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5 Simple DIY Halloween Decorations

There’s nothing like the start of fall to shift home-related projects from the outdoors to the indoors. The leaves changing color, sweaters trickling into your wardrobe and pumpkin spice everything — it’s enough to spark your crafting spirits into a full-blown blaze. And with Halloween in sight, it’s a perfect time to get started on do-it-yourself decorations. This year, embrace the fall festivities with simple, safe and somewhat spooky Halloween decorations.

Here are five decor ideas to dive into before the trick-or-treaters start ringing your doorbell:

1. Deck Out Your Door

Your porch is the gateway to your home, and what better way to get people in the mood for the season than to welcome them with an eerie wreath. Consider these do-it-yourself wreaths: This silly-yet-spooky eyeball wreath from Country Living magazine and this creepy black snake wreath from Martha Stewart Living magazine. It’s always fun to deck out your porch with cobwebs or jack-o’-lanterns, but be sure to keep them away from doorsteps, walkways and landings to help prevent tripping hazards, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

2. Craft Candy Corn Ambiance

When Halloween approaches, candy corn makes its yearly appearance. More than 35 million pounds of candy corn are sold annually, according to the National Confectioners Association. There’s plenty to go around, so why not use some for a decoration? Turns out, iconic candy corn is a perfect filler for hurricane-style candle holders. HGTV called out this simple Halloween craft, great for any porch or table centerpiece. Just fill up an oversized hurricane jar halfway with candy corn and top with a festive candle. Instead of using a regular candle, the National Fire Protection Association recommends using a battery-operated LED light, to help prevent a fire hazard. It’s a simple and safe way to add to the ambiance.

3. Rig Up a Reflective-Ribbon Treat Bag

Halloween is all about trick-or-treating, and besides a fun costume, you need a tote to carry all of your treats. Daydream Believers — a children’s fashion blog — explains how to make a Halloween candy tote with reflective ribbon. This way, the little ones can help create their bag and stay safer as they walk door-to-door on the big night. For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, use any excess reflective ribbon or tape to decorate or trim costumes — it glows in the beam of a car’s headlights, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

4. Decorate Your Pumpkin

Looking for kid-friendly pumpkin decorating? Consider using a carrot nose and a marker instead of carving the gourd. HGTV recommends starting by picking out your pumpkins, using a toothpick to adhere the carrots or parsnip nose, and filling in a funny face from there — draw on a mouth, add some eyes, top with a hat, even add eyelashes and freckles. The best part? They can be spooky or silly, or your child can even decorate the pumpkin to look like herself!

If you decide to carve a pumpkin this year, you won’t be alone — 46 percent of adults carve a pumpkin for Halloween. Check out this video on how to carve a pumpkin safely with some tips from a professional carver.

5. Mask Your Art

Another simple and silly way to Halloween-up your abode is dress up your wall art and portraits. Country Living magazine suggests that you can use your own framed art and add masquerade masks, snakes, fangs, you name it, to the top of the glass. Make sure to always put the decoration on glass and not the frame or actual piece of artwork itself. For this decoration, all you need is black construction paper, scissors, removable adhesive tack and a somewhat dark sensibility.

This year is all about spooky, simple and safe creative crafting — Happy Halloween!

September 6, 2018 By The Allstate Blog Team