Halloween is all about getting creative. What better way to express yourself than with some original decorations to really bring the holiday spirit into your home? Check out these scarily awesome suggestions:
Streamers
Add a little variety to the traditional orange and black streamers with some tape, fishing line and your favorite Halloween-shaped cutouts (ghosts, pumpkins and spiders work great). The Halloween shapes can be made in a variety of different ways, from free-handing your own and cutting them out to dye-cutting at a local craft store or finding printouts online. Once the shapes have been cut out, stretch out the streamers on a table or the floor and space the shapes four to six inches apart just below the streamer. Cut a piece of fishing line (three to four inches long, or to your preference) and, using tape, attach the fishing line to the Halloween shape. With another piece of tape, attach the other end of the fishing line to the streamer. Repeat for the rest of the shapes, until the full length of the streamer is covered. This simple project will create a floating effect for the Halloween cutouts as they hang below the streamers from the fishing line.
Pumpkins
Want something easier than carving a pumpkin? Painting and decorating pumpkins is easy and can be just as festive. For their October issue this year, Family Circle magazine presented a few different ideas on how to decorate pumpkins — one idea using Rikrak ribbon and the other black paint.
Rikrak pumpkin:
Gluing strips of Rikrak ribbon vertically onto a pumpkin creates a look that could be meant for autumn or for Halloween night. To do this, space the ribbon (black, brown, white or yellow) an inch apart at the stem of the pumpkin, or follow the lines on the pumpkin and space to your preference.
Black-keyed pumpkin:
With a paintbrush or sponge brush, completely cover a pumpkin — including the stem — in glossy black paint. When the pumpkin is fully painted and dry, take a key and, starting at the top of the pumpkin, scratch a thin line of the paint off so that the orange of the pumpkin shows underneath. Continue scratching into the paint until the line spirals all the way down the pumpkin. If glossy black paint is unavailable, a coat of Gloss Mod-Podge@@http://shop.plaidonline.com/mod-podge-gloss-8-oz/CS11201/item.htm@@ after the spiral is complete will give the pumpkin a shiny look.
Centerpiece
This easy centerpiece requires only four things: a fake eyeball, clear floral water beads, a glass bowl and water. Floral water beads are small beads that, when immersed in water, grow over a couple of hours into squishy, flexible beads that are hundreds of times the size of the starting bead. One package of water beads goes a long way, and depending on the size of the glass bowl, the entire package might not be necessary. Pour the water beads into the glass bowl at least six hours before the centerpiece should be ready; follow the instructions on the package and fill the bowl with the recommended amount of water. Once the beads have fully expanded, simply place the fake eyeball into the bowl (which should mostly be filled with water beads and not water) and arrange it with the water beads. If the eyeball lights up — causing the water beads take on the color of the light — make sure that it is waterproof or wrap the battery in plastic wrap to keep water out.