Spooky story telling around the campfire, frightful decorations haunting the yard, and fanciful costumes excite and delight, as bags are filled with candy and laughter drifts upon the air. Halloween will soon be here. Celebrate this popular holiday and dance like nobody’s watching! First you’ll need a few decorative ideas to set the stage for your celebration. Let’s get started…

Many people enjoy the warm summer nights by candlelight. With Halloween approaching, transform your lanterns into Halloween décor by adding a few decals to the glass.

Lighting is so important to setting the mood. Carved pumpkins can be lit with standard candles or opt for the battery operated flameless variety. Luminaries can be made from glass jars and decals or simply draw a design with Sharpie markers.

Tombstones and skeletons are a Halloween classic. This one has a more menacing appearance with its glowing red eyes and the bright light from below, giving the impression he’s climbing out of his grave.

If elaborate carving seems a bit too daunting, these mini pumpkins will make you smile.   Cut out a rectangle in the front, large enough to fit plastic teeth as shown above. Draw eyeballs or use olives as an alternative. Attach the eyes with toothpicks and you have silly extraterrestrial pumpkins to delight your guests. Green pumpkins would be even better!

Do you have an old cage in your garage? People can’t resist looking, wondering what’s hidden inside. A glowing pumpkin in a dark cage will certainly keep them guessing. To kick the fear factor up, you could carve a big bite mark in the side or add some jagged claw marks.

Strings of orange lights are perfect accents on decks and patios for railings, pergolas, and arbors. There is a wide variety of bulb shapes and sizes, and the LED strands will last a long time.

Silhouettes of bats, crows, spiders and more are readily available online. Print out several, cut them out and tape them inside your front windows. The lights in your home will provide the eerie glow they need to be seen every evening.

Having a party? Create a castle using a roll of pre-printed blocks. This one was “built” along walls and around a china closet. Crenulations were cut in the top for the true castle experience. Owls and other figures were perched on top.

It wouldn’t be a castle without a menacing gate. To make one, cardboard toilet paper tubes and a long box lid were shaped, assembled, and painted black.

Seeing double? A rubber snake dangles from atop this mirror. At times it’s a little difficult to tell which one is the reflection.

Strange gourds make their debut in the fall. Combine a few with rubber spiders, snakes, rats or any other creepy crawlers you care to include. Be sure to include a few critters on your food table as well. It will keep your guests on their toes.

There are plenty of opportunities for Halloween themed food at your party.

Beverages can be served in cups and glasses decorated with festive faces, created with Sharpie markers or Halloween decals.

Spiders appear to have spun webs across this tabletop and over the cupcakes on this dessert table.

A simple pumpkin becomes a bewitching character with the perfect hat. A glow in the dark tablecloth can be used as a wall hanging.

Not all skeletons are scary. This clever homeowner has a wonderful sense of humor with this updated version of “Hear no evil – Speak no evil – See no evil.”

From kid-friendly Casper the Ghost to a nightmare on Elm Street, there’s Halloween décor for every party, home, or office. Over time you will collect an interesting collection of favorites. Decorating for Halloween is fun for the whole family, and you will enjoy your handiwork all month long.

Be sure to check out part 1 of this article for more Halloween Decorating tips.

Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!