The dos and don’ts of Halloween décor

Pumpkins adorn doorsteps, spider webs are on every door, and ghouls, goblins and more are roaming the streets - that’s right, the spookiest season of all is here.

But how can you make sure your decorations are more ‘scare’ and less ‘bare and despair’? Here are our top tips to avoid giving your neighbours the wrong kind of fright…

Do embrace the spooky theme…

Some rules we like to follow when it comes to Halloween décor? You can never have too many cobwebs. Or skulls. Or scary centrepieces.

For lovers of ghosts and ghouls, Halloween is the one time of year you can embrace your spooky side. If you’re making the effort to put up decorations, go all out!

There’s nothing sadder than a lonely bedsheet ghost or skinny skeleton lurking on a doorstep, with no other reference to Halloween – in fact, you’ll probably just end up looking like you’ve lost a piece of washing from the line.

Don’t choose decorations that could lead to a disagreement…

Aim to scare? Sure – but don’t take it a step too far, or you could risk upsetting your neighbours.

Take care when choosing your decorations, and make sure you won’t be offending anyone with your choices.

And while gory is great, don’t be too realistic – with too much ‘good’ fake blood, you could end up with traumatised neighbours and police at the door, wondering what really happened to the poor skeleton on your drive.

Do make use of your surroundings…

Nothing screams Autumn like fallen leaves and twigs – and they can come in especially handy for Halloween set-ups.

Some scattered leaves, cobwebs and bones (fake, obviously) can be simple yet very effective, and your decorations won’t cost an arm and a leg.

Plus, using your surroundings rather than splashing out on endless amounts of single-use plastic goodies means you’re doing your bit for the environment too.

Don’t just decorate the inside of your house…

We always say first impressions count – and that’s especially true when it comes to Halloween.

Of course, if you’re hosting a party, then you want the inside of your house to look great. But the front door, lawn and drive are the first thing guests see – and the only place trick or treaters will be – so it’s important that it makes a bang too.

Cobwebs around fence posts, skeletons laid on the doorstep, spooky signs – the possibilities are endless.

Are you decorating for Halloween? We’d love to see your scary set-ups – head to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to share your photos with us.