For people who love things that go bump in the night, Halloween is the most wonderful time of the year. And for those who love a good prank, even better. The Guide of Prankenstein is the result of loads of research into practical jokes which work best in the run up to October 31. You have Harsha and JJ to thank for their practical joke and investigative skills!

Over the next few weeks, keep checking back for more pranks as we'll be adding more hints and tips on how to trick your family and friends. When the big day arrives, you could say we'll have something of a monster page on our hands which will take absolutely ages to scroll through to find the prank which will suit you!

Pay attention, as we reveal the secrets of the most spooky pranks you'll ever see! Dare you look inside the spookiest, er, bookiest practical joke manual?

You are? Then let's go!

THE BIN BAG GHOST PRANK!

You will need:

For this utterly terrifying prank, you'll need a few white plastic bin bags (clean!), some tape, and some string and a small T-shaped stick!

STEP 1

Grab your clean bin bags, stick and thread and clear a space on the floor or a table. You're going to make a white plastic bag ghost to attach to the front door of your home!

STEP 2

Flatten out the bin bags and tear them in to strips like this. If that doesn't work for you, get a grown-up to do it while you prepare step four (see below).

STEP 3

Attach the strips of torn bin bag to the stick so it creates the ghost's body. You can tear different lengths from the bottom so it looks more messy and ghost-like. Use sticky to fix the strips to the stick. Easy!

STEP 4

Add a bin bag for the head and don't forget to add some spooky eyes and a mouth – you could do this using a marker but it might be easier to use some paper and attach them using sticky tape. Get a grown up to dangle the ghost bin bag prank from the top of a door frame outside your home, so when the pranked person opens the door, they'll get a fright!

THE SCARY HAND PRANK!

You will need:

For this spine-chilling prank, you'll need a dark piece of card, a pencil, some scissors, some sticky tape and a grownup!

STEP 1

You will start by drawing around your grown-up's hand using the pencil. They will help you cut this out and then you'll be ready to proceed to the next step.

STEP 2

It should look like this. When you've got your hand-shaped piece of card, pick a window at the front of your home and get a few small pieces of sticky tape ready. You will fix this piece of paper to the window in a spot when your soon-to-be-pranked person will look outside!

STEP 3

Attach your card hand to a prime spot in a front window of your home or even the door if is has glass panels. When lights from outside are cast against the house, the card hand will look like the shadow of a Halloween monster. You're going to hear a scream shortly, so don't get a fright yourself!

THE HAPPY PUMPKIN PRANK!

You will need:

For this terrifyingly funny prank, you'll need a toilet, a mask and an unsuspecting family member or friend!

STEP 1

When it's quiet, prepare your scary mask. It's best not to use a proper mask because you'll be attaching this to the toilet seat in a bit. Design one yourself, like the one below!

STEP 2

When your mask is ready, quietly go into the bathroom and use a little bit of sticky tape to fix your design to the underside of the toilet seat and close the lid. And wait..

STEP 3

When a family member or friend goes into the toilet, prepare for a blood curdling scream!

THE HIDDEN HAND PRANK!

You will need:

This horrifically hilarious 'Hidden Hand' prank is extremely quick and easy to do, and and perfect practical joke to play during a scary movie night!

For this gag that'll put the trick in trick or treat, you'll need a popcorn tub or box, some scissors, popcorn, a hand... and someone to scare!

STEP 1

If you haven't got a cinema style popcorn tub to hand, decorate an ordinary cardboard box. You can go full-on Halloween and add skulls and ghosts to the sides. Or if traditional popcorn containers are more your thing, make red and white stripes out of paper and stick them to the sides.

STEP 2

Get a grown-up who's in on the prank to help you with the next bit. On the bottom of the box, lightly draw a big 'X' – this is where your grown-up will cut two lines so you can sneak your hand in for the gruesome surprise.

STEP 3

Grab some popcorn and fill the box about halfway. Your hand will take up the rest of the box and will save you from spilling your popped kernels everywhere.

STEP 4

Here's the scary part (but not for you). While your hand is inside the box and topped up with popcorn, offer some to a family member or friend while they're watching the scary movie. While they look down to grab a handful of tasty treats, pop your hand out and grab their wrist. Enjoy that satisfying scream and consider your prank to be a success!

THE GIANT SPIDER WEB PRANK!

You will need:

If any of the people at home are a bit wary of spiders, then this is the best time to make a giant spider's web! All you need for this is a white ball of wool or a big ball of string. A home win when it comes to arachno-pranking!

STEP 1

Pick a room at home which will provide the best environment for a giant spider and carefully trail your ball of string or wool everywhere like a web! Do this when no-one is around so the prank will be ready when people get back...

STEP 2

On the way home, tell your grown-ups that you saw something on the news about giant spiders and how they've started making even bigger webs in people's homes. Laugh it off and say 'I doubt that would happen here' as they put the key in the front door. Wait for their reaction!

THE HAPPY PUMPKIN PRANK!

You will need:

For this awesome prank, you’ll need a pumpkin, a marker and a grown-up to help you carve it. It might be worth putting some newspaper or kitchen roll down as the pumpkin seeds can go everywhere.

STEP 1

Place your pumpkin on a table or a bench. Remember to put some paper down if you don't want to make a mess. If making a mess is fine, then ignore the last part. But be careful as you don't want the pumpkin to scratch any surfaces. That isn't part of the prank.

STEP 2

Here's the next part. Grab a marker so you can can create a happy Halloween face. Ballpoint pens will work, but a thick marker will make it easier to do the next part.

