This weekend we spent a few hours combing through things we already had and popping out to Target and Michael’s for a few affordable Halloween accents to decorate three different areas of our living room just in time for the season of ghosts and goblins. We don’t usually go all out for the spookiest day of the year, but when we realized that purchasing a silver candy bowl, a faux crow (say that ten times fast), two votive candle holders, a plate, one red candle, two white faux pumpkins and a few black feathers could transform our console table, coffee table and dining table we were totally game.
So here’s a little video all about how we repurposed everything from an Old Navy scarf to dog treats (yup, dog treats) to get into the Halloween spirit without breaking the bank:
And for those of you who can’t view the video at work, here’s a little summary for ya. We opted for an eerie Edgar Allen Poe meets Twilight & True Blood effect, so we skipped the orange pumpkins and fall leaves and went for high contrast black and white accessories set off by a few haunting accents like an ominous black crow and some DIY bleeding candles.
For the console table we dug up an old scrap of burlap to use as a raw and rough looking runner and placed various candlesticks and votives around the new silver candy bowl we picked up.
We also found books laying around with appropriately spooky titles and black spines to work into the display…
…and even realized that old printing blocks from the flea market that spelled LOVE could be rearranged to spell EVOL- just one letter away from EVIL. So we flipped over the O block and markered in an I on the blank wood back. Voila- a cheeky little greeting (or warning) to add interest to our display.
John also had some free Photoshop fun with our wedding picture, turning us into skulls and framing it above our console table in a let’s-see-who-notices experiment for the Halloween season. Switching out art is just another easy way to add some dark and creepy interest around the house, so from ominous silhouettes to spiderweb sketches there’s no end to what you can DIY for your walls on the cheap.
When it came to the coffee table we gathered every single candlestick and votive holder that we already owned (from mercury glass beauties to crystal and glass varieties) and grouped them en masse on the coffee table.
Then we just dug out some white taper candles we already had and purchased just one thing for this entire set up. A $69 cent red candle, which we heated up and used to drip red wax down the tops of our existing candles (an old Martha Stewart trick we love).
Presto- an arrangement that Edward and Bella (or Sookie and Bill) would be proud of.
Then for the dining table we pulled out my aforementioned Old Navy scarf to repurpose as a runner (the black and gray pattern almost looked like spiderwebs) and a glass greenhouse that used to house a fern in the guest bedroom (which we used to display a silhouette of Burger that John gifted me a while back). It’s funny how putting something behind a dome of glass makes it look like a specimen or some sort of eerie mad-scientist experiment. We even added an old fashioned stopwatch for even more of that scientific vibe (a relic from my past as copywriter- I used it to time scripts I wrote for commercials).
Raising the glass dome up on a cake stand created some interest and height in the center of the table, and then we just added our two white faux pumpkins, two hurricane candle holders from the den, and even two white ceramic pears from the kitchen. The finishing touches were six small ceramic-looking bones which are actually Burger’s treats! They’re made of oyster bones and they’re odorless and actually look super convincing among our other Halloween décor- especially when paired with Burger’s silhouette. And the funny thing is that they’re around $2 for a bag of 15 at Target (which we already had laying around) so although we used six on the table there were still plenty left over for Burger’s belly.
So that’s how we sifted through our closets, cabinets and even Burger’s treat dish to come up with three fun little arrangements for the Halloween season. And because we know you people love a budget breakdown…
- Silver candy bowl – $14 (Target)
- Faux-crow – $4 (Michael’s)
- Smoky glass votives – $7 for two (Target)
- Skull plate – $2 (Target)
- Red candle – 69 cents (Michael’s)
- Two faux-pumpkins – $5 for both (Michael’s)
- Black feathers – $2.00 (Michael’s)
- Grand Total: $34.69 (which breaks down to around $11 per arrangement)
Not bad considering we were able to snag a few things we can use all year round (like our new silver bowl and the smoky glass votive holders). Plus we love that we now have a little go-to collection of Halloween accessories that we’re sure we’ll be able to repurpose in a whole new way next year. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves… we still have at least 30 hungry neighborhood kids to shove candy at THIS Halloween.
