Many countries recognize this as a traditional activity on Halloween. Some cultures offer candy, while a few offer money. A lot of children also utter the phrase “trick or treat” as they knock on doors. The trick isn’t performed very often so it’s sort of a ritual. In North America, trick-or-treating has been around since the 1950s. If a homeowner decorates their front door with Halloween accessories, and leaves the porch light on, then that’s usually an indication that they have candy to give out.
Trick-or-treating started in Ireland and Britain with something called souling. The poor and children would say prayers for the deceased and sing, and in return people would give out cakes. Costume wearing started with guising (disguising?), and the young ones went door to door in Scotland around 1895. In disguises, they would visit homes and carry lanterns carved from turnips and receive money, fruit and cakes. Actually saying trick or treat is a mainly North American tradition.
Ireland, Canada, the UK and the US, and Puerto Rico celebrate Halloween this way. Central and Northwestern Mexico also have it. People there call it Little Skull and kids ask: Can you give me my little skull? They will receive a small skull-shaped candy in sugar or chocolate. Prior to 1940, the term trick or treat was used mostly in Canada and the US. The term was introduced to the UK in the 1980s, but often it’s not welcome. In Ireland and Scotland dressing up and being given sweets is considered normal on Halloween.
Dressing up and going door to door in Scotland started around 1895 and costumed children and adults would take lanterns made from turnips to each house and after knocking on the door, receive fruit, cakes, and money. Boys used to visit some of the wealthier homes in the 1920s, where the benefits were no doubt more generous. Dressing up and going door to door on Halloween is still popular with the Irish and the Scots. In the US, churches may sponsor Trunk or Treat which is done in a parking lot. Parents feel this is safer as kids visit different car trunks and receive candy and decorations.
Treats received when trick or treating have changed throughout the years because of changing society. It used to be in the fifties, that children enjoyed homemade candy apples or homemade brownies or cookies Everything now is made safer by pre-wrapped and manufactured candy being doled out to the trick-or-treaters. If a homeowner wants to show a bit of individualism on Halloween, they can purchase treat bags and insert four of five pieces of candy into them, then seal with a little Halloween sticker.
Individual bags can be made by purchasing brown bags from a craft store and then decorating them. This would work if they’re aren’t a hundred children stopping by. It’s a wonderful idea for a home thrown party and these hand decorated bags and homemade candy will be enjoyed as party favors by children, for as long as it takes them to eat the treats. Most estimates put that around an hour after the kids get home.
If children go out into a neighborhood trick or treating, the youngest ones should be trailed closely by a parent. If older children or teens go in a group then all candy should still be checked at home. This can be why a party and candy treats are perhaps best enjoyed at home, where everyone knows each other. Children enjoy designing and making treat bags. They also enjoy choosing the candy to go in them. A little age-appropriate toy is also nice, plus perhaps a gold chocolate coin to celebrate those more ancient traditions of giving money.
A Halloween tradition for children in many countries around the globe, trick-or-treating has seen some changes over the years but continues on in some form or fashion. The event takes place on Halloween night and, generally involves costumed children walking through the neighborhood knocking on their neighbors’ doors. Upon answering the door, the homeowner is posed with a decision, not just a question.
“Trick or treat?” the child asks. The adult then usually doles out candy, cookies, other sweets, apples or even money to the youngster. This offering is, in one way, a contractual agreement that the kid will not play a trick on the home owner. Though tricks are not commonly actually carried out, the tricks were usually played on those who refused to answer the door.
Getting Ready for Trick-or-Treating
This has become quite an event, with stores putting up Halloween displays around Thanksgiving and sometimes earlier. There are a wide variety of Halloween costumes to choose from, and they change each year depending what’s trendy that season. The traditional looks include anything spooky or frightening. Some popular costumes that have lasted through the years are ghosts, vampires and other types of monsters. Some of the less macabre costume choices include princesses and superheroes. Each year whatever trends have recently popped up often make their way into the Halloween costume department—from comic book action heroes or villains, to video game figures or even popular singing or acting celebrities.
