Halloween Party Decorations » Halloween Party Decorations

Inflatable Halloween Decorations That Don’t Look Cheap

Lillian — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:36:18 +0000

Inflatable Halloween decorations may not be the most complex decor ever invented, but they’re ideal for kids precisely because of this. Inflatables are easy to set up, easy to clean if somebody spills a cup of punch on them, and lightweight so they won’t hurt anyone if they happen to fall or someone runs into or trips over them.

Being made of waterproof plastic, they work well as yard decorations, since autumn wind and rain won’t destroy them.
Don’t have time to carve a pumpkin and don’t want to put a ceramic one out in case the kids get a little rowdy? Blow up an inflatable pumpkin and place a flashlight behide it to light it up.

Instant Backgrounds: Tall Inflatable Halloween Decorations

Inflatables give you an easy way to a add a vertical element to your decorations, too. Tall trees with ghosts or bats are among the simplest verticle inflatables. Blow-up figures (no, not those kind) like zombies, vampires and ever-popular Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees are also options. Again, because they’re so light, you dont have to worry about a kid toppling one and getting hurt. For bigger parties, full Halloween scenes ghostly pirate ships, crime scenes, and pumpkin carriage or motorcycles complete with Grim Reaper are also out there.

Explorable Halloween Inflatables

If you really want to go all out, get an inflatable archway for the entrance of your home or party venue. The benefit here is that it’s an all-in-one decoration. You’ve got the tombstones, ghosts, Jack-o-laterns, streamers and other decor all in one piece so you dont have to fuss with setting up each part individually. Given the size of these decor items, though, you’ll probably want to invest in a pump to help you inflate the thing so you don’t pass out before the party. You can also find walk-in inflatable haunted houses, which are great fun for toddlers.

Animated Inflatable Halloween Decorations

Animated inflatable Halloween decorations, while pricier than their non-moving cousins, can get some good giggles (or screams) from the kids, too. Black cats that turn their heads to glare at you, witches swaying around their cauldron and even vampires rising from their coffins are all available in soft, easy-to-clean inflatable form.

Halloween Party Decorating Tips and Ideas

Lillian — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:56:33 +0000

When you really get into it, Halloween party decorating is just so much more fun than decorating for, say, a birthday party. At most parties, the decorations are kind of pointless. They just sit there and look “festive.” Halloween party decorations, on the other hand, have a purpose, which is generally to give the guests a scare they’ll keep talking about for weeks.

To help you get the most out of your Halloween party decorating, here are some things you might want to consider.

Decide on your Goal

What do you want your Halloween party decorations to do. If you’re throwing a party for little kids, you might want to stick with the cute, smiling Jack-o-lanterns that put kids in a good mood. Older kids, however, tend to enjoy a little fake blood and “spaghetti worms”-style gore.

For adult Halloween parties, though, the goal is usual to scare your guests. But how do you want to scare them? Do you want motion-activated animated props that jump up and make ‘em scream? Or do you want a more subtle décor style that infuses your house with an unsettling creepiness, putting your guests on edge so much that when the phone rings they themselves jump up and scream.

Of course, there are plenty of adults who get a kick out of fake gore, and if you happen to be one, grossing your guests out might be your main goal with your decorations and props.

And let’s not forget the erotic adult Halloween parties. Hey, those need decorations, too. For these, you’ll naturally want to stay away from anything gory or scary and play up the sexy side of things.

Choose a Theme

Once you know what reaction you’re aiming for with your party decorations, it’s fairly easy to pick a theme. A theme not only makes your decorations more effective by creating a unified effect, but it also helps save you money on Halloween party decorating.

With a theme, you know exactly what kind of decorations you need, so you won’t go buying stuff that “looks interesting” only to end up not using it for the party.

Your cute kids’ Halloween party theme might be “Pumpkins” or “witches” or any classic theme. For a scary Halloween party for adults, themes like “crime scene/killer on the loose” or “vampire/zombie/werewolf invasion” work well.

If you’re planning to go for the subtle creepy effect, try something with more implicit danger like “insane asylum” or “haunted house.” For the ever-popular erotic Halloween parties, a Gothic theme can work, especially if you’re guests are primarily vampires or other more elegant creatures.

Halloween party decorating is fun anyway, but it’s even more fun when you plan ahead a little so you don’t have to worry about exactly how your going to decorate or have to run out by decorations at the last minute.

A Haunted Halloween Party: Decorations and Ideas

Lillian — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:47:39 +0000

When you’re planning a haunted Halloween party, spooky decorations and props are a must. Today’s high quality haunted house props and party decor let you easily “plant evidence” of your home’s haunting spirits in a way that will make your guests wonder just enough.

