How to decorate your home for Halloween

Halloween is drawing near and we are beginning to see décor of pumpkins, black cats and ghosts popping up around town.

If you are thinking of decorating your home for this spooktacular celebration but are not sure how or what to do, here is a helpful guide to get you started!

Pick a theme

Halloween is all about spooky, creepy and scary things. But it’s easier to start decorating once you decide on a specific theme so you can get the right things for your home to turn it into a morbid or mysterious manor!

Spooky themes we suggest: Cemetery, Night of the Living Dead, Haunted House, Invasion of Creepy Crawlies, Monster Mash, Freak Show, Mad Scientist’s Lab, Dragon’s Lair, Tim Burton.

Choose your colours

Once you choose the exact colours you would like to fill your house with, it’s easier to pick up items and group them together for that picture perfect look.

Colours we suggest: Black, Orange, Purple, Green, Red, Grey, Silver, White, Dark blue Brown.

Stylish or spooky?

You may be drawn to the kooky and kitschy Halloween décor sold in the party stores and supermarket aisles, or prefer the more elegant and subtle look as seen on Pinterest. If you prefer stylish to spooky or classy to creepy, there are some themes you can choose to tone down the scare factor.

Classy themes we suggest: Hollywood, Edgar Allan Poe, Murder Mystery, Gothic, Autumn Harvest, Carnival, Alice in Wonderland, Enchanted Forest.

Fix a budget

Don’t go too overboard with your spending, or the most shocking part about Halloween will be receiving your maxed out credit bill! Fix a budget, stick to it and remember to spend within your means.

Stores we suggest: Daiso, Giant Hypermart, NTUC Xtra, Cold Storage, Spotlight, Party City, Toys R Us.

Set the mood

Halloween home décor should not be limited to just something to feast your eyes on, but you should set the mood to appeal to other senses such as smell.

Dim the lights, or better yet, turn them off and use candles. Not only will this create an eerie atmosphere, if you choose scented candles, it can further enhance your Halloween experience!

Scents we suggest: Spiced Pumpkin, Apple Cider, Country Spice, Candy Corn, Salted Caramel, Apple Cinnamon, Black Cherry.

Add little touches

When you decorate your house for Halloween, it’s not just about a huge skeleton hanging outside your front door, or a large carved pumpkin in your living room.

Remember to add in little touches to every nook and cranny to make your home truly terr(or)iffic!

Décor we suggest: Table settings, window art, vignettes, bathroom accessories, garden ornaments, refrigerator door covers, wall sticker decals, sofa cushions, bedsheets.

Get crafty

You don’t have to rely on store-bought decorations to bring Halloween to your home. Use this as a fun opportunity to create some hand-made crafts with your kids!

Not only will you have some great decorations, your children will appreciate this special bonding time with mum and dad and will remember the fun time forever.

Crafts we suggest:Pumpkin or fruit carving, paper or cloth buntings, hanging spiders mobile, paper plate bats, front door wreath, painted garden pebbles.

Reuse, reduce, recycle

You don’t actually have to spend a single cent on your Halloween décor if you’re creative enough to figure out what to reuse and recycle.

Either create crafts from recycled materials, or reuse decorations from other festivities!

Decorations we suggest: Christmas lights, Easter baskets, New Year’s Eve streamers, Wedding candles, Birthday pom poms.

Find inspiration

If you’re feeling a little stuck, you can ask your kid for ideas, go see what other people are doing on Pinterest or blogs, scour the internet for ideas, attend some Halloween events, or even watch a few horror movies.

Movies we suggest: The Exorcist, Psycho The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Scream, Rosemary’s Baby, Dawn of the Dead, Insidious, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Conjuring, The Omen.

Have fun!

Don’t restrict yourself to what others may think is "right or wrong" for Halloween. It’s your house after all and we all have different tastes and styles, so it’s totally up to you how you want to decorate your home.

And if you don’t feel like filling your house with pumpkins, cauldrons, bats and cobwebs, you can bring your kids to experience some child-friendly Halloween events around town instead.

Events we suggest:Safari Boo at River Safari, Halloween Brick-or-Trick at Legoland Malaysia, Sophisca Halloween Party at Changi Airport, Spooky Seas at S.E.A Aquarium, Halloween Spooky Freeze at The Rink, Spooky Junior Enchanted World at Sentosa.

Which freaky theme have you chosen for your Halloween home décor this year? Are you going for classy or creepy? What other decorating tips do you have for our readers? Share your comments with us below!