If you plan to decorate your house this Halloween with giant animatronics like the 12-foot skeletons or my Jack Skellington, the last thing you want for them is to topple over or get damaged in a gust of wind. As it is getting windier at my place, here’s how I secure and protect my giant Halloween decorations.
Out of the box, the animatronics are just anchored to their own base, so catching gusts can easily knock them over, bend their frames, or even send them tumbling into your home or car. The base is usually light-duty and intended for calm conditions. I needed something far more secure, so I need a better setup.
After doing some research, I found an affordable and sturdy solution. I bought a 1/16″ rope kit and ground anchors on Amazon for just over $30 in total. The cable kit includes coated steel wire, clamps, turnbuckles and some other accessories. The Spiral ground anchors twist into the ground and provide a solid hold. You should also buy a crimping tool to make the work easier.
Securing the decorations is pretty straightforward. You just need to choose at least 3 anchor points around your giant decoration, spaced evenly for stability. In my case, I usually place one behind and two angled slightly out in front.
Use a T-handle or a piece of metal pipe for leverage to screw the spiral anchors deep into the ground until only the looped top is visible.
I thread the coated stainless steel cable through the anchor loops and secure it to the back of my animatronic using spring loaded clasps. For extra tension, I add turnbuckles so I can tighten the cables and keep everything snug. It’s important the cables are tight enough to prevent excessive movement but not so tight that they strain the frame. If you plan to decorate for a whole month, you should also check the cables and anchors every week for looseness or signs of wear.
For extra protection, you can also weigh down the base with sandbags or concrete blocks. Notice that no matter how well you secure them, decorations can’t withstand hurricane-force winds. If a major storm is forecast, it’s best to take them down temporarily.
I’ve secure my giants for a whole month last year and didn’t have any problem, even on days with 40–50 mph gusts. The spiral ground anchors bite deep into the soil, and the stainless steel cables have held firm without rusting or snapping. And after Halloween, you can take them down and reuse everything next year.
