Tips & Articles

One of the funniest and most colourful holidays of the year is knocking on the door and we need to open it properly. Yes, Halloween is almost here and we need to prepare for it. From a fancy hairstyle and a matching costume to a well decorated house and happy kids with lots of treats. 

The main purpose of Halloween is to have fun and if you can do it on a low budget and with DIY decoration then why not. Of course, it is also not a bad idea to spend some money on a fog machine that turns your home into a real spooky house.  

Depending on how much Halloween-enthusiastic you feel, you can decide to decorate your entire home or just some parts of it. Below you will find a handful of ideas and tips that can truly inspire you.  

 

Decorate your yard 

Image source: eHow

If you have a yard or a lawn, then you have the perfect ground for Halloween décor. Keep in mind that the holiday celebrates things that are old, falling-apart and creepy and don't strive for perfection. You can leave your lawn unattended for several days prior to Halloween, so that it can have the perfect shape to match your spooky décor.  here are a few ideas what you can do: 

• Build some tombstones – eHow gives a perfect idea how to make some cheap tombstones for your Halloween decoration out of cardboard, glue and paint. It is not necessary to line them up, you can put them here and there around your yard or lawn. You can copy the funny names or come up with your own but our personal favourite is Yul. B Next – you can make it even funnier by putting a question mark for the date of birth and 31.10.2017 for the date of death. 
• Create a crime scene – gather a lot of fallen leaves and pile them up. Put a pair of old boots sticking out of them and some red paint or a torn blouse nearby. Or you can outline bodies on your stone tile alleys with white chalk and put a warning sign not to touch the evidence. 
• Use spider webs to decorate your trees and/or bushes if you have any. Adding spiders is a must. You can also put a stuffed owl or raven in the branches to enhance the feeling of a haunted wood. 
• Put a scary scarecrow – you can buy one specially made for Halloween or come up with one of your own. A headless holding a pumpkin and a "trick or treat" sign will also do the trick. 
• Use your car and your imagination – park your car on the lawn and decorate in a way that it looks cracked and old. Use a dummy to imitate a person trapped in the trunk or inside the car. 

 

Decorate your porch 

Image source: Country living

If you have followed our smart ideas for your patio or porch when remodeling your home, then you have to think about decorating that area for Halloween too. Your front porch is the entrance to your spooky house and it should be decorated in a way that lures visitors in. Here is what you can do: 

• Pumpkins for decoration are a must. You can turn them into lanterns, candle holders or paint them black and ad a pair of years and moustaches to turn them into black cats. 
• A bucket of dead flowers is an excellent accessory for the fest. 
• A rocking chair covered in spider webs and couple of stuffed rats is another clever addition. If you can make a mechanism to make it rock and cracked then you win the jackpot. 
• A black-and-white rug is also a stylish option for a more festive look especially when combined with few fake trees and a bunch of pumpkins around it. 
• A black cat silhouette, stuffed mice or a ghost are also some elements that add up to the spooky atmosphere of your porch.  

 

Dress your front door and windows 

Image source: Country living

The front door and the windows are the eyes of your house and they need a proper Halloween make-up. Hanging a wreath with spiders and/or bats around it is a timeless classic. You can also use some white packing tape to mummify your door and add a pair of eyes as well. A splash of fake blood is also a good decoration, as long as you know that it will come off easily. 

Adding some critters and spider webs to your windows is no novelty. Barring them with light wood beams, however will make your house look abandoned and thus more attractive to al trick-or-treaters. If you have an upper floor or attic windows, you can scare people by putting a mannequin dressed in a volumous red or black dress bear the window. For a ghostly effect turn the light s off and put a light only under the mannequin to make it more ghostly.  

 

Clever tips for your indoor Halloween decoration 

Image source: Made Everyday

Once you are done with the outdoors, it is time to consider the internal Halloween decoration. Without making it too complicated, here are a few touches that you can add: 

• Garnish your furniture 

Choose the oldest white sheets you have handy, preferably with holes on them, to cover your couches, sofas and chairs. Use black cloth for the tables. Decorate your book shelves and almost every corner in the room with spider webs. 

• Accessorize  

You have no choice but buy a few skulls for your Halloween decoration and place then strategically round the house. You can use them outdoors as well. Another clever idea is to take out any books that match the topic of the holiday, such as Edgar Allen Poe works or any older books you posses. You can also use some new ones covered with distressed leather plastic covers. Put a few potion bottles and some candles near them to create the atmosphere of a witch house or alchemist's desk. A bunch of alive-looking insects scattered round the house is also a good addition to the festive décor.  

• Lighten up the space 

Put as many Jack-o-lanterns as possible round the room and entry way of your home. You can also use a bunch of white candles, covered in dripping fake blood. Putting ghosts hanging from the chandeliers or bat figurines inside your laps will also create the desired effect.  

• Welcome bats and spiders in every room  

Bats and spiders are another must-have element of your Halloween decoration. Put them on the walls, windows, on your table and even on the plates and glasses you set for dinner. Made Everyday have used black construction paper and tape to create flying bats that adorn the wall in such a way that it feels as if they are literally flying around. It's an idea worth trying and is such an effective decoration that you don't need anything more. 

No matter if you choose to have a full redress of your home for Halloween or just add up a few touches, the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the little trick-or-treaters visiting your place.