Halloween Scene: Spooky Home Decor

The spooky season is upon us, so it’s time to deck your halls in as much terror as possible. If you’ve ever spent any time shopping for Halloween decorations, then you know how expensive the season can get. However, with a little creativity and a bit of time, you can make lots of frightening décor at home, without breaking the bank. From glowing test tubes to bloody bathrooms, here are a bunch of ideas to get you started.

Glowing Test Tubes/Bottles: These are perfect for that spooky mad-scientist/laboratory look. Make several and place them around the room with a few well-placed black lights and you’ll love the ambiance these glow-in-the-dark tubes or bottles provides.

You’ll Need
•    Assorted test tubes, beakers, bottles or other jars (you can re-use old wine bottles too)
•    Assorted highlighters of different colors
•    Water
•    Black Light bulb

Directions
•    Fill the jar, beaker or bottle with water.
•    Uncap a highlighter and pull the felt tip off.
•    Use pliers to get the bottom off the marker and pull the ink tube out.
•    Place the ink tube in the water and let sit until water is fully saturated with color.
•    Pull the ink tube out.
•    Place the new brightly-colored jar under a blacklight to watch it glow.

The Bloody Bathroom: When you have guests over for a spooky party, you’ll want to keep the scary stuff going throughout your home — even in the bathroom. Here’s a super easy way to get that bloody look for cheap (plus your kids will love helping out with this one).

You’ll Need
•    White shower curtain liner
•    Red paint (use nontoxic and washable paint for a kid-safe version)
•    Blue or green paint

Directions
•    Mix just a few drops of blue or green paint in with the red paint to give that aged/dark blood look.
•    Lay the white shower curtain liner out on your lawn, or somewhere you can easily clean.
•    Pour the paint into a large pan or dish.
•    Carefully dip your hand into the paint, then simply drag it along the shower curtain liner to look like a bloody hand print.
•    Don’t overdo the hand prints, as just a few are enough to be effective.
•    This works well on white towels also, which make great added ambiance in a spooky bathroom or kitchen.

Ghosts in the Trees: Your home will be the talk of the town with this super easy decoration. A little goes a long way, or you can go totally all-in with lots of these tree ghosts for a totally spooky look

You’ll Need
•    Old dresses (visit your local thrift store for some major bargains. The older-looking the dresses are, the better)
•    Spray starch
•    String lights (the kind with the larger bulbs)

Directions
•    Coat your dress in spray starch until it’s in a shape that looks like someone is in it. If the dress is too thick you can also use chicken wire to help form the body shape beneath the dress.
•    Hang the dress so several string lights are hanging down in the body of the dress.
•    Plug in and hang from a large tree in your yard.
•    Enjoy the floating ghostly images as trick-or-treaters carefully navigate your front yard.

Eyes in the Trees: This may be the easiest and most effective way to spook your trick-or-treaters. Make a bunch and set them out on the big night for a great welcome to your scary home.

You’ll Need
•    Old toilet paper tubes
•    Scissors
•    Glow sticks in multiple colors
•    Black paint
•    Tape

Directions
•    Cut eyes out of the center of the toilet paper tubes. Use a variety of different eye styles for maximum effectiveness.
•    Paint the toilet paper tubes black so they hide in the trees and bushes well.
•    Crack open a glow stick and tape it to the inside of the tube.
•    Place the tube inside bushes and trees all over your lawn just before nightfall. It will look like there are glowing eyes watching you.

Bloody Messages: Write some spooky messages in “blood” on the windows in your home. Here’s a very easy, safe, nontoxic and edible blood recipe that will work perfectly. It will wash off the next day with a little soap and water too. Suggested message include “GET OUT,” “Save yourself” and “You’re next!”

You’ll Need
•    Light corn syrup
•    Red food coloring
•    Blue food coloring
•    Cocoa powder
•    A jar to mix blood

Directions
•    Add enough red food coloring to the corn syrup until it’s bright red.
•    Slowly add blue food coloring one or two drops at a time until it gets just a little darker. You don’t want purple, just a slightly darker red.
•    Add a little bit of cocoa powder at a time until the blood looks thick and is no longer translucent.
•    Use the blood as “paint” to write your scary messages.