Halloween Ghost Decorations

What’s a haunting without ghosts? You may not have any real ones hanging around, but you can give the impression of their presence. Glass grabbers, also called window clings, are easy to press onto your mirrors or windows to give the appearance of a ghostly something floating on the other side of the glass.

In dim lighting, the more artistically made ones look strikingly real at first glance. These are a must for hallway and bathroom mirrors, where they can give your party guests a good startle.

In the same family of Halloween party decorations are ceiling clings. Stick one of these in the corner of your living room ceiling to create the impression of red eyes peering down from a hole in the ceiling.

These go well with “red skeleton foot prints” and “scratch mark” wall clings. Makes it look like a poltergeist has been at work. Unlike poltergeists, though, these decorations are easy to clean up after since they’re just “peel and stick” and leave no traces after removal.

Haunted Household Objects

Haunted Halloween party decorations run the gamut from fairly cheesy “possessed” dolls that crawl around and sing kid’s songs to pricey, to reasonably scary haunted house animatronics, to stunningly realistic 3D projection illusions.

While all these decorations have their places (well, at least the second two do), what really creeps people out is what’s going on inside their heads. Part of encouraging that is to put add a little spookiness where it’s least expected.

What’s one of the most popular ghost tricks? Playing with electronics, of course! On super easy way to haunt your house for a party is with timers. Hook your TV, lights or other electronics to a timer set to go on or off at seemingly random times. Obviously, you’ll have to be a decent dissembler to pull this off or your guests will figure out you planned it.

Another method is with PIR (passive infrared) detectors. ScaryGuys.com describes using this for a radio, so the radio is set to switch on and start dialing through stations when someone walks past.

Of course, “haunted” or “possessed” animatronics are the easy way to go. They aren’t all expensive. For example, SpiritHalloween.com has a “possessed portrait” that shakes and jumps along with a good selection of spooky changing lenticular portraits.

The object doesn’t necessarily have to do anything in order to appear haunted. Try sitting an antique doll in a doll-sized chair in a corner somewhere. Hang a large mirror in an area your guests will pass by frequently. You might surprised many people get creeped out by things like this even if the doll doesn’t “come to life” and no scary faces appear in the mirror.

General Spookiness

A large part of planning a haunted Halloween party is created a creepy, unsettling atmosphere that sets your gets on edge. Once you get their imaginations working like this, a bird can land on the window ledge and your guests nearly jump out of their skins.

Re-decorate you house enough that it looks looks well removed from the ordinary. Cover your chairs in black tulle, tied around the chair back with ribbon (this is easiest with straight-back wooden chairs). Use Halloween room setters that depict peeling plaster and rotted wood wainscot as a quick and cheap way to give your home that fashionable abandoned look.

The most important element isn’t visible at all, though: sound. Halloween music and sound effects that creates a “spooky soundscape” helps a lot. After all, even big-budget horror movies would be a lot less effective without the soundtrack.

Stereotypical sound effects like witches cackling and cheesy Halloween songs like Monster Mash won’t have much impact, though. What you need is truly unsettling music like that from Midnight Syndicate or Nox Arcana. These artists, available at SpiritHalloween.com, are both favorites of professional haunted houses.

Indoor Halloween Decorations

Lillian — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:10:16 +0000

Indoor Halloween party decorations create a spooky atmosphere in your home and let you and your family enjoy the Halloween season all October. Because you and your party guests will have a chance to have a good look at these Halloween decorations up close, it’s important to choose quality decorations with good details. If you have any cheap props with bad molding and paint jobs, leave those outdoors.

The Haunted Entryway

The indoor Halloween decorations just inside your front door and along your entryway set the mood of the whole house. Place a motion- or sound-activated animated prop right by the door to give a good scare to anyone coming in. Horror film serial killer and zombie props are ideal for this.

If you have a small table in your entryway, give it a Gothic makeover with an old lace tablecloth, a gargoyle statue, and a crystal ball (plastic decoration or garden gazing ball). A “Thing” box, as seen on the Addam’s Family, also makes a nice touch.

Hang up a few “haunted” lenticular portraits or other creepy pictures. While you’ll probably want to keep the lights down to add to the mood, but make sure you can still see well enough to hang up coats and stow umbrellas.

Halloween Living Room Decorations

Since you’ll probably be spending most of your time in your home’s living room, don’t skimp on décor here. One good trick, especially if you like to start early, is to bring out your indoor Halloween decorations in batches. If you bring out every decoration you have on October 15th, you’re likely to get bored with them by the time Halloween comes.