Some costumes are elaborate and some are more of a made at home, thrown together at the last minute look. Other options involve using make up to create a painted face or fake, bleeding injuries. Whatever the final outcome, the costume is the foundation for the candy hunt.
Taking It to the Streets
Since at least the 1950’s, in the United States, the tradition of trick-or-treating has been a part of Halloween festivities. Individual homes and entire neighborhoods would prepare for the holiday by decorating. A decorated home was usually a sign that trick-or-treaters were welcomed. Some home owners, though, choose to either be away for the night, or hide away inside with the lights off. This only makes them prime targets for getting a trick later as punishment. Tricks are less common now, but once consisted of activities like soaping windows, or redecorating a home with eggs or toilet paper.
A single child and parent or larger groups of disguised children go to each door and ask for treats to prevent the person from getting a trick. At the end of the night parents and children return home to take stock of the goodies collected in their pillow case, bag or plastic pumpkin.
Safety for Trick-or-Treating
Anytime there are children running around in costumes at night asking strangers for candy, there is reason for concern. Safety precautions must be made. Some of these start before leaving the house to begin trick-or-treating. Choosing a costume that doesn’t obstruct a child’s eyesight or could cause him or her to trip is the first priority. Some parents also opt to include some type of reflective material or device to make the youngster easier to spot. Parent and child should each have a flashlight, as well.
Once wild on the street, it is advisable to keep the child close by and not allow them to run. Watching for traffic is another concern, and drivers on Halloween night should also be alert to potential hazards. When going into homes, the parent should accompany the youngster. And any poorly lit areas should be illuminated by flashlight.
At the end of the night, as eager at the child may be to tear into their stash, parents must first inspect all the gathered goodies. Candy wrappers must not appear tampered with, baked goods should be checked for odd odors and apples should but sliced before serving. While not common, there have been cases of poisoned candy or apples with razor blades inside. It isn’t about being paranoid, it’s about being safe.
How It Has Changed
In more recent years, the methods used for trick-or-treating have changed in some areas. In order to avoid being on the streets, some parents have chosen different ways of celebrating Halloween. This is especially true in more rural areas where going house to house isn’t feasible. Some parents host Halloween parties on that night. Some places, like malls, often participate in giving out candies so children can still go door to door, but in a safer, well lit area.
However one chooses to do their trick-or-treating, the idea is to be safe and have fun. Giving kids the chance once a year to dress up in costumes and collect candy is a fun part of growing up.
We’ve come to know Halloween as a time to dress up and go out trick or treating, or host a family party. Halloween’s practices and symbols have breathed new life into a few dark practices of ancient civilizations. Many Halloween symbols are familiar to peoples scattered across the globe, but every group does take new meaning into each Halloween symbol and gives it their own kind of spin. Some believe that a symbol represents thrills and chills while others believe that some of the symbols mean death or that they are either scary, or life affirming.
Amongst some believers, these symbols are evil and representative of an occult and satanic world. It all depends on what culture people are from and what they have come to believe as the truth. Some images are a mixed bag and can come from something like the fantasy Dungeons and Dragons, Aztec art, Tarot cards, and ads for Halloween costumes and accessories. Halloween symbols are popular and have lasted for generations, as well as appearing to be here to stay. Halloween can be a spiritual war for some and scary, but good fun, for others.
Bats
Bats are harmless creatures and these mammals actually fly. They eat a lot of insects such as mosquitoes and their appetites can be ravenous. One bat, the vampire bat, drinks flood — usually from cattle. Vampires are reputed to be able to change into a bat at will, hence the name. Some bats will only eat fruit. In Eastern countries, bats can represent good luck. There is an interesting bat exhibit at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Disneyworld. Visitors may walk through and observe bats (or not) and learn a lot about this night creature’s habits.
