Believe it or not, the time to start decorating for the fall and Halloween is upon us. As someone in your life probably states every day for the last 6 months, “I cannot believe it is already…” fill in the day/month that it is. And I cannot believe it is almost Halloween.
There is lots of talk about Halloween being canceled due to COVID-19. That of course is up to each community and its families, but Halloween decorations are coronavirus safe, so they surely will not be canceled.
I am always torn when I sort through my decorations in September. Some of my decorations are spooky, and I think the kids in the neighborhood will get a kick out of them. And then some are quaint and looking at them makes me feel like an adult in a Hallmark movie. I usually switch it up each year so both sides of my personality can get a kick out of this fun holiday.
Spooky Decor Done Right
What stops many people from going spooky is they are afraid it will look tacky. And that is true; it can. But what makes it tacky isn’t the motif. Rather, it is a lack of cohesion. A goblin here and a witch there. And let’s put a spider too.
That can be tacky. Mind you Halloween is a tacky holiday (orange and black?), so no shame in your game if you love the tacky thrown together approach.
But if you want a cohesive spooky look that will turn heads, come up with a theme.
Last year, my neighbor turned her front lawn into a skeleton circus. There was trapeze in the trees with skeletons hanging from them and catching the other’s hands. And yes, these skeletons had on matching circus costumes. There was a skeleton at the ticket booth. It was amazing.
This year, they have just started construction, but they have a haul of a boat coming out of the front porch. I am assuming it will be a pirate theme.
Let’s say you are not handy with a saw and drill. That is fine, but you still need a theme.
Here is an idea of how to pull together one of the most common spooky Halloween themes!
Haunted/Abandoned House
I know you are tempted to clean up and trim down your dead bushes and flowers, but man can they really sell the motif.
Cracked windows- buy decals at the dollar store to accomplish this.
Place old 2x4 and other scrap wood across your windows and doors to give it an abandoned look
Spider webs everywhere
Do you have a porch or tree swing? Hang it crookedly. Or take the bikes out of the garage and abandon them on the yard and cover them in spider webs
During the winter holiday season, I love to see electric candles in the upstairs windows. But for Halloween, what about an old lady staring out the window.
Inside furniture outdoors. Yes, you will never hear this home decorating tip anywhere else. But think about an old rocker on the lawn or a chair with a skeleton in it.
This is a lot of work for sure, but it is worth it if you have always wanted a spooky house, but could never really pull it off.
Stay tuned. Each week leading up to Halloween we will feature another wonderful way to decorate your house from howling to harvested, from unsettling to understated!