Halloween is such a fun time of year, and it’s is my husband’s favorite holiday! It’s no surprise that we have amassed an alarming amount of spooky fun decorations for the scarefest he likes to create each year.
On Halloween night, our oldest son sits motionless in a chair in the front yard while wearing a horrible mask. The candy bowl rests in his lap, daring the bravest of brave souls to reach in. Those who do are always generously rewarded with sugary goodness, and this always gets lots of giggles (and sometimes a few cries!). Sorry in advance if you have been a victim of the motionless zombie.
While the outdoor stuff is strictly his domain, the inside is all mine. This year, I tried something a little different. Instead of the cute display I usually do with polka dot pumpkins, orange flowers, and printed linens, I decided to spook it up a bit. I reused some items I already had, but the best of the decor this year was a combination of DIY and some stellar decor finds from Michael’s.
Tip: If you go to Michael’s early enough in the season (around mid-September), when they first start their Halloween display, you can get some great discounts — everything I bought was 50% off!
Here’s how I pulled off a spooky fun tablescape.
Finds from my decor stash:
A dark charcoal linen table cloth and napkins were the foundation for the tablescape, both slightly wrinkled for a dark, moody feel. My much loved Crate & Barrel Marin dinner plates created a lovely layered ombré effect, and were topped with my 15-year-old trusty white plates seasoned with years of entertaining.
The amazing matte black flatware is something I’ve been slowly collecting for several months, three sets at time — they’re pricey, but they absolutely added to the tablescape. Shiny silver just wouldn’t do here. Find it here.
The white pumpkins are about eight years old, and have been lovingly repurposed in spooktacular celebrations for years. You can find some great ceramic pumpkin staples of your own anywhere from Hobby Lobby, to TJ Maxx and beyond.
No orange in this tablescape – we went all black, gray and spooky this year
John, the life-sized skeleton in the back is quite the gentleman. He’s been a member of the family since 2008, and we proudly seat him at the head of the table. From Target to Home Depot, large poseable skeletons like John are readily available this time of year.
If you make an investment this year, I’d recommend getting yourself a set of glass dome bell jars. Mine have been used over and over with twinkle firefly lights, flowers, plants, candles, and now, skulls! Visit World Market or shop online here for some good variety of bell jar sizes this season.
The tabletop was a nice blend of repurposed Halloween decor and new items purchased at Michael’s.
New items purchased this season:
Michael’s was my source for the rest of my spread. I found some terrific smaller skeletons, crows, skulls and stacks of books, all which provided interest, texture, and some great layers to the final look.
Tip: If you’re feeling crafty, it would be easy to recreate these stacks of books at home, using old black hardback books and white paint stencils.
The book stack was purchased, but could easily be replicated using black hardcover books and white paint pens to write on the side.
The DIY items:
Instead of buying individual bones, I dismembered one of the 12-inch skeletons I bought and scattered them on the table (creepy, yet effective!). The coffins were plain pine when I bought them, so I used stone textured spray paint for their finishing touch, then filled them with black jelly beans as a favor at each place setting. Lastly, I used black chalkboard labels that I already had as place cards.
With “John” our resident life-sized skeleton at the head of the table, what could go wrong?
As always, I recommend putting your money into the staples you’ll use time and time again, then finding a little festive flair of the season as your perfect final touch.
Happy Halloween from our family to yours! Here’s to a spooktacular celebration and a great looking table!
Palmer looks terrified wearing this stupid hat, but I couldn’t resist.
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