Broomstick
This has long been associated with bats and was used to great effect in Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. No matter how hard he tried, poor Mickey Mouse soon became inundated with water because all of the brooms kept multiplying and carrying buckets of water! With the popularity of Harry Potter books and movies, broomsticks are more popular than ever, especially for a good game of Quidditch!
Black Cat
In both Japan and Western cultures, a black cat can be linked to either white or black magic. For today’s Halloween décor they are most often seen on porches alongside of pumpkins, and made from curly black plastic!
Blood
Gore has always fascinated people in a spooky way and many Halloween themed movies and books really play it up. Knives, in horror movies, seem to produce the most amount of blood and chills and thrills. People need blood to live so that could be why vampires are popular at Halloween time as they just love blood! A fear of losing blood and then dying is at the core of people’s chills when around vampires and their kin.
Evil or Spooky Eye
Both Harry Potter fans and many cultures around the world consider an evil eye a bad sign. Most everyone knows what an Eye of Horus looks like and it has come to symbolize the Ancient Egyptian culture. Evil eyes have been featured in a lot of Halloween and other horror movies for decades.
Ghosts
Ghosts are the quintessential Halloween symbol and kids love to dress up as ghosts, while adults can be a lot of different ghostly types such as pirates, dead brides (Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas), and many others. Ghosts can also come in different shapes and sizes and be seen or not, or even half seen out of the corner of your eye. They have also been caught on films about the paranormal.
Pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns are the universally recognized symbol of Halloween in both Europe and America. In the British isles, jack-o-lanterns were made from turnips or gourds. When children go out trick or treating, a plastic pumpkin container is usually their container of choice.
[This was written pre-coronavirus a number of years ago, but masks are critical now, and some, such as Mayo, recommend skipping it in 2020 entirely. Just be safe.]
Candy and food safety is a big concern during the Halloween season. Whether it’s from door-to-door trick-or-treating or the goodies collected from a Halloween party, there are some ways to avoid potential problems. Most of all, use common sense. If something alerts you to avoid eating it or letting your child eat it, don’t ignore this. When in doubt, throw it out.
Candy Safety Tips for Halloween
It should be an understood rule by now, but in case it isn’t, know that your child should not eat a single piece of candy until it has been inspected by you. That means, if your little ghoul is begging for one piece from his collected loot, stop and use a flashlight to inspect the wrapper before handing it over. If you are concerned your child may be too tempted to resist, offer to carry his or her treat bag while going door-to-door.
To avoid temptation there are two other things to try. One is to make sure your child ate well before leaving, so he or she will have a full belly and may not be as likely to want to snack. Also, bring a few of your own candies from home and if your child simply must have a sugary snack, make sure it is one from your own stash from home.
Once home, look at each piece of candy. Any faded wrappers, or those with holes or tears, must be discarded. Goodies without wrappers are not an option. Even if the wrapper fell off at some point during the night while trick-or-treating, it means it could be dirty or that the wrapper was tampered with to begin with.
Also, make sure your child’s candy is not a choking hazard. Avoid gum or jawbreaker type selections that may become a problem. This is especially true for younger children. By the way, also make sure the family pets do not end up chewing down on any chocolates, raisins or macadamia nuts. Dogs and cats can have a severe, and often deadly, reaction to these types of foods.
Food Safety Tips for Halloween
Some people opt to give out fruit or baked goods during Halloween trick-or-treating, as opposed to candy. These options require just as much consideration before allowing your child to ingest them, though. As a rule, don’t even accept baked goods from someone you do not know. You can decline politely by saying they could become a mess in the bag, or that your child has been known to get ill from that particular type of baked good. If nothing else, set it aside from the rest of the loot to dispose of as soon as possible.
Check fruit for injection or puncture wounds or for the presence of foreign objects. Wash the item, feel and inspect the skin completely and slice it up for save serving. If you can’t be certain, discard the item. There are plenty more choices for your child to choose from, and one or two tossed items won’t put much of a dent in their collected stash.
