Easy Ways to Turn Your Home into a (More Chic than Eeek!) Haunted House
If your Halloween style is more sophisticated spooks than guts and gore, prepare to be charmed. Not only are these decorating ideas the perfect balance of creepy and cool, but they’re also almost effortless—making them even more enchanting.
Above: Add a playful paper mask or a giant witch’s hat to a family photo or painted portrait, as shown above from Country Living. We recommend taping paper accessories to the frame or a glass front to avoid damaging your art.
Even if you don’t decide to make the printable banner from DIY Network, the mantel scene above is brimming with hauntingly beautiful ideas. Wrap black lace trim around white candles (just be careful when burning them) or drape a sheer white fabric across the mantel for a sophisticated take on faux cobweb.
Pretty much anything looks spookier when you put it under a glass cloche. Find cheap bell jars at Hom Goods or Save on Crafts, then set feathers, vintage postcards, ink wells, even twigs from the backyard, underneath. The specimen above was spotted in 91 Magazine.
Switching out your white taper candles for pitch black ones is an inexpensive way to imbue your dining room with witchy vibes. Coco Kelley interspersed the candelabras with greenery for a sophisticated Halloween dinner party.
You don’t need to turn your home into a scene from a Hitchcock movie in order to invoke a spooky vibe. The Craftberry Bush uses a few well-placed faux crows to make a pretty glass front cabinet feel eerie. Look for fake crows at craft stores or Factory Direct Craft.
A can of matte black spray paint can work wonders during this time of year. Real Simple used the craft store staple two ways in the scene above: A collection of empty wine bottles were spritzed before being put to use as candleholders, and a couple of orange pumpkins were brought over to the dark side.
Raid your linen closet for this idea: Pull out extra white sheets and drape them over armchairs, couches, or an ottoman, as Country Living did above. The idea not only evokes a haunted house, but will save your furniture from getting splashed with red wine.
Sticking just one or two mice decals on your stairs will make guests do a double take. The ones above were spotted on The Locker, but you can find similar decals on Etsy or make them yourself following these direction from Martha Stewart.
If your home has a mantel, arrange a hoard of bats so they look like they just fluttered in through the fireplace. Sarah of Just the Bees Knees used store-bought paper bats, but you can also craft your own out of black paper.
Let collections you already own or natural specimens collected on nature walks serve as a cabinet of curiosities. Place wasps nests, feathers, skeletons, and preserved butterflies alongside the oldest books you own, as a Minnesota antiques dealer did in her display above from Midwest Living. If you’re looking to expand your collection of oddities, check out the creepy-cool finds at The Evolution Store.
Cast a ghoulish glow by draping black cheesecloth over skeletal ghost lamps, as In the Fun Lane did above.