It's the Spookiest Time of the Year

We LOVE to decorate for holidays in our house...and Halloween is second only to Christmas. We love having a month of spooky fun where our decorations can range from creepy to silly without a second thought. This year we went for our "usual"... easy, inexpensive, with a big impact; but threw a couple of new ideas in. Here they are...

1. Bats Everywhere.

These are probably the easiest decoration out there.

I use this template.

I cut as many out as I can out of construction paper ,the large I cut out of black poster board, I do this while I watch T.V. I tape some to the walls and hang some from transparent thread (you can find this in any store that carries notions, or use thin fishing line), this adds depth, almost creating an "optical illusion". I like to hang mine in a semi-orderly fashion...like the bats "know" where they are going. Mine start in the entry way, swarming the light, move through a corner of the living room and end up hoovering over the table in the dining room. Be sure to not space them too evenly, cluster them, have a few hanging back alone.

2. Creepy Cobweb Windows

Usually I hang these completely around my enclosed porch, but since the move I opted for the living room windows (which was convenient since I haven't decided on my real curtains yet). All you need is cheese cloth (and something to hang it from..I just used tacks, you could replace your usual curtains with these, and use your usual rod). You can find cheese cloth in the craft paint area of craft stores & hardware stores. First cut the length that you need, remember it does NOT need to be perfect, varying lengths work great, and hang it up. Then proceed to cut it, stretch it, rip it, and tear holes in it...making it as spooky as possible. You want it to look old and ragged.

3. Spooky Art

This year I needed something that I could do that made a big impact, but didn't really cost anything...so I decided to replace my usual black and white family photos with spooky silhouettes, poems and eyes darting this way and that. I found all my silhouettes by just googling "Halloween silhouettes"...there are a ton out there.

For my tree branches, I just found a dead branch outside and spray painted it gray...black would be good too, I just didn't want mine to blend in with the frames behind it. Then stretched spider webs across parts of it & added a few spiders.

4. Spiderwebs

These are just the spiderwebs that you can find at any store for about $2.99 this time of year...I put them everywhere that seems like a spider might invade. A few tips : STRETCH THEM OUT as far as you can...no clumps, make it look spooky and realistic; Make you spiders seem like they are headed somewhere (think "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"); and last, don't worry if you pictures are a little crooked, it is Halloween after all.

Have fun decorating!

and

Have a very spooky Halloween!