We've compiled a list of our best Halloween decorating options and ideas - enter, if you dare!
Best Halloween Decorating Ideas
As a child, I remember counting down to Halloween from as far back as July. That makes releasing a “Best Halloween Decorating Ideas” blog in August seem a bit less pretentious!
The History of Halloween
We all know Halloween as the holiday on which children dress up in costumes and parade from door to door in search of tooth-rotting treats. But it didn’t just happen like this; like many things, it took many centuries of evolving for this tradition to become what it is today.
Some believe that Halloween, (also known as All Hallow’s Eve), began with roots in the Celtic community; others maintain that the holiday originated as a Christian holiday, despite the contradictory subject matter.
Halloween wasn’t always about the spookiness and the scariness, though. It began as simply a nostalgic and respectful holiday dedicated to fondly remembering the deceased. Regardless of its origins, the holiday has always been associated with the fall harvest for tribes and communities.
…Not quite what it is today, but hey, candy’s fun too.
Why do we Decorate?
Alike the entire holiday’s evolution, the decoration aspect has as well taken many years to evolve and become what it is now.
Take Jack-O-Lanterns for example. Initially, the concept of an illuminated pumpkin was erected for the sake of warding off evil spirits in the night; now, it serves as a fun and festive illumination method.
Or ghosts… we all think of ghosts when we think of Halloween; many of us don the bedroom sheet and spook around in a mimicking fashion; but, why? Well, in olden days, the differences between life and death were not fully understood, and the concept of seeing a ghost on the night they were celebrated was not out of the question. So, people would dress up like this to appear welcoming and similar to the possible unwelcome visits of ghosts and other like minded creatures.
The color scheme for this chilling holiday has always consisted of its classic orange and black theme. Orange, due to the association with the time of the harvest, and black, because of its association with death.
Orange, black, ghosts, and Jack-O-Lanterns. These are the key visual aspects of the Halloween festivities. Now, let’s talk about how you can take part in celebrating, if you so choose. And if you don’t want to read on, well…
Boo.
Decorative Halloween Foliage
Inherently, decorative foliage is a great fit for Halloween decorating because of the holiday’s correlation to the fall harvest. Furthermore, funky foliage can provide a very unsettling and spooky atmosphere. Some dark colored artificial Sprays and Picks can even provide an almost Seuss-like anomaly, like Pom Poms and Wild Berries, for example.
If a more natural, authentic feeling is what you’re striving for, check out our new Dried and Preserved category. We’ve got plenty of beautiful accents for your home there, as well as the perfect natural Halloween decorations, like the Basil Dried Moneta Branches, or the Autumn Tortum Flower Bundle.
Believe it or not, we’ve also got a unique tree collection just for Halloween, which offers full black fir pines with orange lights, as well as leafless, twiggy trees.
On top of all of this, we've recently partnered with Sarah H. (@worldofhufie) to create a DIY blog solely focused on creating "Skull Sunflowers", a sweet homemade Halloween decoration that includes the use of our popular Vickerman Artificial Sunflowers. The blog will be published in the near future!
We’ve even got a tree specifically named, “Black Spider.” - Need I say more?
Halloween Light Bulbs
-Duh.
Now, I know what you’re thinking… “OF COURSE the light bulb nerds at LightBulbs.com have to mention light bulbs in their Halloween blog...”
Well, yes, we do.
The ambience of the colored light bulb can create an effect unparalleled by other decorations. It bathes everything in the desired themed colors, like purple and orange, amplifying the holiday effect. And, thankfully, it’s as easy as swapping out your regular porch lights with colored ones! Either orange or purple will look great for approaching trick-or-treaters on Halloween night; but, why stop there? Keep them up for the whole month of October!
Spooky Lanterns and Candles
What better way to showcase the rawness of Halloween than to display it under low-fidelity and old-fashioned light. The inconsistent and unpredictable flicker of LED candles can give a great suspenseful ambiance and is only amplified when paired with the artistic and rustic look of a lantern.
There are subtly festive and traditionally realistic options like a Natural Wood LED Candle Light / Lantern, and some not-so-subtle options like the Skeleton Holiday Lantern – he’s even got a cute dog.
Jack-O-Lanterns
Of course, the best and most festive way to decorate for this holiday of horror is indulging in the age-old tradition of carving pumpkins and making Jack-O-Lanterns. From country to country, millions of people take part in this activity, making a diverse collection of carved pumpkins. From elaborate, serious expressions of art, to a spooky face consisting of two eyes and a couple of pointed teeth, we’ve done it all, and do it every year.
But, what would these pumpkins be without the light inside?...
...Or maybe... What would any of us be without the light inside?
Just kidding - but, seriously - the pumpkin lights...
We’ve got many tea lights that work perfectly for displaying your carved pumpkins. Our collection of LED tea lights is efficient, bright and safe; no need to worry about a candle burning out, or worse, catching something on fire, (then again, maybe this is the vibe you’re going for with your scary décor?)
Some lights offer some unique effects to accompany the illumination as well; like strobing, flashing and flame flickering.
On the subject of Pumpkins, have you ever done a Pumpkin Head Photo Shoot? Because, if not, you should. These combine Shutter Bomb smoke bombs with Jack-O-Lanterns for a fantastic Headless-Horseman vibe.
Thanks for Reading!
There you have it! Our concise, carefully chosen list of what we think are the best, trendiest and most efficient Halloween decor options.
May your Halloween holiday be full of scares, treats and... our decorations!