And speaking of doling out candy to the adorable 3 foot tall ghosts and mummies who ring our doorbell, that’s always our favorite activity along with getting together with friends. Do you guys have any fun Halloween plans or traditions? We’d love to know what DIY decorating schemes you have up your sleeves and whether you’ll go door to door, dish out candy or meet up with friends on the 31st. And stay tuned for some more Halloween-related projects coming down the pipeline, from pumpkin carving to porch decorating and more!
Love it all! You guys are so good with stuff like this. I need to decorate for the Fall. I’m not that into just decorating for Halloween, but I really love what you guys did. Great job! {clapping}
Love the “bloody” candles and the skullified wedding picture. That’s an awesome idea, to see who notices. :-) I like that everything is pretty classy and not orange and black tackiness. :-)
Looks great. I think it is really hard to decorate for holidays without it looking cheesy. Your living room looks ready for Halloween with a classy feel! Great job, I’m headed to Michaels to get some of those white pumpkins!
It looks awesome! Although the skull wedding photo kind of creeps me out (guess that’s the whole point). :)
I’m also not into Halloween, but this looks very neat and dramatic. You pulled off the look you were going for. Sweeeet!
I love all y’all’s ideas! Everything looks great and is so different than what you’d find in the stores.
And thanks for the picture/text recap of the video. That rocks!
That photo is so CREEPY!
Very Spooooky! Love the Martha tip – very clever!!
OMGosh you guys are geniuses! We don’t celebrate halloween in any way, shape, or form, but if we did, I’d be copying your ideas. Brilliant! And much more fascinating with your eerie and disturbing take rather than the typical orange pumpkins and black cats, spiders, etc. that can get a bit cartoonish.
Thank you for the ideas! Please, please, please keep the halloween themed ideas coming! My husband and I are throwing a dual-action halloween and housewarming party on Friday October 30th and I’m in desperate need of design inspiration to bring our house up to seasonal level without looking too crazy.
Thanks for the headstart!
Sarah
I like the book idea, and will be borrowing it :) Funny thing, I thought Mary Roach’s book Stiff was much better than Spook, but in any case, both are being used as decor!
This year’s halloween party theme is “Dead Celebrities”, paying homage to those who passed this year (Farrah, Teddy, Walter, Patrick, MJ, etc.). Decorations, costumes, music, and signature drink all fit the theme. Invitation was a coroner’s toe tag (courtesy of Mrs. Limestone)! I love Halloween.
Ideas are great as always. I like holiday decor that isn’t overwhelming…especially digging the black feathers. And I’d like to second Rachel’s thanks on the recap. THANK YOU!!! I’m an at work reader most days & it’s hard to wait till lunch when I can watch videos to get my dose of YHL.
Oh, if anyone is looking for a scarf/table runner (tee hee) like Sherry’s I found something similar at Wal-mart for about $10.
I love it! It’s festive yet still elegant. Great work!
Very creative guys!! The skulls on the wedding pic and the words ‘evil’ are a bit too demonic for me. Not something I’d want to bring into my home. We don’t celebrate halloween in any way but I do enjoy the harvest aspect of the season. Plus, pumpkins seem to decompose really quickly in my composte, very eco-friendly! I loved the old navy scarf idea for the table runner! :)
Love all your ideas!!! Quick question – what section of Target was the candy bowl in? Thanks!!!!
Hey Cristina,
Good question! The silver candy bowl was actually in the Halloween section along with some flasks with skulls on them and other metal objects, but the understated bowl (without any overtly spooky details) was really appealing because we figure we can use it on other occasions as well. Hope it helps! Happy hunting…
xo,
Sherry
HUGE fan of the new video + summary/pics blog post. perfect for work! thanks for pulling double duty!
