Scared Stiff: Your Guide to Last-Minute Halloween Prep
Here are some new uses for the stuff in your Halloween stash, and a few things you can pick up at the shops
Halloween is on the way – are you ready for the revellers? Whether you’re planning a pre-trick-or-treating party for kids or a spooky adults-only dinner party, we’ve got the decorating ideas and (quick!) DIYs you need to make sure your night is frightfully good. Just add costumes.
Subtle Halloween decor for adults
If your Halloween party is for adults, you have the luxury of using (real) candles if you like. A table filled with candles of all shapes and sizes creates a spooky atmosphere, fast.
White tapers are a classic choice; go with black tapers if you want to bump up the spook factor. Protect your surfaces by placing candles on heatproof trays or platters. A tin of candle adhesive is a must if you plan to adhere candles directly to a tray; it can help stabilise candles in holders too. Just add a dab to the base of each candle and press into place.
Caution: Candles placed closely together create more heat, so watch your displays carefully and give individual candles more room if needed. Never leave them unattended. And if you do have kids or pets who will be attending the party, stick with flameless candles.
Materials: Candles, candleholders or heatproof tray.
Prep time: 30 minutes or less.
Minimalist Halloween DIYs for the Design Conscious
If your Halloween party is for adults, you have the luxury of using (real) candles if you like. A table filled with candles of all shapes and sizes creates a spooky atmosphere, fast.
White tapers are a classic choice; go with black tapers if you want to bump up the spook factor. Protect your surfaces by placing candles on heatproof trays or platters. A tin of candle adhesive is a must if you plan to adhere candles directly to a tray; it can help stabilise candles in holders too. Just add a dab to the base of each candle and press into place.
Caution: Candles placed closely together create more heat, so watch your displays carefully and give individual candles more room if needed. Never leave them unattended. And if you do have kids or pets who will be attending the party, stick with flameless candles.
Materials: Candles, candleholders or heatproof tray.
Prep time: 30 minutes or less.
Minimalist Halloween DIYs for the Design Conscious
Photo by Garrison Hullinger
Bubbling witch’s brew
When it comes to bang for your buck, a classic bubbling witch’s cauldron wins every time. It’s not difficult to set up, but you will need to take a few important safety precautions. Dry ice, which creates the steaming effect as it melts, is solidified carbon dioxide – a substance much colder than regular ice – so you’ll need to use tongs to carefully move the pieces. Fill your pot about halfway with hot water, then slowly lower in a few pieces of dry ice (using tongs). And always keep kids and pets away from the cauldron.
Materials needed: Large pot or watertight witch’s cauldron, dry ice, tongs, styrofoam cooler for transporting dry ice home from your supplier (bottled gas companies such as BOC Gas and Supagas often retail dry ice in pellets, slices and blocks).
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus the time it takes to track down dry ice. The shelf life of dry ice is limited, so pick that up after everything else is ready.
Bubbling witch’s brew
When it comes to bang for your buck, a classic bubbling witch’s cauldron wins every time. It’s not difficult to set up, but you will need to take a few important safety precautions. Dry ice, which creates the steaming effect as it melts, is solidified carbon dioxide – a substance much colder than regular ice – so you’ll need to use tongs to carefully move the pieces. Fill your pot about halfway with hot water, then slowly lower in a few pieces of dry ice (using tongs). And always keep kids and pets away from the cauldron.
Materials needed: Large pot or watertight witch’s cauldron, dry ice, tongs, styrofoam cooler for transporting dry ice home from your supplier (bottled gas companies such as BOC Gas and Supagas often retail dry ice in pellets, slices and blocks).
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus the time it takes to track down dry ice. The shelf life of dry ice is limited, so pick that up after everything else is ready.
One giant spider, creatively placed
This is all about the surprise factor, so pick a spot that’s within view but unexpected. The top of a chandelier, as shown here, is perfect for a party held in the dining room. Other places to consider: perched at the top of a stair banister, sitting on the back of a dining chair, creeping out from behind the TV or guarding the bar.
Materials: Spider decoration, tape and stepladder, if needed.
Prep time: 10 minutes.
This is all about the surprise factor, so pick a spot that’s within view but unexpected. The top of a chandelier, as shown here, is perfect for a party held in the dining room. Other places to consider: perched at the top of a stair banister, sitting on the back of a dining chair, creeping out from behind the TV or guarding the bar.
Materials: Spider decoration, tape and stepladder, if needed.
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Elegant Halloween tabletop
This lovely setup comes together in a snap, no carving or crafting required. Simply line up pale-hued pumpkins of various sizes down the centre of a table runner, and fill in gaps with tea lights and sprigs of greenery.
Materials: Assorted pumpkins in pale colors, tea lights and tea light holders, sprigs of greenery.
Prep time: 30 minutes.
This lovely setup comes together in a snap, no carving or crafting required. Simply line up pale-hued pumpkins of various sizes down the centre of a table runner, and fill in gaps with tea lights and sprigs of greenery.
Materials: Assorted pumpkins in pale colors, tea lights and tea light holders, sprigs of greenery.
Prep time: 30 minutes.
Haunted terrarium
You can make this from scratch (complete with carnivorous plants), but if you already have a terrarium there’s no reason you can’t add a few spooky details to it and call it done. Nestled among the plants in the terrarium shown here is a moss-covered branch, a craft owl and spider and a few battery-operated tea lights.
Materials: Terrarium with plants, flameless tea lights, craft spider or owl.