Some Other Notes about Candy and Food Safety
Avoid offering or baking anything that could be an allergy risk to someone else’s child. Try to locate a recipe that is free from ingredients that could trigger allergic reaction.
Food safety also means limiting candy to prevent a child from getting a tummy ache or being sick. Also, if you are worried about the door-to-door trick-or-treating part of Halloween, make other arrangements. Opt for attending a party hosted by someone you know and trust, put together by a mall or throw your own monster bash for the holiday.
Also, as horrible as it sounds, keep the number for poison control handy just in case. Do not allow your child to ingest anything just before bed, so you can monitor them carefully after eating any treats. Again, this can help prevent a child from being sick in the middle of the night. Keep the candy stash out of a child’s reach so they don’t get tempted to devour a bag of goodies in the middle of the night. This also means keeping any food you have left from the stash you were giving out away from youngsters.
The idea is to be careful, safe and smart, but not paranoid. Do not scare your child, or stress yourself out, by going overboard with the candy collecting and eating process. On the other hand, trust your instincts. Candy and food safety at Halloween is meant to be a guideline system to making the holiday fun but safe for all.
Halloween party invitations are the perfect way to set the tone and ignite excitement about your holiday bash. The trick is to make sure all the information that is crucial to the event is listed, and that guests get an idea of what the party will be like. You also have options when it comes to making, buying or printing your Halloween invites.
What Goes on Your Halloween Party Invitations?
The first thing that really should be made clear is the type of party you are planning on having. Some of that can be obvious from the type of invitation you send, so make sure it matches. If you are really just doing an autumn get together, don’t use invitations that have skulls and bats all over them. Of course, if you are throwing an all out chilling and spooky monster mash bash, don’t send invitations that just have pumpkins and autumn leaves on them.
Because themes and activities at Halloween parties can be inappropriate for certain ages you should make that clear too, if necessary. In other words, if this is an adults-only sort of event, make sure there isn’t a misunderstanding. Even if you are planning to have scary stories that would not be a good idea for the under 13 age group, specify the party is a “PG-13” type of gathering. In all other cases, maybe just mention “all ages welcome.”
Also Include…
The events you are planning can help entice and inform potential guests, as well. You should certainly include planned activities such as bobbing for apples, a hay ride, ghost stories and a costume contest. In fact, although it should be understood, it can’t hurt to mention that “there will be a costume contest, so wear your best one.”
If you would like people to bring anything, just let them know. It could be food, candy or, for adults, wine or beer. If you’re hosting the event and supplying most of the food or events, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a little help in return. While on the subject, mention if there will be food and say what kind. If it is just snacks, people may want to eat beforehand. If it is a seven course meal, guests might want to know before grabbing a meal on the way.
The general idea is to include all information so that no one would even have to question the details. This includes the address, especially if is somewhere other than your home, phone number for RSVP, phone number for venue if different, email, time, date and anything else you deem necessary.
DIY Invites
If you’re feeling crafty, there are several options you can choose from to make your own Halloween party invitations. You can print your own that you design on your computer and that will save you money compared to buying store bought ones and time by not having to create anything more elaborate than that.
Or, if you would like to get your family involved, get everyone to pitch in and make the invitations. Use markers and stickers and glitter, just get creative. Keep in mind, one person should probably write out the important details of the party. Having your five year old try to spell out “Halloween party” sounds cute, but the data will be lost in the scribble.
Vintage Invitations
You can find great vintage Halloween invitations from online sources such as eBay and Etsy. It adds some flair to use old fashioned, retro invites. There are places online that specialize in this type of thing, and you can find entire packaged Halloween invites, still unopened, this way. You may have to settle for a few different styles if you are inviting a large number of people and cannot find three or more packs of the same kind, but it is worth it, especially if you are planning a vintage Halloween party.
Other Options
There are of course, the traditional store bought ones you can find at party stores and fill in the information yourself. For a few extra dollars you can also have your own printed. This gives you the best choices and saves you the hassle of having to handwrite all the data yourself. Lastly, evites are becoming more popular now. This service is usually free, can still have a picture to express the theme and saves tress by not using paper.
