BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — It's Halloween and by the looks of it, many people have waited for this day to come as decorations flood front yards and windows.

But one man in southwest Ohio is taking his Halloween decor to a whole new level.


What You Need To Know

  • Dave Rapein’s house looks like it may belong on Elm Street

  • He makes most of his Halloween decor by hand

  • “I started figuring out how to make things myself. Now I’ve got it down to a system,” said Rapein.

Dave Rapein’s house is one that may be found without even knowing the address. Just walk down his street and look for the front yard that might as well be on Elm Street.

“People used to drive by and give me the look like, ‘Hmm, what’s this guy doing?’ But now they all love it,” said Rapein of “Sandric Cemetery.”

Many people have Halloween decorations out, so what’s so different about Rapein’s front yard?

He makes most of his Halloween decor by hand.

“I started figuring out how to make things myself. Now I’ve got it down to a system,” said Rapein. “I could design, cut probably three or four items in a day and the whole process I could do in a week, painted and done.”

After all, the devil is in the details. His love for the holiday was sparked from tradition.

“It was a huge tradition,” he said. “My parents lived on a cul-de-sac and they made tombstones back then just out of cardboard and white trash bags. It got to be the place where all the kids wanted to come down there and it made Halloween fun for us.”