lock, Shock, Barrel), you’ll be able to figure out the sizing.
The tutorial for Dr. Finklestein will be split into a few different segments, because there are too many steps (especially the head), to put into one single post. If you were determined or had help, all could be complete within a week. But alas, it took me at least four weeks to finish. If you want every post sent directly into your email, click the ‘Follow’ and you won’t miss the entire process. Thanks!
A Baby Vampire From The Nightmare Before Christmas
My previous post gave a tutorial on the duck that appears in the same scene as the baby vampires in The Nightmare Before Christmas (NBC) movie. Although in the movie the vampire didn’t ride inside the duck, I couldn’t help myself by making it so. It seemed like a fun and almost “Burton-ish” thing to do.
At first I looked at what others had done in their tutorials for making the vampire. They were either foam or stuffed and that just wasn’t what I was looking for. Since I was already creating more doll zombies and clowns, I sat there one night and thought, “why not turn a doll into a baby vampire?” So here is the quick tutorial to transform a plastic baby doll into a NBC vampire. Continue reading
Two New Nightmare Before Christmas Props Added to the Family

Made from a vintage duck blow mold and a doll, Nightmare Before Christmas magic was made. Image copyrighted, all rights reserved, Debbie Morrow
If you’ve been checking out this blog, you might have guessed that I love the Nightmare Before Christmas (NBC) characters. I’ve made the Mayor, Jack Skellington (with a few improved remakes or blunders), Sally, Oogie Boogie, and Zero. As you can see from the image, I’ve added a duck and baby vampire to the family. I’ll be breaking these tutorials into two posts for the sake of shorter, more manageable reading.
The Duck Tutorial:
You’ll Need:
A Plastic Duck Blow Mold
Large High Heat Glue Gun
Piece of Styrofoam or Foam from a Boxed Product
Black, Red, and White Acrylic Outdoor Paint/Brushes
Spackle or other Pre-made Drywall Compound/ Large Brush
A Dremel Saw or something else that cuts plastic easily
Artificial Nails
Tweezers/Marker
Super Glue Industrial Gel ( NOT liquid) for plastic and other materials
A Protractor or any round shaped item you can use for outline
Ten Unconventional Ways to Make a Wreath
Looking for ways to make a wreath without breaking the bank? Here are ten types of wreaths, made from items almost every household has. The results are impressive.
Shelf Liner Wreaths
The dollar store has a plethora of shelf liner colors for every season. Six rolls are used for 14″ wreaths. Images courtesy of Tracy Tobias. A video on how to use shelf liners in a wreath can be found at Debi’s Wreath and Things on YouTube.
Pool Noodle Wreaths
Remastering Jack Skellington
I don’t know what it is about The Nightmare Before Christmas (NBC) that caught my attention. But since the movie came out, I’ve wanted to make every character for Halloween.
Jack Skellington was one of my first attempts. Now when I say attempts, I can honestly say, I’ve spent more time and effort making, remaking, and eventually, rebuilding him completely. Continue reading
An Easy Skeleton Horse for Halloween

An easy Halloween prop. Cover a horse (or any animal) black, then paint on their skeleton. All rights reserved, Debbie Morrow
Scouring garage sales and thrift stores is a favorite past time for this frugal gal. Finding this horse made my shopping day. Originally, it was an average white and black patched horse. But what I saw was something entirely different.
A Halloween prop in the making:
- Cover your horse (or other animal) entirely with black acrylic paint ( or black spray paint could work too)
- Google skeleton images of horses (or animal of your choosing)
- Paint out the skeleton with white paint. Don’t worry about mistakes. You can always go back and use black paint again to fix.
Probably the shortest tutorial on my blog, but kinda cool results. Don’t you agree?




