Emma's Favorite Halloween Decor

As a kid I loved Halloween. I decorated my bedroom and planned my costume for weeks in advance. My parents were kind of freaked out but supportive. When I had my own kids the weeks before Halloween were costume and Halloween decoration prep time. I hosted IMHO, the best Halloween parties in the neighborhood and had the best time doing it. These days my kids are grown up and I'm an empty nester. I still have the biggest, baddest Halloween party in town and I basically plan for it all year round now. I blog about Halloween on my main blog: http://www.emmaraeshalloween.com about nearly every Halloween topic but found that I wanted to break the topic of Halloween decorations and parties out into it's own blog.

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Have I mentioned that there are only 36 days until Halloween...?! 

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A New Look for Fall Decor: An Enchanted Halloween 

As I have been on a quest for some incredible Halloween ideas, I came across some new ways to decorate your home for fall. Pumpkins are a classic, of course, but there are lots of new ways to add a little fall beauty to the look. 

For instance, adding color and texture to the humble pumpkin allows you to create a different kind of atmosphere to your fall and Halloween decorations. Did you know that a little white, blue, green or grey paint allows you to create an entirely different feel to your holiday ambiance. One of my favorite new ideas is the Halloween bling pumpkins, that I first saw when reading a blog that features more elegant tastes. 

This is just the thing that will help make your fall get together memorable. My niece is throwing a party for her daughters for Halloween...it's an enchanted Halloween party fit for a princess. Even her mom, the royal hostess is going in costume as a grown-up Belle from Beauty and the Beast. 

The kids are going to arrive in regal fashion, complete with tiaras, wands and little Disney Princess costumes. The little girls are so excited, and they've been talking about it for weeks. I'm helping with this Halloween ball, so I can't wait to see thier faces when they arrive to a house that is warm, inviting and lit with beautiful pumpkins, and filled with the fragrance of apple cider. 

Even if you aren't planning a party fit for a mini-queen, you can still utilize these decoration ideas in your fall decor. One nice thing about them is that because they are so nondescript, they easily transition from fall, to Halloween, to Thanksgiving, which saves you time for more important things: spending time with the people you love during the holidays.  

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Incredible Buzz Lightyear Balloons Costume for Halloween

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HA! This is fantastic costume!

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I AM GaGa

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Check out this awesome idea for a costume... Lady Gaga inspired awesomeness! 

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Making a Playful Group of Ghosts for Your Lawn

I I love ghosts of all kinds when decorating inside and out. I especially love seeing those faces of all the kids in costume light up when they see the holiday decorations. The happy faces of those kids, especially the ones in children's costumes makes all of that work worth it! There are many different versions of them based on their spookiness and whether or not you want them to be mobile. If you just want a cute little ring of ghosties to haunt your front lawn space, you are in luck and you can control how cute or how scary they are.

Decide how many ghosts will be in your ring. An odd number is better than an even one. (This is a decorator “rule”) We will say you pick five.

Get your hands on some of those electrical post lights that stand as tall as you need them to or drive stakes into the ground (like you would use for fencing) and place a form of some sort on the top as the head, like foam or a plastic ball cut open to fit over the stake. Right around 24” is a great height, but you can make them as tall as you want them. Toward the end of the summer, stores tend to be getting rid of items like Shepherd’s Hooks that work well, but you may find it easier to work with them without the hook on it so you can remove it. Even dollar stores have them sometimes.

For the body of the ghost itself, you have several choices. 1. Use cheesecloth 2. Use curtains 3. Use sheets 4. Use tablecloths 5. For diversity, use a combination of them all. Most of these can be found in thrift stores very inexpensively. When cutting them up, you don’t necessarily need to make them into circles, but you do need to make them long enough to knot them together and have some dragging over the ground for effect. Take NOTE: Soaking any materials in Rit Whitener using your washer or sink will make these ghosts glow under a black light situation. For added atmosphere, or to use these as a nighttime attraction, do this.

When you have whitened your materials, use paint or permanent marker to add their faces, if you so desire. Make some happy, some scary, some disgruntled.

Drape your ghost bodies over the posts. If you put lights out there to be covered, put the black lights in them. If you put posts out, run black lights to them so they will glow. There are strings of black lights available on the market and all it takes is to run them around the bases of the forms to make them show up. Then knot the very edges of each to the one next to it so they look like they are holding hands.