Hang a ghost in the corner of the ceiling or sit a gruesome looking corpse prop in a rocking chair. Take advantage of those small, overlooked nooks where guest won’t see a prop until their right up on it. Put a rubber rat in the bookshelf, a giant spider under a chair, or a disembodied head on a shelf somewhere.

Halloween Table Decorations

If you’re planning a Halloween party inside (as opposed to outdoors around a bonfire), good table décor is a must for your collection of indoor Halloween decorations. Even before the party night, though, given what a center of activity the kitchen table is, it’s worth dressing up it up for the season.

In late September or early October, you may want to stick with harvest-theme décor like gourds and scarecrows so you don’t get tired of the Halloween stuff. As Halloween nears, though, a tablecloth with a season print and a centerpiece with ghosts,

Halloween Decorations for the Bathroom

Have some fun decorating the bathroom, too. First, change the light bulb to an eerie green or black light. Then set up scary indoor Halloween decorations to creep out anyone who dares take a bathroom break.

Place props like body parts (complete with fake blood) in the tub, attach a spooky ghost decal to the mirror, or just string some cobwebs in the upper corner of the door. Setting up a door topper over the bathroom door is another simple way to add some atmosphere to the bath.

Halloween Party Decorations for Your Front Door

Lillian — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:29:02 +0000

If you put up Halloween party decoration in only one place, your front door should be it. Not only can neighbors and passers-by enjoy door decorations from a distance, but door décor also helps set the mood as your guests arrive. And, of course, the front door is where any trick-or-treaters will be spending most of their time at your house.

Door Scenes

One way to decorate your front door for Halloween is to create a small scene around the door. You might stand a witch prop on one side of the door and place a cauldron at her feet. On the other side of the door, put a black cat prop. On the door itself, hang a haunted mirror. Cover your porch light with a Halloween porch light cover that casts a greenish glow over the scene.

Door Signs and Covers

Door signs are another way to make your door decorations blend in with your party theme without going to a lot of extra effort. Halloween door signs with foreboding warnings like “Haunted House” or “Danger: Keep Out” are easy to find and generally cost no more than $10. For a quick scare, try the motion activated ones that make noise when the door opens.

Then there are more specific door signs like a glowing sign that announces “Bates Motel. Vacancy.” for a Psycho-themed party or “Overlook Hotel. Vacancy.” for a Shining-themed party. Door covers can work well, too. These are plastic posters large enough to cover the whole door and printed with a scene like ghosts floating around in a starry night sky.

Halloween Door Toppers: One-Step Decor

If you want to dress up your door, but don’t want to put out a lot of decorations, get a Halloween door topper, also called a door curtain or fringe. These sit on the upper ledge of the door from where a scary figure like Freddy Kruger or a vampire looks down on approaching guests. From the topper, strips of plastic or fabric hang down over the door opening to create a creepy passageway into the house.

Simple, Fun Halloween Door Decorations

Just a few basic decorations can look fine, too, especially if you’re having a kids’ Halloween party. Put on a porch light cover in the shape of a ghost, Jack-o-lantern or other Halloween symbol. Then add a doorknob cover or hanger. On the door, hang a prop like a skeleton or ghost. Alternatively, just put up a poster or 3D wall décor. Halloween wreaths also make simple door décor. And, of course, don’t forget to put your real or Funkin Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern by the door.

Halloween Pumpkin Decorations

Lillian — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:44:24 +0000

Few things symbolize Halloween better than Halloween pumpkin decorations. As a décor motif, the pumpkin works well in both kid’s and adult’s party decorations. Because it’s more of a harvest/autumn item than strictly a Halloween thing, you can also leave pumpkin decorations up a little longer than you would the ghosts and vampires.

Scary Jack-o-lantern Decorations

Your average pumpkin isn’t particularly scary until you put a face on it at which point, of course, it becomes a Jack-o-lantern. If you’re not up to carving your own this year, look for a plastic battery operated model with a sinister grin and glowing red eyes. Some also produce sound effects or make comments when a motion sensor is triggered. Place one of these Halloween pumpkin decorations on your porch, in a window or hanging up in some other visible spot.

Halloween Pumpkin Lights

Jack-o-lanterns aren’t the only pumpkins that give off that eerie glow. Frame your windows or door with strings of pumpkin mini lights. Dress up your porch light with a pumpkin porch light cover. Another way to help guests make it to your door is set up some pumpkin driveway markers (electric lights you stick in the ground) or pumpkin tiki torches.

Indoors, get a pumpkin nightlight for your kid’s room or to light the way to the bathroom. Glowing pumpkin window decorations, which you stick on the window, are another simple decoration.

