This week’s Fetching Friday features boo-tiful scenery festively depicting hauntingly beautiful images in the spirit of Halloween.
Boo-tiful scenery, gorgeous spaces, presentations, accents, displays, delights, and accessories do not rely on tricks to conjure up decorative and stylish treats for the eye.
cinnamon sticks, rosemary and apple slices for garnish
cinnamon sugar for rim⠀
Directions⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Rim an Old Fashioned glass with cinnamon sugar and fill with ice. In a shaker, combine bourbon, apple cider, lemon juice, maple syrup, ginger and cinnamon. Shake to combine.
Strain into glass and top with hard Honeycrisp apple cider. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, rosemary and apple slices.⠀
Guests and ghouls alike will gasp with delight at these festive Halloween decorating ideas not too tame, not too terrifying.
It’s not too early to begin gathering festive Halloween decorating ideas and devilishly delightful goodies for your Halloween decorating extravaganza.
Bewitching decorative treasures festively bedeck your Halloween haunt for a day into night soiree of visual tricks and tasty treats.
Light the night and set a mood of stylish intrigue by illuminating your fright night soiree with distinctive lighting options.
Many moons ago I tricked out our kitchen and breakfast room in grand Halloween splendor.
Black tulle, white taper candles, Spanish moss, a vintage candelabra, glass cloche, a decorative black crow, and magnolia leaves spray painted black dressed the night in fright and fun.
Party possibilities range from pumpkin luminaries using clear glass cylinder vases to clear cylinder vases filled with moss, mini pumpkins and creepy plastic creatures thrown in for decoratively dreadful measure.
You local dollar store is an excellent starting point for party needs or party decoration fillers.
Did you hear the recent news of a popular dollar store raising their prices from $1.00 per item to $1.25 – $1.50 to offset rising production/shipping costs?
Now I guess we’ll call these party decor go-to stores dollarish stores.
Regardless, if you’re anything like me you favor festive Halloween decorating ideas like the following that remain big on festive Halloween decorating ideas fun, not big on festive Halloween decorating ideas prices.
Candles.
Natural moss mix.
Glass cylinder vases.
Faux flowers in dark and boo-tiful colors.
All of the above make delightful and frightful additions to captivating centerpieces.
Centerpiece ideas include classic orange and black Halloween decorating accouterments, fresh or faux festive flowers, and creepy and crawly spiders and snakes in hauntingly beautiful form with a hint of chilling chic compliments of a can or two of spray paint in your favorite color(s).
The top hat tips its hat to decoration triple duty.
Primp it out for Halloween, tidy it up with a gold band and pheasant feathers for the perfect Pilgrim piece at Thanksgiving, and top it off with glitter stems at Christmas as a tree topper.
Fun idea found on Pinterest.
It reminds me of my dress painting adorning the dining room sideboard that I’ll drape sheer white lace over and backlight for a white wedding theme.
Oh, and the eyes on you throw pillows will work into the night perfectly.
The call to edit and decorate with items you already have is coming from inside the house.
Create a little tone on tone visual magic with a can or two of spray paint in your Halloween color of choice.
Begin with a grapevine or straw wreath.
Hunt and gather a harvest of dry leaves, stems, twigs, vines, and branches from nature’s arts-and-crafts-store (your yard).
Spray paint both sides of the crop and allow to completely dry.
Snake and intertwine your painted gathering work of decorating art down the center of the table in table runner fashion.
Painted wreaths become everything from a cake stand base to a candle ring.
Scary chic, super affordable befitting centerpiece and table runner problem solved.
Pair a grapevine bird nest from the craft department with a black feathered crow found in the Halloween section for a spook-takular candy dish alternative.
A cast iron cauldron pot fits right in with the trick and treat taste of Halloween.
Serving ideas for party potions of the leaded and unleaded varieties include a bewitching large black cauldron, copper ladle, DIY beverage dispenser, punch bowl made from a pumpkin, and of course, dry ice to create a special effect foggy look.
In a medium sized saucepan, simmer cider, orange juice, cinnamon and cloves for 5 minutes. Whisk in pumpkin puree until combined with other flavor and a smooth consistency is reached.
Treasures found, ordered, and delivered today make me Halloween happy.