Prep time: 10 minutes if starting with prepared terrarium; about an hour if starting from scratch.
DIY Project: Spooky Terrarium
You can make this from scratch (complete with carnivorous plants), but if you already have a terrarium there’s no reason you can’t add a few spooky details to it and call it done. Nestled among the plants in the terrarium shown here is a moss-covered branch, a craft owl and spider and a few battery-operated tea lights.
Materials: Terrarium with plants, flameless tea lights, craft spider or owl.
Prep time: 10 minutes if starting with prepared terrarium; about an hour if starting from scratch.
DIY Project: Spooky Terrarium
Artful Halloween mantel
Kohlrabi under a glass cloche, pale gourds, a vase of black feathers and scattered tea lights give this mantel an elegantly spooky vibe. This is quite flexible, so feel free to add or subtract items to make this work with vases, jars and other materials you have on hand. The important part is to choose items that fit the color palette of purple, black, white and gold.
Materials: Root vegetables, glass cloche, tea lights, black feathers, white pumpkins or whatever strikes your fancy.
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Kohlrabi under a glass cloche, pale gourds, a vase of black feathers and scattered tea lights give this mantel an elegantly spooky vibe. This is quite flexible, so feel free to add or subtract items to make this work with vases, jars and other materials you have on hand. The important part is to choose items that fit the color palette of purple, black, white and gold.
Materials: Root vegetables, glass cloche, tea lights, black feathers, white pumpkins or whatever strikes your fancy.
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Ghostly art makeover
Replace a few of the framed photos on your walls with spooky images printed from an online source, and your art wall will seamlessly transition to part of the party decor.
You can also adorn photos of family and friends with paper cutouts – of vampire teeth, moustaches, ghosts, knives – taped right onto the glass.
Materials: Paper cutouts or spooky pictures, family photo wall.
Prep time: About an hour.
Replace a few of the framed photos on your walls with spooky images printed from an online source, and your art wall will seamlessly transition to part of the party decor.
You can also adorn photos of family and friends with paper cutouts – of vampire teeth, moustaches, ghosts, knives – taped right onto the glass.
Materials: Paper cutouts or spooky pictures, family photo wall.
Prep time: About an hour.
Spooky checkers
There’s no need to paint your own game board for the craft pictured above if you already have a chessboard or checkerboard; just add candy corn and mini Halloween goodies as the game pieces. If you can’t find appropriately creepy lollies to use, take a look online at retailers such as Candy Bar Sydney.
Materials needed: Chessboard or checkerboard, bag of candy corn, plus a dozen toy skulls, eyeballs, or other Halloween-themed shapes.
Prep time: 10 minutes.
There’s no need to paint your own game board for the craft pictured above if you already have a chessboard or checkerboard; just add candy corn and mini Halloween goodies as the game pieces. If you can’t find appropriately creepy lollies to use, take a look online at retailers such as Candy Bar Sydney.
Materials needed: Chessboard or checkerboard, bag of candy corn, plus a dozen toy skulls, eyeballs, or other Halloween-themed shapes.
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Classic kids’ Halloween party activities
If you have kids coming over for a pre-trick-or-treating party, it’s smart to have a few games and activities up your sleeve. You may already have materials on hand to do one or more of these classics:
Prep time: About an hour, plus time to gather your supplies.
Find out more about seasonal decorating
If you have kids coming over for a pre-trick-or-treating party, it’s smart to have a few games and activities up your sleeve. You may already have materials on hand to do one or more of these classics:
- Bobbing for apples
- Doughnuts on a string
- Pin the tail on the cat (or pin the spider on the web)
- Decorate a mini-pumpkin with googly eyes and glitter glue (or whatever else is lurking in your craft stash)
- Halloween-themed bingo
Prep time: About an hour, plus time to gather your supplies.
Find out more about seasonal decorating
Photo by Garrison Hullinger
Halloween night checklist
Halloween night checklist
- Pets safely indoors
- Outdoor lights (and mood lighting, if using) turned on
- Spooky soundtrack cued up
- Jack-o-lantern carved and lit (with flameless candles for safety)
- Costumes on
- Lollies in the treat bowl
Build on Halloween decor from year to year
If you’re just starting out decorating for Halloween, chances are you don’t have a huge stockpile of fake tombstones and orange string lights to pull from – and that’s OK! Instead of fretting over having the spookiest house on the block this year, focus on choosing a theme (the spooky abandoned house; the Harry Potter themed house?) you’ll be happy to build on, year after year.
Tell us
What’s the most memorable Halloween house decoration you’ve seen? Share the scares in the Comments below and join the conversation.
More
Read more fun stories on Houzz
If you’re just starting out decorating for Halloween, chances are you don’t have a huge stockpile of fake tombstones and orange string lights to pull from – and that’s OK! Instead of fretting over having the spookiest house on the block this year, focus on choosing a theme (the spooky abandoned house; the Harry Potter themed house?) you’ll be happy to build on, year after year.
Tell us
What’s the most memorable Halloween house decoration you’ve seen? Share the scares in the Comments below and join the conversation.
More
Read more fun stories on Houzz
Whether you choose to go with one big statement – like this skeleton in an armchair – or to casually place a few spooky details, such as books re-covered with ‘spell book’ covers, it doesn’t take much effort to create a Halloween mood in the house.
Materials: Skeleton decor, available at seasonal party shops and online; optional paper and markers for making ‘spell book’ covers.
Prep time: If you already have your skeleton decor and don’t want to make creepy book covers, this can be a five-minute project.