STEP 3

Grab your marker and let your artistic side flow. There's two rules – make the face look friendly (that's the joke) and try to make it simple so it's easier for your grown-up to carve. Triangular shapes are a good starting point.

STEP 4

Once you've drawn a face on your pumpkin, get a grown-up to carve out all the gloop from inside and make holes where you've drawn. This is because it can be dangerous and also very messy. Feel free to have a seat and tell them some Halloween facts as they do the work!

STEP 5

Once your pumpkin is suitably Halloween-y, proudly display them at your front door to let trick or treaters know you're in. When they slowly walk towards your "scary" pumpkin, they'll see its big happy face instead of a menacing sneer. Boom. Prank done!

THE TOILET ROLL EYES PRANK!

You will need:

For this spooky prank, you’ll need a few cardboard rolls that you’ll find in toilet paper or in the kitchen, a glow stick and places to hide them in the garden.

STEP 1

Get your cardboard rolls AFTER they’ve been used - we don’t want a pile of clean toilet paper or kitchen paper on the floor.

STEP 2

Get a grownup who’s willing to be part of this practical joke to cut some menacing eyes into the rolls, about the same width as a human pair of eyes. But with an extra spooky shape.

STEP 3 

Get the glow stick and put them inside the rolls - make sure the glow stick fits inside and doesn’t stick out the end, liker this. If it does, repeat steps 1 and 2 with a kitchen roll tube.

STEP 4 

Hide the glowing cardboard rolls in a bush outside your home or in a cupboard that is used often.

STEP 5

Sit and wait for unsuspecting visitors to spot these monsters eyes glaring at them from the darkness and enjoy the screams as they run for cover. A delightfully fiendish prank, isn’t it?

THE BAT PRANK!

Unless you live in a roof or in a cave, it’s not often you come face to face with a bat! This prank will bring all the fun of the protected air rodents without causing them distress. You’ll need some black card, a light coloured pencil, scissors and a steady hand (or preferably a grown-up who enjoys cutting out shapes).

STEP 1

Take your black card and carefully draw a few bats on each piece. How many bats you’d like to make is up to you (and how many pieces of card you have).

STEP 2

Get your grown-up card to carefully cut out each bat from the piece of card. For extra points, put the scraps in the recycling bin.

STEP 3

Take your card bats and hide them in sock drawers, cereal bowls or in people’s coat pockets! They look cosy, don't they! Would be a shame to wake them.

STEP 4

Listen out for someone discovering that there are bats everywhere and declare it’s a prank before they start looking up the number of a bat protection expert. Save them in a safe place for next year! 

THE FAKE SNAKE IN A BOX PRANK!

You will need:

For this serpent-themed LOL, you’re going to need a few things. The main part of the joke is the fake snake, so get a rubber one from a joke shop (like the one in Beanotown) or stuff an old sock with paper. You’ll need a cardboard box with a lid and a small length of string too.

So, are you ready to scare your friends?? Then follow our step-by-step guide below!

STEP 1

Make sure the box is empty and set it up where someone won’t be able to take a peek inside. The living room is a prime sport for some fake snake japes!

STEP 2

Get your fake snake and tape a piece of string to its rubbery back. Remember, do this with confidence as you're totally safe!

STEP 3

Poke a hole in the lid of the box and feed the piece of string through the cardboard and secure it with some tape (or tie a knot at the end if you’re feeling confident).

STEP 4

Place the snake inside and play what we call in the pranking world ‘the waiting game’. Point at the snake and remind them they have a fiendish job to do!

STEP 5

When you prankee enters the room, hint that you may have heard something in the box and would they be able to look as you have homework to do. When they lift the box flap, the snake with rise with it and appear to be jumping free.

Boom! The room will be filled with a shriek and you may well laugh for the next few hours. Lovely stuff.

THE HIDEOUS BRUSSELS SPROUT PRANK!

You will need:

For this truly awful prank, you'll need to get your hands on some cooked Brussels sprouts (they can be cool, which will make the prank extra fiendish. You will also need some aluminium foil or colourful sweet wrappers, and most importantly, an unsuspecting family member or friend who can't resist a sweet treat! It's a prank that's perfect for getting a groan out of grown-ups, plus, this means less sprouts to eat at Christmas, so everyone wins.

So, are you ready for some Halloween howlers? Then follow our step-by-step guide below!

STEP 1

To begin, you'll have to get a grown-up who's happy to be in on this prank as you're going to need a handful of cooked Brussels sprouts. Don't serve up raw ones as that's too horrific to think about (and might hurt their teeth). So give them a clean, get your prank sidekick to cook them and then allow them to cool.

STEP 2

Next, you'll need some aluminium foil or some colourful sweet wrappers. We're using some foil that we found in a cupboard. It's so shiny! Smooth some out on a table and you're ready for the next part.

STEP 3

Place a cool Brussels sprout in the centre of some foil. Carefully wrap your healthy treat like you would a small sweet. The black arrows are just a suggest of how to cover the sprout completely. Be slow and methodical as you don't want to waste any foil or even crush the vegetable.

STEP 4

Once you've wrapped your sprouts, explain how you've made some homemade sweets and it's best if they close their eyes when taking a small bite. Say that a famous TV baker says this will make them appreciate the taste even more.

STEP 5

Stand back and watch with a wicked grin as your prankee – pretty sure that's a word – tucks into their Halloween treat. Watch as their face turns from delight to confusion as they've been tricked into eating a cold vegetable. Absolutely fiendish!