Who needs the treats when you can get busy with the tricking? We all love a laugh and sometimes at someone else’s expense, so here we’ve compiled a list of our favourite practical joke ideas for the season of scare...
5. DEAD SLOW - GRIM REAPER CROSSING
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A local Zebra crossing
- Grim Reaper costume (from £15.99 online!)
- Ghost / Skeleton costumes (from £9.99 online!)
- Some ghoulish friends
Pedestrian crossings save lives, which is why a Zebra crossing (the ones with the large white lines across the road) means the pedestrian has right of way... but what if that pedestrian is of another world?
Dress yourself in the most harrowing way possible as the dreaded Grim Reaper - the harvester of souls. Have a collection of friends dress as skeletons or, better still, as ghosts with full dead makeup, but have them hide themselves out of view of the road (maybe behind a hedge?). As you see a car coming that is slowing down sufficiently, the Grim Reaper steps out (as slowly possible) and stands in front of the stopped car, halting it with his skeletal hand.
The Reaper then beckons to the side and summons a nightmarish collection of the recently deceased to cross. Wailing and moaning is optional but encouraged - extra points awarded for seeing how long you can drag things out. Remember though; play safely and use common sense. You don’t want to end up
actually dead...
4. ZOMBIE CAR ATTACK
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A car (and valid driver’s license!)
- Zombie Makeup Kit (£4.99 online!)
- Film Blood Professional Type A (£6.99 online!)
- Zombie costume (from £14.99 online!)
- A friend who can act RABID!
There’s nothing quite like bringing a little terror to areas of outstanding beauty. If you live near a beauty spot that’s popular with Sunday drivers or maybe just a well-lit and relatively busy car park then it’s
game on...
Pull up in your car in plain view of other people. Take as long as you want to set the scene, maybe break out a sandwich or two but make sure you have your bottle of blood ready just out of sight. Have your friend, fully costumed and made-up to be a horrifying member of the undead, hiding out of view in the back seat area (you can take your time with this one, just make sure you’re being watched!).
Your zombie should slowly appear behind you before they attack and then - let the carnage commence! You can really go to town here, letting out some proper screams and (dry cleaning bill permitting) get some blood splatters flying. See how much of a scene you can make with the zombie eventually getting out the car and preparing to attack the witnesses.
3. PIZZA DEADLIVERY GUY
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A good reason for a night in at your place with a few friends
- Film Blood Professional Type B (£6.99 online!)
- Deep Show Wound Latex Application (£6.99 online!)
- Werewolf / Monster costume (from £37.99 online!)
- 2 other mates, one with a motorbike & helmet etc.
A scare prank that involves a few drinks, some good films and pizza? What could be better? Get everyone in on this one and organise a movie night at your place, selecting your victim with care. We recommend putting on something like ‘An American Werewolf in London’ or ‘Dog Soldiers’ perhaps.
Half way through your choice of movie, take a pizza delivery order and call up a local independent takeaway company to make the order. Meanwhile, organise to have a friend NOT at the party and who has their own bike & gear to intercept the real pizza guy, pay him off and send him on his way. This biker friend will also need to paint up a realistic neck wound (be sure not to scare the real pizza guy!) and have your other friend dress in a full Werewolf (or other monster) outfit.
When your ‘fake’ pizza guy is ready, have him ring your doorbell and convince your victim that they need to get the door. Outside, have your ‘pizza guy’ lie on the floor and cover him and the area in blood with the pizzas nearby and your ‘werewolf’ poised over his body. As your victim opens the door to behold the scene, make sure your werewolf runs off into the night, maybe get in a cheeky howl to drive the point home.
2. DON’T SAY WE DIDN’T WARN YOU
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A handful of fellow pranksters with mobile phones
- White-Out contact lenses (from £7.99 online!)
- Film Blood Professional Type A (£6.99 online!)
If something’s worth doing then it’s worth doing
right, right? Right. Get your mates together, dressed differently but each of you wears the same creepy contact lenses and little bit of blood on their face. Position yourselves at regular intervals down a busy high street and pick a victim. The person who picks the victim quickly texts everyone in the group with a decent description of how to identify them, then the horror begins...
You all start shuffling slowly, looking distant and weird (as if infected). As the selected victim passes any member of the team, you suddenly snap your head to look at them. Make sure you pass them closely and whisper, so only the victim can hear, a series of themed warnings such as “They’re coming” / “Start running” / “Get out while you still can” / “It’s happening” / “Infection” and then snap back to shuffling along. Maybe add a sickly twitch to make the mood.
1. DEAD MAN’S HANDSHAKE
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A big, long-sleeved jumper, hoodie or coat
- Severed Limb (visit our Camden Superstore to buy!)
- Someone cool with personal contact
Time-tested, dependable - a classic for many a decade. It’s difficult to go wrong with this one given how little it takes to make it work. Simply place your severed limb inside your chosen garment’s sleeve and hold it so that the hand pokes out naturally. Now just go and find someone willing to shake your hand, pull away quickly as they grip and they’ll suddenly find themselves holding your hideously dismembered... member. Alternatively, you can just stage this with a friend in front of an unsuspecting crowd (holding your arm out to hail a bus or taxi is classic). Make sure you let out a good, blood-curdling scream for added effect.
DISCLAIMER:
Please remember that, however funny something may seem, safety is the most important factor here. These ideas are meant as jokes and you should never put yourself or others at risk or in serious distress. Escapade Fancy Dress can take no responsibility for injury or insult brought about by these suggestions.
