If you are creating a haunted house theme this Halloween, consider dressing up your iron gates to be a spooky entrance way. The neighborhood children will get a thrill out of walking through a decorated yard when they come to your house to go trick-or-treating.

Spiderwebs And Strobe Lights Cover the gate with spiderwebs that are made out of cotton. This material is sold at novelty shops and can be stretched to resemble real webs. Add rubber spiders by tying them directly to different parts of the gate. Place strobe lights behind the gate, facing the sidewalk. Use a portable electrical outlet if you do not have one located close to the gate. Hide behind the gate, covered by a dark cloth. As trick-or-treaters enter your yard, they will be confused by the flickering lights. Jump out at just the right moment, scaring everyone who is passing by.

A Row Of Dummies Set up chairs behind the gate and create stuffed dummies to sit in each one. Stuff old pairs of clothes with leaves or newspaper. Place masks over plastic bags that are filled with the stuffing. On the night of Halloween, remove one of the dummies and sit in its' place, wearing a scary costume. As the trick-or-treaters pass by, they may think that all of the figures are dummies. Hand out candy from your seat. The trick-or-treaters may be shocked to realize that you are a real person and may begin to stare at all the dummies, fearing that they will begin to move too.

The Tunnel Cloth tunnels are inexpensive and fun for children to crawl through. Set up a few of them, placing them all in a row, heading towards your doorway. As the trick-or-treaters enter the gate, they will be instructed to crawl through the tunnels. The element of surprise will keep each child on their toes. Play spooky music and sit in an area where you can't easily be seen. Once the children reach the end, they will be greeted with candy. Most trick-or-treaters enjoy the thrill of being scared, but do not force everyone to participate if they do not want to. Smaller children or kids that are extremely fearful should be able to get their treats without having to enter the gate. Have a friend or family member available who can assist you with giving out candy. As word gets around about your spooky property, you will see a lot of children flocking to your yard to see what all of the excitement is about.