When decorating for Halloween, there are two decisions to be made:

1. Choose a Theme.  2. Choose a Fear Factor.

What is the fear factor? Think of it as how much you want to frighten people, based upon a 3-level scale. Level 3 is Nightmares. Halloween themes at this level provide good old-fashioned scares like when someone sneaks up behind you and yells Boo. You jump and maybe scream in shock…and then you tell them they’re grounded for life. (lol) Let’s see how the desired emotional reactions affect our choices in Halloween décor.

Nightmare Themes:

Jack-O-Lanterns

Black Cats

Mummies

Spiders

Ghosts

Clowns

Scarecrows

Monsters

Witches

Haunted House

Pumpkin Patch

Skeletons

Graveyard & Zombie

Werewolves

Bats

Day of the Dead

Vampires

Haunted Corn Maze

Haunted Village

Haunted Bog

Onion Monster

Insects

Headless Horseman

Vampires & Werewolves (Extra Credit for Living Chess Pieces. lol)

Gremlins

Nightmare Themed Foods:

Beverages

Cakes

Desserts

Pastries

Let’s Toast to Halloween

Halloween Nightmares themes explore the unknown and isn’t that mankind’s biggest fear? Being more complex, these characters appear out of the darkness via motion (costumed actors or animatronics), light, sound and fog, triggering screams or bad dreams for days to come.

Stay tuned for the fourth and final post in this series for a frightfully fun side-by-side comparison of Halloween themes. In case you missed the first two parts, please be sure to read part 1 Kid Friendly and part 2 Creepy for more inspiring ideas. Please let me know your favorites in the comments.

Thanks for Reading. Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!

When decorating for Halloween, there are two decisions to be made:

1. Choose a Theme.  2. Choose a Fear Factor.

What is the fear factor? Think of it as how much you want to frighten people, based upon a 3-level scale. Level 2 is Creepy.  Halloween themes at this level are eerie and unsettling, resulting in spine-tingling chills & goosebumps. Let’s see how the desired emotional reactions affect our choices in Halloween décor.

Creepy Themes:

Jack-O-Lanterns

Black Cats

Mummies

Spiders

Ghosts

Clowns

Scarecrows

Monsters

Witches

Haunted House

Pumpkin Patch

Skeletons

Graveyard

Werewolves

Bats

Day of the Dead (Extra credit for being fashionably frightening. lol)

Vampires (Looks like Tom Cruise in Interview with a Vampire)

Twisted Fairy Tales

Dolls (Reminds me of the little girls in Stephen King’s The Shining)

Creepy Themed Foods:

Beverages

Cakes

Candy

Serving Dishes

Guests, craving the thrills of amusement parks, will appreciate the chilling surprises discovered around every corner with these Halloween Creepy themes. Please let me know your favorites in the comments.

Stay tuned for the third and fourth posts in this series for ideas on Halloween Nightmares themes and a comparison of all three. In case you missed it, please be sure to read part 1 for Kid Friendly inspiration.

Thanks for Reading. Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!

When decorating for Halloween, there are two decisions to be made:

1. Choose a Theme.  2. Choose a Fear Factor.

What is the fear factor? Think of it as how much you want to frighten people, based upon a 3-level scale. Level 1 is Kid Friendly. Halloween themes at this level are cute or funny, resulting in widespread grins. In this four-part series, let’s see how the desired emotional reactions affect our choices in Halloween décor.

Kid Friendly Themes:

Jack-O-Lanterns

Black Cats

Mummies

Spiders

Ghosts

Clowns

Scarecrows

Monsters

Witches

Haunted House

Pumpkin Patch

Skeletons

Graveyard

Werewolves

Bats

Day of the Dead

Vampires

Kid Friendly Themed Foods:

Candy/White Chocolate Marshmallows

Cupcakes

Cakes

Cookies

Donuts

Guests of all ages will appreciate the playful, festive atmosphere created by these Kid Friendly decorations. Stay tuned for the next three posts in this series, exploring Creepy themes, Nightmare themes, and a comparison of all three. Please let me know your favorite Halloween themes and if you prefer amusing or frightening decor.

Thanks for Reading. Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!