Decorating Your Home For Halloween

Halloween is the perfect time to show off your decorating skills. You can go many different directions with the way you decorate your home for Halloween including spooky, scary, and even cute. You can use store-bought decorations or make them yourself (which is a great activity for families). No matter what you decide you are sure to create some excitement with your Halloween decorating.

I tend to decorate the outdoors of my home more so then the indoors (although the kids are bringing more and more holiday decorating indoors). There is no right or wrong way to decorate for Halloween, because it is a silly holiday that is meant to be over the top. Just make sure that you place your decorations in safe locations so that trick-or-treaters don’t get caught up in them on their way to your door.

I will go through some of the fun and spooky Halloween decorations that I have used throughout the years.

Halloween Decorating Tip 1- Start With Your Jack-o’-lantern.

A Jack-o’-lantern is a Halloween staple.Getting your pumpkin ready for decorating can be messy so I suggest doing it in the garage or on the porch if it isn’t too cold. Be careful while handling the knife as the pumpkin can be tough to cut. Start by carving a small circle around the base of the stem on the pumpkin (I draw the circle on first using marker so I have a path to follow). After you lift off the circle base you can begin to scoop out the insides into a garbage or compost. You can also separate the seeds and lightly toast them in the oven for fifteen minutes on 325 degrees for a seasonal snack.

Now if you aren’t an artist with a knife (like me) you will want to draw your design on the pumpkin first. I use permanent marker so that it doesn’t smudge. I let my kids help design the face or picture and then get to work. An important tip I learned after a Halloween injury last year is to use small jabs rather than trying to cut it all at once (my poor finger).

There are many different design ideas for your pumpkin. Many people like to do the traditional face complete with crooked teeth and silly eyes. In the past few years I have seen some really cool stencils/templates for pumpkins including spooky cats, witches on broomsticks, wolves howling at the moon, crescent moons and more. I am sure that these designs take some practice, but the results look worth it.

Having a carved pumpkin with a light on is the best way to show trick-or-treaters that you are handing out candy. Many people use a candle in the center, but you can also use battery-operated tea light candles or a flashlight for a safer alternative.

I try to get my pumpkin ready a week before Halloween so that we can enjoy it without it becoming soggy or moldy.

Halloween Decorating Tip 2- Bring The Outdoors To Life.

Halloween is a great holiday to be a bit daring with your decorating because pretty much anything goes. Now when I say pretty much anything I think that having grotesque decorations like people being harmed, hanging or anything blatantly offensive is not a good idea. The holiday is for the most part about the children, so at least while trick-or-treaters are outside try to keep it classy. If you are having are having an adult party feel free to bring out the scary stuff, just keep in mind that the intent of Halloween is to spook people, not terrify them.

There are many different ways you can bring the outdoors to life using creepy costumes, eerie music, smoke machines, and strategic lighting. A cheap Halloween decoration that I love is cleverly designed leaf bags. It gives me twice the amount of motivation to rake my lawn because I can use the leaves to stuff my Halloween leaf bags which are designed to look like large spiders and ghosts (some are glow in the dark which really completes the effect). I also use orange Halloween lights and tie them around the front of the railing of the porch (this also helps to guide the kids up the walkway in the dark). My son loves Halloween, and tries to help out as much as he can. This year he made cotton stuffed ghosts to hang from the front tree. Here are some simple to make Halloween crafts that you can do with your children. My yard may not be the most professionally decorated, but it was done on a budget and from the heart.

I always appreciate people who take the time to decorate for Halloween. It helps to make the night more memorable for parents and trick-or-treaters alike.

Do you decorate outdoors for Halloween? What do you use?