Clara likes little creatures (seriously, the girl thinks snakes and spiders are cute), and is currently in the midst of an apple/pumpkin obsession (which is very fall-appropriate). So we decided this year’s loose Halloween theme could be “nature” (said a la Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet on SNL). That way it encompasses things like pumpkins, gourds, and apples along with creepy things like spiders and black crows and snakes.
But let’s go back to the beginning. I had some fun with Halloween stuff. First, I grabbed some $1.99 spiders and $2-3 snakes at Michael’s (the snakes were in the wood toy aisle and definitely not meant for Halloween but you know I’m weird…).
When it came to adapting the spiders, I just used a black sharpie to color over the orange bands on their legs (all black spiders = much more real/scary looking). As for the wooden snake toys I immediately pictured them flat white as soon as I saw them. There’s just something haunting about ceramic-ish snakes, right? For some reason I thought glossy white might be too sleek looking, and flat would be sort of ghostly and chalky so I went for it:
And… I love them. Who is surprised? No one? Cool. Anyway, it’s always a tradition to do the console table (see it here and here from years past), so that was the first surface I spooked (spookified?):
I used a few faux apples that I got a while back on super clearance from Pottery Barn for some color along with some old spiderweb stuff I had leftover from a few years back in my Halloween tupperware bin (yes I have one, and yes it’s labeled… I’ll pause while you mutter “dork” under your breath).
Other than that it was just my new snakes and a creepy black spider among things that are usually on the console table, like my oversized vase from ZGallerie, my faux tray from Target (the green tray-looking-thing is actually a box that a wedding photo album came in), my antler candlestick from West Elm, my yard sale greenhouse, and the faux plant inside of it from Ikea.
Oh and miraculously, Clara has yet to mess with stuff on the console (she can’t quite reach up there yet). Of course typing that has probably jinxed us. But anyway, I thought it was cute to snap a picture from her POV. Of course we’ve held her up so she can look at the spiders and snakes, so now she walks by and says adorable things like “bye bye spider” and “hi apples!”
Next came the mantel in the kitchen (which I realize I never took a straight-on shot of, so forgive me).
You’ll also notice some green and white gourds/pumpkins, a bunch of mismatched candlesticks, and my gory little blood-dripping candles (which I made here).
I also used some books I love dragging out every year (yes, also from my Halloween bin) like Midnight In The Garden of Good & Evil, and Everything Bad Is Good For You along with my faux crow (from Michael’s a few years back).
Don’t mind the crooked candle in this pic. Ooh, spooky.
Still have a few more spots I want to spook up, but that’s where we are for now. Oh and just for kicks I thought I’d toss in a few photos from Halloweens gone by (find more info on the pics/vid below here and here):
How are you guys gearing up for October 31st? Any candy-corn-induced stomach aches yet?
elizabeth says
I love the skeleton picture of you and John from your wedding – how did you do that?
YoungHouseLove says
We just photoshopped skulls over our faces (added them as a layer on top of them).
xo,
s
Rachael A. P says
WOW!!! I love it! Maybe, just maybe, I’ll decorate a bit for Halloween now!
alg says
I just did a “harvest” decor kinda thing on my porch. No big whoop, but fun.
http://rentalhouserules.wordpress.com/2011/10/09/all-in-the-details/
And my big Curb Appeal Project reveal post — with tons of porch pics — is coming up on Friday. (For real, pics are done, just writing it up!!!)
Also thought you guys might enjoy this piece I wrote for my regular job on Patch.com because Burger gets a mention.
http://dormont-brookline.patch.com/articles/lmao-cats
YoungHouseLove says
Your harvest decor is really sweet! As for the Burger mention- hilarious!!
xo,
s
Blair says
I love the candles, what a great idea! I just found these adorable pumpkins I want to do. http://thefirstapartment.blogspot.com/2011/10/weekly-wonderings-october-12th-2011.html Also, Clara would look adorable as the lobster in the pot!
~Blair
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahaah- that lobster baby is adorable!!! And I love those pumpkins.
xo,
s
Kim says
We have a faux crow this year, too. We named him Edgar. Edgar Allen CROW. Your could be Sheryl…
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahah- I love it. Tell Edgar that Sheryl says hi.
xo,
s
alg says
Oh, and I love the snakes! Subtly spooky!
But back to me. Me, me, ME!!!
Sorry. YOUR post was excellent.
Bethany says
Loved your quote about a clothing item you and your table can wear. Spoken like a true designer! Nate would be proud!
Jenn says
Your decorations are so chic! Martha would approve.
