Halloween Decoration Choices

Pumpkins

Ok, no doubt you have to have some carved pumpkins. What's Halloween without them? But here's your chance to be really creative. The smiling Jack o'Lantern with big teeth has just been overdone.

How about shaving part of the skin and carving something that resembles the family cat? Or, you could slice part of the skin off in a spiral and make the attached peel look like intestines by sprinkling it with stage blood. Give it some thought and you're sure to come up with a neighborhood prize-winning design that is wholly original.

Candles

Spooky candles are a must to create that Halloween atmosphere. But don't just light some six-inch tall, boring, white sticks and be done with it. Go for something really different.

Picture a Gothic-looking candlestick holder topped by skulls with some short, fat candles on the top. Now, that's unique. Or, buy some holders three-feet high and put two-foot high, two-inch wide candles inside like the monks used in the Middle Ages. After all, where do you think Halloween came from?

Gothic Coverings and Wall Decor

To really make the house over to capture the Halloween look, Gothic coverings are the perfect decoration. That might be a blood-soaked tablecloth or a cover that turns your nice beige couch into a brooding black coffin.

Add to the effect with a hanging Gargoyle light. Spread plenty of cobweb mesh in the corners or spray the windows with fake cobweb thread from an aerosol can. Complete the look with a mirror that sports plenty of spooky skulls around the frame.

Front Door Hangers

Don't forget that door knocker. Skulls are always a good choice. But you could make the effect really wild by going for the gooey guts look. Some sausages sprayed with stage blood make for the perfect Halloween holiday wreath.

One clever Halloween decorator even developed a mirror that hangs on the door... whose reflection shows the person as a ghost! You can get the same effect by skillfully using digital photo software on the computer. Just take an online stock photo of your favorite ghoul, darken the background, and fuzz things over a little by making it out of focus. Print it out on a color printer and hang on the door. Then just lower the lights on the porch.

Dishes and Table Settings

Remember that when you serve the guests you don't want to destroy the look you've worked so hard to create. Some skeleton-arm glasses where the arm is the stem and the hand is the cup keep the atmosphere alive. Or is that dead?

Plates that disappear in the dark, except for the shadow of a ghost that shows up in the dim light, will make serving snacks an unsettling experience. Let's just hope it doesn't unsettle their stomachs.