Decorating a home for Halloween is a difficult task. Some take it overboard with incredibly scary decorations and haunted-house-like thrills while others opt to skip the holiday and just freshen up the porch with some generic decor for the fall season. One way to keep your porch looking great all year round is to add some porch swings which not only create a whimsical Gone-With-The-Wind aesthetic but are also a practical way to enjoy the fall sunshine. I have seen people around the neighbourhood use them as part of their Halloween decorations as well. Some people like to place their pumpkins on the bench, or add some fall foliage, but the best I saw was a skeleton dressed in the homeowner’s clothes, sitting on the bench with the paper on his lap. I honestly thought it was my neighbour until I saw the skull under his hat and had quite the fright! Others are less into their scary skeletons and more into their subtle decorations, such as changing the flag flying on their porch to a Halloween theme. Many people that own a house mounted flagpole change their typical American flag to a pumpkin, for example. Whether it’s scary or subtle, most people like to decorate their porch in some way or another for Halloween. While this might be a bit ghoulish for some, here are a few tips you can use to tastefully decorate your home for Halloween with both tricks and treats!
Pumpkins
You can skip the traditional jack-o-lanterns, but still spruce up your fall pumpkins a bit. Covering the pumpkins with masks or painting them with a striped or checkered pattern is a stylish alternative to carving. Another way to give a vintage look to your porch is to set out a pumpkin covered with lace or feathers. Scoop Charlotte has some great examples of no-carve pumpkins.
Black and White
Nothing is more classy than black and white. It also happens to make for some really dramatic decorations. Whether you are making a wreath or hanging temporary decor, sticking to a black and white color scheme makes for very a elegant and sophisticated look. It might be black and white painted pumpkins on the porch or a striped cushion on your rocking chair. However you use this color palet–or lack thereof–it can have a major impact.
Graphic Words
Words are everywhere right now. From t-shirts to water bottles, graphics and words are in style. Use this to your advantage. Something as simple as this “boo” picture frame from Jenny Collier is a super cute way to decorate for the occasion. Eeeek… Just think of all the crazy sounds we hear at the holiday and have some fun decorating with them. Did you know that you can have a custom neon light made with words of your choosing? Why not go all out this year and create your own sign? You could have it read “Trick or Treat?” or even just “Happy Halloween!” if you prefer something simple. The glow that these lights produce would certainly look very eerie on the front of the house, so take a look at a site such as www.neonfilter.com and give this idea a go!
If you enjoy decorating for special occasions, but aren’t sure how to keep Halloween decor classy, these are some easy solutions. As with most things, less is more and vintage is best. Follow our advice and you’re sure to have the sweetest house on the block!