Decorating our homes is something that most of us think about,
talk about and, if you’re like me, occasionally
”
obsess
”
about throughout the year.
And, then there are those special occasions that merit one-time
decorating efforts: holidays, graduations, birthdays, and, of
course, the one that is upon us, Halloween.
Decorating our homes is something that most of us think about, talk about and, if you’re like me, occasionally “obsess” about throughout the year.
And, then there are those special occasions that merit one-time decorating efforts: holidays, graduations, birthdays, and, of course, the one that is upon us, Halloween.
This traditional children’s holiday has religious and sacred roots, but has evolved over the years into a full-blown national celebration.
In the old days, Halloween was about nothing more than a jack-o-lantern, a bowl full of penny candy and the neighborhood kids lurking about in the shadows in their mother’s old sheets or a smear of black to suggest a hobo in a 7-year-old frame.
Today, celebrating Halloween has become a chance for people to decorate their homes, inside and out, with fanciful decorations and elaborate displays.
These days, not many of us have the time to pull out all the stops (unless, of course, you’re a Broadway set decorator) for Halloween. If you’re feeling busy, as I often do, you can make your Halloween decorating as elaborate or easy as you choose.
When our boys were younger, we would love having the neighborhood children in our Halloween-themed kitchen for a pre-trick-or-treat dinner and our traditional bobbing
for apples.
Here are some of my favorite easy, inexpensive and fun ways to celebrate Halloween this year … some ideas to add just a bit of dash and daring to your own whimsical decor.
n Spooky candles. Reuse all the glass jars and vases that you’ve been storing under the kitchen sink and in the basement by partially filling them with black sand that is readily available at crafts stores.
Next, place an oversized orange candle or several small candles in each vase, and arrange a grouping of these on a table, sideboard or mantle. Light the candles to signify the start of your Halloween festivities.
n Specimens under glass. While you’re unearthing all those glass jars and vases, pull out a few of the larger ones and fill with natural objects or candy.
For instance, fill a large vase with a bunch of miniature pumpkins or gourds, candy corn, shells, the odd bits and pieces of coral and sponge that you’ve collected from the beach, jaw breakers (especially those weirdly colored and patterned ones that look like eyeballs), a collection of wild turkey feathers or acorns or seed pods that you’ve collected during your autumn walks.
For Halloween, the odder the object, the more interesting the display. Again, group these vases together for more impact on the center of your table.
n Pumpkin carving party. Gather your family, friends and neighbors and see who can come up with the best-carved pumpkin. Have everybody bring their own pumpkin and carving idea, and any specialty tools they may require like a hand-drill, ice pick, scoop or knife, but be sure to have a selection of tools, stencils and tracing paper.
For extra fun, set a time limit – say, a half hour – and let everyone go to town on their pumpkins. When everyone is finished, line up the pumpkins and illuminate their interiors with candles or battery-charged light and vote for the best entry for different categories: most artistic, most whimsical, scariest, funniest, etc. Finish the party with prizes and food – a hearty soup or chili, bread and pumpkin pie.
n Give free rein to kid decorating. Let them have all the decorating “say.” Do they want bats and spiders? If so, then indulge them with all the bats and spiders you can make – cut from black construction paper and stuck or hung in every window, door frame or mirror.
Do life-size cut-outs of your young ones by tracing around them while they lie on the floor. Dress these figures in paper-doll style costume clothing and hang on the front door to welcome the trick-or-treaters.
Halloween, above all else, should make you laugh with its silliness while the kids go to bed counting candy and recounting the pleasures of the day.
