As time goes by, it feels like more and more of us begin to embrace Halloween as an opportunity to go all out with decorations. Lights and trimmings are traditionally restricted to the joys of Christmas. However, it seems like Halloween is beginning to overtake the festive period when it comes to décor, especially outdoors.
From spookily carved out pumpkins to the odd plastic skeleton, there are a lot of tropes that have been used seemingly forever but now, it’s time for a change. If you’re really looking to step up your garden decoration game this year, follow along with these Halloween garden ideas to truly spook your neighbours.
Scary Silhouettes
Source: knoxmj19 @ Instructables
If horror movies have taught us anything, it’s that there’s nothing more ominous than the silhouette of a threatening figure. Not being able to make out a face, let alone clothing, leaves us with little to do but panic.
So, why not use this to your advantage? With some clever garden light placement, you can create superbly terrifying zombie silhouettes in your front garden. The best part is that these types of decorations are totally unique; you likely won’t see them in any supermarket anytime soon. Get the look by following this guide at Instructables.
Night of the Pundead
This year, why not put a comedic spin on your Halloween decorations? Granted, Halloween is already quite hilarious. Seeing your friends and family knocking about in homemade costumes is an extremely unique treat that rarely comes more than once a year. So, surely our decorations should echo this hilarity?
One humorous decoration that caught our eye the most is this series of pun-infused tombstones. Pre-made tombstone decorations can usually be found in supermarkets for relatively cheap, but if you’re a little more DIY-inclined, there’s nothing stopping you from putting your own creative spin on the concept. Whether it’s boards of wood, piece of polystyrene or maybe even cardboard, there are multiple ways to achieve this look.
Cemetery Gates
What is it about a crooked fence that gives off such a spooky aura? Whether you choc it up to a classic horror movie trope, or the unsettling presence of jagged lines and aged materials, there’s no arguing with the fact that these types of barricades appear to serve one purpose: being scary.
Fences like this are traditionally found in old cemeteries in seemingly every horror movie. So, to give your front garden a truly unsettling feel, a jagged fence is a good place to start. Pallets are an excellent option to achieve this, as their appearance tends to be relatively aged from the start, giving you a bit of a head start.
Friendly Pumpkins
Although being scary can be fun, sometimes a change is needed to shake things up. Choosing a happier stance can certainly help you and your garden stand out this year, and what better way to do it than with a twist on the staples of Halloween decorations: pumpkins.
All too often we see pumpkins sporting threatening looks, clever-yet-spooky designs and anything that generally inspires fear. Let’s face it, sometimes that’s the last thing we need – especially if you have young children. So, take a different approach this year by making friendly faces on your pumpkins. Amidst a sea of the same old scary faces, a smile is a welcomed surprise during trick or treating.
Movie Themes
By far the easiest way to create a cohesive Halloween garden is to follow a theme. What better way to do this than by following some famous horror movies as inspiration? Take some famous characters, looks, props, mash them all together and you’re well on your way to a certified spooky garden.
One of the most effective looks you can go for is the classic jigsaw puppet from the SAW film series. With some clever paper mache work and an old used tricycle, the look is basically complete. You can even combine multiple movie universes for the ultimate horror movie homage. Think Jigsaw meets Michael Myers and a bit of Scream! thrown in for good measure. It’s enough to give anyone the shakes.
Freaky Fire Pits
Fire is a pretty central theme to Halloween. Many of us usually light fireworks and sprinklers to mark the day, and others attend bonfires for much the same reason. Alongside this, more and more of us are getting used to the idea of having fire pits in our gardens. This leaves some great potential for merging the two things together to create some scary yet functional fire pits.
Achieving the look is relatively simple. You could place some skulls around the edge of the fire pit to give off a creepy look that echoes satanic rituals, perfect for sharing spooky stories. In the same breath, your fire pit can keep your Halloween garden party going for longer thanks to the natural warmth given off.
The Kalos Stone Fire Pit Coffee Table (pictured) makes a great candidate for this. Its stone construction gives off a real rustic feel that responds well to spooky alterations. When the night is over, simply remove the decorations and get back to your modern feeling garden in a matter of minutes.
Embrace the Spooky Season
With these ideas, you’ll be well on your way towards creating a Halloween garden to be proud of. Remember, while looks are important, having some comfortable garden furniture to relax on is always a welcomed addition. Have a browse through all our ranges today and find something to suit your soon-to-be spooky garden, today.