For some people, the scarier the better when it comes to Halloween decorations. A zombie girl with glowing eyes who rips the head off her teddy bear? OK. A 6-foot-tall, chainsaw-wielding hulk who emits bloodcurdling screams and buzzing? Trick or treat!
Decorating with scary stuff can be part of the fun.
But other people, including those with little kids, find the aesthetic disturbing, and prefer their Halloween without the gore.
B次元官网网址淚 want to preserve my little onesB次元官网网址� innocence as long as possible, and the creepy, mischievous, evil side of Halloween brings up topics I donB次元官网网址檛 want my child to know about until theyB次元官网网址檙e old enough to understand itB次元官网网址檚 fake,B次元官网网址� says Jamie Morrissey, who has three children under 3 in suburban New York.
For those after a more dialed-down but still spooky and dramatic look, there are plenty of decorations and themes.
Some play off of old science and wizardry, with celestial illustrations and apothecary elements. Some take a playfully gothic turn. ThereB次元官网网址檚 the traditional orange-and-black color scheme, but no reason to stick only to that.
(Note: As for fake cobwebs and dangling lights, wildlife experts urge people not to put them up. Animals can get in them, leading to injury or death.)
BASIC BLACK. OR A HALLOWEEN RAINBOW
Jessica Dodell-Feder, HGTV MagazineB次元官网网址檚 executive editor, bleeds the color from her decorations.
B次元官网网址淚 love keeping everything black and white, then using natural elements that have a little bit of a creepy factor like bats, snakes, bugs or Venus fly traps,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淭hink black-painted branches sticking out of an urn; framed faux moth specimens; black-painted faux snakes B次元官网网址榗rawlingB次元官网网址� across the center of a table like a runner.B次元官网网址�
At the other end of the spectrum, if you want to take your Halloween a little bit B次元官网网址�90s, a little bit , then professional crafter of Austin, Texas, has some zingy, rainbow-hued, Halloween-themed ideas at her site, akailochiclife. She offers garlands of multicolored pumpkins or phrases, like B次元官网网址淗ocus PocusB次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址淚 Put a Spell on You.B次元官网网址� She has instructions for spatter-painting faux pumpkins in day-glo colors.
Another craft idea that kids and adults can do together:
Submerge a few white tapers in warm water until theyB次元官网网址檙e soft enough to bend into curvy shapes. Then with a permanent marker add facial features. Once theyB次元官网网址檝e cooled and hardened again, youB次元官网网址檝e got some candle ghosts for the table. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a DIY video on WhittenB次元官网网址檚 blog.
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern LivingB次元官网网址檚 senior homes and features editor, favors fall colors.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not huge on Halloween, so I love leaning into the seasonB次元官网网址檚 abundance of natural colors instead: sage greens, burnt oranges, golden yellows and chocolate browns,B次元官网网址� she says.
B次元官网网址淧lus, when you skip the zombies in favor of fall color, you can enjoy your decorations from the start of the season through Thanksgiving.B次元官网网址�
GHOSTS, JACK-OB次元官网网址�-LANTERNS AND OTHER STALWARTS
But Watson acknowledges itB次元官网网址檚 no fun to be a Halloween Scrooge, either.
She finds the handmade ghosts from Mollie Jenkins Pottery B次元官网网址渏ust the right mix of sweet and spooky.B次元官网网址�
is a Columbus, Georgia, ceramic artist who found herself with a little extra white clay one fall semester while pursuing her B.F.A. at Auburn University.
B次元官网网址淢y momB次元官网网址檚 always loved decorating for the holidays, and growing up we had spooky Halloween candlesticks along with big terracotta jack-oB次元官网网址�-lanterns. I took a spin off of those, creating my whimsical ghost,B次元官网网址� she said.
Her little specters have developed a following, and sell out every year on her site.
DECORATING FOR A PARTY
Inviting some friends over for a spooky soiree?
For a Hogwarts feel, hang some of battery-operated B次元官网网址渇loating candlesB次元官网网址� over a party table or entry. The retailer also has stacked black pumpkin lights with cat faces, and glittery black twig trees.
got a twiggy, matte-black wreath for a mantel or door. Or create a modern Halloween village with a few of their matte-black haunted houses.
Lauren McIntosh, an artist in Berkeley, California, has created a collection of glassware and napkins for with illustrations including a fortune-tellerB次元官网网址檚 palm, ravens, night-blooming flowers, and mystical moon and star patterns. Also for London ceramicist has an endearing array of bats, cats, owls and ravens on trays, mugs, lanterns and a candelabra.
Dodell-Felder shares a party idea connected to the movie B次元官网网址淏eetlejuice,B次元官网网址� which gets a new installment as early as next year.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a huge fan of Tim Burton, and recently ended up purely by accident at a Beetlejuice-themed bar. It had black-and-white striped d茅cor with neon green elements. The drinks were served on dry ice, and they had old-timey portraits on the walls. You couldnB次元官网网址檛 look away!B次元官网网址� she says.
For B次元官网网址渁n elevated Halloween party,B次元官网网址� The SpruceB次元官网网址檚 editorial and strategy director, Caroline Utz, suggests setting up a tablescape with luxe textures like velvet, and adding orange, purple and green candlesticks in different shapes and sizes. Sculptured Greek or Roman busts might add a B次元官网网址淣ight at the MuseumB次元官网网址� vibe.
CREATIVE BUT GENTLE
In San Francisco, Emily Reaman works in interior design, and sheB次元官网网址檚 also got a preschooler. While he loves some B次元官网网址渟pookyB次元官网网址� things, sheB次元官网网址檚 careful about her decorating.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 have cobwebs or skeletons hanging by my front door,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淏ut I do add lights to the trees, and my son and I decorate gourds with paint and glitter that we keep out during Halloween, then use on the Thanksgiving table.B次元官网网址�
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