How SPOOKTACULAR!!!!!
Love the ideas – especially the bleeding candle trick! I decorated last weekend and a couple new DIY features included filling a glass hurricane with eyeball shaped chocolates and switching out my framed photos with halloween party and costume shots from years past (http://lydiasnextstep.blogspot.com/2009/10/fall-in-home-decor.html).
I definitely agree with focusing on a few areas in your house rather than try to spread everything throughout every room!
As always, awesome job!
I was so excited when I saw you were going to do a post on decorating for Halloween. I love decorating for the holidays but it always seems cheesy. I hope you plan to keep this up for other holidays as well.
Oh, and what I wouldn’t give to only have 30 children come to my door on Halloween. Last year we had close to 300!
Nice! I really like how it all stayed in your style and doesn’t look to over the top halloweenish (does that even make sense???). I need one of those crows :)
Very cool displays, but i wish i would have known about the martha candle trick earlier! I spend like 10 bucks on white candles that turn red from yankee candles a few weeks ago!
Of course, I love your halloween decor and plan to go to Michael’s and grab the crow and those white pumpkins today. Off topic though, there is a “picture” in a frame behind the candy dish that looks like the start of a page in a book with the “P”. Will you please give me the details on that and how it was done. Im a huge book lover and am also trying to fill some wall space in my new home and that is right up my alley. Thanks!!
Hey Ivy,
That’s actually just the first letter of an article in a magazine that we cut out in a square and had blown up around 300% at Kinko’s. Making it huge and putting it behind glass instantly made it a sort of customized monogram with very little work on our part, and we love how it came out! Just flip through magazines until you find your initial and head over to Kinko’s. A few dollars later it should be ready to frame!
xo,
s
Great ideas! Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I have yet to decorate for the ghostly season, but am planning to very soon. I have this great silver set from my husband’s grandmother that I can’t wait to arrange with some other spooky touches. I’m also planning to make a “graveyard” in our front yard out of sheets of styrofoam and some spray paint.
On the Friday before Halloween, we’re going to a Murder Mystery Party at a friend’s house. Should be interesting and a lot of fun. I’m also looking forward to our first trick-or-treaters in our new home.
Love it! We kind of like to go all out in orange and black tackiness… I mean when else can you do it except during the holidays. Plus, my kids love the pumpkins, friendly ghosts etc. Some of this might be a little too creepy for my kids, but perfect for you guys.
So amazing! I’m so impressed that you managed to make Halloween decorations classy. I enjoy decorating for the holidays on a budget, but it always looks a bit tacky — I’m definitely borrowing some of your ideas. Well done!
So cool! I love that you guys were able to decorate for Halloween without the usual kid-like decorations or the typical orange pumpkins and leaves. It’s still spooky, but very unique and adult friendly.
I haven’t decorated for Halloween yet so this is a total inspiration to me for when I start. Although I think I’ll avoid the skull wedding photo, that’s too chilling for me!
Wow, this is a fantastic and totally useful post! I was at my parents’ place last weekend in Pennsylvania and they go ALL OUT for Halloween. I was feeling slightly jealous since we’ve never been able to do much in the way of holiday decorating in our small Brooklyn apartment. You’ve really made terrific (and totally cool) suggestions that we’ll use to infuse some spookiness to our place. Thanks!!
I think the books and print blocks (nice save with the letter change) in particular are brilliant, simple touches for people with any kind of decor or style. Nice work!
Love it! You guys are so creative. I really like how you made subtle changes to your decor for the Halloween season, as opposed to the blaring orange and fake looking decorations you see in stores. I wonder if any of your guests will notice the spooky wedding picture you switched out. So cool!
