Halloween Ideas for Spook-tacular Decor

I have such fond memories of Halloween growing up in Connecticut. My mother make our costumes and decorate the lamp post on the outside walkway with corn stalks. Together we would paint pumpkins with faces and add straw hats. Across the street was a graveyard and I would run by there as fast as possible on those dark, blustery Halloween nights. Some people just don’t like Halloween, but I do. Here are decor ideas for a spook-tacular and scary holiday.

Skulls and Skeletons

It is so fun for me to look back on Halloween pictures over the years. What you will see is how I use our items in different vignettes year to year.

Here is Mr. Bones on our front porch.

When we visited Old Town Alexandria, Virginia in 2020, skeletons are used in many different ways.

If you need skeletons, there is a huge selection on Amazon here.

We have an assortment of skulls that are easy to place just about anywhere. Often, I use these for the centerpiece at the dinner table, or to fill in the mantel or entry display.

Gravestones

Gravestones are always appropriate and some have unique sayings too. If you have been to the Haunted Mansion at Disney, you can see many with a sense of humor.

Vintage Apothecary Bottles

Halloween conjures up images of a mad scientist in his laboratory with potions in apothecary bottles. If you have any leftover bottles, you can apply vintage bottle labels to create your own chemistry lab. Check out these labels on Amazon.

My friend, Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse has a DIY on how to make vintage bottle labels with free printable labels online. Whether your bottles are clear, green or brown, an old label will certainly give them character and the right vibe for Halloween. Here is a link to Rachel’s post .

Some online labels are already old looking like the ones here.

Old bottles, in various sizes, can be used in various ways~on a mantel or as a centerpiece for a Halloween party.

A Shower Curtain

Did you know there are Halloween-themed shower curtains? Check out the one in the background of my friend’s dinner party. It is hung in front of a window, which gives it an eery, lighted feeling.

This full moon with gothic gates is the perfect backdrop to our ghostly dinner party.

Last year, my sweet blogging friends got together in Florida and put on this elegant, yet scary dinner party. Chloe, from Celebrate and Decorate is responsible for all the special touches of this gorgeous table. You can see more details about this here and here.

Below, the moon gothic haunted house and courtyard shower curtain is only $14.99 here. It makes the perfect backdrop for picture taking or just hanging over a window. You can actually use it in the bathroom too~

For more examples of what is available, click here.

Crows, Rats, Black Cats and Spiders

In everyday life, I think big black crows are just plain scary. We have an automated one that is motion activated so when you walk by it makes a loud CAW with its red blinking eyes.

We also have a box of crows, owls and cats that have realistic black feathers/fur. Perching them in light fixtures or on a mantel or table, adds a bit of spook to your home. Here’s a link to some of these feathered friends.

An affordable way to turn up the creep factor is to add black stock paper rats. You can order them here.

I am not a fan of spiders, but how impressive are these arachnids! The entire front of this brownstone is covered in webs, spiders and skeletons. I love how the residents of Old Town, Alexandria go all out on their exterior decorations. It certainly made my morning walks quite fun.

Mantel Decor

Each year I try to change up the dining room mantel for Halloween. When we entertain for Halloween, our guests generally pass through the dining room on the way to the kitchen. Therefore, it makes sense to decorate this one, vs. the other mantels in the house.

In 2018, the mantel is blatantly spooky.

However, this year, it is a bit more subtle with colors of pink, pale blue, black with skull heads. I placed an early order of this garland from Grandinroad’s Halloween catalog. So happy I did because it appears to be sold out now. Here is their website. They have amazing Halloween items.

Witches Hats and Brooms

How cute are these witches broomsticks from Jennifer at the Cottage on Bunker Hill? You can find broomsticks online or I believe these are from Trader Joes.

I’ve always wanted to decorate with lots of black witches hats, but have never done so. I just ordered 12 hats from Etsy so let’s see where that takes us this year!

For years, I have a set of glass witches that have an LED battery operated light. They glow eerily at night and I think they are more sweet, than scary. I have no idea where I purchased them, but cherish them year after year.

Well, if you decorate for Halloween, I hope this post is an inspiring one. Just writing it has me thinking about how I will change things up a bit this year. We will more than likely have a dinner party, as we don’t get any trick or treaters. Our street is too busy and dark and with no sidewalk, it makes coming to our house a bit precarious. Do you have Halloween plans? If so, please share!

Have a fabulous day!

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