Simple and Cool Halloween Decorations

Unsure if your favorite Halloween decor is a bit too much to display this year? Surprisingly, many interior designers are keen for what might seem like tacky Halloween decorations. With the right styling, these pieces can add an extra festive touch and bring joy to the entire family.

For indoor setup

Haunted Gallery Wall

Swap out your regular artwork with eerie portraits of ghosts, creepy vintage photos, or DIY lenticular images (those that change when viewed from different angles). You can find these in thrift stores or online for a haunted house vibe.

Candles & Candelabras
Fill your space with black candles, flickering LED lights, or gothic candelabras. Place them on mantels, tables, or windowsills to create a moody, dimly lit atmosphere.

Spider Egg Sacs
Fill white pantyhose or mesh bags with cotton balls and plastic spiders. Hang them in corners or over doorways, making it look like creepy spider egg sacs are about to burst.

Creepy Cloth Draping
Use tattered gauze or sheer fabric in black, gray, or white to drape over furniture, mirrors, or shelves. It adds a haunted, abandoned feel to any room.

Potion Bottles & Apothecary Jars
Fill glass bottles with coloured water and label them as creepy potions like "Witch's Brew," "Dragon's Blood," or "Spider Venom." Arrange them on shelves or in your kitchen to create a spooky apothecary.

Hanging Bats
Cut out bat shapes from black construction paper and hang them from the ceiling at different heights using string. It creates the illusion of bats flying around your room.

Sinister Bookshelves
Add faux cobwebs, vintage books, and spooky trinkets like skulls, crystals, and potion bottles to your bookshelves. Dim lighting can create a mysterious, haunted library look.

Animated Haunted Objects
Use motion-activated or sound-activated props like talking skulls, moving picture frames, or creepy dolls. They can surprise your guests when they suddenly spring to life!

Bloody Handprints
Use red washable paint or gel cling stickers to create bloody handprints on windows, mirrors, or even bathroom tiles for a horror movie-inspired look.

Pumpkin Lanterns
Hollow out mini pumpkins and place tea lights or fairy lights inside. Arrange them on shelves, side tables, or along stairways to add a warm, spooky glow.

Horror-Themed Tablescape
Create a chilling tablescape using black tablecloths, skull or skeleton hand tableware, dark roses, and faux cobwebs. Add eerie props like a severed hand centerpiece or dripping candleholders for extra effect.

Shadowy Wall Projections
Use a projector or flashlight to cast creepy shadows (like bats or ghosts) onto walls. You can cut out shapes from black paper to create DIY stencils.

Spooky Music and Sound Effects
Set the mood with eerie soundtracks or looped sound effects like ghostly whispers, distant creaks, or howling wind. The audio can enhance the entire ambiance of your space.

For outdoor setup

Spooky Silhouettes in Windows

Cut out large, spooky shapes like witches, bats, or skeletons from black paper or cardboard, and place them in your windows. At night, they’ll cast eerie shadows when backlit.

Fog-Covered Graveyard
Set up a faux graveyard with tombstones made of foam or cardboard. Use a fog machine for a misty effect and add skeletal hands emerging from the ground for extra creepiness.

Jack-O’-Lantern Pathway

Line your driveway or walkway with glowing jack-o’-lanterns or pumpkin lanterns, guiding trick-or-treaters to your door. You can mix in fake pumpkins with real ones to keep the display reusable.

Pumpkin Archway

Craft an arch out of carved or faux pumpkins to frame your front entrance. This can create an inviting but spooky portal for visitors.

Skeleton Surprise

Position life-size skeletons doing everyday activities—sitting in chairs, peeking out of windows, or playing cards on the porch. It adds a playful, spooky vibe.

Animated Zombies or Skeletons

Set up life-size animated figures like zombies or skeletons emerging from the ground, walking up to your porch, or leaning against a fence. Motion-activated versions can startle guests with movement or sound.

Grim Reaper or Ghosts on the Roof

Use floating ghost figures or a grim reaper standing on the roof or balcony for a towering, ominous presence. Make it glow at night using backlighting or eerie spotlights.