And burger is so cute getting excited about the table display :)
hahaha… my favorite part of the vid is when you are talking about the dog bone treats… hehe… Burger is fixated on that treat as you move it around and talk about it he just watches it the whole time :) Love it!
love how Burger is eyeing the bones the WHOLE time you’re in the dining room… hahaha
nice halloweeny setup…
I love it all, or at least the recap of it because I am at work and can’t watch the video at the moment, but I’ll be sure to watch it later today. My favorite thing is the arrangement on the coffee table. It’s so eerie, but also so glamorous!!! You two are always amazing me!
Fantastic! That is my kind of Halloween decor! Very grown up! I love your resourcefulness.
lol…That picture freaked me out! I am stealing that idea with the candle sticks for my Halloween party!
Super Halloweeny? Love it and love Halloween! And that picture of you guys is creepy, but very original!
Beautiful! I just did my Halloween decorating which involved the destruction of an old purple boa scattered among candles and some construction paper bats in the window. I love what you did with the books! Would you mind my using the photo/linking back on my website for a feature I do about decoracting with books?
Hey ChristinaO,
Sure thing! Feel free to link away. Thanks so much- can’t wait to see your book feature!
xo,
s
I LOVE how Burger is paying such close attention while you talk about his bones! And then he seems disappointed when you put it back down on the table instead of giving it to him. I hope he got an extra special treat for being such a good dog on video! :)
The wedding photo is one of the best ideas I’ve ever seen! I love Halloween – the more dark and decadent and elegantly creepy, the better. It’s our first year in this house and we don’t know the neighborhood, but if there are a lot of kids, we’ll do a big deal next year. We attend our friends’ pumpkin carving party every year. They cut-and-gut and provide food and drink, and we all carve for hours. We decorate their yard with at least a couple dozen pumpkins and it’s one of the high points for their neighborhood.
OMG that photo is so creepy. Gives me the shivers! Fun ideas.:)
While we don’t decorate for Halloween, I agree with everyone else that you did it very classily. Much better than ghosts and witches and giant spider webs on your door! I just love fall so much and love the oranges, rusts, reds, yellows, and browns that I use to make it cozy. I also use real pine cones and leaves rather than the fake stuff you find in stores.
Love it!!!!! You guys did such a great job and the wedding photo is crazy. Really creeps me out. I think Sookie and Bill would be very proud!
I love all of your halloween decorations, they look great! When you decorate for holidays, where do you store all of your everyday decor that usually sits on those tables? It seems like you would have to have an entire closet dedicated to that! Thanks :)
Hey Mandy,
We actually do have a little area dedicated to our not-in-current-rotation decor: https://www.younghouselove.com/welcome-to-our-decor-store/
Gotta stay organized around here! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Brilliant! I love the inexpensive decorations! Our apartment is unfortunately completely devoid of Halloween goodness, so I think I’ll have to fix this soon. We already have a ton of orange bowls and such, just need some black accessories to spice it up a little – I love that you were able to work mostly with what you already have!
Those are such fun yet grown-up and chic Halloween decoration.
Do you all have any ideas for the outside of the house?
Hey Leslie,
Yup, stay tuned for the exterior stuff (carved pumpkins plus adding a bit of eerie ambiance to the front porch) coming soon…
xo,
s
Awesome job! I love how you used things that you wouldn’t normally consider “scary” to complete the display. Are you both dressing up? I’d love to see what you come up with for costumes.
Hey Becca,
Since we don’t have a Halloween party this year to dress up for we’ll be manning the door to dish out treats… but Burger will be dressed up for the occasion! Stay tuned for those details. Any guesses as to what he’ll be? Anyone?
xo,
s
Great ideas! Made me giggle when you said, so here i am kneeling by the fire…” haha. Love the skull photo of you guys! Thanks for sharing!
This makes me happy! So cute. Great job!
You guys are geniuses, I swear! I hope you don’t mind, and I prooobably should have asked first, but I had to gush about this in my personal blog!
Oh, and those candle holders on your coffee table could stay like that all year long (sans the drippy blood candles). I think it looks glamorous and fun! Especially if you use white taper candles. But that’s just me…