Scare Tactics: 8 Tips to Get Ready for Trick or Treaters
Roll out the welcome mat for all the ghosts and ghouls in your neighbourhood with these stylishly spooky ideas
Whether you’re trying to keep up with neighbours that go all out for Halloween, or you’re desperately trying to encourage young witches and warlocks to visit your home, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure your home is trick-or-treat ready. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so that gives us all a bit more time to prepare our homes and streets for a fabulous evening of spooky fun. Follow this plan of attack and you’ll have the little people in your neighbourhood approaching with fear (that’s a good thing) and leaving with a deep sense of relief and a bag full of goodies.
Or not…
While it’s always a good idea to make sure your front yard is safe, Halloween gives you the perfect excuse for it being messy too. Do you already have cobwebs on the door frame? No problem – it’s atmospheric! A colony of daddy-long-legs spiders residing on the balcony? Don’t worry, they’re authentic AND harmless.
If you’re somewhat aesthetically relaxed, you can even pretend you’re preparing for Halloween all year long, and justify your decision to leave caked-on grime on your home’s exterior. It’s really going to work for the haunted-house look come October.
While it’s always a good idea to make sure your front yard is safe, Halloween gives you the perfect excuse for it being messy too. Do you already have cobwebs on the door frame? No problem – it’s atmospheric! A colony of daddy-long-legs spiders residing on the balcony? Don’t worry, they’re authentic AND harmless.
If you’re somewhat aesthetically relaxed, you can even pretend you’re preparing for Halloween all year long, and justify your decision to leave caked-on grime on your home’s exterior. It’s really going to work for the haunted-house look come October.
2. Mark a trail to your house
These pumpkins look great as a trail leading up to a house, but if your home is in a more urban area, you could get chalk to draw signs or write messages on the footpath. You’ll have the kids getting excited about coming to visit before they even get to the front fence.
If you have kids of your own, they’ll love writing and drawing the messages. Other ideas include decorating the nature strip and trees to make the whole street spooky.
Why celebrate halloween in Australia?
These pumpkins look great as a trail leading up to a house, but if your home is in a more urban area, you could get chalk to draw signs or write messages on the footpath. You’ll have the kids getting excited about coming to visit before they even get to the front fence.
If you have kids of your own, they’ll love writing and drawing the messages. Other ideas include decorating the nature strip and trees to make the whole street spooky.
Why celebrate halloween in Australia?
3. Put out a sign
Let everyone in your neighbourhood know that you’re ready for trick or treaters by posting a sign like this on your front fence or door. If you live in an area that doesn’t generally celebrate Halloween, but you’re keen to take your own children out for some trick or treating, you can write a letter to your neighbours and include a copy of your sign.
This way, your neighbours can then choose to participate by getting lollies ready and putting out the sign. So those who want to join in will be ready and the kids will be greeted with smiles (or creepy cackles, as the case may be) as well as Halloween spoils.
Another benefit to this plan is that you don’t have to waste time approaching the homes of people who don’t want to participate, or who you know won’t want to be bothered by pesky ghouls begging for food.
Let everyone in your neighbourhood know that you’re ready for trick or treaters by posting a sign like this on your front fence or door. If you live in an area that doesn’t generally celebrate Halloween, but you’re keen to take your own children out for some trick or treating, you can write a letter to your neighbours and include a copy of your sign.
This way, your neighbours can then choose to participate by getting lollies ready and putting out the sign. So those who want to join in will be ready and the kids will be greeted with smiles (or creepy cackles, as the case may be) as well as Halloween spoils.
Another benefit to this plan is that you don’t have to waste time approaching the homes of people who don’t want to participate, or who you know won’t want to be bothered by pesky ghouls begging for food.
4. Decorate your fence
This is another way to let trick or treaters know you’re open and ready for business. It’s also one of the easiest decorating jobs around. If you haven’t been cultivating your own cobwebs over the year, just pick some up from a two-dollar shop. They’re usually very cheap and so easy to put up that even small children can do it.
When decorating fences, make sure that you place decorations at a low enough height that even the smallest kiddies can see them.
This is another way to let trick or treaters know you’re open and ready for business. It’s also one of the easiest decorating jobs around. If you haven’t been cultivating your own cobwebs over the year, just pick some up from a two-dollar shop. They’re usually very cheap and so easy to put up that even small children can do it.
When decorating fences, make sure that you place decorations at a low enough height that even the smallest kiddies can see them.