Pumpkin Tableware

Halloween pumpkin decorations for the table come in just about every type you can think of. Cover your refreshments table with a pumpkin patterned tablecloth. The pumpkin’s round shape also makes it ideal for plates and serving bowls. If you’ll be serving cocktails, pick up some pumpkin coasters and drink stirrers.

Dining by candle light? Ceramic pumpkin candle holders come in both cute and spooky versions. For something a little earthier, carve out some mini-pumpkins and turn them into candle holders.

Smiling Pumpkins and Friendly Jack-o-lanterns

Ceramic and terra cotta pumpkin, pumpkin pie scented candles, and carved wooden garlands make attractive Halloween home décor. Pumpkin piñatas, windsocks, window clings, stuffed toy pumpkins are great for kids’ parties. Pumpkins in costume also make good light-hearted decorations.

Put a pumpkin in a witch’s hat or stick a set of construction paper vampire teeth on it. Pumpkin painting is another popular way of dressing up a pumpkin without carving it. If you like carving, but don’t like the mess, try a Funkin Pumpkin. These are carvable foam pumpkins that come in several different shapes. These Halloween pumpkin decorations are fine outdoors, but you can’t use a candle inside them.

Halloween Party Stuff You Shouldn’t Do Without

Lillian — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:50:17 +0000

Most of the Halloween party stuff you’ll need for a basic Halloween get together can be found starting the second week of October and right up until Halloween. If you’re planning a more elaborate party, though, you may want to start gathering your supplies as early as the last week of August. That’s because 1) special order props and decorations can take up to eight weeks for delivery and 2) the good stuff sells out fast.

Halloween Party Invitations and Thank-you Cards

Pretty self-explanatory. Styles range from elegant dark orange paper and black calligraphy to cartoon witches with wiggly noses. Planning ahead just gives you a little more time to find really unique Halloween party invitations and decide what you’re going to write in them (Costumes required? RSVP?). Having the thank-you cards on hand help with getting them out on time, too.

Tableware

There’s enough Halloween party stuff in the tableware department to make every single thing on and around your table Halloween-related. Paper plates, cups and napkins with Halloween designs are the bare minimum. There are also table covers, centerpieces, serving bowls, flatware, drink stirrers, and chair covers available.

Games and Entertainment

Make sure you have enough good game or entertainment ideas the supplies to need for your games, including prizes. Did you know there are Halloween board games? Try Geist Game by Rose Knows Inc. or Atmosfear by Flying Bark Productions. For kids, there’s Which Witch? by the Milton Bradley Company. (Break out the Ouija board and Tarot cards at your own risk. ) If you’re planning on telling ghost stories, pick up a book about real hauntings in case your guests don’t have enough stories to tell.

Halloween Party Food

Obviously not something you want to order in August, but it’s worth planning your menu early. That way you’ll have time to look around for unique Halloween party recipes and make sure you can get all the ingredients. (Like black frosting. Homemade varieties often taste like food coloring. Try Wilton’s black cake frosting instead.) If all else fails, you can pick up some Halloween party stuff your refreshments table, like cookies and cupcakes, at the grocery store.

Outdoor Halloween decorations

Halloween decorations for outdoors are fun because you know you won’t be the only one to see them. Generally anything large, like life-sized props, and anything that glows does well outdoors. Plan how you’re going to decorate your yard, driveway and doorway before you start buying decorations and props. Otherwise you could easily end up going way over budget.

Indoor Halloween decorations

This is some of your most important Halloween party stuff, but exactly how you do your indoor décor for Halloween depends on the type of party (Kids or adults? Spooky or fun?) and your theme. If you’re planning on creating one main display scene, choose your props and then decorate around that scene. Also pay special attention to the front door and hall, refreshments table and main seating area.

Tips on Throwing a Fun Halloween Party for Adults

Lillian — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:12:43 +0000

Had enough of the scary stuff and just want to have a fun Halloween party relaxing with some friends? Just because you’re throwing an adult Halloween party doesn’t mean you’re stuck with ghost stories and gruesome decorations. Here are some ideas on fun Halloween party decorations and games grown-ups can enjoy, too.

Fun Halloween Party Decorations

Up-beat, humorous Halloween décor isn’t just for kids’ parties. Take the “crashed witch,” for example—the witch doll you hang up so it looks like she crashed and flattened herself against a wall. It’s just a silly bit of slightly dark humor.