Catherine at Design Editor says
Very fun! Love the white and apple green Halloween. I’m so jealous you can decorate on tables-my two year olds are too grabby these days. I’m stuck with the mantle as my only surface!
jen says
We have had MASSIVE amounts of wolf spiders here in NoVA.. I thought this post was going to be about spider invasions. Glad it’s not!
Georgia says
I have to admit i nearly aborted my blog reading mission when i saw spider in the title..
But – CUTE!!! Clara is such a sweetie!
I just got back from Vegas and i cant believe how everything was already decked out in Halloween gear! Americans take it seriously!!! even Hooters had spider webs and stuff everywhere! haha
catie says
i love the decor! and if a halloween tub labeled “halloween” make you a dork, than i’m the mayor of dorkville, ’cause i’ve got two. haha!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- nice to meet you mayor of dorkville. I am but a lowly dorkville citizen.
xo,
s
Ami says
I, too, have a Halloween labeled bin. It’s even orange and black (I also have a ‘Fall’ bin that is a fall rust color, “Spring’ that is light blue and of course about 8 ‘Christmas’ in green and red.) I don’t think you or I are dorks, but all dorks think that do they? :) Love your decorations, especially the bloody candles. I’m all over trying that!
Kat Horn says
I keep seeing all these Photoshop posts and I really want to get into it myself (especially all the fun Clara photos- since we’re about to have our 1st addition to the family in 3 weeks). I was wondering what Photoshop you guys use, and do you find it fairly easy to use? And does it work well on MACs (I thought I saw you guys had them too)?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, photoshop + mac = awesome. We have a suped up version (Adobe Creative Suite) but any basic photoshop version can do pretty much everything we post about.
xo,
s
Elaine says
My Halloween bins are also labeled as such. Don’t let anyone judge you, $her-dog.
Jennifer says
We just made a Halloween “tree” this morning with my 5 year old- basically just a branch spray painted black with some fun Halloween stickers turned ornaments hanging from it. It was quick and easy and he loved taking turns picking the ornaments and hanging them.
I blogged about it (with the requisite photos) here:
http://www.thoroughlymodernmommy.com/2011/10/13/mjs-halloween-tree/
As for the rest of our decorations, they are still in OUR tupperware tubs (which is not labeled, but they are color coordinated- so all Halloween stuff is in green tubs), to be laid out as soon as I get time… HA!
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet! Looks awesome!
xo,
s
Emily D. says
Love the Halloween stuff but I can’t stop talking like Robert Goulet now. “That’s why I come up here, Nature, Goulet” Seriously do you guys have staring contests with your ram? I would if he lived in my bedroom.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- sometimes on Saturday nights.
xo,
s
Tiffini S. says
I just quit cleaning about a month before Halloween. Let nature decorate the house with dirt and cobwebs.
S P O O K Y !
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- nice method.
xo,
s
Caitlin @ Desert Domicile says
LOVE the white snakes!! Super cute :)
I’m going all out for Halloween this year since it’s my boyfriend’s birthday and last years decorations were a little lacking to say the least haha
My entryway currently looks like this: http://desertdomicile.blogspot.com/2011/10/its-begun.html and while my living room and dining room are fully decorated, I’ve yet to blog about them. Soon though!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that runner is awesome and the rats are scary/awesome!
xo,
s
Tiffany Morrison says
I have a Halloween tub…
and a Christmas tub and Easter tub! We are not dorks.
I love the crows. Need to look for some of those. I put up spiders and webs this year for the first time. Little Mann loved them. All our decorations mysteriously come in the middle of the night after wee person goes to sleep. He thinks its magical, so I decided to play along. The decorations come over the entire month of October, a little here, a little there. They are from the Switch Witch, who is preparing G-Mann for the Halloween festivites. In return, G leaves the majority of his candy for the Switch Witch. I’ll let him choose like five pieces (he’s two!) and then the Switch Witch SWITCHES them for one awesome and final treat. In this case, a pair of scooby dooby crocs and a Halloween book, something we can add to the fun mix of getting ready next year. Ok, so maybe I really am a dork.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it.
xo,
s
Dawn says
I have a couple of Halloween quilts I have made over the years as well as spiders, ghosts and pumpkins. They are all set up in little groups around the house. I like your white and black – classy!
