I love Halloween. Our house is largely decorated in burnt colors, dark neutrals, and other fall-ready hues, but even so I like to add extra autumn touches as soon as it starts to get cold. Then, in October (or near October, as I didn’t quite make it that long this year) I decorate the inside and outside of the house for Halloween.
That begins a multi-month process of decorating and un-decorating for different occasions, which I’m sure sounds odd to some but is incredibly therapeutic to me. It feels like living inside of a theme park or deeply decorated party, and I’d love to do that. The more decorations, the merrier that celebration!
Not everyone has the desire to go as all-out as I do, and that’s okay. Whether you just don’t want to store this many decorations or the thought of adding this much clutter to your home gives you some seriously spooky anxiety, you can get a similar result by focusing on adding a few autumn- or Halloween-ready items.
THEMED TEXTILES
Up first? Textiles. Adding a themed tablecloth, blanket, throw pillow, or table runner can set the mood without taking up too much space when not in use. For our tablecloths, I went with Halloween themed options. This includes black torn netting found for less than $5 and a square yard of scrap Halloween fabric found in the remnant bin at Jo-Ann Fabrics.
On top of them, I have table runners because more is more. Our dining room table runner was found in the clearance area of IKEA. Typically, on our buffet and bar I have burlap or tan embroidered generic autumn table runners. Since the spooky season is upon us, I added my favorite Halloween option to the bar. This is actually made out of three Halloween placemats left over from my childhood that I stitch together.
PERFECT PUMPKINS
Pumpkins are an obvious second choice for easy autumn decor. You can go the real route and then eventually eat them, but since I don’t cook with pumpkin too often I stocked up on faux options from Michael’s when they were on super clearance. After Halloween last year, I found them in the $2 Halloween grab bags they sometimes offer at the end of seasons. Also in those bags were many of the other decorations seen in our home, but even without them, just adding the pumpkins will give you a great decor boost for fall. (You can also make fabric ones following my tutorial!)
STRATEGIC LIGHTING
Don’t forget to change your lighting. If you’re going for a spooky Halloween vibe, try turning off most of your lights and then strategically turning lamps back on. When turned on alone in a dark room, the light from a lamp can be rather harsh and can create some dramatic shadows. If you don’t want to decorate much, this can cover a lot of your room for you while keeping the overall vibe eerie.
AUTUMN-SCENTED CANDLES
Speaking of lighting, candles are next. To be honest, we keep fall scented candles in our home for most of the year. It’s just our favorite type of scent. Anything in the apple, pumpkin, or cinnamon range my husband and I both adore.
I brought in some new options from Chesapeake Bay Candle and I’m thrilled with the results. Since these candles are white, they cast a lot of light in a dark room, which makes them the perfect addition to watching scary movies in the dark surrounded by your Halloween decorations. The scents are not overwhelming, which I appreciate. I am incredibly scent-sensitive, which means that things that smell too much like perfume give me an instant migraine. These Chesapeake Bay Candle products are not overpowering, but instead offer a mild autumn addition to your home.
Chesapeake Bay Candle was nice enough to send over five options from its Heritage Collection to help get my house ready for the season. Vanilla Biscotti ($15) was one I knew I would love, and it is almost like a toned-down cupcake scented candle. I’ve always wanted a cupcake scented candle but they tend to be too intense for me. This candle smells delicious without giving me a headache.
Another candle I knew I would love is Cinnamon Spice ($15). This one comes in an adorable metal tin, which is a color I know will go nicely with our Christmas decorations come December. The last one I requested was Pumpkin Latte ($25). I love to drink them, I love to smell them, and I love burning this three-wick candle in my house.
However, Chesapeake Bay Candle sent over two additional options I wasn’t so sure about. One is Balsam Fir ($25). I always go the artificial route for Christmas trees, so that scent does not trigger any particular memories for me. I think it can be overpowering. This version is perfect, as it has more depth to it than just the fir tree and it blends nicely with all of our other fall candles to create a truly autumn experience.
Additionally, they sent over Chestnut & Acorn ($25). I couldn’t even imagine what chestnuts or acorns would smell like, so I assumed I wouldn’t like it. This turned out to be my absolute favorite candle and a must-have for my home going forward. Have you ever been to a fair where they’re candying nuts? That’s what this smells like. And it’s amazing. I guess the name makes sense now.
SPOOKY SIGNAGE
Last but not least, a simple sign or banner can easily add that autumn touch you want while being small enough to fit inside of an envelope during the off-season. Obviously, I’m a little crazy for banners, but even if you want just one, any of the places I’ve hung them are good options. You can make your own or find one inexpensively at the store!
How do you get your home ready for Halloween?
Thank you for sponsoring this post, Chesapeake Bay Candle!
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