7 Spooktacular Halloween Decor Ideas

Halloween is coming up fast, is your home ready? If you’re drawing a blank on how to decorate this year, don’t fret – we’ve got you covered. Wow friends, neighbors, and trick-or-treaters with these sweet and spooky decor ideas. Whether you’re creating a terrifying haunted house or just adding a few tasteful items around your home, we’ve got decoration ideas we’re sure everyone will enjoy. Check ‘em out below and get ready to have the most boo-tiful house on the block!

Frightening Flowers – One of the many reasons we love this scary centerpiece is its simplicity. It’s very easy to make, yet its effect is very powerful. The eyes are totally unexpected and not the sort of trope Halloween decor you’ll see at every house. Definitely a must do this year!

Image via Her Campus

Gruesome Garland – Brighten up your spooky space with this Day of the Dead influenced garland. Sugar skulls are a sweet (pun intended) way to add color to your Halloween festivities.

Image via Paper Source Blog

Horrifying Hats – Short on space? Suspending your decorations from the ceiling is a great way to create a big impact without crowding your home. We are big fans of these levitating witch hats. Pick up a couple from the dollar store, grab some fishing wire, and string them up.

Image via Brooklyn Limestone

Creepy Centerpiece – Halloween isn’t just about fake blood and gore, sometimes it pays to be more subtle. Much like the other flowery decor item we shared, we appreciate this centerpiece for its simplicity. Add some critters and crawlers to a bunch of white roses and enjoy.

Image via Martha Stewart

Devilish Door – This is one a-DOOR-able decoration! If you’ve got little ones at home or are in a neighborhood that’s full of tiny tots, this is a great way to decorate for Halloween. You don’t want to be too scary, but you do want to mark the occasion and this cute mummy door is perfect!

Image via Honey And Fitz

Vicious Votives – Some yarn and a few fake spiders turn these darling votives into daring Halloween decor. These are a great touch for small Halloween get togethers and dinner parties.

Image via Good Housekeeping

Ferocious Fanged Pumpkins – Don’t crowd your window sills with large Jack-o-lanterns, these “Drac-o-lanterns” are perfect for small spaces. An ideal craft for little ones who are too young to carve pumpkins, all you need is fangs and push pins to make these guys!

Image via Martha Stewart

We hope these decor ideas help you whip your space into shape for Halloween. If you make any of these decorations make sure to share snaps of them with us @HomeShows on Twitter and Instagram – we love seeing what you guys come up with! 

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6 Spooky Recipes for Your Next Halloween Party

With fall comes one of our favourite holidays: Halloween. From candy galore to cute kids in costumes, there’s nothing better. This Halloween, impress the whole neighborhood with our six spooky, Halloween-themed food and drink recipes; sure to promise the Halloween party of the year!

Candy Corn No More!

Who says you have stick to candy and chocolate on Halloween? Try some scary twists on old Halloween favorites and watch the amazement on your guests’ faces. 

Poison Caramel Apples

Image via Simply Delicious

1. Place bamboo skewers in six granny smith apples and set aside.

2. In a pot, combine 2 cups of sugar, ¾ cup of water, ½ cup of corn syrup and 3 drops of black gel food colouring over medium heat.

3.When the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and allow the caramel to boil until it reaches approximately 150°c/310°F.

4. Dip the apples into the candy mixture and leave them to cool on a lined baking tray to prevent sticking.

5. Serve after at least an hour of cooling time. 

Spooky Spider Seven Layer Dip

Image via Our Best Bites

Layer 1: 16 oz of refried beans mixed with taco seasoning

Layer 2: 1 cup of sour cream

Layer 3: 1 cup of guacamole

Layer 4: 1 cup of salsa

Layer 5: 1 cup of lettuce

Layer 6: 1 cup of Mexican olives or jalapenos

Layer 7: 1 cup of diced tomatoes 

Finishing Touch: Pipe sour cream in a spider web design on top and add plastic spiders just before serving

Witches Wand

Image via Our Best Bites

1. Melt one package  of white chocolate chips.

2. Dip pretzel rods into the melted chocolate. Use a butter knife or spoon to cover the rod evenly. Make sure to leave half of the pretzel plain to avoid sticky fingers.
3. Shake Halloween themed sprinkles onto the pretzels, turning the rod to catch every side with some sprinkles.