Speaking of kids loving the creepy, crawly – when my daughter was about three, she used to pick up the worms after a rain storm (often since we live in Seattle) and give them a ride on the swing. She really thought they enjoyed it!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that totally sounds like Clara. She was chasing a daddy long-legs down the patio yesterday. Spooky!
xo,
s
Amelia R. says
My 19-month-old boy was so smitten with Clara’s video that he kept saying “Again, again!” every time we watched it. He finally wandered off after probably fifteen viewings.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw that’s cute.
xo,
s
Patti says
When I get home from work, I immediately put on the Food Network to get me in the mood to cook dinner (I’m never in the mood to cook dinner). When I need to get moving with home dec, I go to YHL. Just wanted you to know you get me in the mood!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw shucks Patti. Thanks!
xo,
s
Ami says
LOL Thats the classiest looking halloween decor I think I’ve ever seen! lol. I don’t think its dorky at all that you have a halloween bin but I might be sniggering over the ultra classy decor. lol You crack me up Sherry.
Elizabeth says
I know I am way off topic but do you by any chance remember the name of the line of your console? or do you know if it is still available online at Target? Please let me know.
Thank you!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry, I’m not sure. Maybe Manhattan was the name? I just remember looking for something with very clean lines (not curvy legs, etc). Good luck!
xo,
s
Emily R. says
Love the great “non-traditional” color scheme. I maybe adding to my decorations with other items from around the house. I did move some accessories to different rooms so my living room would have a more fall color scheme. On a side note, Sherry I love your ponytail in the video with curled ends. Your short hair looks great now too!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man do I miss that ponytail. So much. Never cutting my hair again.
xo,
s
April says
Am I the only one who see’s this?!? To me the painted snakes look like vertibra… or a bleached backbone… I actually think thats creepier than having snakes… but either way I like the understated effect.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s true! Either way they’re creepy for sure. Haha.
xo,
s
T says
You need to add The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, to your book stack. (Seriously, it’s a great book, and it won the Newbery a few years ago, so add it to Clara’s library when she’s a little older!)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! We’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Michelle says
This is so exciting! I’m going to turn my house into a gothic vampire’s lair for Halloween, and these are some really good ideas. I’m going with a red/black color scheme and I’m also going to turn the bench in our kitchen into a coffin!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
I love the candle stick trick idea by Martha! Thanks for sharing :)
Lauren says
What a great video of Clara! She is so cute! I also used to have a weird obsession with spiders until like the 3rd grade (when I wised up and realized how creepy they are).
This post made me stoked for Halloween! :)
Corrie says
yay! i have that same crow from Michaels! and i also like to balance it on top of things around Halloween time:
http://housemadeblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-decorations-printables.html
don’t feel too bad Sherry, i have a special Halloween box that is labeled as well. unfortunately, it only seemed to have enough stuff in it to do the mantle and the dining room table, so i guess i will have to do a little post-Halloween-clearance shopping once November rolls around. :o)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh spooky! I love your crow perched on that dude’s head.
xo,
s
Julia @ Chris loves Julia says
We have put up a line of crows
http://chrislovesjulia.blogspot.com/2011/10/put-bird-on-it.html
And a huge spider (it fa-reaks me out, still)
http://chrislovesjulia.blogspot.com/2011/10/facing-my-fears.html
but we still have a long way to go to be ready for our costume party. Love all of these ideas!
YoungHouseLove says
I love it! Especially those crows on the railing- so cool!
xo,
s
Amanda Wells says
Yay for Halloween! Two quick questions: 1 – Where did you find your upholstered ottoman? I’m looking for one and am having a hard time finding one I like.
2 – I have a set of nightstands that I love, but the finish was ruined on one (Thanks to me removing nail polish in bed and spilling it on the table). They are a wood stain, but I’m thinking of painting them gray. What’s the best type of paint to use?
YoungHouseLove says
That was from HomeGoods or Marshall’s (same store) a while back. As for the nighstand, I would use primer and paint – check out our Projects page for a full furniture painting tutorial!
xo,
s
Hillary says
I never decorate for Halloween, but now you’re making me want to!
Allie says
So funny – all i could think of while looking at your snake in the antlers was the Mongoose/Snake thing The Bloggess posted about yesterday…
http://thebloggess.com/2011/10/thats-why-im-not-allowed-to-be-here-unsupervised/
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh that’s the scariest thing ever! Haha. I can’t believe her cat got friendly with them…
xo,
s
Lisa in Seattle says
This weekend I’ll bust open the three *giant* orange bins full of Halloween decorations! No spiders or snakes (yours look wonderful – like little abstract skeletons) because I’m too skeered. My favorite is the wreath I adapted: black and burgundy glittered roses with tiny skulls (with tinier rhinestone eyes) tucked into some of the blooms. The hubs has grand plans for some kind of motorized spectre that will swoop across the yard toward the door. I guess the idea is trick-or-treaters will scream, drop their bags and run, and we’ll scoop up all their candy. Good times.
jeannette says
tell clara those were mexican red-kneed tarantulas (fig. 22) before mommy disfigured them, and to WATCH OUT FOR THE URTICULATING HAIRS.
http://oolitefreezes.cold10.com/mexican-red-knee-tarantula-food-chain.php
YoungHouseLove says
Yikes!!! That girl needs to develop a healthy fear of spiders fast!
xo,
s
DeeJay Conley says
You guys Rock. The snakes are eeeeping me out though.
