Turning your home into a scene from a thriller
If you are anything like me, you don't have the patience to spend three days building a haunted house in the front yard. I have chores to do, wood to chop, and a garden that won't look after itself. When
Halloween rolls around, I want something that takes ten minutes to put up and can be peeled off just as fast once the trick-or-treaters have had their fill. That is where these FIZITE stickers come into the picture.
The kit comes with 86 pieces, which sounds like a lot until you start spreading them out. You get a mix of handprints and footprints, all designed to look like some poor soul had a rather rough night. The material is a lightweight polyethylene, which is just a fancy way of saying it is thin plastic. It feels a bit like those cheap party favors you pick up at the dollar store, but for the price of 12.99 CAD, I suppose that is exactly what you should be expecting.
Now, let us talk about the installation process. The packaging claims these are for windows, walls, and floors. My advice? Stick to the windows. I have read through what other folks are saying, and the consensus is pretty clear. If you try to put these on a painted wall or a textured floor, they are going to peel off faster than a wet bandage. They are basically just plastic clings, and they need a smooth, non-porous surface to really grip. If you try to put them on your living room wall, you are just going to be left with frustration and a messy floor.
One thing that really stood out to me is the size. Some of the pictures in the marketing materials might lead you to believe you are getting life-sized, terrifyingly large prints. Let me set the record straight: these are small. If you are looking for giant, hulking handprints to scare the neighbors from across the street, these aren't it. They are more like the size of a young child's hand or foot. It is cute in a macabre sort of way, but it is not exactly cinematic quality.
Despite the size and the sticking issues, they do look pretty decent once they are up on a glass mirror or a window pane. They catch the light well enough to look like a mess of bloodstains, which is exactly the aesthetic you want when you are trying to make the house look like it has seen better days. If you keep your expectations grounded and stick to the glass, you will have a perfectly serviceable display for the holiday without having to haul out the heavy equipment.
What you are actually getting in the bag
When you open up this package, you are getting nine sheets of stickers. That is a fair amount of material for the price, provided you are planning on using them exactly where they are meant to go. The material is waterproof, which is a nice touch if you are putting them on an exterior window that might catch a bit of autumn mist. I always appreciate something that doesn't disintegrate the moment it touches a bit of moisture.
The design itself is what I would call standard gothic horror. It is gory, it is red, and it does the job. However, I did notice that the designs can be a bit repetitive. If you are trying to cover a large bay window, you might find yourself staring at the exact same handprint pattern over and over again. It is not going to win any awards for artistic variety, but for a one-night party or a bit of festive fun, it is perfectly adequate.
Do not expect these to be heavy-duty props that you will pass down to your grandchildren. They are lightweight, they are flimsy, and they are essentially single-use or light-use items. If you are careful when you take them off the glass, you might get a second or third year out of them, but treat them like paper rather than iron. They aren't going to withstand rough handling, so store them flat in a cool place if you plan to reuse them.
The final word on the matter
If you want a quick, inexpensive way to make your windows look like a horror movie set for
Halloween, these stickers will do the trick nicely. They are best suited for folks who have smooth glass surfaces and want a 'set it and forget it' solution for the night. However, if you are planning to decorate your walls or floors, or if you are looking for massive, realistic-sized props, you should probably save your money and look for something sturdier. These are fun, cheap, and effective for glass, but they have their limits.
