In working around the COVID-19 pandemic, Halloween might look a bit different for families this year. Parents might not feel comfortable with traditional “trick-or-treating,” and parades and candy throwing may be cancelled. But you can still celebrate! Here are some tips for jazzing up your home for the spookiest of all holidays.
Say it with Color
If you’re looking for understated décor, it might be best to forgo the ghosts and goblins, and instead focus on Halloween’s colors, traditionally black, orange and purple. Go with all three or pick a pair of the two and hang string lights, put illuminated pumpkins in your street-facing windows, and buy a garden flag that reflects the décor. Mums in orange hues are great for both Halloween and the fall season.
Go Creepy
If you like those critters that elicit the heebie-jeebies, go all out. Stock up on spider webs and their famous inhabitants, buy faux bats to hang – the more the better. You might even add a cranky black cat or two.
Monster Mash
If you’re a horror film buff, now might be time to show off your love of those movies and your creative side by putting together a montage that gives a nod to your favorite. It could be Nightmare on Elm Street, The Night of the Living Dead or even Halloween. Now’s the time to bring in classic scares like vampires, witches, Frankenstein, zombies and the like.
Spooky Fun
Intrigued by the supernatural? A ghost theme might be best suited to you. Use lighting effects and surprise sounds, and you just might give passers-by an all-in-good-fun scare. Sound isn’t visible, but it absolutely goes a long way in creating a mood. You could put speakers in bushes that create the occasional creepy tone or provide a more constant organ music, seemingly synonymous with haunted houses.
Play with Pumpkins
Carving pumpkins is a perfect way to get youngsters and those young-at-heart in on the Halloween fun. Stay traditional and make jack-o-lanterns, buy fun stencils or cut out cats, sayings, or images of your favorite dog breed. Not everything Halloween has to be scary. If youngsters are too small to participate in traditional carving, consider decorating by painting or using glitter and other accoutrements. Don’t forget to roast those pumpkin seeds and enjoy if you do get to carving, though.
Bringing the Fun Inside
Whatever you’ve determined as your Halloween style, you can bring the fun inside for décor, too. Consider special bath towels and kitchen placemats, colored and custom-scented candles and knick-knacks that bring in the Halloween feel.
If trick-or-treating is a no-go, that doesn’t mean you can’t still play dress-up and get in costume. Put together your own Halloween Bash. Dress up, play some spooky tunes, enjoy some snacks and fill up the trick-or-treat bags or pumpkins with everyone’s favorite candies, hide them, then hold a scavenger hunt to discover your finds.