When Halloween party hosting for twenty or less guests, and with Dave the Builder sharing KP duties, I go with “real” plates, utensils, glassware, etc…
Super scary-cute-sweet Halloween theme plastic and paper tableware options are everywhere this time of year, and make an impressive showing and an easy clean-up undertaking.
Rubber rats straight out of the Halloween decorations aisle placed on a black cheese board create a deliciously eerie display most Halloween appropriate.
Natural beauty pumpkins are simple to make and simply elegant when completed.
Simply heat up the old glue gun (caution, it’s hot!) and hot glue lush leaves to the pumpkin.
I hope one or more of these tasty and festive Halloween decorating ideas tricks and treats your Halloween soiree spook-takular.
Selections were limited compared to today’s offerings, but did the trick.
A honeycomb decoration served as a centerpiece, a bendable scarecrow or warty witch a front door decoration, and two plastic jack-o’-lanterns lights to light the Halloween night and living room windows completed the look.
My mother showed a cake mix who was boss in the original Places In The Home test kitchen.
Her bag of tasty tricks included adding candy bar pieces, flavoring extracts, calorie rich whole milk, and food coloring combinations transformed a store bought cake mix into the taste of homemade.
There’s Halloween goodies magic in a bag of Milano cookies and white chocolate chips.
M’mm M’mm mummy cookies are easy to make with a bag or two of Milano cookies, white chocolate chips, sprinkles, or candy eyes.
Start by placing 2 cups of white chocolate chips and ½ teaspoon shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 90 seconds. Stir to incorporate. Microwave in 30 second intervals until chocolate is fully melted.
For extra smooth chocolate, add another ½ teaspoon of shortening to the melted chocolate; stirring well to mix.
*******************************************************
Test kitchen experiment with mint chocolate chips (not a favorite in the Places In The Home test kitchen) proves the times and ingredients accurate.
*******************************************************
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place Milano cookies on cookie sheet.
Spoon melted chocolate over the top half of each Milano cookie and allow to set.
Reheat the remaining chocolate for 10 seconds to melt. Carefully spoon melted chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Zip or seal the bag and snip off the bottom corner off the bag.
Drizzle chocolate over each cookie to create the bandage look. Finish by adding candy eyes or sprinkles for the eyes to each cookie while chocolate is soft.
Vodka or other clear alcohol (you might need to add a dram or two for the baker!)
Black and silver luster dust
Directions
Prepare cookie doughs as directed. Use flour-coated circle cutters to cut out circles from sugar cookie dough, and use cocoa-coated cat cutters to cut out cats from black cocoa cookie dough. Bake as directed and let cool completely.
Use royal icing to decorate sugar cookies and attach cat cookies on top.
Mix a small amount of clear alcohol with silver luster dust and use a paint brush to paint small brushstrokes on the royal icing of the sugar cookies. Repeat with black luster dust to paint bats.
I’m taking baking liberty here by suggesting you make the cupcakes using cake mix. Where the cake mix calls for water, I use milk for a richer homemade taste.
How to make the witch hats:
Place a wire rack over a baking sheet. Use a serrated knife to carefully cut 3 in. from the point of the sugar cones. Place the chocolate wafers on the rack.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave according to package directions. Spoon the melted chocolate over one cone at a time making sure to evenly cover each cone.
With a spatula, spread the chocolate to cover the wafer, adding more chocolate if necessary.
How to make the frosting:
Using an electric mixer, beat 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1 ¼ cup butter (2½ sticks), 1 tsp vanilla and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl until smooth and fluffy.
Tint frosting green by mixing two drops of yellow food coloring with two drops of blue.
How to make the witches:
Spread a small amount of frosting onto each cupcake, top with a doughnut. Frost sides and top of the doughnut.
Place the jelly beans, cut-side down, into the frosting for eyes.
Cut each taffy into 4 pieces, shape each into a nose and place under the eyes.
Pipe the brown frosting ( two drops of red and two drops of green) onto the jelly beans for pupils and over the jelly beans for eyebrows.
Pipe a mouth with the red frosting.
Break the shredded wheat into strands and place on top of each doughnut.
Spooktacular Halloween decorating suggestions come alive at 101 Inspiration Lane for the decorista who dares to bedazzle house and home in haunted fashion destined to thrill and delight the eye.
