Emma's Favorite Halloween Decor

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.