Consider this your complete guide to Halloween prep, including when, how and what to decorate.
How To Decorate Your House for Halloween
Updated on Oct. 31, 2024
With Halloween just around the corner, many homeowners are considering their festive decorations. Whether you want to be the house all the kids flock to or prefer a more subtle approach, decorating can be a fun fall activity for the whole family.
However, there are many factors to consider before you fill your cart with fake cobwebs and skeletons. When should you put up your decor? How long do you leave it up for? Are there Homeowners Association (HOA) rules to consider? And where do you store your scary items in the off-season?
This year, let our guide to Halloween decorating help you make the most of this goofy, spooky holiday.
When to Decorate for Halloween
Start with your decoration timeline. According to Martha Stewart magazine, “The most popular time to start decorating for Halloween is during the first two weeks of October.”
Lynn Lilly, a Michaels Maker and the founder of Craft Box Girls, told the magazine, “My rule of thumb is as soon as October 1 rolls around, I pack away the fall harvest decorations, put on my witches hat, stretch out the spider webs, and start planning my annual Halloween hunt.”
However, if you’re extra-eager or want to do a massive install, there’s nothing wrong with starting early. Spirit Halloween encourages real fall fanatics start after Labor Day, and the popular Halloween decor chain opened its physical stores nationwide in early August.
If you’re running late, that’s OK, too. There are plenty of ways to decorate last-minute.
Planning Halloween Decorations
Next, come up with a plan for your decor. Consider your budget and research relevant rules in your HOA or municipality.
Budget
As soon as you set foot inside a spooky superstore like Spirit Halloween, you may be tempted to buy every fake gravestone you see. But Halloween ornaments can add up quickly, costing you way more than you intended to spend.
To avoid this, craft a budget before heading to the store, and stick to it. To get the best deals, start shopping early in the season before items sell out.
HOA Rules
According to Brian Douglas Law, many HOAs restrict the light, sound, size and perceived offensiveness of outdoor displays. Use the following guidelines, and always consult with your HOA before purchasing that massive cackling witch animatronic.
- Keep lighting considerate: To avoid disrupting your neighbors, opt for non-blinking lights in basic colors. Douglas notes some HOAs may limit red or flashing lights. Additionally, it’s a good idea to set the lights on an timer so they’re not shining while others are trying to sleep. (Psst! Create the most stunning display with these Home Depot smart holiday lights.)
- Limit noisy decorations: Refrain from blasting “Monster Mash” at all hours of the night, and opt for decorations without scary sound effects. If you simply must have a howling werewolf sculpture, speak to your HOA before purchasing.
- Get permission for large sculptures or inflatables:Â Again, always check your HOA guidelines before purchasing inflatables or giant looming skeletons.
- Refrain from offensive decorations: What may be hilarious to you may be insulting or vulgar to someone else. “[W]hile there isn’t a specific definition of what qualifies as inappropriate [decor], the rule of thumb is to avoid gory, frightening, politically offensive or racially offensive Halloween decorations,” Douglas says.
What to Decorate for Halloween
A plethora of surfaces make perfect backdrops for festive decorations. However, some locations are better than others to preserve the safety of your family and accessibility of your throughways. Here are some excellent places to decorate, as well as some that are inadvisable.
Outdoor areas
Outside, feel free to decorate the following locations:
- Yards and lawns
- Gardens
- House exteriors
- Front doors
- Shutters and/or window boxes
- Trees or shrubs
- Roofs (with HOA approval)
“While decorations add to the festive charm of Halloween, be mindful of their placement,” says home decorating safety expert Courtney Klosterman, “Ensure they don’t block walkways or create tripping hazards. Secure decorations to prevent them from falling into paths.”
Indoor areas
When decorating inside, our favorite locations include:
- Counters;
- Tabletops;
- Mantels;
- Interior walls;
- Windows
- Cabinets;
- Couches or chairs.
“Pay attention to where you place decorations, ensuring they’re a safe distance from any flames or heat sources,” says Klosterman, “Candles should be placed in stable holders on nonflammable surfaces, away from curtains, tablecloths, and other combustible materials.”
It’s also a good idea to keep dangerous or fiddly decorations out of reach of curious kids and pets. “Opt for decorations that are less likely to shatter and don’t have small, easily digestible parts,” says Klosterman, “Look for nontoxic and child-safe materials. Wooden and plastic decorations can endure many accidental falls.”
Popular Halloween Decorations to Consider
Now for the fun part: choosing your decorations! Here are some of our favorite types of Halloween decor, plus tips on how to style them.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are a sure crowd-pleaser, adding quintessential autumn flair to any decor theme. They’re typically inoffensive to HOAs and cheap to buy at most major grocery stores. The whole family can get involved by carving pumpkins to personalize them to your interests and Halloween theme. P.S. If you’ve got a fireplace setup, this fire pit skull would be the perfect addition.