Whatever you decide, just relax and have a good time. Halloween party invitations are just the start of the event that should be the talk of the holiday season.
* Wrap a foot in an ace bandage. Get some mittens or ski hat. Instant injured skier costume!
* Drummer Costume. Attach containers (e.g ice-cream containers, empty paint-cans) to a wheelchair with rope, duct-tape or similar material. Use a hoola-hop with card-board for the bass drum (over the front of the chair). Use paint-brushes or large pencils for drum-sticks. Dress in appropriate attair for the music to be played (e.g. rock, 50s etc)
* Fred Flintstone and car costume. Obviously dress as Fred with a pre-purchased costume. Create the sides and top of the car from cardboard or light wood. Ditto for the dash. Cover the side-wheels in grey plastic. Voila, Fred Flintstone driving his car.
* King or Queen and throne costume. Wrap back and rests with gold or silver paper. Attach garland, plastic jewels and the like to the cart. Dress up regally in velvet or velour. Buy a crown and scepter and even the costume at a costume store.
* Pumpkin Costume. Get a big orange leaf bag, cut a hole in the large end and put it over a wheelchair. Instant pumpkin!
* For someone on a respirator, you could be a deep sea diver. (Or someone with the bends, decompression sickness).
Of course, one could just be a pun “Walker” from The Walking Dead.
Pets today are often considered part of the family, and are treated as such most of the time. Halloween costumes for pets are commonplace, but they need not be common. If the pet is dressing solo or part of a group, then the size, temperament of the pet and wishes of the owners have to be taken into consideration. There should be no restriction on movement for the pet and it should be able to see and walk normally. Safety should be first and foremost on Halloween, for children, adults and pets. A few pets have no tolerance for wearing anything, especially hats, so if this is the case, then you must costume your pet simply.
There are hundreds of pet costumes to be found on the web, but many you can make or adapt yourself. If you are in a patriotic mood or perchance marching in a 4th of July parade, then an Uncle Sam costume for your dog would be a wonderful way to show your pride in the US. These are usually made of a simple bodysuit in red, white and blue, with a matching hat. The latter should be lightweight or your dog will think a bird has landed on his or her head and they’ll try and shake it off.
Another funky outfit is called a dog riders cowboy and it has a miniature cowboy riding your dog like a bronco. Test your dog first as it’s the same as a hat — your dog may simply want to shake the cowboy off. A cute outfit for a pug is a bumblebee. Everything is flexible and comfortable so the likelihood is your dog won’t try and shake it off. There’s a bee-striped shirt (leaving your dog in a natural state in the rear), an antenna headband with a set of black pompoms for antennae, and mesh wings.
If you’re into gardening then dressing your dog up as a flower could work. For this ensemble the manufacturer has made a light green cape, bright pink flower petals, and a set of antennae to match of pink and green. Are you from the islands — Hawaii, that is? Perhaps you’re just a fan of that nostalgic cop show set in Hawaii. It’s a comfortable and simple outfit, with a lei and a Hawaiian shirt. Perhaps this would suit that surfboarding/skateboarding bulldog they have in Southern California.
A butterfly ensemble from Animal Planet has printed foam wings that look like a bright Monarch, plus an antennae headband. Another one from the same company and TV channel is a cowboy dog costume. This can make your little dude into a regular cowpoke It’s made from a character jumpsuit, has stuffed arms, a vest with a fringe, a rope, and a cowboy hat with string to hold it under your dog’s chin. Another costume suitable for a pug, is Yoda from Star Wars. It has Yoda’s big green ears sticking out from the headpiece and a jumpsuit with attached arms. If you love Star Wars then let your dog be the Jedi master for a change.
