The year has whisked by and all of a sudden, its September- which means that the countdown to Halloween has officially begun! Halloween is one of the most creative holidays, allowing us to not only express ourselves in great costumes and gorge on Halloween candy, but also indulge in our favourite scary films and tell ghost stories to scare our family and friends. The spirit of 31st of October begins well before, as homeowners get their house ready to welcome trick-or-treaters, and there are plenty of ways to get your house ready for Halloween. It’s a fun way to get involved in some holiday fun- especially if you’ve got children. If you’re looking for some inspiration as to how to get your home ready for Halloween, here at We Buy Any House we’ve compiled our best ways to decorate your home for Halloween, in addition to our Halloween must haves.
#1- Family Planning:
The first step to ensuring your home turns into a place of horror is to decide a plan of action. A fun way to do this is to spend time together as a family and plan a spooky scene for your garden or home/ Conjure up whatever Halloween fantasy your mind wanders to- whether that’s a haunted forest, house or cemetery. Get the whole family involved and get everyone to pitch ideas- you could even use one idea for each room of your home if you’re truly dedicated to the occasion!
#2 Decorate Your Garden:
Your front garden is the first impression people have of your home, and you’ll be pleased to know there are plenty of things to do that will make your front garden Halloween-ready. Ensuring that your front garden is decorated for the spooky season will entice trick-or-treaters to see what you have in store close-up. If you’re looking for some ideas to decorate your front garden, here are some:
- Crunchy leaves are a must. Ensure they cover the whole of the grass, to create a desolate look to the property.
- Put an old pair of boots sticking out of a pile of mud. It’ll look like there’s a body sticking out of the dirt and hopefully scare some gullible trick or treaters!
- Fake tombstones are essential. Make your home look like a zombie house by placing fake tombs across the grass.
- If you have trees in your garden, add fake cobwebs to your trees and stick some fake critters in them or even a stuffed owl or raven hanging in the trees.
- For an old school horror effect, add a scarecrow to your garden. Simple but very effective.
- A final tip: remember your garden doesn’t have to be perfectly arranged. Make everything look sporadic to create a horror-show feeling.
#3- Decorate Windows and Doors:
Your front door and windows are the eyes and mouth of your property- and throughout the spooky season, you should make the most of these. By adding a few simple touches to your window and door, you can totally transform your doors and windows- here are a few suggestions:
- Hang a wreath on your front door that has bats or spiders covering it.
- A spooky doormat is a great addition- feature one that has a ghost or spider on it.
- Get some fake blood (one that easily comes off) and splatter it across your front door.
- If you’re really looking to go all in this Halloween, you could board up the windows to make your property look abandoned. Use light beams to ensure your window frames don’t get damaged.
- Scare your neighbours and the general public by placing a mannequin in a window. Cover it with a long black dress and shit a flashlight underneath to create a ghostly effect.
#4- Add Pumpkins:
Halloween isn’t complete without pumpkins. They’re a signature staple of Halloween, and even though you don’t have to overdo it with the pumpkin decoration, you can use them to your advantage. If you’re looking for some creative ways to add pumpkins to your home in time for Halloween, here’s a few suggestions:
- Make your own balloon DIY pumpkins. Blow up some orange balloons and draw a scary face on them with a sharpie pen.
- Use a pumpkin as a potpourri to get creative with Halloween scents.
- Use pumpkin dishes to hold all of your Halloween treats.
- If you’re a wizard behind the bar, make a pumpkin punch and serve it from pumpkin bowls.
#5- Lighting:
Lighting is a crucial part of setting any type of ambiance throughout your home. If you’re wanting to create a spooky atmosphere, here’s a few tips to create a mysterious setting theme in your home:
- Stick plastic bats inside of a lampshade. When you light the lampshade, the bats will stick out- but ensure you don’t put them too close to the bulb.
- Orange is a great colour for Halloween. Invest in some orange lanterns and scatter them around the house.
- It’s not Halloween unless you carve a spooky face into a pumpkin and place a tealight inside it- this is 101 of Halloween decorating.
- Candles are your best friend- however ensure they are used safely.
- If the lamps throughout your house are super bright, buy bulbs with a dimming effects to lower the light.
#6- Decorating the Inside of Your Home:
There are plenty of things you can do to transform your home into a spooky wonderland. Whether you want your home to look like an abandoned property, or whether you want it to seem like there’s been a zombie takeover- here are a few suggestions you can implement:
- Use white sheets to cover your chairs and couches. The older the sheets the better. You want it to seem as though your house hasn’t been used for years- so maybe poke some holes in the sheets too.
- Cover your bookshelves in spiderwebs to make it seem like an abandoned library.
- Use fake skulls to spice up drab or old-looking pieces of furniture.
- Take some glass jars, fill them with water and add a splash of green dye. Place a fake eyeball in the jar and it will look like you’re a mad scientist collecting body parts.
- Place some old, unidentifiable items such as a dated child’s toy or parts of a doll around the house- it’s guaranteed to create a creepy effect.
