5 Tips for Great Halloween Decor
Can you believe it’s already October? This summer kind of flew by and between renovating our house, finishing up wedding plans, getting married and going on our honeymoon, Spooky Season really snuck up quick!
I’m not complaining though, Fall is my favorite time of year. It starts to cool down, kind of, and I can pull my sweaters and boots out of the closet. Plus, it’s the kick off of the Holiday Season starting with one of my favorites… Halloween/Michael’s bday which means all the Halloween decorations I’ve got resurfaced this week.
This is my first year decorating anything larger than an apartment living room, so I was excited to take on the challenge and get some holiday spirit brewing in our house. I started with the items I had from the past few years and then bought some new ones that I will use for Halloweens to come. I got the new Halloween decorations from Michael’s craft store when I was buying some frames. They had a crazy 50% off sale on their Halloween decorations and they always have great coupons. I would definitely recommend stopping in their if you’re looking for some well made and inexpensive decorations to add to your collection.
Just don’t get too carried away or impulsive buying new stuff! I almost bought 10 large fake pumpkins that were on sale for $10 since I would be able to reuse them every year, but it was going to cost way more, and be silly to store them all year when I could get real pumpkins at Trader Joe’s for $2 and keep them through thanksgiving then put them into the green waste.
Read below for the easy things I like to do for decorating regardless of the season.
1. Stick to a color scheme. I mentioned it on this Instagram post, but choosing two to three colors for all of your decorations is key for a uniform and clean look. Halloween is easy since black and orange take the lead of most decor, but instead of going with purples, greys, greens, etc., I only got decorations that are black and orange with some white. This way it is easy to build your collection and find things you know will look great together.
2. Decorate around your usual decor. By keeping your usual home decor and adding decorations, your house still feels homey and looks like you. It doesn’t have to become a haunted house to be festive and I like to use my usual candles and decorative pieces mixed in with my Halloween stuff. This keeps my house looking the way I like it and I don’t have to put everything away. For the mantle, I kept up my favorite gold flower candles and decorated the dining table by mixing in our salt and pepper dispensers and coasters into the mix. I kept out my favorite pink vase but added an appropriate arrangement to make it Halloween-y.
3. Only buy items you love and will reuse. If you stick with my color guideline it is easy to know that any new decorations you have will work with what you have already. This year I actually needed some more stuff because my stash of Halloween decorations for a 300 sqft apartment living room wasn’t cutting it for our new house. Since I was looking for more black, orange and white decorations I didn’t buy items that wouldn’t match and only bought stuff that was practical for us to use now and for years to come. It can be easy to buy a bunch of stuff, especially when it’s inexpensive or on sale but try to refrain and hang on to stuff to use every year. Now that I have a good amount to decorate most of the house I will only buy something that is super special. Just make sure to store your decorations carefully so all your items last.
4. Versatile decor that can be used multiple ways. If you find something you love and want to decorate your house the same way every year, that’s great! But, it is also fun to make a new look with the same pieces you have which is why I like to get items that can serve multiple purposes and in different locations. The electric plug in pumpkins that I used to put by the fireplace got moved outside this year, by our front door and to decorate the window sills. I was planning to use my black and orange garland on the fireplace, but after I put some of it around the mantle, I realized it would be better on the stair rails this year. Next year I have the option to swap the mantle and stair decor for it to be a little different but still flow! I will also be able to transition some of the pumpkin and fall decor into Thanksgiving like the orange leaves I used by the windows and the pumpkins I bought from Trader Joe’s. I plan to move both closer to the front door and make sort of a Fall harvest entry way.
5. Easy to put up! Things that are easy to install/put up are a must or you won’t be motivated to decorate and use all of your decorations every year. If you can get something that’s easy to put on and makes a big difference it’s so quick to decorate your space. Garland is a total winner here because you can use it around stairs to quickly weave color into a focal point of your house, hang it around a door frame to create a festive entry way, or use a couple command hooks and drape it on your fireplace, I also did that by our front door awning since I had some extra threads and wanted to see more decor from the street. Figuring out where I wanted everything took some time, but actually installing the decorations was a cinch!
If you stick to those decorating tips, your space will look great and come together easily no matter the season or occasion you are decorating for! Happy Halloween!