On Halloween night, play ghostly sounds outside as though they are the ones making the racket. Maybe have a separate player hosting some creepy lullaby or music box type of music that they are dancing to.

These adorable little guys are not hard to throw together to have by themselves or enhance a graveyard scene, even at the last minute. Branch out and take on a project this year, start now so they are done and waiting for the season to arrive!

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related. 

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Make Your Own Halloween Yard Haunt

pics on Sodahead

There have been many other posts on this decoration idea and that idea, but this post is geared to help you take your entire yard and transform it into one huge haunted space for the Halloween holiday. Be the attraction of the neighborhood and deck out your yard this year! The first thing you need to do is divide up your yard into sections and assign them all a theme. It reminds me of a home with an open concept floorplan. You have to break up those spaces to identify them as different living areas. 

Even small portions can have a huge impact! But what you put in them needs to stay consistent with that common theme. You can put witches in one section, a graveyard in another, and vampires or scarecrows in another. The list is neverending, really. The web is a great place to gain some inspiration.

Now, carefully plan what props you will fill those spaces with. Based on your budget, will you purchase your decorations or make them? As Halloween approaches, there are outlet stores that move into areas all over, making unique purchases an easier thing to do.

Maybe this year you won’t be able to do everything you want to, but you can add to it next year. And the option to make your props is not a bad one, it is simply a little time consuming. But if you are handy and enjoy making things yourself, take on some projects! Just remember, if you want your yard to look authentic and transformed, you need to make sure your props look realistic. When they look cheesy and fake, it will just make people laugh.

  Lighting is very important in setting the mood. It has to be just right or it can be under lit and ruined or over exposed and ruined. Just the correct amount has to be applied for it to look right and have that creepy vibe. Take pictures, if you need to, of the before and after so you can study them before the big night and fine tune and changes you need to make before then. Use flood lights and fog for separate spaces. Different colors are better for different things. Blue:

Point blue flood lights into the fog from your fog machine.

Use blue flood lights to light a graveyard scene.

Blue flood lights are great to use in haunted houses.

Green:

Green works for alien scenes.

Great for swampy and marshy scenes.

Use green for a mad scientist’s lab.

Red:

Red works well for devilish, vampire, and witch themes.

Yellow:

Yellow is as close to amber as you get in lighting.

Use to highlight your pumpkin patch or corn field.

Use for lighting at a Halloween party.

The use of black lights can be fun too, especially if you are incorporating ghosts into your design. play around with Rit whitener and black lighting projects! And don’t forget to light up your pumpkins! They count as lighting!   

Don’t forget your door and porch. They tend to get lost in the process, but make it a part of the fun. Stack skulls around the door and get a freaky doorknocker, or order one of those faux stone archways. Even a wreath form wrapped in a black feather boa with crows perched over your porch makes it a little more festive. Just make it fun!

  There is a yard that has been scaring people for years and they don’t display all the same props every year. They rotate them based on the theme they are going for. One year may be a zombie theme with all sections based on zombie things. The next may be ghosts and gouls. Then scarecrows and the pumpkin patch. They have different elements to display, but they stick to that certain theme. They are a great source of inspiration!

Now, go sit down and start planning your next yard haunt! Now is the perfect time to begin some of those spooky projects! Happy haunting!

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

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Halloween Costumes for Free

No matter what the government says, it’s obvious that the economy is still suffering and money just doesn’t get you as far as it used to. As we all know, everything costs money and fall is one of the biggest times of the year to spend money. With the kids going back to school and having to spend a small fortune for their new supplies, the last thing you have spare money for is a Halloween costume.

The good news is that you can make some great Halloween costumes with the supplies you have in your home, meaning it will cost you nothing to get your kids dressed up for the 31st of October. Plus it can be a fun project to do with your kids.

A Roman or Greek citizen is a fun, easy project to do with the kids. To make your Greek Halloween costume, any size of white bed sheet will work well for this do-it-yourself project (though the bigger the kid, the bigger the sheet that is recommended). With some safety pins and any kind of sandal, it’s an easy task to dress them in a toga like the real Romans used to wear. Add some rope around the waist and cut up a decorative garland for a laurel wreath for their head and you’ve got yourself a free, easy Halloween costume. 