Krystle @ ColorTransformedFamily says
I love the decorations. My favorite part is that it’s not traditional orange and black. It really blends in with the rest of the artwork/decorations in your house. The blood candles are really cool too. I might have to check those out. Great job!
Lisa says
Love it! A lot classier than our halloween decorations over here. I let Richard (5 yrs) be in charge. He’s happy, so I’m happy :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, I’m sure Richard did an awesome job. Clara would love to come over and check yours out… after you swing by to see our stencil of course!
xo,
s
Lisa G says
Yes to both of them!! I’ll touch base on schedules…
Kaylyn says
I’m still only 2 years out of school, so only one Christmas bin and one “other” bin, but I love decorating for fall – especially now that I just painted my room a pumpkin orange :) Also, I’m dying to know who Sarah is and why Clara would associate her with a snake!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- we have no idea! That girl says the most random things- but she doesn’t know anyone named Sarah, so I think she was just being silly (she says snake perfectly when she feels like it- haha).
xo,
s
Amy @ larryspearslive.com says
Is there a way to view your whole Amazon store and not just the few items you have listed on your website? I must be missing something because I can’t figure it out…
Thanks! And sorry for posting this on the Halloween post, but I didn’t know where to ask!
-as
YoungHouseLove says
No worries! We just pick a few things we’re digging each month and post them on our sidebar- so we don’t have a full amazon store set up or anything! So sorry for the confusion.
xo,
s
Jen says
Love it! Don’t be ashamed of your holiday decor bins Sherry! – I got halloween & new years eve (in addition to bigger more “normal” holidays)labeled rubbermaids too. Can’t wait to make some bloody candles. Martha is amazing.
Johanna says
I do the take-a-useless-box-that-held-something-you-bought and use-it-as-a-tray/box/storage thing too! In fact, I have three of them on top of my dresser/pseudo-vanity to put all my makeup, lotions, etc., and they look perfectly lovely. Since I started reading this blog last week, though, I’ve been thinking about spray painting all sorts of things — the boxes, my coffee table that doesn’t match anything else in my apt…
GreenInOC says
I watched the video and you mention dog treats made from oysters. I’ve searched online and I can’t find anything. Do you know the name or have any more info – very interested!
I used to have at least one Rubbermaid bin for every holiday, more (think 8+ for Christmas, 4 for Halloween) for larger holidays. My house is too small though for all of that so I gave all but 2 Christmas filled Rubbermaids away. I think it’s great to be able to decorate for different holidays if you’ve got the space (and you aren’t lazy like I am!).
I love the thoughtful, understated, glamalicious Halloween decor you’ve got going on!
YoungHouseLove says
I think they were called OysterBone or OystaBone. They were sold at Target in the treat aisle (although I haven’t checked if they’re there for a while).
xo,
s
Katey says
1. My son Nolan has a virtual baby-crush on Clara and just about lost it with excitement/approval when she said, “ssssss” for the noise that snakes make. Watch out Will Bower! ;)
2. I love that you are getting into Halloween and gussying up the place but I have to be honest – I had to look away. The pictures of the snakes wrapped all over the place really gave me the willies. (But I LOVE the idea and wish I wasn’t such a wimp, or I’d do it myself)
Gosh, I enjoy your blog!
Stephanie N says
So cute!!! I love the books the best! :)
Whatever happened to that awesome coffee table???
YoungHouseLove says
It’s actually outside on our patio these days!
xo,
s
Jill says
1. I don’t think you’re a dork at all for having a Halloween bin…mine is orange. :)
2. I’m totally using your candy bowl idea…love the silver with the raven on top.
3. I love how Burger starts licking his lips as soon as you pick up his treat…his eyes are locked…what torture! Give the dog a bone! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, he got one right after the camera went off. Haha. He was totally eyeing it in the vid though, huh?!
xo,
s
Erika says
Your place is looking pretty spooky…no, really Pretty, but spooky too.
BTW- it’s okay, I have one of those bins as well. ;o)