5. Decorate your yard
There are many ways to decorate a front yard for Halloween. For instance, who can pass up an opportunity to display some ‘punny’ names? These fake gravestones are perfect for that, and they’re really easy to make with a bit of thick cardboard.
Here are a few to get you started: Ivana Suckyourblood, Robin Graves, Frank N. Stein, Tom B. Stone, Ima Goner, Miss N. Limbs, D. Monic and the classic Hal O’Ween. Ah, there’s nothing funnier than a good pun…
There are many ways to decorate a front yard for Halloween. For instance, who can pass up an opportunity to display some ‘punny’ names? These fake gravestones are perfect for that, and they’re really easy to make with a bit of thick cardboard.
Here are a few to get you started: Ivana Suckyourblood, Robin Graves, Frank N. Stein, Tom B. Stone, Ima Goner, Miss N. Limbs, D. Monic and the classic Hal O’Ween. Ah, there’s nothing funnier than a good pun…
6. Prepare your lights
Now, you don’t have to go overboard with lighting at Halloween. After all, we want it to be pretty dark and scary, but a few strategically placed lights will ramp up the creepy atmosphere surrounding your house. If you can manage to carve a pumpkin for a classic look, a tea light candle inside gives the perfect amount of light and takes your pumpkin face from cute to creepy.
There are also many different lanterns you can buy, and many are solar powered. You simply put them out in the day to charge and they’ll be ready to scare by the evening.
Now, you don’t have to go overboard with lighting at Halloween. After all, we want it to be pretty dark and scary, but a few strategically placed lights will ramp up the creepy atmosphere surrounding your house. If you can manage to carve a pumpkin for a classic look, a tea light candle inside gives the perfect amount of light and takes your pumpkin face from cute to creepy.
There are also many different lanterns you can buy, and many are solar powered. You simply put them out in the day to charge and they’ll be ready to scare by the evening.
7. Mark the approach to your door
I recommend having something pretty scary by the door. Children usually come trick or treating in sugar-fuelled groups. They’ve often lost their manners by their third piece of chocolate, and are just focussed on refilling that bag. Having decorations by the door gives them time to pause and think about what they’re there for – besides a sugar high – and that’s to be scared!
To do this effectively, you want them approaching tentatively. Slow them down and make them appreciate the effort you’ve gone to. Maybe someone could dress up as a witch and sit on the front verandah, pretending to be a large doll or statue. As the kids get close your ‘statue’ can come to life with a scream or wicked laugh. Just be careful to pick your kids. Two-year olds (and their parents) are not likely to respond well to this.
I recommend having something pretty scary by the door. Children usually come trick or treating in sugar-fuelled groups. They’ve often lost their manners by their third piece of chocolate, and are just focussed on refilling that bag. Having decorations by the door gives them time to pause and think about what they’re there for – besides a sugar high – and that’s to be scared!
To do this effectively, you want them approaching tentatively. Slow them down and make them appreciate the effort you’ve gone to. Maybe someone could dress up as a witch and sit on the front verandah, pretending to be a large doll or statue. As the kids get close your ‘statue’ can come to life with a scream or wicked laugh. Just be careful to pick your kids. Two-year olds (and their parents) are not likely to respond well to this.
8. Have your treats ready
Prepare your treats in a spine-tingling display just inside the door. This will be easy for you to access if you’d rather keep the visitors outside, but also looks fabulous for the neighbours you know and are happy to invite inside.
If you need to go out trick or treating yourself, you can leave a small display outside and hope that your neighbours will abide by the honour system.
Prepare your treats in a spine-tingling display just inside the door. This will be easy for you to access if you’d rather keep the visitors outside, but also looks fabulous for the neighbours you know and are happy to invite inside.
If you need to go out trick or treating yourself, you can leave a small display outside and hope that your neighbours will abide by the honour system.
TELL US
Do you celebrate Halloween? How do you get your house ready for little trick or treaters? Share your spooky decorating tips to attract them to your home in the Comments.
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Do you celebrate Halloween? How do you get your house ready for little trick or treaters? Share your spooky decorating tips to attract them to your home in the Comments.
MORE
Halloween Quiz: What’s Haunting Your House?
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Halloween is that odd and wonderful time of year when complete strangers wander into your front yard, knock on your door and ask you for food. As most of those strangers will be children, it’s a good idea to make sure the approaches to your house are safe and free from any dangerous objects, or tripping hazards.