For those who are the fans of “The Office”, a popular costume taken from the comedy television show is “Three Hole Punch Jim (or insert your child’s name here)”. There isn’t a costume that gets simpler or freer than this one: dress your kids up in normal clothes, then cut three big circles out of printer paper and tape them on one side of your child. Voila! Three Hole Punch (insert your child’s name here)!

If you need more ideas, a simple internet search will yield more ideas and suggestions for making free, great costumes for your kids’ next Halloween.

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.

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Easy Halloween Decorating Tricks for $20 or Less

When looking to spruce up the interior of your home with some holiday glamour, if you don't have a ready arsenal of decorations, things can get expensive. Unless, of course, you are creative with the use of the items you already have around your house. 

For instance, the blogger who created the Halloween style living room pictured above simply threw a blanket over a chair, added a pumpkin here, a few candles, and accented the room with dye-cut owls, cheesecloth and some leaves. With such simple additions, any of us could add a little holiday pizzazz to any room, for a small amount of money. In fact, you could decorate your living room for the holiday for under $20.

Here’s How

1.    Pumpkins. You can add them to a mantle, a doorstep or a window for that instant fall look. For added flair, paint the pumpkins to match your existing décor, or add ribbons and lace to for a more pulled together look. They aren’t expensive and can be used later in the season to carve into jack-o-lanterns, saving you money. If you have pumpkins from your garden, that’s even better since there’s very little out of pocket expense.

2.    Black silhouettes. Cut or print out large Halloween shapes such as witch hats, jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, or werewolf silhouettes. You can frame these in black picture frames, attach them to a window or mirror or use them as stencils to paint a temporary scene onto a wall. You can pick up large pieces of paper for very little money.

3.    Drape fabric. Add black throw pillows, blankets, sheets, cobwebs or cheesecloth to any place in your room that needs a little extra holiday something. Most of us already have fabric and pillows around, and cheesecloth and cobwebs only cost a few dollars.

4.    Candles. Fill a bowl with candles, cover a fireplace mantle with groupings of candles, or place a large black candelabrum on the table. These everyday pieces easily transition from Halloween and then back after the holiday. Candles are very inexpensive, especially if you make your own or purchase the unscented kind.

5.    Books. Many of us have children’s books, encyclopedias or other books lying around taking up space that we no longer use. Why not cut out a few images of spiders, coffins, witches or candy for framing for instant holiday artwork?

If you are light on funds this fall, that does not mean you can’t create a beautifully decorated holiday ambiance at your house. Being creative and adapting things that you have on hand work well for saving you money at the holidays, and this also works for costumes for children. With a few simple tweaks, you can use readily available, inexpensive items to get the Halloween vibe you are after.  

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.

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I loved this idea for a Halloween party! 

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.

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Your Haunted House

Sometimes it can be hard to think of ways to create the perfect haunted house. At Halloween there are so many possibilities, sometimes you need to place restrictions upon yourself to get the results you want. If you’re struggling to come up with a theme or ideas for your haunted house, step back. Look at what you’ve got on hand and what you want in your mind’s eye. Make a list of what is important. Then get started making it happen.

Here are some things that I always like to incorporate in my haunted house:

Cauldrons and cobwebs. I love using cauldrons to serve everything from chips and salsa to punch. I make the kids bob for apples from a cauldron and wash their hands in one before eating dinner. But a cauldron is not complete without cobwebs. For a more authentic look I always try to incorporate the two together.

Skulls and skeletons. The more bones the better. Glitter skulls, rotting skulls. Real rodent skeletons and fake human ones. Piles of bones or garlands of bones. The effect is the same. Shock. Terror. Beauty. 

Spooky sounds. I like to frighten my guests by playing spooky sounds underneath the Halloween music. Frightful screams and unearthly groans cause joyful panic. Just watch your trick or treaters run from your door.

Candlelight. The more candlelight the better. Fill pumpkins, mason jars, chandeliers, baby food jars, fireplaces, tabletops and more. Any open space should be filled with natural light. If possible don’t turn on any electricity for the entire night.

Haunted houses mean different things to different people. Make yours uniquely you. 

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.

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New Twists on the Classic Pumpkin

Every fall, when the pumpkins from our backyard garden start to turn that classic orange I get in the mood for decorating. Pumpkins are, after all, the quintessential Halloween decorating object, and are historically recognized as part of the culture of the fall season. 

