Halloween keeps growing in Australia, and you don't need a big budget to make your place the house trick-or-treaters talk about. Spring evenings are light until late, so think about how your decorations look both in daylight and after sunset. Here are simple ideas, room by room.
1. Build a front-yard graveyard
A row of tombstones is the quickest way to set the scene. Lightweight foam or plastic tombstones are easy to move and store. Add skeleton pieces poking out of the garden bed and a few black crows perched on the tombstones for depth.
2. Dress the porch and front door
- Hang a spider wreath or a zombie-hands door cover on the front door.
- Stretch fake spider webs across the veranda posts and hedges – pull the web thin so it looks wispy, not lumpy.
- Hang one or two ghosts from the veranda ceiling so they move in the breeze.
3. Use the windows
Window clings are renter-friendly and kids can help put them up. Silhouettes of ghosts, bats and black cats look great from the street at night when the room behind is lit.
4. Add light
Pumpkin string lights on the railing and solar pathway lights along the path make the house welcoming and help visitors see where they're walking. See our Halloween lights and the lighting ideas guide.
5. Set a spooky table
For a Halloween dinner or kids' party, a spider web tablecloth, themed placemats and skull-shaped cakes from a silicone mould do most of the work. Browse Halloween home & kitchen.
Quick safety reminders
- Keep paths and steps clear so trick-or-treaters don't trip.
- Use flameless candles near fabric, paper and webs.
- Keep small decorations and batteries out of reach of young children.