Indoor and outdoor lights
String Halloween lights are another inoffensive but festive addition to your holiday decor.
For a simple, classic look, opt for orange and purple lights. Up the spooky factor with novelty lights with ghosts, bats and jack-o-lanterns. If you want something to last the entire fall season, try this leaf garland variety. To illuminate an outdoor pathway, opt for staked LED lights.
“Before hanging your Halloween lights, carefully examine them for frayed wires. Make sure the bulbs are intact. Discard damaged lights and replace them with new, safe ones,” says Klosterman.
Inflatable yard decorations
Halloween inflatables are one of the easiest ways to make a big statement. Plenty of giant jack-o-lanterns and cute ghosts offer a sweet, family-friendly approach. But if you prefer a ginormous dragon, go for it, though larger inflatables require a little extra love to maintain.
After Halloween, wash them with soap and water and let them dry before rolling them up for storage. Additionally, always inspect for holes or tears before inflating them.
Novelty sculptures
In the fall of 2020, The Home Depot’s 12-foot skeleton “Skelly” became the must-have Halloween decoration. Years later, this kooky novelty sculpture proved its staying power. If you’d like to invest in Skelly or another large item, consider a few factors.
First, be sure you have ample time and assistance to assemble and disassemble the sculptures. According to Home Depot, Skelly takes two people to put together and three to stand upright! Additionally, because Skelly needs to be stored in the original box, you’ll need storage space to accommodate it.
Buying vs. DIY-ing Halloween Decorations
After considering all the above factors, would you rather DIY your decorations or buy them? Read on to determine what’s right for you.
Why DIY?
As aforementioned, store-bought Halloween decorations can be expensive. DIY-ing your own decor can save you money while still creating a wonderfully scary aesthetic. Better yet, crafting your own Halloween decor can be a fun bonding activity for friends and family.
Here are some ideas for affordable decorations to DIY:
- Black and orange spray paint can transform basic pots into festive vessels.
- Cut construction or butcher paper into spooky shapes like bats and pumpkins.
- Craft silly spiders from styrofoam balls and pipe cleaners.
- Grocery store gourds and foraged grass make cheap and beautiful table centerpieces.
- Laundry baskets can become eerie cages for skeletons.
Why Buy?
If you’d like something specific or particularly grand, or you’re short on time, buying Halloween decorations can be a major relief. To find great deals and unique designs, consider the following stores:
- The Dollar Tree
- Goodwill
- Target
- The Home Depot
- Ross
- Marshalls
- Party City
- Spirit Halloween
How to store your Halloween decorations
Once Halloween is over, you’ll need to consider how to store all your decorations until the next spooky season. Follow these tips from Storage Rentals of America (SROA) to maximize your storage space and keep your beloved decor safe:
- Utilize see-through, labeled bins: Sort your items into different boxes and label them accordingly. All your lights could go in one box, while paper cut-outs could go in another.
- Use vacuum-sealed bags for fabric and cobwebs: Keeping air and moisture away from these delicate materials will preserve them for years to come. Plus, vacuum sealing saves storage space!
- Place small items within larger ones: If you have small figurines and spooky plastic bugs, put them inside larger items like trick-or-treat buckets or candy bowls. Then, secure the top with plastic wrap.
- Bubble-wrap delicate or oddly-shaped items: According to SROA, store a fake skeleton by disassembling it and wrapping each bone in bubble wrap before boxing it away.
- Store your decor in a climate-controlled environment: Heat and humidity could warp or even melt plastic items. Keep them in a cool room in your house or a climate-controlled storage unit.
FAQs
How much do people spend on Halloween decorations on average?
How much you want to spend on Halloween decorations is up to you. But according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), US consumers plan to spend $108.24 per person on Halloween this year (including decor, costumes, and candy).  Spending on Halloween decorations specifically has increased in recent years. “From 2019 to 2024, total spending on Halloween decorations increased by 42% — from $2.6 billion to $3.8 billion” nationwide.
When should I take down my Halloween decorations?
While the rules may vary for HOAs in different neighborhoods, “A common rule is removing the decorations within 20 days of the holiday,” according to Brian Douglas Law. Fortunately, removing Halloween ghosts and ghouls by November 20 still gives you a full week to decorate for Thanksgiving!
About the Expert
- Courtney Klosterman is a home decorating safety expert at Hippo, the home insurance group focused on proactive protection; including liability and personal property coverage to make sure your home is safe and secure for the holidays.
