How to Scare Someone on Halloween

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 28, 2021 References

Halloween is a spooky, creepy, and fun time of year for people of all ages. If you’re looking to scare Trick-or-Treaters, friends, coworkers, or family this Halloween, you can easily pull off a creepy prank or make a spooky costume. Scaring people is even easier when you create the right environment with decorations, like cobwebs, dim lighting, and scary Jack-o’-Lanterns!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Playing Halloween Pranks

1
Hide and jump out at someone for an easy scare. This is an easy prank to pull wherever you are. When you’re alone, turn off the lights in the room and hide in a closet, under a desk, or behind a piece of furniture. Then, when your target enters the room and turns on the lights, jump out from where you are and make a loud noise to scare them.^{[1]
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- For an even better scare, put on a mask or a creepy costume so they don’t know who’s scaring them when you jump out.
- If you want to really scare someone, you can quietly move out of your hiding place when they’re turned with their back facing you. Then, sneak up to them and tap them on the shoulder to scare them!
2
Fill your candy bowl with fake, hairy spiders and insects for a creepy trick. Find a large bowl for candy, and pour lots of fake spiders and insects in to cover the bottom of the bowl. Be sure to use textured spiders and insects, like the hairy and scaly ones, so they don’t just feel like plastic. Then, add a layer of candy on top of the spiders. Encourage people to take a few pieces of candy and wait for their reaction when they feel a creepy spider!^{[2]
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- If you’re having trouble finding fake spiders or other insects, you can order realistic plastic ones online. Be sure to order them a few weeks before Halloween so they arrive on time.
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3
Trick people with a fake hand for a unique prank. Put on a long sleeve shirt and get a fake hand. Hold the fake hand in your real hand with the fake hand sticking out of the sleeve and your real hand tucked up into the sleeve. Then, offer to shake hands with someone, or pretend to hand something to them. When they grab the fake hand, let go of it and watch their scared reaction!^{[3]
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- Make sure you’re holding the fake hand on the correct side of your body, or someone might be able to tell it’s fake.
- If you’re having trouble finding a fake hand, try ordering one online. For extra creepiness, pick one that has a bloody wrist area to make it seem more realistic!
4
Surprise Trick-or-Treaters by pretending to be a statue. Turn off all the lights in your home, and dress up as a typical Halloween character, like a ghost, clown or a zombie. Then, sit very still on your front porch with a bowl of candy. When they come up to get a piece of candy, scream and lunge for them!^{[4]
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- You can even prop up a sign beside you that says, "Sorry, we're not home. Take a piece of candy." Then, wait and see if a Trick-or-Treater takes more than one piece before surprising them.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Dressing up to Scare People

1
Use makeup to create fake scars and cuts on your face and body. Decide where you want to put your wounds, and get some fake blood, liquid latex, and a concealer to match your skin tone. Start by using your brushes to paint on the blood, and apply the latex to create fake ridges around the wound to represent skin. Then, cover the dried latex with concealer and brush blood around the wound.^{[5]
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- If you don’t have fake blood on hand, you can make a scar using only latex paint and concealer.
- When it comes time to remove the wound you can rinse it with soap and warm water and then pull it off.
2
Dress up as a scary character from a popular movie. For a classic scare, dress up like a well-known creepy character. Choose one that most people will know, like Pennywise the clown, Samara from The Ring, Chucky the Doll, or Carrie from the movie Carrie. You can also opt for a traditionally scary figure, like a zombie, demon, or a creepy doll.^{[6]
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- You can buy a pre-made costume at a costume store or online, or you can make one with clothes you already have.
- If you’re planning to dress up as a character who carries a weapon, like Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, use a fake weapon to prevent accidents. If you’re going somewhere where weapons aren’t allowed, like school or work, leave the weapon part of your costume at home.
3
Make a creepy, bloody costume of a fun children’s character. Pick up a non-scary Halloween costume at the Halloween store or online. Then, rub some dirt on the costume and coat it with fake blood. Tear the fabric in some places, and then apply fake blood to your face, hands, and any other exposed parts of your body. This is an extra scary costume because people aren’t used to seeing their favorite characters covered in blood!^{[7]
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- Popular creepy children’s characters include Winnie the Pooh, Elmo, Dora the Explorer, or Little Red Riding Hood.
4
Follow people around while dressed as the grim reaper. Wear all black clothing and cover yourself with a dark robe. Then, walk around and follow people from a distance. When they notice you, point at them with your fake scythe to scare them off!^{[8]
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- Remember not to follow people for too long, or they might feel threatened. Try doing this prank just on your street, or in the hallway at school!

