Halloween decor at my house tends to run more toward fake severed arms than placid pumpkin displays. But there's always room for improvement. Here are 11 stylishly macabre ideas to add curb appeal for the holiday:
Black Window Box
Above: See 10 Easy Pieces: Black Box Planters.
A black window box filled with spiky grasses and a seasonal spray of orange is all you need.
Go Goth
Above: Photograph via Roman and Williams.
Stain an outdoor dining table black for a moody look year-round.
DIY Halloween Lights
Above: Julie likes to make a string of DIY Beady-Eyed Black Cat Lights to hang over the door to welcome trick-or-treaters.
Tiny Pumpkins
Above: Photograph via Susan Branch.
Wherever you have a little ledge—above a door, outside a window, or on a deck railing—you can line up a little orange army.
Lawn Ghosts
Above: Only slightly spooky, a circle of dancing lawn ghosts is a simple DIY project (pretty much all you need is some old bed sheets). For step-by-step instructions, see How to Make Ghost Circle Yard Decorations.
Midnight Planter
Above: Black grasses and plants are the right brew for a witches' cauldron on a front stoop. For step-by-step instructions, see DIY Patio Planter: Dark and Stormy for Halloween.
A Steely Look
Above: A dark steel postbox revives the mystery of mail. Made in Austin, Texas, a Gibson Mail Box from Bold Manufacturing (formerly SteelHouse) is $275 via Etsy.
Black Spray Paint
Above: You can rent a spray gun to turn ugly brick glamorous, a Melbourne couple learned after a disastrous attempt to paint their house blue-gray sent them into DIY mode. Read about their adventure with black spray paint on Design Sponge.
Bat Cave
Above: Hang a bat house to attract mosquito-eating bats. A Teak Bat House made of wood sustainably harvested in Costa Rica is $99.95 from Yard Garden Art.
Paint Pickets Black
Above: Photograph via Bestor Architecture.
A dark picket fence frames a facade in an entirely new way.
Orange Front Door
Above: See more in 8 Best Orange Paints for a Front Door.
Yes, there are eight orange paint colors that actually look good on a front door. Our paint expert tests hundreds to come up with the winners.
For more Halloween decor, see:
- 13 Ways to Add Curb Appeal with Pumpkins.
- Design Sleuth: Spooky Planters for Halloween.
- Bouquet of the Week: Celebrate Decay.
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