Decorating for the holidays adds up, and Halloween tends to creep up on us quickly in all its wicked and campy glory, so you may be tempted to skip out on the pumpkins and cauldrons.
But hold up: getting your spook on doesn’t have to cost a ton. And more importantly, October 31st is the perfect excuse to host anything from a sophisticated dinner party to a coven gathering where you and your girlfriends ward off ghosts (of every kind), a trick-or-treating costume watch party, scary movie marathon, or family-friendly bash.
Whichever way you choose to celebrate, you’ll definitely be needing some Halloween decorations to set the witchy scene. So, housebeautiful.com selected some DIY Halloween decorating ideas that are so easy, it’s scary.
DIY Chalkboard
Alicia Lund of Cheetah Is the New Black swathed her decorative marble fireplace in two coats of Benjamin Moore’s chalkboard paint. Then, she simply drew a fun Halloween scene to work as a nice backdrop.
Pumpkin Vase
Turn your pumpkin into a vase for a Halloween-chic centerpiece. Beyond the pumpkin, it’s perfectly Halloweenie thanks to the dead flowers and figs used to fill the vase.
On-Theme Bouquet
If you’re hosting a scary movie night, bring the on-screen horror to life with some spooky decor. An on-theme bouquet surrounded by pumpkins and a skull decanter for the table, and then some flying paper bats for the walls will do. Floor cushions promise extra seating—power in numbers when it comes to scary movie marathons.
Elevated Smudge Sticks
Yes, Halloween can be all about scary movies and funny costumes – or it can be about replacing bad bad vibes with a better energy. That’s where smudge sticks come in. Want to kill two birds with one stone?
Set up an arts and crafts table with beautiful florals for guests to make their own smudge sticks at the Halloween soirée. Then, your guests get to partake in the DIY project and have something to take home with them.
Spider Web Bar Cart
Decorate your table with skulls, spiderwebs, then fill jars with candy. Is it weird that we think this looks insanely chic?
Spooky Cakes
Let the dessert do the talking. These cakes double as Halloween decor while the skeleton serveware is actually chic enough to live beyond the grave of October 31st. And while that cake decorating looks pretty intense, it’s actually as easy as hitting the print button.
