Porch-decorating season has officially begun. Whether we want to scare, delight, or impress our guests, it’s time to get out the ghostly gear. But if you (like many of us) struggle to come up with unique decorations year after year, here are a few Halloween ideas that are equal parts spooky and stylish.
Image via Tatertots & Jello
Jennifer Hadfield is a Salt Lake City writer and creator of the popular DIY blog Tatertots & Jello. She loves to decorate her front porch for various holidays and offers several tips for others to create their own festive entryway. Her approach? Make a seasonal wreath with fabric and vintage buttons, set out a fun rug (something inexpensive from Ikea) on the ground, build layers of greenery with various kinds of flowers (try mums), and add a bench to increase the dimension of the space.
Image via Doreen Catena
Doreen Catena of Rumson, NJ, was tired of trick-or-treaters passing by her home every year, so she decided to transform her porch into her version of a skeleton’s living room. She refurbished a damaged Victorian sofa, found a 6-foot-tall birdcage on the roadside, and brought in other accessories to create a memorable and unique display. To coordinate with the sofa, she covers all her porch furniture with red velvet drapes. Her decorations are now so popular that families come to take photos and often stay awhile; she hosts a grown-up cocktail Halloween party on her porch while showing Halloween movies in her driveway for children.
Image via The Rush of Life
North Carolina–based Madelyne Rush, blogger at The Rush of Life, decided to make her home look like it was boarded up and filled with bats. She did this by sketching out bat shapes, transferring those templates to black poster board, and taping them to the house. She got wood-looking vinyl drawer lining from the dollar store and covered more foam to make to “boards” for the door and windows to make it look as though the house were abandoned. Rush recommends others walk through the aisles of stores that sell Halloween decor but don’t buy: Take home those ideas and start DIY projects with what you already have.
