Every home has that comforting, nostalgic spot: a porch swing where you sit with your coffee, a blanket, and a good book. When Halloween night falls, that same spot can become a terrifying centerpiece. You will need a porch swing (obviously), a motor or a strong oscillating fan, and a frightening figure to sit on it. You can use a mannequin, a scarecrow, or even a pile of old clothes stuffed to form a slumped body. Dress the figure in tattered, dusty clothes and give it a large hat or long hair that hides its face. Then place it with its back to the door, so visitors see only the side of the figure’s head and one limp hand.
Now attach a small power drill with a cam device, a windshield wiper motor, or even a homemade pulley rope to the chains of the swing. The swing should creak and sway in a slow, unnatural rhythm, as if pushed by an invisible presence. If you want to be truly creative, make the kicker more obvious: attach a clear fishing wire to the figure’s head, and pull it occasionally from behind a bush so that the head turns stiffly toward arriving guests. Add a motion sensor that triggers a low, muffled voice saying, “Sit with me a while,” or a child’s laughter from under the porch. The combination of the moving swing, the statue-like figure, and the feeling that no one is actually pushing it will make even adults refuse to pass by without a flashlight and a fast walk.
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