In fact, I just learned that for Halloween's celebrated in Scotland, the UK, and other European countries, they actually carved faces on vegetables like turnips or cabbages. My goodness, I have to say that I will take the pleasant fragrance of a pumpkin pie over a cabbage any day! Pumpkins became popular for fall and Halloween decorating in after the holiday was celebrated in the early years of the United States, when pumpkins were easier to come by in the New World. 

That said, the pumpkin is a classic symbol of Halloween, but that doesn't mean that it's a tired symbol. It seems like every year there is a new way to dress up the humble pumpkin for the season... and the decorations have gotten bolder, more beautiful and some of them carry beautifully through other seasons as well. 

  You can decorate pumpkins with decoupage, sequins, paints, lights, lace and countless other ways to add a little pizzazz to your Halloween pumpkin display. 

When carving pumpkins for Jack-o-lanterns, the sky is the limit. 

There is an idea or stencil for every politician, actor, movie, or artistic scene out there. Check out this amazing Death Star pumpkin...it'll go perfect with your Darth Vader costume. 

Really, whether you are going to smash them for a prank, bake them into a pie, decorate them with sequins and lace, or carve them into a work of art, the pumpkin is a versatile classic that is always a great starting point for new holiday creativity. 

About Emma Rae Curtis

Kids around the world count down the days until Christmas but not Emma Rae Curtis. Ever since her first Halloween, Emma has been a huge fan of the magic that is Halloween. While raising her kids, Emma had the time of her life making Halloween costumes and hosting lively Halloween parties. Each Halloween her house is still decorated to the hilt making it a trick or treat favorite in the neighborhood. Emma loves the fun of getting into costume and watching her friends and family dress up. She loves the scary music, spook alleys and the dark theme of the holiday. Emma loves the decorations, the food and parties that make truly make Halloween a unique and fantastic holiday. If it’s related to Halloween, Emma is into it. Emma is an avid researcher, reader and writer of all topics involving Halloween costumes, Halloween traditions, Halloween decorations, Halloween parties and accessories. At the urging of her friends and family Emma has worked independently as a Halloween writer/researcher since 2001. Emma also does consulting for organizations regarding all things related to Halloween parties, Halloween costumes and Halloween related information.

View all posts by Emma Rae Curtis →

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.

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Halloween Inspired Art

Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with ideas for what to put on your wall for Halloween. Not everyone likes the homespun look of cut out paper garlands and dried leaves on dying branches. If you’re looking for a more sophisticated spooky look, instead of just finding fun-house mirrors, or creepy masks, why don’t you try to something simpler.

Here are some great ways to incorporate Halloween themes into art around your home this holiday season:

Cut out vampire silhouettes. Similar to those adorable little souvenirs you bring home from Disneyland, cut out silhouettes of men and women, young and old, in profile on black card-stock. Add fangs and a cape and you’re almost done. Attach the profiles to white card-stock and then frame in oval black frames. Voila! A nice simplistic touch that adds a bit of verve to your walls. Simple, classic, and spooky. 

Minimalist posters of your favorite Halloween movies can add a nice touch to your walls. Any horror film will do, provided that you like it. There’s no sense in putting up a scary film that you can’t stand. The Omen scarred me to tears, I have no desire to see an image that reminds me of that horrible nanny.

Turn spooky sayings into objects d'art. That’s right, any Victorian gothic poem or horror movie saying can be easily turned into an object of art in your home. You can frame them, place it on a banner, screen print it onto a pillow, paint it on a pumpkin or put it on a chalkboard. It’s never been easier to share your tastes with your friends.

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.

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Clothespin Crafts for Halloween

When it comes to making crafts out of the supplies you have at hand, it can be frustrating to come up with ideas. Clothespins may seem like an arbitrary craft item, but wielded properly they can become as important as glue in your next decorating adventure.  

Here are some great ways to use them to get your house ready for Halloween. 

Bats are a great element in any Halloween home, but sometimes you don’t have time to cut out 20+ bats for a garland. Instead cut out 4-5 bats and glue them onto clothespins that you have painted black. Clip them onto anything from the hallway mirror, to your table centerpiece or a wreath. 