4. Leave to cool and harden for 24 hours.
5. Try milk and dark chocolate too, to have a variety for all chocolate lovers!

Creepy Cocktails!

All of that delicious food will need an excellent drink to accompany it. Forget the red wine and orange drink this year – mix up your Halloween drink menu with a splash of something a little more festive.

Black Widow Cocktail

Image via Pink Recipe Box

1. Pour ½ oz of strawberry vodka, ½ oz of white rum, and ½ oz of triple sec into a glass.
2. Top up with cranberry juice and stir to mix.
3. Tip: Add licorice lace to the sides of the glass to make spider legs!

Hocus Pocus Fizz

Image via The Little Kitchen

1. Mix together 1 cup pineapple juice; ½ cup rum,¼ teaspoon coconut extract, 3 drops of red food colouring, and 3 drops of yellow food colouring.
2. Add 2 oz of the rum mixture into a glass and top with sparkling wine.
3. Tip: Rim the glass with black sugar for a festive finish.

Wizard's Potion (non-alcoholic)

Image via City Line

1. In a large pitcher, combine 6 cups of apple cider, 2 cups of orange juice, ½ cup of lemon, and stir to combine.
2. Add chilled sparkling white grape juice and serve immediately.
3. Tip: Add a few drops of orange food colouring to ramp up the Halloween effect!

We hope these ideas help make your next Halloween party a hit! For more decor ideas that are sure to wow folks regardless of the season or holiday, make sure to check out the Ottawa Fall Home Show! We'll have design and decor professionals, landscaping experts, home improvement gurus, and more ready to help with your next home project. 

Don't have tickets yet? Get 2-for-1 on Facebook and treat a friend or family member to the show! 

EY CENTRE
SEPTEMBER 24-27, 2015.

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6 Games & Decorations to Revamp Your Halloween Party

Halloween parties are some of the best events of the year! Neighbours, friends, and family filling your home in costume – what could be more fun? This year, why not try some new additions to your old party favourites? We’ve put together six ways to help you throw the best Halloween party you’ve ever seen. 

R.I.P Boring Decorations

This Halloween steer clear of the typical plastic bats and black and orange balloons strewn across the room. Wow your guests with three of our favorite Halloween Decoration DIYs.

Black Cat Pumpkins: We love this DIY as a new twist for the classic carved pumpkin, inside the house or on the front porch to greet trick-or-treaters. Start with two pumpkins; one significantly smaller than the other. Cut the top off of the smaller pumpkin and clean out the insides. With the same pumpkin, trace and carve eye holes onto one side. Add ears by cutting out the shapes from black felt or card stock and attaching them on top of the pumpkin. Next, spray paint the two pumpkins black. After they’ve dried, attach the head with floral picks and remember to set a lit tea light in the head. Bye-bye boring pumpkins!

Image via Sunset

Slithering Wreaths: Welcome your guests with this super creepy, snake covered wreath. Grab a grape-vine wreath from your nearest craft store as well as several rubber snakes. Spray paint the wreath and snakes black and allow them both to dry. With a hot glue gun, begin attaching the snakes in every which way; overlapping, hanging off, whatever you like. Hang the wreath on your door to make your guests shudder! 

Image via Martha Stewart

Blood Soaked Candle: This DIY leaves you with creepy candles in under ten minutes! Start with a couple of tall, white, cylindrical candles and one bright red candle. Light the red candle and several minutes for a small pool of wax to form. Once it has, start holding the red candle on an angle above the white one so the coloured wax drips onto it. Move the dripping candle around so that the red wax ‘blood’ is dripping down the whole candle. Continue doing this with all of your candles until you’re left with several ‘blood’ soaked creations. 