Zelda the rock star could make your dog over into a punk musician, with its zip-up black jacket, red spikey wig, pants, and a studded dog collar. By far and away the most unusual new costume for this year is a hammerhead shark one. This is another Animal Planet outfit, as is the raptor (dinosaur variety). Both the shark and raptor have nice teeth, but they are harmless. Kids love these types of costumes and they could be used as puppets throughout the year.
If you’re into The Flintstones, then Zelda the cave dog is the perfect outfit for your dog. It’s a stone age riot with its animal print wrap-around shirt, and a black spiked wig. This particular outfit would be perfect for a trick or treating stone age party, including the dog of course. There are classic dog dress up outfits such as a foam bun which fits around your Dachshund making him or her into a real “hot dog”, or a pink tutu for your poodle. Pet stores have regular clothes for all sizes of dogs and these can be used or adapted towards Halloween costumes for pets.
Cats were never mentioned I regards to dress-up, because we all know how cats feel about any kind of costume: “What — you want me to wear that?” Perhaps a cat who’s eaten a whole can of tuna might be inclined to wear a headband for a few second. Just maybe…
Halloween food for children is about more than the sweets they pick up while trick-or-treating. Many parents host Halloween parties during this time of year, and the food can add to the overall holiday appeal of the party. The key is to keep it spooky without going overboard. Keep in mind the fear factor should be well below the planning involved for an adult Halloween party. Get the children to have fun, not need therapy afterwards.
Spooky and Sweet
You know you can’t go wrong with Halloween foods for children when there are sweets involved. Though they may round up plenty of goodies during their trick-or-treating, make some home baked treats. The easiest option is to decorate cupcakes in a clever manner, and there are plenty of alternative ways to do this. You can use icing on a plate to give the appearance of spider legs with the cupcake being the spider body and maybe a little red hourglass on the cupcake for a black widow. Icing can make spider webs, ghosts or use stencils to get into more intricate designs.
If you want to do an entire cake instead, there are also several options. The two most popular are the “graveyard cake” and the “worms in dirt.” Worms in dirt may not be spooky, but it is gross and a great choice of Halloween foods for children. The first layer is Jell-O with gummy worms, topped with crumbled cookies for dirt. Add a few gummy worms protruding from the “dirt” for extra fun.
The graveyard cake is however you would like to interpret it, but the general idea is to create a cemetery. Use cookie crumbles for dirt or green icing for grass, and whichever type of cookie you would like to create tombstones. Marshmallows or whipped cream make great ghosts. Just remember, using extra touches such as plastic spiders, may not be a good idea for younger children. Make sure to keep choking hazards out of the food planning.
Frightening Foods
A fairly easy but delicious treat is a variation of pigs in a blanket. Instead of wrapping the dough around the entire hot dog, wrap it like a strip of cloth winding around to create a mummy effect. Leave a slit of dog exposed and use two mustard or ketchup dots for eyes. This same idea can be applied to mini pizzas, too. Arrange the shredded cheese to look like strips of bandages with an “opening” at the eyes. Once the pizzas are cooked, or before they are done, use olive slivers for eyeballs.
For ghostly snacks as part of Halloween foods for kids, consider using potato skins. Use a thin layer of sour cream like “icing” to paint the potatoes white and then use scallions to add eyes and a mouth to individual ghosties. Slice hot dogs length ways in slivers to create a “worm” effect. Mix the cooked hot dog slices with ketchup and add to a hoagie roll or bun for a tapeworm sandwich.
Edible Scares with a Healthy Twist
For the ultimate in “finger foods”, create a look that resembles real fingers. Carrots or string cheese sticks make a great looking finger, especially if you have the extra time to carve some lines to make “knuckles.” Get creative with fingernails. For example use red or green bell pepper slivers for a monster hand look. Optional tip: create a dip to go with the snacks and arrange the “fingers” to look like a real hand reaching back from inside the bowl.
Of course any variation of a deviled egg with an olive twist can create the look of an eyeball. Using olives in halves or slices and with or without the pimento can actually turn a variety of foods into eyeball looking treats.
