The sale on the fake chain was too good to pass up - $1 per 6' section. I had no idea what I'd do with it but sure, 6 sections should do it.
Months of porch swing brain storming passed. I contemplated attaching them to the roof line and then down, like a drawbridge of sorts. A fine enough idea but I knew I could do better.
Inspiration finally hit, as it usually does, in July. Long warm nights + cold beers is a ancient and quality recipe for creative juice. What if the chain was holding back some massive creature that was being kept as a pet at the haunt? And what if that creature... had gotten loose?!?!?!
A "loose" creature meant I didn't need to fabricate the "beast" itself, I mean, where would I store it?! All I needed was the chain, a collar the "beast" had broken free from and a sign that would help visitors put the pieces of the puzzle together.
I found used 15' of 4" polypropylene strapping (sold by the foot) and giant tree spikes. The strapping would need to be folded in half and glued together to make it sturdier, so I only attached the spikes to one side, spacing them out equally. I folded and glued the strap together, leaving a loop open at the fold for the "buckle" (A large U-bolt serves as the "buckle.") Remember, the beast broke loose so this buckle itself didn't need to be functional but rather just look buckle-y.
The finished product in a less than flattering location:
For the sign I mocked up something on my computer and took it to a local print shop I love and had it printed up on PVC so it would last outside. The "beast" needed to be non-specific so I went with a low angle shot on one of those wonderful dogs that always wins "Ugly Dog" competitions. They're so interesting and resemble various animals which felt very "beast" like to me. I tweaked the color a bit to make it a bit more "off" and included some helpful info. Here's the basic sign, the print shop did the fantastic aged background effect.
The first year it was out, a young boy and his dad were riding their bikes to trick-or-treat. After getting their treat bag & candy, they paused to read the sign. As they did, the boys eyes widened and at the end, he looked at his dad with pure panic. He peddled off as fast as those 11 year old legs could carry him, hoping to dodge whatever this creature was that was somewhere, out there, lurking in the dark of our fine neighborhood.
35 days till Halloween...
(blurry pick but what else would you expect?)
