Eight DIY Projects to Decorate Your Mansion/Secret Lab/Fortress of Evil!

It's that magical time of year again! The time when it's not only normal to be dark and scary and wear silly hats, but it's almost mandatory! Ah, Halloween!

But like any holiday, it has its pressures. After all, be you a vampire, a murderous widow, or an evil super villain, you simply cannot be caught with your lair in disarray, or, worse yet, non-scariness! Honestly, no one will take your plans of world domination seriously if you leave your teddy bear out.

But fear not, my villainous friend! Here are some clever and simple ways to get that cutely little sewer lab you've got looking more like a lair worthy of Doctor Frankenstein!

 1. Rats! 
             Concerned about the plague this year? Don't be; these rabid little cuties are made of paper!

2. Goblins!
                Love all things whimsical and creepy-cute? And what about fun yet easy projects? This little guy takes the cake in both departments.

3. Burning Coals
                 The warm glow of a fire in the night is something that's been sadly lacking in the daily lives of most modern people. Of course, not everyone happens to have the luxury of a piping hot coal stove on a chilly fall day, but this decoration here at least looks like one.

4. Graveyard Fence
                    Problems with neighborhood kids and dogs coming too close to your secret experiments? Well, nothing says "you shouldn't be here" like a spiky iron fence topped with skulls. If that's out of your budget, this simple tutorial will aid you in making a purely decorative variety.

5. Spooky Curtains
                    Need some torn-up black curtains that flow in the wind and send chills down the spine of potential trick-or-treaters? Turns out, a plastic garbage bag and two simple steps manages that quite well.

6. Candle Cluster
                Given how so many "creatures of horror" are sensitive to light (ghosts don't much like sunlight, and vampires sunburn so easily, you know.) any considerate evil host would keep the lighting down to candles rather than pushing his or her luck with those ghastly electric things. Worried about those dangerous chemicals in your secret lab catching fire? No problem; this tutorial is made with false candles in mind.

7. Bloody Candles!
                 Hey, why not? This is remarkably easy, taking just a white candle and a red one, and incredibly atmospheric.

8. Raven Dinnerware
                A dinner display that Mister Poe himself would be proud of. It's simpler than you'd expect, and, although this tutorial is perfect for Halloween, the same method could be applied, with different artwork, to just about any occasion.