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Creating a Scary Environment

1
Hang lots of fake cobwebs and spiders to creep people out. Buy fake cobwebs at a Halloween store or craft store and get pins or hooks to help hang them up. Use them to cover everything from chairs, desks, bulletin boards, or even plants and bushes. You can wrap the cobwebs around things, or just hang them up.
- For added creepiness, stick a few fake spiders and insects in the webs to make them look more realistic.
2
Keep the lights off to create a spooky ambience for scaring people. Darkness is key to getting a good scare because it allows you to creep around without being noticed. Turn off the lights in your house, room, or office. If you need to have a light on, use a bulb with an orange or red tint for a creepy ambience.^{[9]
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- Plenty of people are afraid of the dark in general. Sometimes, you can scare people just by leading them into a dark room!
3
Play foreboding music from a speaker or your phone. Hide the speaker somewhere where people won't be able to easily find it. Then, find a playlist online of creepy Halloween music, and turn up the volume so your targets can hear it. You can even make your own scary playlist if you can't find a suitable one online.^{[10]
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- If you're handing out candy to Trick-or-Treaters, you can amp up the creepiness of your yard by playing "Haunted House" music.
4
Decorate your yard with items to scare superstitious Trick-or-Treaters. Superstitious people believe that there are certain actions that can make you “cursed.” To scare them, put things like open ladders, broken mirrors, fake black cats, the number 13, or the number 666 in your yard. Position them near walkways to make sure people feel cursed!^{[11]
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- If you have a walkway, consider positioning the ladders so Trick-or-Treaters have to walk under them to get to your front door for the candy.
- Some people buy fake tombstones with the numbers 13 and 666 on them to scare people.
5
Carve a scary pumpkin and place it outside. Cut off the top of the pumpkin with a sharp knife, then scoop out the interior. with a spoon Use the knife to cut out a scary, angry face on the side of a pumpkin with sharp eyes and jagged teeth. Then, place an electric candle or a lit tea light inside and position the pumpkin in front of your house to scare people.
- For added creepiness, cut the mouth into a circle shape, and arrange the pumpkin insides so that they’re falling out of the mouth like the pumpkin is vomiting.
- You can even add fake blood around the outside of the mouth of the pumpkin to make it look even scarier.
- If you’re having trouble coming up with scary pumpkin faces, look up examples online and trace them onto the outside of your pumpkin to see what it will look like.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I use a story to scare someone?

Community Answer

You might bring that person somewhere creepy, like a graveyard, preferably at night. Tell him the story you're about to tell is a true story. Don't smile or laugh or do anything that might give your intentions away. Tell the story with dramatic intonations.
Question

For faking my murder, should I have fake blood?

Community Answer

The more realistic, the better. However, it depends on the age group you are dealing with - if a toddler comes around the corner, you don't want to have a gallon of blood spitting out of your jugular vein. But if you have older kids and young adults, the gorier, the scarier.
Question

If I have an outfit that covers my face, can I use that?

Community Answer

Yes! It builds suspense. The person you want to scare will wonder who is in that costume. For best effect, wear a second mask under the first.

Warnings

If one of your targets becomes upset while you’re scaring them, stop the prank and let them know it’s not real.

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Never threaten someone with a real weapon, or do something dangerous or illegal to try to scare them. Otherwise, you will get in trouble.

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