Not every Halloween prop is going to be a homerun. But if used properly every Halloween prop can accent your haunt and add something to it.

Every year I do a Haunted Circus themed haunt in my backyard. I have a 5×5 tailgating tent I put out in the yard that I use as my circus tent. I went to a Bargain Hunt and bought several cheap kiddie bed sheets and cut them up. Once I had the material cut up I used tape and safety pins to hang it up around the tailgating tent to make it into a Big Top for my Haunted Circus.

Inside the Big Top I put several animatronic clowns like Honky the Clown and a few others. I also mix in some smaller clowns that you can see in the Featured Image above. From left to right: Rocky, Tito and Cesar.

I got Rocky at CVS the day after Halloween a few years ago for $20. I liked him the moment I saw him but knew that he would be available much cheaper than the $50 they had him priced at originally. His eyes light up and his arms move but I use him mostly just to have another small clown in the Big Top.

I picked up Tito at Performance Studios, a costume and makeup store that is open year ’round in Nashville. However, their busiest time is during Halloween and the store is loaded with cool props and masks you can use to spruce up your haunt. Tito was originally priced at $100 but I got the manager to reduce him to $40 the day after Halloween. He doesn’t move or do anything but if you can get him in the right light he looks rather creepy and can be used as a complimentary piece for your haunt.

Cesar is my favorite. My wife bought him for me when we were dating. We were going through Performance Studios on one of early dates I remarked about how cool I thought he was. She went back to get him and kept the clown at her sister’s house until Christmas. Her sister named him Cesar and it stuck. Cesar doesn’t do much but he can be pretty scary when you see him and you don’t expect him. Last year I put him up in the top of my Big Top looking down on the visitors below.

Here’s a video of the how I used the clowns in the Big Top haunt I did last year.

I recently acquired an even bigger tent and am looking forward to going even bigger this year.