Although this quirky holiday is not celebrated by everyone, it’s a great excuse to dress up, be merry and get to know the folks in your vicinity. In the spirit of community, why not get your road, complex or area involved too?
Before you trick or treat yo’self with the usual spooky essentials, we have some trending ideas that will give you the edge this season.
Come as you aren’t
Big into dress-up? The most popular costumes right now revolve around fan-favourite shows and movies – and it doesn’t have to be scary either! We’re seeing characters from Stranger Things, Scooby-Doo and Hocus Pocus. You could even make it a group activity by encouraging your family, friends and neighbours to come as members of Minions, Super Mario or the Addams Family.
Creep it real
As they say, go big or go home. This year, extra large garden decor is in. Giant skeletons, pumpkins and spiders are at the top of the list. If it’s bigger than you are, it’s perfect – and it means it will probably be visible from the street so that your neighbours and anyone else in the area can experience the fun as well.
Fa-boo-lous props
What’s Halloween without a bit of magic? Hang your favourite spooky decorations – plastic
spiders, pumpkins or battery-operated candles – from trees, eaves and outdoor structures using fishing line to create a floating effect. It’ll look amazing in the dark and will keep your guests guessing!
The ghostess with the mostest
Planning on having people over on the big day or want to give your neighbourhood trick-or-treaters an experience to remember? Complete your spooky spread with some well-chosen accessories. All you need are a few props and some time to DIY. Ideas include putting plastic spiders under bell jars, using mannequin hands to hold sweets or filling plastic pumpkin baskets with snacks.
Fangs for the memories
Vintage Halloween home decor is back in style, so now is the time to go digging in your garage for those old-school items you packed away and forgot about. This could include a rotary telephone, classic candle stick holders or even a poster of your favourite scary movie. You don’t even need to decorate the whole house – just dress up your entryway. The older crowd will love the throwback!
Too cute to spook
If creepy isn’t your thing, don’t worry! Cute and whimsical is all the rage this year, especially if it is handmade and uses a modern colour palette. Dress up your home, stoep and tables with dusty pink, peach and cream pumpkins or grab your scissors and make some themed garlands, decorated with sequins and glitter. Cartoon cats, bats and Casper the friendly ghost are particularly in right now.
Jack-o-lantern
Light up your garden or home with lanterns or battery-operated candle decorations. Not only does it announce to the neighbourhood that you are celebrating and that you are welcoming trick-or-treaters, but it’ll also give your space a creepy – or cute! – look from the street. You might even find out-of-area people doing drivebys just to see all the decorated houses… yours being one of them!
Yummy treats