Image via Sous Notre Toit

Games for Ghouls

Halloween games are often the most fun of the night! Including some games in your party plan will bring your guests together and is a great way to get the conversation flowing. These games are simple to put together and will guarantee a laugh out of anyone playing; kids or adults alike!

Costume Bingo: Our twist on the classic bingo game is nothing short of a Halloween hit! Before the party, make up bingo sheets with a different popular costume in each square. As guests walk in, hand them a sheet and something to mark the squares with (magic markers work the best!). When they see a guest wearing one of the costumes on their sheet, they mark off that square. This continues until someone has 5 squares marked in a row. The first person to get the Halloween bingo wins a prize and bragging rights for the rest of the night!

Image via Crazy Little Projects

Candy Corn Count: Fill up a large bowl with candy corn (or your favorite Halloween treat; it’s up to you!) and as you’re doing so, count how many pieces of the candy corn are going in. Leave small pieces of paper beside the bowl, inviting guests to try their hand at guessing how many candy corns are in the bowl. Once everyone has voted, reveal the number you originally counted and whoever had the closest guess wins the bowl of candy corn!

Image via Better Homes and Gardens

Guess Who? Halloween Edition: This game is a fun way to have guests talking in no time! As each of your guests comes through the door, place a sticker on their back with the name of a Halloween character on it. The guests will mingle around the room, asking yes or no questions to figure out who they’re supposed to be. Once a guest has guessed the character on their sticker, they remove it and continue to help others in guessing their character by answering questions. The game continues through the night until everyone has guessed their character. 

Image via About

So without further ado, let’s get party planning! For more holiday decor ideas make sure to visit the Ottawa Fall Home Show. The home and garden event of the season takes over the EY Centre September 24-27, 2015.

Don't have tickets yet? Well that's scarier than any Halloween decoration could be! Get 2-for-1 tickets when you connect with us on Facebook and treat a friend or family member to the show!

EY CENTRE
SEPTEMBER 24-27, 2015.

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Autumn Craft Challenge: Pumpkin Porch Decoration

Marketplace Events Exhibit Sales Consultant, Katelyn Grimm's entry in our Autumn Craft Challenge is getting a lot of attention. It's already received over 30 votes! Do you love Katelyn's craft? Find out how to make your own. Katelyn gave us the inside scoop on how she completed her project. Try it for yourself and make the perfect porch decoration for fall.

What you'll need:

Supplies

1 Large pumpkin

1 Medium pumpkin

1 Small pumpkin

Handful of fake leaves/fall flowers

Fall colored ribbon

Holiday lights

Tools

1 Glue gun

1 Philips screwdriver

1 Sharp serrated knife

1 Strong spoon (for scooping out seeds)

Now that you have everything, it's time to get started making your porch festive for fall. To help keep things simple and organized the directions below are broken up by pumpkin.

Biggest Pumpkin (Pumpkin #1)

Step 1. Carve out a lid so that the medium pumpkin can "sit" in the hole without falling through.
Step 2. Scoop out all the seeds.
Step 3. Cut a 1x1 square in the middle of the pumpkin (we will refer to this as the "backdoor").

Step 4. Poke holes using your screwdriver on the opposite side of your pumpkin's "backdoor".
Step 5. Take the plug end of the lights and feed it from the inside of the pumpkin through the "backdoor".
Step 6. Take the individual lights and poke them through the holes you made, so they can shine on outside of the pumpkin.

Medium Pumpkin (Pumpkin #2)

Katelyn chose to use a different colored pumpkin in her decoration, but feel free to use a regular orange one.

Step 1. This is where you'll use your glue gun (there's no carving required for this pumpkin). Decorate the pumpkin with ribbon in whatever fashion you'd like. Katelyn did lines, but you could try black felt polka dots.

