For some people, the scarier the better when it comes to Halloween decorations. A zombie girl with glowing eyes who rips the head off her teddy bear? OK. A 6-foot-tall, chainsaw-wielding hulk who emits bloodcurdling screams and buzzing? Trick or treat!
Decorating with scary stuff can be part of the fun.
But other people, including those with little kids, find the aesthetic disturbing, and prefer their Halloween without the gore.
香蕉视频直播淚 want to preserve my little ones香蕉视频直播� innocence as long as possible, and the creepy, mischievous, evil side of Halloween brings up topics I don香蕉视频直播檛 want my child to know about until they香蕉视频直播檙e old enough to understand it香蕉视频直播檚 fake,香蕉视频直播� says Jamie Morrissey, who has three children under 3 in suburban New York.
For those after a more dialed-down but still spooky and dramatic look, there are plenty of decorations and themes.
Some play off of old science and wizardry, with celestial illustrations and apothecary elements. Some take a playfully gothic turn. There香蕉视频直播檚 the traditional orange-and-black color scheme, but no reason to stick only to that.
(Note: As for fake cobwebs and dangling lights, wildlife experts urge people not to put them up. Animals can get in them, leading to injury or death.)
BASIC BLACK. OR A HALLOWEEN RAINBOW
Jessica Dodell-Feder, HGTV Magazine香蕉视频直播檚 executive editor, bleeds the color from her decorations.
香蕉视频直播淚 love keeping everything black and white, then using natural elements that have a little bit of a creepy factor like bats, snakes, bugs or Venus fly traps,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淭hink black-painted branches sticking out of an urn; framed faux moth specimens; black-painted faux snakes 香蕉视频直播榗rawling香蕉视频直播� across the center of a table like a runner.香蕉视频直播�
At the other end of the spectrum, if you want to take your Halloween a little bit 香蕉视频直播�90s, a little bit , then professional crafter of Austin, Texas, has some zingy, rainbow-hued, Halloween-themed ideas at her site, akailochiclife. She offers garlands of multicolored pumpkins or phrases, like 香蕉视频直播淗ocus Pocus香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播淚 Put a Spell on You.香蕉视频直播� She has instructions for spatter-painting faux pumpkins in day-glo colors.
Another craft idea that kids and adults can do together:
Submerge a few white tapers in warm water until they香蕉视频直播檙e soft enough to bend into curvy shapes. Then with a permanent marker add facial features. Once they香蕉视频直播檝e cooled and hardened again, you香蕉视频直播檝e got some candle ghosts for the table. There香蕉视频直播檚 a DIY video on Whitten香蕉视频直播檚 blog.
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living香蕉视频直播檚 senior homes and features editor, favors fall colors.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 not huge on Halloween, so I love leaning into the season香蕉视频直播檚 abundance of natural colors instead: sage greens, burnt oranges, golden yellows and chocolate browns,香蕉视频直播� she says.
香蕉视频直播淧lus, when you skip the zombies in favor of fall color, you can enjoy your decorations from the start of the season through Thanksgiving.香蕉视频直播�
GHOSTS, JACK-O香蕉视频直播�-LANTERNS AND OTHER STALWARTS
But Watson acknowledges it香蕉视频直播檚 no fun to be a Halloween Scrooge, either.
She finds the handmade ghosts from Mollie Jenkins Pottery 香蕉视频直播渏ust the right mix of sweet and spooky.香蕉视频直播�
is a Columbus, Georgia, ceramic artist who found herself with a little extra white clay one fall semester while pursuing her B.F.A. at Auburn University.
香蕉视频直播淢y mom香蕉视频直播檚 always loved decorating for the holidays, and growing up we had spooky Halloween candlesticks along with big terracotta jack-o香蕉视频直播�-lanterns. I took a spin off of those, creating my whimsical ghost,香蕉视频直播� she said.
Her little specters have developed a following, and sell out every year on her site.
DECORATING FOR A PARTY
Inviting some friends over for a spooky soiree?
For a Hogwarts feel, hang some of battery-operated 香蕉视频直播渇loating candles香蕉视频直播� over a party table or entry. The retailer also has stacked black pumpkin lights with cat faces, and glittery black twig trees.
got a twiggy, matte-black wreath for a mantel or door. Or create a modern Halloween village with a few of their matte-black haunted houses.
Lauren McIntosh, an artist in Berkeley, California, has created a collection of glassware and napkins for with illustrations including a fortune-teller香蕉视频直播檚 palm, ravens, night-blooming flowers, and mystical moon and star patterns. Also for London ceramicist has an endearing array of bats, cats, owls and ravens on trays, mugs, lanterns and a candelabra.
Dodell-Felder shares a party idea connected to the movie 香蕉视频直播淏eetlejuice,香蕉视频直播� which gets a new installment as early as next year.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 a huge fan of Tim Burton, and recently ended up purely by accident at a Beetlejuice-themed bar. It had black-and-white striped d茅cor with neon green elements. The drinks were served on dry ice, and they had old-timey portraits on the walls. You couldn香蕉视频直播檛 look away!香蕉视频直播� she says.
For 香蕉视频直播渁n elevated Halloween party,香蕉视频直播� The Spruce香蕉视频直播檚 editorial and strategy director, Caroline Utz, suggests setting up a tablescape with luxe textures like velvet, and adding orange, purple and green candlesticks in different shapes and sizes. Sculptured Greek or Roman busts might add a 香蕉视频直播淣ight at the Museum香蕉视频直播� vibe.
CREATIVE BUT GENTLE
In San Francisco, Emily Reaman works in interior design, and she香蕉视频直播檚 also got a preschooler. While he loves some 香蕉视频直播渟pooky香蕉视频直播� things, she香蕉视频直播檚 careful about her decorating.
香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 have cobwebs or skeletons hanging by my front door,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淏ut I do add lights to the trees, and my son and I decorate gourds with paint and glitter that we keep out during Halloween, then use on the Thanksgiving table.香蕉视频直播�
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