Halloween Decoration Ideas & Tips
So you’re planning a Halloween party and you’re not sure where to start. Social Couture can help you create something spooktacular just by mixing a little mischief with a dose of imagination.
First, choose a color scheme and don’t be afraid to think outside of the orange and black ‘box’. Don't be frightened to mix it up and go with a ghostly white theme or even a blood red theme. One word: VAMPIR-LICIOUS!
For this party you know that the outside decorations can be just as spooky as the inside décor, so don’t be shy. Ordinary front windows, not only are very visible as guests approach your front door, but also are the first impressions of what’s to come once inside your Halloween haunt. Use inexpensive tricks to impress your ghoulish guests; to create eerie shadows on the walls use flashlights and strange objects from around the house. You’ll be amazed how menacing the shadow of an ordinary houseplant can look across a room when it is illuminated by a flashlight. You can tear old sheets and hang them over windows, then add real interest and motion by using fans to make them look like they are blowing in the wind or if it’s a windy night just let the wind do the work: open up the windows. You can also cut odd cardboard figures to stand behind backlit illuminated torn curtains - this is sure to scare all who dare to enter.
Make sure to set the table for a ghostly dinner. Decorate with skeleton bones, black candelabras complete with candles, specimen bottles filled with worms and poison wine bottles. Tie the napkins in the shape of a bone and place them on each plate; start by rolling them and tying knots at each end (something very cool, very different and oh so simple).
On the walls, you can hang ghastly creatures – like spiders uuugghhhhhh I hate spiders - stuck in spider webs…don’t be afraid to get carried away. Smear olive oil (a very small amount) on any mirrors to make them look as they were covered in a hundred years of dust, then use your finger to smear frightening messages across the mirror after doing this you can add to the effect by imprinting a bit of red washable tempura paint in order to create bloody hand prints (this will make your party look like a you hired a pro).
One of the easiest effects can be achieved with dry ice. This is inexpensive and readily available, just open up the phone book or Google your local suppliers. Dry ice is the perfect element to give this party an extra ominous feeling. We used our oversized Martini Vase then filled it with food-colored water, glass bubbles and a few chunks of dry ice. You can also fill small buckets with dry ice and water then hide them in the bushes, behind trees, and in planters. By illuminating these areas indirectly with spotlights, the walk to your door will be one to remember – AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!
If you want to add a little more playfulness to this hair-raising evening, black witch hats make a captivating addition to a plate or shelf, as well as spiderweb picks that can be placed in sand, or in your yard, or handed out as favors. Our Spider Placecard holders can be used as place-markers, on a buffet table or to hold pictures of your favorite ghoulies.
Remember, this is the night to over do it and most importantly a tremendous amount of your décor can be enhanced with lighting- so go for it. Candles, votives, spotlights and paper lanterns will definitely make for a tremendous reaction to your creation, so don’t be afraid to go overboard, especially when it comes to the smaller lights, like votives.
Finally remember to dress the part and have a spooktacularly good time!!