Inspired Decorating: Getting into the Spirit of Halloween

We all know people who like to go overboard on the holidays. And Halloween is no exception. Walking past a home with a haunted yard, mummies in the windows, and a musical jack o’ lantern theme can inspire, intrigue, or just plain frighten you. But remember, you don’t have to go overboard to get into the holiday spirit! Subtle updates, tasteful decorations, and seasonal features can add style and flair without offending your neighbors or scaring away trick-or-treaters. Here are some holiday inspired ideas on seasonal decorations:

Pumpkins:

A leering Jack O’ Lantern face may be classic, but modern geometric designs transform pumpkins into elegant luminaries. If you don’t feel like carving your pumpkins, gilding, yarn, and lace coverings can all add nice decorative touches to these seasonal gourds.

Modern carved pumpkins at Angelo Home

Gilded pumpkins at CountryLiving.com

Lacy pumpkins are easy! All you need is a pumpkin, a fashion stocking, and some ribbon. Find the tutorial here.

Décor:

Subtle updates can add a lot to your room. Update the prints on your mantle to reflect the spooky holiday or autumnal colors, or add a slightly creepy apothecary display to you sideboard. You can even go as simple as adding an arrangement of seasonal blossoms to your decor.

Etsy spooky photo roundup at Dooce.com

You don’t have to completely avoid the creepy, make an apothecary display on a mantle or windowsill with this tutorial from MarthaStewart.com

Another subtle way to decorate is to focus on autumnal items like fall foliage and flowers:

Leaf mask at Designmom.com

Add a display of beautiful Japanese lanterns from Apartment Therapy.com

Create a seasonal centerpiece like the one from DesignSponge.com

What is your favorite way to decorate your home for Halloween? Let us know if you go all out or opt instead for subtler holiday touches.