Get the Party Started
In the end, it is really more about the overall party than just the snacks. Keep in mind ways to add games, a costume contest and some ghost story telling for a holiday event that will be unforgettable. Consider the ages of the children who will be attending and make sure the scare factor and food items are age appropriate.
Decorating is also another detail not to overlook. Add some fake spider webs and jack-o’-lanterns to the room and help create a real mood for the party. Download some spooky but fun holiday tunes or find a CD with creepy noises or songs to get all the kids in the Halloween party mind frame. While Halloween foods for kids can help add to a holiday party, the other details help truly make it one.
Halloween house decorations can turn any home into a haunted home during this holiday. You can get in the ghastly spirit of the holiday by adding some spooky, eerie or gross details to the home. What other time of year would you invite rats and bats indoors or make the effort to create a final resting place for dead bodies in your back yard? So live it up by celebrating the dead, or un-dead, and add some flair to your Halloween haunted lair.
Halloween House Decorations for a Haunted Home
Honestly, these days it is almost impossible to narrow down the choices of how to decorate your home for Halloween. We’ve come a long way from just the simple paper cutouts that hang on a door or wall. These days, homes can come alive with the undead and macabre fairly simply. It really all depends on how much or how little you want to decorate.
One of the easiest ways to add little touches of a fear factor to the home is by adding plenty of fake vermin. Those critters you spend money having exterminators keeping out of the home, you can now add with great enthusiasm. Plastic spiders, roaches and rats can be scattered about a room to add some yuck. Of course, do not use the little critter décor if you have little ones or pets as these can be choking hazards.
Add fake cob webs to corners and ghosts suspended from the ceiling. Ghosts can be created by using sheets, pillowcases or white trash bags. Simply lightly stuff with paper, close off with wire, string or rubber bands and hang for some scare factor. Remember to use caution and never hang anything too close to a light fixture or ceiling fan. To go all out, check out your local party supply store. There are plenty of monsters and other details you can add to up the amount of ghoulish delight you want in your haunted house.
Not so Scary Options
Halloween doesn’t have to be just about ghosts, goblins, demons and the undead. Halloween house decorations can also be selected to offer more of a seasonal theme than a haunted appeal. So think fall, instead of fear.
Pumpkins still add holiday finesse, only this time they don’t require any carving. In fact some gourds of all sizes, shapes and colors can really make a home look festive for this holiday. Of course that also means adding some hay to the look. You can put cloth or plastic on the floor and then use hay bales for décor or even seating. Make sure to use some loose bits around the room as well.
Apples and dried corn also add some festive holiday flavor to a room. If you’re really feeling in the spirit of things, you can also incorporate a scarecrow into your decorating and take it that extra step. Use some paper leaves to create an ambiance of fall, not just Halloween.
Crafty Ideas
Using homemade crafts to decorate for Halloween can be budget friendly and good for the whole family to get involved. Use some ideas you find to work together on a larger project or to create smaller individual pieces. A family sign is a good DIY project.
You can create one sign that everyone contributes to, or signs for each person to have on the door to their bedroom. You can also create one to hang outside. Go with either an autumn look or a haunted theme and color or decorate as you please. You can, in fact, take the eerie idea even farther by creating signs that look like tombstones.
You can also create holiday themed mobiles as part of your Halloween house decorations for inside the home. Again, family members can work together on one or create individual mobiles for different areas of the house. Use paper, felt, cloth, markers, glitter, glue and anything else you can think of to make a mobile. You can use patterns or stencils or do it all freehand.
Cut out drawings for younger kids and let them color with crayons. Once you have a collection of black cats, pumpkins, ghosts, bats and witches, create your mobile. You can use a coat hanger for better support if needed, and remember to make the top of the mobile larger than the pieces hanging from it.
Look online or do some party store browsing to get some ideas and inspiration. Make what you can and buy what you can’t. Either way, your Halloween house decorations will be sure to get your whole family in the spirit of the holiday.