The Spookiest House On The Block: Outdoor Halloween Decoration Ideas
Brightly colored pumpkins, dried corn stalks, hay bales, scarecrows and autumn leaves adorn porches, doorways, and yards throughout communities. As soon as that first breeze of autumn air hits, it happens: the annual fall ritual of Halloween and autumn decorating begins. Here are the best outdoor Halloween decor ideas to make your decorating this year the easiest one yet!
Since Halloween involves specific decorations instead of your typical fall decor, you’ll want to hang your decorations at the right time; not too early and not too late.
When can you start decorating outside for Halloween?
The most popular time to start decorating for Halloween is within the first two weeks of October. However, you can start putting up decorations for Halloween as early as late September.
Not only is October 31st the time to impress your family and friends with the spookiest decorations you can come up with, but it’s also the chance to entertain the trick-or-treaters who’ll show up at your doorstep. And as we all know, last year we had a lack of them. Which means that this year you’ll have to get the candies ready! For some inspiration read this easy-to-make Halloween treats for kids post!
Carving your Jack-o-lantern isn’t the only way to deck out your pumpkins this year! From an over-the-top haunted house setup to fake blood and skulls galore, nothing is off limits when it comes to Halloween.
But if you’re not all for the gory decorations, there are tons of cute ideas to make over your front porch for the big day, whether you’re partial to string lights or creative pumpkin displays.
Deck out your landscape
Halloween costumes are fun and all, but if you really want to get into the spirit for the holiday this year, don’t overlook your yard. Use bushes to your advantage. Add eyes or zombie hands. Rake your leaves and fill trash bags that you can decorate with stickers or paint.
1. Skip the Carving and Paint Pumpkins for Your Patch
Not everyone likes carving pumpkins. If you’re in that category, paint your pumpkins with funny faces or day of the dead art.
2. Halloween Mummy Madness
Fill your yard and landscape with whimsical mummy figures. Create mummified creatures by constructing a body form from wood, covering it in batting and wrapping in muslin. A few touches of grey, black, and green spray paint will give your fossilized form some color and interest. Create a number of these simple mummies to add interest to many different parts of your outdoor Halloween decorations and landscaping elements.
3. Mark Your Path with Spooky Lanterns
Lanterns are basically the perfect glam-meets-scary combination. Trick-or-treaters will be delighted to follow these glowing jack-o-lantern pathway markers all the way to your door to get their candy. They also provide moody light. Arrange them along a dark path, a set of stairs, or light up a ghoulish display you arranged.
4. Rustic Painted Wooden Pumpkin Family
An easy way to achieve this look from a pumpkin is to paint, then sand or scratch the paint off until the desired rustic effect is achieved.
5. Jack-O-Lantern Planters
Now that your summer flowers have run their course, repurpose a pair of planters as a spot for pumpkins. Stack craft pumpkins on top of each other and fill with twinkle lights for an unexpected, but seriously fun topiary.
Deck out your front porch
There are a lot of things you can do to turn your porch and yard into a creepy, spooky place. Besides traditional pumpkin carvings, we recommend starting with different lights and luminaries as mentioned above. A front door wreath is the next step. After that, you might want to make a display on a porch or in a front yard with skeletons, ghosts, witches, bats, and other creatures of the night.
1. Halloween Multicolor Garland and Wreath
Door decoration evokes a holiday wreath with roundness and a delicately placed bow, but with some wire, ribbon, and basic craft supplies you can easily DIY your own Halloween version. Consider colors like black, purple and orange. For a themed vibe, consider decorating featuring a classic holiday movie like “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
2. Lettered Halloween Sign
A lettered sign piece serves as both a decoration and a greeting, much like a doormat. The base layer of a design should be applied first. After that, add dots, the letters spelling out “Boo” can be stenciled on. If you’re especially brave or skilled, you can even try freehand lettering.
3. Set Up a Candy Bucket
If you aren’t going to be home (or don’t want to answer the door) on Halloween night, fill a pail up with candy and put on top a bale of hay. Add a skeleton and some pumpkins and you’re ready for trick-or-treaters!
4. Nothing says Halloween Decor like an Entry with Bales of Hay
Create your own mini pumpkin patch with bales of hay, pumpkins, and cornstalks. If you’re feeling extra spooky, throw a black cat in there.
Dress Up Your Doorway
Add pumpkin pillars, glowing lanterns, and a grapevine wreath to deck out you entry. Short on time? Stick some branches on top of the door frame for instant impact.
1. Hang Halloween Theme String Lights
You can never go wrong with light-up ghost-shaped string lights, especially a bunch of mini ones. If you’re not into festive ghost or pumpkin-shaped lights, opt for orange or purple string lights.
2. Welcome Trick-Or-Treaters with a Halloween themed doormat
An on-theme Halloween doormat, like one with a spiderweb, witches or ghosts, add an extra fun touch to your front door.
3. Go Gold!
Mini pumpkins get a glam upgrade thanks to a metallic paint job. Opt for gold faux pumpkins or a wreath that’ll last for years.
4. Go Monochrome!
An all-white color palette makes fall staples like pumpkins, baskets and mums feel totally elegant.
Whether you decide to go spooky or lean towards more elegant monochrome Halloween decorations this year, remember to always have fun! Enjoy your family traditions and make each year memorable.
