Little Pearl Haunt: wood burl

If you suffer from Trypophobia, turn back now...

The aversion to the sight of irregular patterns or cluster of small holes, as seen in lotus pods, was recently in the news again providing me a nice knock up the head reminder of our wonderfully creepy natural world.

Mother Earth offers up her unearthly treasures through Twisted twigs, gnarly burls, driftwood, black bamboo, Spanish moss, stone moss, shells, feathers, antler sheds, bones, fossils, raffia, sponge mushrooms, grapewood branches and more.

Grape vines can be twisted into baskets, cages, or wrapped like vines around shepherd's hooks.

Did you know you can buy tumbleweeds? Or even grow your own? If you can't find your own, that is, but what a fun thing to add to a Wild West Mortician haunt. Dried lavender, flowers, fruit & herbs can quickly stock an Apothecary - just pick & dry throughout the year to build up a supply.

Dried pomegranates and artichokes are particularly devilish looking and dried quince slices might trigger a trypophobe.

Palm fronds in an Egyptian tomb would help fill out space and is visually dynamic. They can be expensive to buy so if you're lucky enough to live in an area with palm trees, keep an eye out for fallen fronds or if you see trimmers working on a tree, offer to take some off their hands.

Gather up dried leaves and spread around to create a forrest floor for a Cabin in the Woods or Priestess Shack. Trick-or-treaters will delight in hearing the crunch under their feet.

My daughter loves to collect treasures on our hikes and I have found the little bags we gather to be a treasure trove of props for the haunt. So while you can pick up many items at the craft store, you can also stock your haunt gratis if you keep your eyes peeled on your journeys when out enjoying nature. This is also a fun excuse to stop at those roadside rock, fossil and souvenir shops that look so intriguing. Look for fossilized coral, Ammonite, trilobites... whatever catches your eye.