At Hinkle Hardscapes, we’re all about fall! We love the brisk air and autumn colors. Not to mention, now’s the perfect time of year to light up the fire-pit or fireplace! An outdoor living space is a great addition to any home because it allows you to entertain while enjoying some fresh air — even during the chillier months of the year!
Fall also means that Halloween is right around the corner. And, if you’re anything like us, you’re super excited to enjoy the festivities with those you love most! If you’re thinking about hosting a Halloween party this year, you’re going to love this blog post. We have compiled some of our favorite DIY ideas that will get you and your home ready for some spooktacular Halloween fun!
1). Make The Fire-Pit A Focal Point
Is your skin crawling yet? These concrete skull heads are fire resistant and oh-so-spooky! Adding a few of these to your fire-pit will surely spark some fun for your guests. You can buy these bad boys at Formation Creation.
2) Cheesecloth Ghosts
What is Halloween without some ghosts flying around? You can hang these from a light fixture or a tree outside, or even stand them up in your entryway or use them as part of a centerpiece. They are a cinch to make once you’ve set up a workstation.
Supplies: Paper cups, small balloons, cheesecloth, fabric stiffener, black felt for eyes
How To: Stack one small paper cup atop another one that is turned upside down & tape them together. Inflate a small balloon and rest it in the top cup. Cut cheesecloth into pieces that measure about eight inches square and fill a bowl with fabric stiffener. Soak a piece of cheesecloth in fabric stiffener and immediately drape it over the balloon. Let it dry for 10 minutes. Pop the balloon with a pin to reveal a hardened shape. Cut two tiny circles out of black felt for eyes and affix them to the ghost with tacky glue. Remove the ghost from the cup and use your fingers to rough up the ends. To hang them, thread fishing line through the top of each ghost and secure with a knot.
3) Fall Wreaths
A wreath on your front door can really show off your Halloween spirit, or they can just as easily make for a cute fall decoration.
Supplies: Foam wreath, hot glue gun and glue sticks, any wreath decorations you would like to use: ribbon, bows, skeletons, ghosts, bats, pumpkins, fabric, etc.
How To: Start with the foam wreath, and decorate with anything you so choose! Make it scary or fun, totally up to you.
4) Bat Branch Centerpiece
This cool Halloween centerpiece most closely resembles a plume of bats flying out of a bunch of branches. It’s a quick, easy craft that anyone can make in 20 minutes or less. Just hot glue some adorable bat cutouts to some thin branches – as few or as many as you’d like! Bonus tip: If you spray paint the branches black, it adds to the eerie Halloween vibe.
Supplies: Thin branches, 3 – 4′ tall, bat cut-outs, hot glue gun and glue sticks. cylinder vase
How To: Arrange your branches in a tall glass cylinder vase until you find the arrangement you like best. Then, run a thin bead of hot glue along the backside of the center of the bats and carefully press each one onto a branch to secure. Be careful not to burn yourself with the hot glue! As you’re working, disperse your bats and make sure they’re pointed in slightly different directions to give them the appearance of a flock of bats that have been disturbed and are flying up and out of the branches in a hurry.
5) Bats Galore!
The perfect Halloween decoration to add that extra pop. Use as many little bats as you wish and stick them on walls, ceilings, windows and doors throughout your home.
Supplies: Small bat cut-outs (check out Etsy!)
How To: Cut out and fold the bats so they appear to be flying. Simply attach what is safe for your wall (painters tape, masking tape, UHC tac, etc.) and place the bats wherever you’d like!
6) Skulls in Vases
For this creepy decoration, just pop the heads off the skeletons and put them in a vase with some Spanish moss. Make as many of these as you’d like, incorporate different-sized vases, or even use the leftover skeleton parts in other vases. If you’re on a strict Halloween budget or you’re whipping up a few last minute party decorations, this idea is perfect for you. All of these supplies can be found at your local Dollar Store.
7) Hanging Cages
I don’t know about you, but to us the little rat skeleton chowing down on a human hand is pretty creepy…if you want to get a little edgier with your decorations, these skeletons in hanging cages are a great way to do it.
Supplies: 2 laundry baskets for each cage, 1-3 plastic chains per cage, zip ties, various skeletons or other creatures you’d like to use, black spray paint, scissors
How To: First, cut the rims off of the tops of the laundry baskets. Then spray paint the baskets black. Add your skeletons or creepy creatures to the cages, and use a few zip ties to secure them to the bottom of the cage. Then, use some more zip ties to secure the top laundry basket to the bottom one. Lastly, use a few more zip ties to attach the chains to the tops of the cages and then hang them from a shepherd’s hook, a tree or bush.
8) Spider Ice Cubes & Black Sugar-Rimmed Glasses
This is a super cute idea for anyone who plans to host a Halloween bash. You can use these strictly for the adult table, or even let the kiddos in on the fun. Keep in mind though: Straws might be a good idea to avoid a choking hazard once the spiders melt out of the cubes.
Supplies: Plastic spiders, ice tray, water, black sugar, honey, straws
How To: Fill the ice tray with water and put a plastic spider in each cube; freeze. Pour some black sugar in a bowl and take a bit of honey and wipe it just around the rim of the glass. Turn the glass upside down into the bowl of sugar and make sure it’s nice and coated. Fill with ice cubes and the beverage of your choice. If you so choose, you could use straws to help prevent anyone from potentially choking on the spiders once they melt out of the cubes.
9) Bottle of BOOS
Speaking of the adult table…this is a way cute idea to display and serve your drink of choice, or even as a gift to the host/hostess of the Halloween parties you attend this year. Just attach the label printouts to the bottle, covering the existing labels. Voila!
Supplies: Bottles of wine, printer, printouts of labels (click the picture above), double-sided tape, scissors
How To: Print out the “Bottle of BOOS” labels, cut them out, and use double-sided tape to attach the labels to the wine bottles.
10) Mason Jar Jack-O-Lanterns
These fun mason jar lanterns are perfect for anyone in the market for a new Halloween decoration. Though they’re easy to make and inexpensive to create, they’ll still rival any trendy decoration you’ll find at your nearest home décor store. Display them on your mantle this season or cluster a few together on a table for a spooky centerpiece.
Supplies: Smooth-sided mason jars, black spray paint, Scotch tape, tissue paper (orange, green, white, purple), scissors, paintbrush, Mod Podge, black construction paper, battery-operated tea-light candles
How To: Remove the mason jar lids, spray paint those black and allow them to try. Take the jars and cut out multiple strips of tissue paper that measure up to the height of your jar. Also, cut out a piece of tissue paper slightly larger than the round bottom of the jar. Use Mod Podge to glue the round bottom on first, then glue on the tissue paper strips. Allow the paper to dry completely. Cut out your face designs and use a small amount of Mod Podge to attach the face pieces to the jar. Put the tea-light candles in the jars, screw on the lid and watch them glow!
11) Decorated Pumpkins
Pumpkin carving is still fun, but pumpkin decorating is a lot easier. Plus, these pumpkins will last longer since they haven’t been carved or cut open. And they’re adorable! For this project, just find some pumpkins of all different shapes and sizes and get creative! Use paint, Sharpies, stencils, fall garland, string, buttons, crafting flowers, leaves – you name it! The mix of embellished, painted, and gold leafed pumpkins is such a fun way to decorate for the season.
Are you ready to get your outdoor living space started?
At Hinkle Hardscapes, we are passionate about creating outdoor entertaining spaces! Are you ready to become the ultimate host? Feel free to give us a call at (816) 741-2035.