Turn your clothespins into mummies, monsters, vampires or ghosts by painting, wrapping or glueing faces onto them and clipping them onto name tags for school functions, goodie bags for trick or treaters, or wear them as hair accessories. 

Cut out a headstone on grey or black construction paper. Write a menu or a recipe on one side and then glue to a clothespin on the other side. Clip it to your placemat, plate or serving dish to let guests know what to expect.

Just because clothespins are an inexpensive craft item doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable. Experiment using large and small pins to see what kinds of treats you can think up. 

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.

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Family Friendly Haunts

Haunted houses are something of a specialty when it comes to Halloween in my neighborhood. I’ve made more than I care to count. That being said, sometimes scary isn’t the way to go. Sometimes, you want to keep it fun and family friendly, so that everyone can enjoy it. Here are some tips to reduce the terror in your house of haunts.

·         Don’t make it too dark

Human imagination being what it is, the darker your haunted house the scarier it typically is. Instead, have it be well lit with orange lights. It still adds a nice Halloween effect but keeps the terror from multiplying in the dark.

·         No blood or gore

This seems obvious, as these things will always scare little kids. But it’s important that it applies to everything. One year I dressed as a vampire with a bit of fake blood and it was still too much in the haunted house for the younger kids. Be careful and wear appropriate costumes.

·         Dress a friendly dog in a cute Halloween outfit

Friendly cuddly dogs are a great way to reassure nervous children, and they work even better when they’re dressed up in fun dog costumes.

·         Have a fun maze for everyone to enjoy

Mazes are surprisingly easy to make in the house, requiring minimal setup. They are also extremely fun because of their interactivity. Try using a few bed sheets, strategically placed furniture, and fun cardboard cut outs.

Follow these tips and you should have a fun, family friendly Halloween house. Enjoy and always offer plenty of treats!

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.

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Halloween Garlands

Garlands make a dramatic statement without taking up too much space or time. That’s why I always advocate for Halloween garlands. Made out of paper, fabric, tinsel or crepe paper, there isn’t a more versatile decoration in the crafty world. 

Here are three of my favorite garland techniques:

Sewn paper garlands - Whether you want bats, pumpkins, witches, black cats, cauldrons or simple circles made of orange and black, using your sewing machine to stitch the garland together can make for a fun and spooky look. Using a basic stitch just keep placing one piece in front of the other until you get to the end. A great way to tell how long your garland will be is by how many pieces you’ve assembled. If you’ve cut out 10 2-inch circles, and you make a 2-inch thread gap, your garland will be 2-feet long.   You can adjust this as necessary, say for longer bat wings or fat pumpkins.

Using black paper doilies, you can easily make a haunting garland by cutting the dollies in half and sewing them together with black thread. Then you can cut out orange pinwheels, or rosettes and decorate it to say anything from, “Happy Halloween,” to “Beware!” 

Black roses are easily made by cutting out various circles from various papers. Follow this little tutorial from my Pinterest board and soon you’ll be pumping out roses made from vintage sheet music and Halloween scrapbook papers just like me.

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.

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Costumes for Kids

As an adult, the effort I have put into costumes for Halloween parties or any other kind of costume party, has become less and less throughout the years.  The same energy I had as kid for dressing up just isn’t there.  That was one of the best things about being a kid, dressing up without a care in the world (that and recess).  So it comes to me with no surprise that costume makers have an innumerable amount of kids costumes for Halloween or any other reason a kid may want to dress up.  There are a large amount of costume ideas for kids of any age, whether it be six or sixteen. 

Toddlers even have a lot of options.  Sure, they don’t have a lot of say in how they are dressed, but they will look cute no matter what.  You can dress them as characters from the best children’s movies like “Toy Story,” or as an animal like a lion.  There’s even an Elvis option for your toddler.  Make the best decision to show the world just how cute your little infant really is. 

Boys and girls in grade schools can make their own decisions, and they will have a lot to choose from, anything from superheroes to princesses.  Let your kids live out their wildest fantasies (which can sometimes be pretty wild).  And sure teenagers say they are too old for trick or treating, but it doesn’t mean they’re too old for dressing up.  No one is ever too old to play dress up!

Emma Rae Curtis is a blogger, researcher and Halloween enthusiast! She writes all about Halloween parties, costumes and of course, decor.