Smallest Pumpkin (Pumpkin #3)

Step 1. Carve out a lid.
Step 2. Scoop out all the seeds.
Step 3. On the bottom carve a 1x1 square - this is for the stem from pumpkin #2 to fit into and connect the pumpkins.
Step 4. Place bouquet of fake flower/leaves in the top like a vase.

Assembling the Finished Product

Step 1. Take pumpkin #2 and sit it on top of pumpkin #1.
Step 2. Take pumpkin #3 and place it on the stem of pumpkin #2.
Step 3. Take the rest of the fake leaves and tuck them in and around where the pumpkins meet.
Step 4. If you have extra holiday lights, feed them out of pumpkin #1's "backdoor" and loop around where you tucked the leaves.
Step 5. Plug in and place on your porch.

Katelyn made this craft as part of the Marketplace Events Autumn Craft Challenge. To see other entries and vote for your favorite visit our Facebook page. For more fall project inspiration, visit our Pinterest page and make sure to share your creations with us on Twitter (@HomeShows) using #MPEautumn.

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Halloween Decor: 3 Tips From Cory Christopher

Decorating for a Halloween party? Set a sophisticated yet playful stage with these decor tips from Cory Christopher. Cory is an Edmonton designer, Creative Director/Owner of Cory Christopher, and a philanthropist. He shared his top three Halloween tips with us. Check them out below and you'll be sure to dazzle your guests.

Halloween Tips

1. Scavenge the house and yard - Finding Halloween goodies doesn't mean running out to the nearest shopping mall. Rummage around the house and you're bound to find some haunting gems. Broken plates, dead branches, and lint from the dryer can be great additions to any outdoor Halloween scene.
HINT: Dyer lint spray painted can easily mimic moth balls.

2. Painted pumpkins - Tired of carving pumpkins? Did your last attempt land you in the emergency room? Ditch the knife and grab a can of spray paint, any Halloween colour will do. Paint several different sized pumpkins to create a pumpkin patch at your doorstep.
HINT: For metallic purple pumpkins first cover with flat purple paint and finish with metallic.

3. Set the scene - Consider creating a witches tea or outdoor dining experience. An old rustic table and a couple of chairs provide the perfect foundation to wow trick-or-treaters on your porch.
HINT: Spider webbing can easily transform a beautiful table into a ghoulish one.

Looking for more inspiration? Connect with Cory on Twitter (@artdesignliving), on Instagram (@corychristopher) or visit his website. And for more festive fun make sure to check out our articles on Halloween decorations, snacks, and crafts.

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10 Horrifyingly Fun Halloween Crafts

If you’re looking for some fun ways to entertain your little ones and get them into the Halloween spirit you’ve come to the right place. Sure, you could try putting on Charlie Brown or Jack Skellington, but why not go with something a bit more creative? Get everyone into the spooky season with these clever Halloween crafts. We’ve got a great list of projects for you and your brood to enjoy. And, as an added bonus, these crafts also make for charming Halloween decor! It’s a win-win.

1. Mason jar jack-o-lanterns - How sweet are these little guys?

Image via My Crafty Spot

2. Melted crayon pumpkin - Such an awesome craft and the finished product looks amazing!

Image via Crafty Morning

3. Glow-in-the-dark terrarium - This one requires a bit of planning, but allows for a lot of creativity. What scene will your kids want to make?

Image via Babble Dabble Do

4. Stained glass pumpkin - Perfect for younger crafters and sure to look nice in your home.

Image via Crafts on Sea

5. Mini haunted houses - No birds will want to live in these spooky abodes!

Image via Kids Activities Blog

6. Pine cone spiders - These cute crawlers incorporate nature in such a fun way.

Image via Live Craft Eat

7. Masking tape mummy - Another great craft for little hands.

Image via No Time For Flash Cards

8. Ghosts in a jar - This one is definitely our favorite. It requires a few more supplies, but it's so adorable!

Image via Landeelu

9. Hanging bat craft - We love this craft because it presents a great opportunity to teach your children about bats. Why do they hang upside down? Are they birds or mammals? Find out together!