Can’t you just here the creaking floors?
Go ahead and click on the sound effects to set the mood.
I dare you.
The National Retail Federation reports those of who decorate house and home for Halloween will spend $2.7 billion (that’s billion with a b, folks) on Halloween theme home decor items.
Another interesting tidbit of retail information is the total spend for 2019 is expected to be the third highest in the history of the survey. The top record for Halloween spending belongs to Halloween 2017 when spending came in at $9.1 billion.
That’s a whole lotta spooktacular Halloween decorating.
*Halloween Decorating Suggestions Tip*
At first sighting of the cute, scary, and practical Halloween (or any holiday) decorations and tablewares that speak Halloween party must-have to you is the time to buy.
Decoristas plan, prep, and purchase party goods earlier and earlier each year, and as they say, you snooze, you lose.
Same goes for ordering from sites with a 10 day to 2 week order to delivery time.
Halloween is a prime time for showcasing your decorating creativity. Front and back doors, windows, fireplace mantels, staircases, accent furniture, porches, lawns, gardens, patios, and sidewalks become prime players in a game of Halloween decorating dress-up.
Rather it be a pair of jack-o-lanterns, garden statues fraught with frightful air, or a lavish display in spine-chilling style, affordable is the trick and eye-catching is the treat.
Garden statues easily and eerily stand fabulous as centerpieces for the Halloween feast table or bar cart.
Seasonal, special event, and holiday decorating can wreak double, double toil and trouble on one’s wallet; reason numero uno why I like to source and suggest items that can pull double decorating duty.
The wood chip wreath featured above is an example of a decor item that can do just that.
The fiery orange color pairs well with an artificial black raven crow for Halloween either as a door or wall decoration or a centerpiece. When the clock strikes midnight on November 1st, it now becomes a fall into Thanksgiving decorative accessory.
Dim all the lights is not only a Donna Summer disco hit, but my lighting rule for an enchanting evening.
The soft glow of string lights in your favorite color placed inside a clear glass pumpkin jar with lid or under a collection of clear glass pumpkin cloches is a simple yet elegant lighting option.
Is it a candle ring or a DIY Halloween wreath?
I won’t keep you in suspense- it’s what you want it to be.
Using your preferred Halloween color(s), wrap a straw wreath with decorative mesh or burlap ribbon.
Spray paint is another way to go, and comes in a wide range of colors complementary to the fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas color palette.
This Halloween decorating suggestion hocus-pocus focuses on getting more bang for your buck out of items you can use on one or more occasion or holiday.
Pin the mesh or ribbon to wreath to secure. Straight pins can be removed as can the material.
This frees up the wreath to be used for another project.
Complete the look with faux flowers, and depending on how tame or terrifying you want it to be, you can add boa feathers, flecked spiders, plastic snakes, masks or rats, skull heads or skeleton hands.
I get so excited about spooktacular Halloween decorating suggestions that I lose my head.
Mama Places In The Home stopped by today, and wasted no time sharing with me her startled, spooked, fright and delight over the flecked spiders nesting on the dining chairs.
The potion for the proper blend of Halloween haunt is a spot of spooky style mixed with a touch of back in the day tradition.
This stove top method brews and steeps the flavor and color of the cinnamon. Begin by adding 2 cinnamon sticks to 2 cups of water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Allow concentrate to cool before adding to cold water and ice.
I discovered the cinnamon concentrate is also delicious in hot or iced tea. The concentrate becomes more potent over time, so you may want to taste test as you go.
My Halloween decorating suggestions thinking cap was on tight when I placed an order for several of these pillow covers to tuck into Halloween party favor bags.
These pillow covers are in the style of a famous Italian designer, and a quick eBay search usually results in a super deal with free shipping.
Fun, frightful, and fabulous Halloween decorating suggestions offer affordable ideas and easy tips ready to help transform your home into the spooktacular showcase it’s sure to be.
One post is good, but two is even better when it comes to Halloween party decorating suggestions.
Classic themes, colors, textures and patterns provide inspiration for these Halloween party decorating suggestions. It’s hauntingly amazing how something intended to be delightful can be so utterly frightful.
