9 of my Favorite Halloween Decorating Ideas

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From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

It’s finally here – happy October, my spooky friends! To the rest of the world October 1 marks the day it is officially acceptable to begin the Halloween season, but I know you and I have both been hard at work since Labor Day decorating our homes for our favorite holiday, planning our parties and scouring the Internet for everything we need to make another perfect costume.

I put my finishing touches on my Halloween decorations in the Spooky Little Apartment earlier this week. (I fully intend to share a complete tour of my place between now and October 31st, by the way – keep an eye out!) Over the last eight years, my collection of Halloween goodies has grown exponentially. It hasn’t always been the most cohesive collection, but when I moved into the Spooky Little Apartment last year and October came around…I quickly realized there was no way I was going to be able to use every last piece.

As a result, I went from an overwhelming jumble of odds and ends to a carefully cu

rated collection of decor – and one that uses some easy-to-find basics that go a long way towards achieving my creepy/spooky vibe I strive for each October.

Looking for some inspiration for your place? Here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas:


From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

Pumpkins

We’ll start with the obvious – nothing says Halloween like a place full of pumpkins. For me, they add a fun, natural element to my decor and can be multi-purposed from September to the end of November. I picked these guys up at my favorite grocery store a few weeks ago. They’ll likely get turned into jack-o-lanterns for my Halloween party at the end of the month, but for now they’re making their home outside my apartment door.

 

From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

Lights

I’ve been in love with decorating with lights since junior high. One Christmas a string of blue lights went up in my bedroom and didn’t come down until after I graduated from high school. Purple, orange, multi-colored, novelty…I have an entire box devoted solely to spooky lighting options, and I string them up on anything immobile. Their soft glow goes a long way in creating a spooky vibe throughout my apartment.

 

From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

Printables

One quick Pinterest search produces hundreds of free Halloween printables. Or, if you’re like me, you make your own because none of them meet your needs! I can’t take credit for the one pictured above (grab it here), but printables are such an easy – and cheap – way to add some impressive decor to your home. They look super fancy without a lot of work. Mine go in picture frames that hang year-round in my kitchen.

By the way, I’ve already rounded up some great printables for you.

 

From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

Spooky Fabric

I bought a few pieces of this fabric on clearance one year, and somehow I ended up with every color made. (That isn’t a complaint.) It pairs beautifully with all my lights and looks great draped over bedposts, across windows, from ceilings, around mirrors…plus you can find this in nearly everyone’s Halloween collections these days for under $5.

 

From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

Pennants

I’m in love with pennants year-round for decor. I drape them along my bookshelves, across curtain rods and in my bedroom for a little pop of color – or in this case, spookiness. I make them from scrapbook paper (usually purchased in the huge books using a half-price coupon at my local craft store), but the ones pictured here came from this Etsy store.

Four years later, they’re still one of my favorite pieces of Halloween decor. $4.50 well spent!

 

From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

Apothecary Jars

Easily my favorite way to decorate for Halloween! When I hosted a Harry Potter-themed Halloween party in 2011, I spent weeks carefully buying up a variety of jars to use for a mini-Honeyduke’s. Since then, I’ve collected a few more and use them in a variety of ways – mini terrarium scenes, candles nestled in candy corn, candies with colorful or crazy wrappers (these Creepy Peppers are some of my faves). There are so many possibilities, and they are great for general home decor once Halloween is over.

 

From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

Door Hanging

A good door sign, wreath or hanging is a must for this spooky little girl. It makes me smile every day when I come home and adds a festive air to my apartment stairwell. This + pumpkins = perfect spooky little door.

Stay tuned – in the coming weeks, I’ll be posting a tutorial for a super simple way to make your own front door festive!

 

From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

Window Clings

There are so many tacky window clings out there, and 99% of the time they are my last choice for spooky decor. But these sets of Martha Stewart clings I grabbed on clearance a few years ago get so many compliments. I use them sparingly so as not to over-do it, but the solid black makes for some cool touches to windows and mirrors around the Spooky Little Apartment.

 

From pumpkins to lights, here are my 9 favorite Halloween decorating ideas | spookylittlehalloween.com

 

Halloweenies

All other spooky knick-knacks and tchotchkes are called “Halloweenies” in my world. Whether it’s mercury glass candle holders, skulls, jack-o-lanterns or cute finds like this little guy (that candy corn necklace is my favorite!), they all find a home on my many bookshelves to finish off the spooky feel of my place.

 

What is your favorite way to decorate for Halloween?

I’d love to hear it! Share it with me on Twitter. And welcome to the Halloween season! (By the way, if you’re looking for more ways to decorate check out my Pinterest account.)

 

Counting down to October 31,

 

 

Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween

Miranda is the Houston-based writer, blogger, and Halloween lover behind Spooky Little Halloween, the blog celebrating October 31st all year long. Her favorite Halloween things include pumpkin guts, chocolate bars in her trick-or-treat pail, real haunted houses (including the one she lives in!), and historic cemeteries.

2 Comments

  1. Reply

    Ellie

    October 30, 2015

    These are good ideas. Thanks alot. I was wondering what theme I could go for with my apartment and after reading this, I know what I want. And that is a dead pirate’s lair. That would be really cool.

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