Image via Buggy and Buddy

10. Cardboard mini monsters - You can make your classic Frankenstein, or try and think up your own monsters!

Image via Crafts By Amanda

Halloween is coming up fast so we've got to ask: what ways have you and your family been getting ready for this fun holiday? Watching monster movies? Baking spooky treats? Carving pumpkins? Let us know below!

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Haunted House: 10 Spooktacular Decorations To Try This Halloween

Fake spiders with cottony webs, construction paper bats, and a grinning jack-o-lantern: all tried and true Halloween decor tropes. One of the best parts of Halloween is the decorating, but it can be hard to come up with new and creative ways to scare trick-or-treaters year after year. Not sure how you should decorate this Halloween? We’ve got you covered. Check out the top ten Halloween decorations we recommend trying and get ready to have the best looking house on the block.

1. Black-cat-o-lanterns: Jack-o-lanterns are so 2006. This year, turn your classic pumpkin into a black cat. With their eyes all lit up in the darkness these beauties will look purrfect.

Image via Sunset

2. Ghost jugs: You can make these as cute or as spooky as you'd like, it just depends on the expression you give your ghouls.

Image via eighteen25

3. Glowing eyes: Who knew toilet paper rolls and glow sticks could be so scary?

Image via Listoic

4. Chicken wire ghosts: This is definitely a more complex project, but the end result will be amazing.

Image via This Old House

5. Window monsters: How cute are these guys? Create your own scary or adorable silhouettes.

Image via LedfordLife

6. Glow in the dark pumpkins: Skip the carving altogether without losing the eerie glow that a flickering candle can cast.

Image via Steve Spangler Science

7. Glowing egg sacks: Throw a few of these in your trees with some big fake spiders and you're sure to have arachnaphobes running for the hills.

Image via Babble

8. Floating specters: This is another time consuming craft on our list, but again, the finished product is worth it.

Image via Inspiring Pretty

9.  Mummy: Abbot and Costello beware!

Image via Better Homes and Gardens

10. Draperies: This updated version of the classic cobweb is sure to give your home some spooky definition. 

Image via HGTV

We love decorating for Halloween, so we've got to ask: what's your favorite part about this holiday? Do you also love dressing up your home, or are you more partial to the costumes and candy? Let us know below! 

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This Or That: Smashing Pumpkins

October is here and you know what that means: the countdown to Halloween is on! It's time to get your carving knife out, hang your cobwebs, and do the Monster Mash. Halloween is a favorite holiday of many. There's candy, parties, and costumes - what's not to love?

Although it's enjoyed by most, Halloween does tend to mean different things to different people. Some appreciate the frivolity of dressing up, while others focus on the holiday's spooky origins. Which do you prefer? Would you rather have an adorable pumpkin like Option A's caterpillar-inspired creation? Or does Option B's scary sentiment speak volumes to you? Which jack-o-lantern would you want to greet your visitors?

Option A

Image via Better Homes and Gardens

Option B

Image via This Old House

Our Choice:

We can easily appreciate the hard work that went into Option B. It has many layers, is well painted, and definitely achieves the frightening effect it was going for. That being said, it's just a bit too scary for us. Although Halloween is a holiday that people of all ages enjoy, many of the knocks your door receives on the 31st will be from youngsters. Terrifying trick-or-treaters isn't in our repertoire, so we're choosing Option A. It's sweet, original, and fun for the whole family.

Since Halloween is fast approaching, we've got to ask: are you a fan of the cute or the scary? Will your night feature Charlie Brown or Michael Meyers? Will you suffer a candy coma or have some nightmares? Let us know below!

And if the scariest thing about your home is its decor and design, make sure to head to the Marketplace Events home show nearest you. Our celebrity experts and home improvement professionals are here to help you fall back in love with your home, sweet home. Check out the shows coming up in your area - US Shows & Canadian Shows.

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