It is no secret that Halloween is not my favorite holiday. I enjoyed that I got to dress up as whoever I wanted! However, I only ever wanted a little candy. There was no desire to eat until I didn’t feel good. A few pieces was all it took. I lost count the number of years I still had Halloween candy after Christmas. It was also around my birthday every year, so as a child, everyone just wanted to dress up for your birthday. The biggest turn off to me though, the scary decorations. Haunted houses are an absolute no for me. I stay as far away as possible! I do not like being scared. I do not like creepy crawling things. I do not like the dark. Overall, I am just not a good Halloween person. Therefore, in order to survive the holiday all these years, I focus on a design aesthetic that I like to refer to as “spooky…but not scary.”
Focusing on a “spooking” style can be challenging. For me, it takes more time than just simple Halloween decorations could be. It usually takes a lot of crafty weekends leading up to Halloween to get everything the way that I want it. The typical Halloween objects are included: pumpkins, skulls, candles, ghosts, etc. I just put my own spin on them to fit my style.
Pumpkins are that stereotypical Halloween decoration. They are perfect for both inside and outside. You can carve them, paint them, or just clean them off and use them as is. There are eating pumpkins, carving pumpkins, and even the fake plastic ones that are meant just for decorations. A spin off of carving pumpkins, is cutting holes the perfect size to fit a string of Christmas lights. The image above on the left shows how a group of pumpkins look when you put them together. Another quick decoration trick that I love is picture in the middle image above. I have the same set of clear vases that I use all year round. Each month has something different in them. I have bells for around Christmas time, leaves and pine cones for November, pumpkins for October, etc. Painted pumpkins have become more popular through the past couple years, pictured above on the right.
This next grouping of pictures are just some fun ones that you can do around the house. The first two images are more of a DIY project. What I call the bat tree, just took some black construction paper, sticks, hot glue, vase, and some black spray paint. You could even make it cheaper by using real sticks around the yard and just spray painting a paper towel roll. The light coffins would actually take a little more work, unless you can find something already existing with that shape. Otherwise, you are going to want to find someone who is good with wood. They would be able to easily help cut some would to the appropriate shape. The front is just a screen of some kind. You could simple just search through a craft store and find something that you like. Then cut a hole in the top and insert your light. The last two just take some construction paper, scissors and tape. Use your creativity and have a little fun.
.
Table centerpieces can be one of the best spots to decorate, for almost any occasion. It is a large enough space to hold multiple different objects. I personally also love grouping smaller accessories together. Must be something to do with loving Interior Designer so much! For Halloween, you want to stick with the same common objects that I talked about before: pumpkins, skulls, candles, etc. These groupings primarily show a little more of a feminine touch. Some good things to mix with multiple different objects could be books, candle sticks, florals/sticks/branches, or platters. If you pick more neutrals, then they could even be exchanged throughout the year to match multiple different seasons.
Some other areas where groupings of decorations can be placed are other tables and fireplaces. I love these other two options as well because you have the options to play more with the verticality of your design. This is typically a good time to add a mirror or art work to the mix. The image above on the right could go with either a scarier theme or more of my style of crafts depending on what you put around it. While, the image on the left is more creepy in my opinion. It would be fine if the rest of the room is like the images above. I strongly believe in everyone finding a style that fits them perfectly. Sometimes that involves combining multiple styles.
Lastly, don’t forget to reuse! There are a lot of decorations throughout the year that can be reused during another holiday. Anything that is red from the 4th of July could be used during Christmas. Pumpkins and leaves from Halloween could be modified to be used in November for Thanksgiving and fall. Florals, greenery and branches can be used all year round. Do not spend more money and make more work for yourself than necessary. “Think smarter, not harder.”
-Katie Ann