Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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DIY Halloween Decor With Spiders And Snakes

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…).

Halloween Decor1

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:

Halloween Decor2

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?):

Halloween Decor3

Halloween Decor4

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).

Halloween Decor5

Halloween Decor6

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!”

Halloween Decor7

Next came the mantel in the kitchen (which I realize I never took a straight-on shot of, so forgive me).

Halloween Decor8

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).

Halloween Decor9

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).

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Don’t mind the crooked candle in this pic. Ooh, spooky.

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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):

Halloween Black Crow Consol   Halloween Eerie Book Decor

Halloween Scary Wedding Pic

Halloween Coffee Table Deco

Halloween Silhouette Decor

Halloween Console 2

Halloween Coffee Table2

Halloween Table 3

How are you guys gearing up for October 31st? Any candy-corn-induced stomach aches yet?

Comments

  1. Maggie Rose says

    I have a “fall” bin and “Christmas” bin, geeks unite! After downsizing this summer we got rid of most of our big Halloween decorations (used to have a porch – here’s last year’s “spider nest” http://www.maggieroseonline.com/2010/10/31/halloween-2010/). Still will put out some candy in my glass pumpkin bowl though :)

    I’m smiling remembering last year when Clara was tiny and all the comments were “You won’t be able to decorate like this NEXT year when she’s walking!” but you sure showed them! Looks great!

    Reply

  7. Charley says

    I love when you guys decorate for Halloween! It’s a classy spooky. SO inspirational because Halloween is so easily overlooked!

    Reply

  9. Amy @ this DIY life says

    I love that in the second video when you picked up the little bones Burger was watching every move you made with it. What a funny kid.

    Three weeks ago I decided to start a “series” on my blog of easy holiday decor that costs less than $10. So far I’m loving it and have plans to keep going through Christmas. My favorite project to date is my argyle wreath: http://thisdiylife.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/not-just-for-christmas-anymore/. It’s a little frightening how much I love this thing (get it, frightening – Halloween) :)

    Reply

  10. Sara says

    haha clara said my name for “snake”! So cute! I loveeee the idea for the red wax as blood. I remember that from last year, I’m going to do it this year! I just decorated today for fall/halloween. Didn’t buy anything new, just used what I had from last year. Some pumpkins and gorgs I got at Michaels and candlesticks w/ candles, some fall leaves I picked from my yard, a hurricane with a candle, and a fake ceramic white CROW! Sherry you should appreciate that one :) hehe…I love your decorations btw

    Reply

  11. Katie says

    I love the coffee table full of candles! I saw the picture before I read the caption saying they were photos from the Ghost of Halloweens past and I thought “yeah that low table full of candles has got to be a pre-kiddo pic! There’s no way that would go undiscovered in OUR house”. Read, THEN look Katie…. ;)

    Reply

  12. Kelly says

    I did some searching for the oyster dog bones you mention on the video (wow, I hope I heard it right), and I can’t seem to find them online. Would you mind offering up the brand or some other detail that might help?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So sorry- I don’t remember the brand or even know if Target still sells them but they used to be in the dog area and were called OystaBone or OysterBonez or something like that! Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  13. Carole says

    I also loved spiders as a toddler. My mom tells me I would play with them if I came across any in the house. Now? They are the scariest thing in the world to me and I scream if I see them inside.

    Reply

  15. Kim says

    Any tips for decorating a console? We have some things on ours but they look kind of small and uninteresting, and the the black items are lost on the dark wood.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Trays help! They can group things and differentiate them from the top of the console. I also like groupings of three, so you can see there are sort of three general things going on (side, middle, and other side). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  18. Nicole says

    I have an unrelated post question. I just recently got a dresser that’s in great shape. I’m not sure how old it is but it’s made from Basset so it still has a lot of life in it. But my question is i’m having a hard time determining the material. It’s like a smooth shiny texture which I’m thinking could be a Formica covering or laminate of some sort. I want to paint it or stain it and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on how I could go about doing this!! Thanks!! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, is it smooth and shiny like Ikea furniture? If so it’s laminate and isn’t able to be refinished (stained) since you can’t sand it down. You can paint laminate although we never had (we heard varying degrees of success with it, since things can scratch or peel off since it doesn’t take paint the same way wood does). Maybe google around for a tutorial from someone who has taken it on? Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  22. Meredith @ La Buena Vida says

    I love seeing how you guys do seasonal decor–because it’s always fun, but not tacky window clings or anything. It’s still DECOR!

    Also, Clara is too cute. I’m excited for Halloween this year, I think it’s such a fun age. The other day I tried to teach Lizzy “Trick or Treat”, but she just carries around her little plastic pumpkin saying “Twinkle, Twinkle!” LOL.

    Reply

  23. jamie says

    love your glam halloween decor :) i’ve been meaning to ask how you feel about your glass coffee table with the bean? secrets to keeping it clean? or are you 2 just good and clean nit all the time!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s actually an old pic (from it in our last house) so now it’s outside on the patio! It gets cleaned by the rain, but it usually has leaves on and under it. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  27. Mary says

    I love that you have Spook by Mary Roach! I have Stiff, also by her, and thought it was such a great read. I LOVE the way you’ve decorated for Hallowe’en, integrating everything into your existing decor. It is so tasteful and subtle, but so festive too! Oh, and don’t worry – I bet that most of your readers have a Hallowe’en tupperware bin… I sure do!

    Reply

  29. Jennifer says

    Hi guys! I LOVE your blog, I eagerly get on every chance I get and I am working my way through the archives! I was wondering if you had any tips on decorating for an apartment in general or for Halloween. I live with my fiance in a tiny 1 bedroom in Boston, and there is only so much you can do so I am always looking for ideas!?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think any of these things can be adapted for an apartment it you can do something even simpler. Maybe like getting a few yards of discount burlap to cut a rough looking runner for the kitchen/dining table and them putting white candles and white pumpkins down the center with a few clear bowls of candy corn.

      xo,
      s

  31. Selena says

    I love the shot of the table with the candy corn. It’s so warm and cheery-looking! Plus, I want to dig right into that bowl. Love me some candy corn :)

    Reply

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