Chic DIY Halloween Ideas
As the air turns cooler and leaves blush the colors of autumn, many people anticipate one of their favorite holidays. While Thanksgiving ranks top as a fall smorgasbord, it is still not the party celebration that Halloween is. According to an online article by The Guardian, Halloween is the number- three holiday for party goers. If you are ready to get your ghoulish groove on this Halloween, you do not have to spend a fortune on ready-made decorations. Here are some DIY Halloween decorating tips for the creepiest themes:
Spooky Ambiance
Since most Halloween celebrations are in the evening, you can take advantage of lighting to create spine-tingling mood you want. Having extra lighting around your yard also makes a safer place for all of your little goblins who are looking for candy.
- Paper bag luminaries: This is a quick craft that the kids can help make. Buy a pack of white paper lunch bags and trace designs on them. Some ideas might be a pumpkin face, a flying witch, a bat, or any other spooky design. After your kids have drawn a pattern, you can use a razor blade to carefully cut out the design. Add some pebbles or sand to each bag for weight. Place a battery-operated tea light into each luminary and line them along your side walk or porch.
- A few weeks before Halloween, have friends and family save all their empty orange pill containers for you. They make perfect hanging lights around your porch or as inside decorations. Peel the label off the containers and rinse them out. Carefully drill ½ inch holes in the tops of the lids and paint them green with craft paint. Take a black paint marker and make pumpkin faces on the containers. After the lids have dried, pop them back on their containers. Take a string of clear lights (preferably with green wire) and put a bulb in each container. You now have a whimsical string of mini jack o’ lanterns.
Macabre Tablescaping
If you are hosting a Halloween party, let your table be the haunting center of attention. Your devilish delights will be more appealing amongst ghostly decor:
- Cheese cloth is ideal for a creepy tablecloth. Buy enough to cover your table. Take a pair of scissors and fray the ends to make it look old and tattered. If you do not want it white, you can always buy a bottle of dye to make it black. Go to the website forRitz Dye to find out more about dying materials.
- Decide on a spooky color theme for your table. Some popular colors are orange, black, and deep purple. Black, white, and bloody scarlet also make dramatic contrasts. You can use small pumpkins and gourds around the table in their natural color or painted. Be sure to throw in a few black rats and disgusting insects for instant repulsion.
- Easy Creepy Candles: Nothing says gothic horror like a collection of creepy candles. They make your guests feel like Dracula is coming for dinner. Save up several empty rolls from paper towels and bathroom tissue. Paint them a creamy white and let them dry. Using a cool-temperature glue gun, make long glue drips running from the top of the container (mimicking melting wax). Place a battery-operated tea light in the top and place your homemade candles in holders wide enough for them.
A Wicked Welcome
Your guests and tricker-treaters will be delighted and a bit spooked when they are welcomed at your door by a wicked witch. With a few items from your local thrift store or your closet, she will be ready to be a haggy hostess in no time. Here is what you need:
- An old-fashioned dress—hopefully in black. If it is not black, you can always dye it. A worn-out wedding dress would be perfect to dye.
- A vintage pair of lady’s black gloves
- An old pair of pointed lady’s boots
- An old pair of dark leotards or thick stockings
- A Styrofoam wig head, a witch mask, a long black wig, a witch’s hat
Your welcoming witch is as easy to make as a scarecrow. Stuff the dress with anything you may have on hand, such as old rags, cotton batting, or even straw. You can use posts to stand her up on the porch or sit her in an old rocking chair. To make the scene even better, add a cauldron that is lit up by colored lights and dry ice. You can also put an old broom in her hand and a stuffed black cat at her side. Watch the surprise on your guests’ faces when they meet your resident witch!
You do not need a pirate’s loot to have spooktacular decorations for Halloween. Shock and amaze your guests with even more Halloween decorating ideas. You will be the After-life of the party!