Step Up Your Halloween Game With These Spooky Decor Pieces
Looking for some Halloween decor inspiration that takes a detour around the cheap stuff at the party store to make a much spookier impact? Perhaps one of these ghastly design themes will be just what you need to step up your Halloween game and create a memorable vignette your party guests won’t be forgetting any time soon.
A Modern Glam Mantel
Some branches from the outdoors, a few eye-catching decorative elements, and a restrained color palette make this mantel by Modern Glam an elegant way to celebrate the season. Mix natural materials and cozy textures with graphic spooky shapes and objects like a ceramic crow sculpture from Pottery Barn, a moon phase lamp from Urban Outfitters, black pumpkins from Ballard Designs, and a spider cut-out garland from Any Occasion Banners on Etsy.
Here’s a tip from Ashley at Modern Glam:
“One of my favorite things to do is to take the decorations that I already have and try and use them in a new way. Something I haven’t ever tried before. This is a challenge, but a fun and creative one! So, take what you have and rather than put it out each year in the same spot, try something new! Rearrange, repurpose, and reinvent the items you already own. And mix in items that aren’t necessarily for the holiday. For this neutral Halloween mantel, I repurposed my vintage champagne bucket to hold the tree branches. I love the antique spin it gives this vignette.”
A Witchy Apothecary
Spells, specimens, and curious collections — this witchy Halloween decor theme is easy to cobble up using many items you already have. Got an old witch costume you’re not wearing this year? Thread some clear fishing line through the tip of the hat and hang it from the ceiling for an eerie floating effect. A wooden broom propped in the corner makes a big impact, too. But of course, the star of the show is a display of mysterious glass vessels filled with who knows what.
This style works particularly well in homes with lots of antique and vintage elements, so pull out your weathered wooden trunks, dusty old books, possibly haunted mirrors, and dried roses. You can easily reuse glass bottles straight from your recycling bin, fill them with props and colored liquids or gelatin, and cap them off with wax. If you want to invest in pieces you can use year-round, check out Pottery Barn’s collection of clear glass apothecary jars.
You don’t have to be an artist or a calligrapher to pull off those custom labels, either. You can find printable designs all over the internet, like these ones by Lia Griffith, which read “toadstool clippings,” “feathers of the crow,” “snake venom,” and more. A framed “Salem Apothecary” sign by AllChristmas on Etsy is a nice touch, as are black bat cutouts for the wall by TheVinylTree, also on Etsy.
A Haunting Table
Set the table for a feast fit all your favorite ghouls and goblins — and all without a single paper plate in sight! Many of your favorite home decor retailers have items for sale that will send a chill down the spines of your guests, and some of them are perfectly appropriate to use year-round, too.
Matte black flatware from West Elm takes on a sinister look when it’s surrounded by creepy decor, but it makes for a beautifully minimalist table otherwise. Magnolia’s simple black taper holders won’t spook anyone too much when they’re used with white candles, but with a set of black tapers like these from Colonial Candle, they’re just right for a touch of fright.
If you’re in the mood to splurge on your favorite holiday, Williams Sonoma also has some gorgeous pieces for your Halloween party, like a cauldron-shaped serving bowl and a skull-topped decanter.