Perhaps, but I do love this vintage ventriloquist’s silent clown puppet mounted print paired with a clown hat and shoes for an elegantly creepy centerpiece.
If sending in the clowns is way too creepy for your Halloween party decorating taste, perhaps the throwback mystique of vintage Halloween decorations is right up your alley.
I couldn’t wait to comb the one, maybe two aisles (if you were lucky) of Halloween merchandise at the local five-and-dime and discount stores of the day, looking for more innocent than scary door decorations, plastic jack-o-lantern window lanterns, honeycomb centerpieces, and jointed cutouts.
A Halloween Holiday Haul
Halloween decorations have come a long way in both design and detail since the Halloweens of the late 60s and 70s, but I still love to decorate with at least two or three of these vintage or vintage style Halloween decorations.
Vintage black and white Victorian photos and framed portraits lend a certain amount of eerie charm while creating a haunted presence and ambiance.
Expensive is not on the Halloween party guest list. With deals, free printables, diy ingenuity, buy more save more promos, and online clearance sales starting sooner and sooner in the season, your Halloween bogeyman boogie down get together can be an affordable affair.
Place a red feather boa around the neck of a decorative bust and place in the center of the table for a dressed to the nines focal point wow factor effect.
Follow up with a trio of clear glass candle holders from the dollar store filled with decorative black sand.
Drop in a battery operated votive or pillar candle and drape Spanish moss from the sides, and poof!
Halloween party decorating suggestions magic.
You know what else would look especially spooky, creepy, and crawly good juxtaposed against Victorian elegance?
Note to self:
Add Jim Stafford’s “Spiders and Snakes” to the Let’s Halloween playlist.
Yes, I went there, and now I’m probably going to have nightmares.
Some would argue that’s the point, and others, like myself, would argue plastic or real, the fear of things that go hiss and squeak in the night is the exact reason why we stick with a kinder, gentler Halloween theme.
A wide variety of printables in all levels of Halloween spook, scare and spirit for treats, potions, hang tags, place cards, invitations and tabletop decor are available on Etsy.
When I was a kid, our house was Halloween central due to the gargantuan bodark tree and the green horse apples (hedge apple or Osage orange) it produced. The neighborhood kids loved to throw them and then screech yuck at the sight and the smell.
The horse apple, hedge apple or Osage orange is a choice decorative item vis-à-vis vase or bowl filler, and makes an excellent color, texture and pattern Halloween accent decoration.
Halloween decorating is serious business these days.
The elaborate decorations and Halloween tricks and treats decorating ideas offered in today’s decorating market far surpass the dime store plastic pumpkin with a flashlight in it, honeycomb centerpiece and die cut front door decoration days gone by.
With that being said, let’s take a look at a few Halloween tricks and treats decorating ideas.
October is an eventful month at the Places In The Home corral however, the corral is anything but ok these days when it comes to the business of all things house that make a home. Let me ‘splain. In the grand scheme of blogging things, one (me) simply can’t get the job done, posts written and images photoshopped unless the desktop computer and monitor work, and work they don’t. This recent development is not my idea of frighteningly fun Halloween happenings, and trying to undo this sinister snafu without losing my mind and my religion is the trick.
Evil!
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Although working on the notebook computer is no treat, the trick is to drink apply the principle of adjustment. Adjusting is the theme of this week. Our city government announced this morning that local trick-or-treating will now take place on Friday evening. The forecast is shaping up to be an ugly event making Halloween trick-or-treating on Saturday a washout. Our Halloween celebration is still on, but with an adjustment or two of its own. Call it a trick-or tweaking.
No rain event will poison the party atmosphere at our Halloween at Places In The Home party.
The welcome mat is out, the pumpkin is marked for carving, and in the words of Tom Bodett we’ll leave the light on for the trick-or-treaters.
Blame the madness on the Great Halloween Computer Crash, Charlie Brown!
I’ll redefine the term steaks are on the grill via a cast iron skillet on the stove, a liberal pat of butter, haunted house seasoning and a low and slow approach. The food and drink will flow, and the Let’s Halloween playlist will rock the castle.
Phrenology the Science of the Brain Victorian Replica Bust
Evil!
Blame the madness on the Great Halloween Computer Crash, Charlie Brown!