Also try pumpkins dressed up like witches or vampires, a skeleton dressed and posed in a funny position (eg. holding a drink), inflatable decorations, and windsocks. Decorate your yard with tombstones engraved with funny epitaphs like the classic “See, I told you I was sick!” or names puns like “I. L. Beabach” (make your own out of Styrofoam or plywood)

Fun Halloween Party Games and Activities

Remember bobbing for apples, pumpkin bowling, and bashing Halloween piñatas? Sure, they’re kid’s games, but Halloween’s the perfect time to act like a kid again. Set up a few childhood favorites to lighten the mood.

For the more “adult” (I said more “adult,” not more mature) games, consider scavenger hunts (racy items optional), mummy making race (pair guests up and have one wrap the other in TP), and “That’s my man” (in which a blindfolded female guest identifies her boyfriend or husband’s touch after all the guys present have touched her cheek or arm.) The idea is just to get guests laughing, with or without that second goblet of witch’s brew.

If your friends are the artsy types, do some fun Halloween party crafts, too. Pumpkin carving or painting are fine, but if you’d rather avoid the mess try “build a monster.” Clipping parts out of magazines to create their own Frankenstein-style monsters. Another crafts theme is autumn home décor, such as a leaf wreath your guests can take home and leave up throughout November.

Unique Outdoor Halloween Lights

Lillian — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:02:13 +0000

Outdoor Halloween lights improve visibility around walkways and doors without detracting from your other decorations. These outdoor lights typically come in strings of mini-lights covered with plastic covers shaped like ghosts, pumpkins, skulls or other Halloween symbols. Of course, those are what all the neighbors have, too. If you’re looking for something a little more unique, read on.

Light, Sound, and More

If you’re on a budget, one cheap way to get interesting outdoor Halloween lights is to go with the typical string of mini lights, but look for a set in an unusual style. Some play blink, play music or talk. Look for more elaborate shapes like skeletons or spiders or a variety of light shapes like alternating skulls and headstones. Fabric ghost lights and Halloween icicle lights are other unique options. If you want something a little mellower than the average bright mini lights, look for LED Halloween lights.

Path lighting and Driveway Markers

Use electric or solar Halloween outdoor lighting to mark your driveway or the path to your door. If you’re planning a party or expecting trick-or-treaters, this is especially important. It’s all too easy to stumble on a poorly lit path, especially when you’re wearing a costume and looking at yard decorations.

Orange jack-o-lanterns, skeleton or monster hands, skulls in a variety of colors, and witches’ hats are all popular styles for path and driveway lighting. For something a little different, try floating ghost lights. These are white plastic ghost lights on top of a black rod you stick in the ground. At night, the black rod isn’t visible and the ghosts seem to float in mid air.

Light-up Decorations

Light up decorations won’t do much to improve visibility outside your home, but they’re still a lot of fun. Porch light covers are one of the easiest outdoor Halloween lights to install. Just hang the cover over your existing porch light.

If you don’t have a porch light, set a “haunted lantern” by your door. These battery operated decorations make spooky noises when the motion sensor is triggered. You can also find hanging outdoor Halloween props equipped with lights. These are typically white figures like ghosts, mummies, and zombies. And of course, Halloween pumpkin lights never go out of style.

Halloween Party Decorations for Your Bathroom

Lillian — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:01:43 +0000

The bathroom may not be the first place you think to put up Halloween party decorations, but if your guests will be staying more than an hour or so, it’s worth extending your party décor theme to a room at least someone is sure to visit. The first step is to replace that bright but boring bathroom light with a black light or light in some other funky color. Which other Halloween party decorations you choose depends on how much you want to unnerve your guests.

The Creepy Bathtub or Shower

Setting up a scene from Bates Motel is the most obvious idea, of course. Gruesome as it is, though, it’s not very unique. For something different, try putting a weird aquatic creature prop in a tub half full of green colored water (a green light overhead will do). A shower stall filled with spider webs and inhabited by a giant spider is also fairly nightmarish.

The Haunted Mirror

When you’re in the right mind set, even a normal mirror can be a little spooky. Under the influence of enough ghost stories, you half expect to see something emerge from the depths of the mirror. The easiest and cheapest way is to haunt your bathroom mirror is to stick a ghost window cling to the glass. You can buy a cheap mirror and etch a ghostly image into the back. If you really want something special, Halloween party decorations like ghost mirrors can either replace your mirror or be hung on in a highly visible spot.

Quick screams

Want to really startle your guests? Set up a noise-making prop with a motion sensor that’s triggered by the opening door. If you’re bathroom’s totally dark (or you can make it that way) stand a large prop right next to the first thing your guest sees when they flick on the light is that “thing” towering over them. Alternatively, if your bathroom has a window, set up a prop on the outside looking in so it looks like a creepy peeping tom. An eerie ghost hanging over the sink or commode can also be unnerving.