Maybe you're organising a Halloween party for your kids or just a tea party with a few friends. Even if you're not having a Halloween celebration, it's nice to decorate a small area of the house to create a sense of magic for little ones at this time of year.
I've put together some simple Halloween decoration ideas that are cute rather than spooky, especially for young children. Think not-so-scary characters and slogans in both traditional Halloween colours and a gorgeous combination of pretty pastels.
1. Halloween Colours
It's no secret that we love pastel colours here at Styled to Sparkle, so this seemed the perfect fit for our kids' Halloween theme. Much of the pastel Halloween decor we used is featured in this blog post.
However you could still create a cute Halloween party with a more traditional colour palette of orange and black, incorporating some of our character suggestions below.
2. Halloween Characters
I chose to avoid skulls and blood so that our halloween decor was not too scary. We love pumpkins, bats, ghosts, witches hats, spiders, cats and even stars. The rubber bats are attached to the wall using 3M Command Strips, which I use so much for room styling. They are so easy to use and can be easily removed without damaging the walls.
3. Pumpkins
Pumpkins are one of my favourite things to use as a Halloween decoration. You can pick them up relatively cheaply at the supermarket and there are so many different ways you can decorate them.
I would avoid carving pumpkins with children for the obvious safety reasons, but you'll also end up doing it all yourself! I love to paint them or even just leave them in their natural state, especially if you have an orange and black theme.
Painting pumpkins is a great way to get the kids involved, if you can bear the mess! If you don't have the confidence to paint an elaborate design, you could decorate with stickers or googly eyes.
This year I'll be adding glitter to our pumpkins. How beautiful is this one from Hello Sweet Home? You could create something similar by painting a pumpkin in your favourite colour using acrylic paint, then cutting out letters or shapes in an adhesive glitter material (try Hobbycraft). Check out Hello Sweet Home on Instagram for lots of Halloween finds.
Put your favourite pumpkin designs on cake stands to make them the star of your Halloween decor.
Photo: Hello Sweet Home
4. Halloween Books for Kids
Much of our Halloween decoration this year has been themed around childrens' Halloween books. They make a great decoration, but you could also create a Halloween-themed reading corner in your little one's bedroom or playroom.
Here's a selection of the Halloween themed books we're loving (not all shown in these images):
- Gilbert The Ghost - Guido Van Genechten
- Vamperina Ballerina - Anne Marie Pace & LeUyen Pham
- They All Saw A Cat - Brendan Wenzel
- How To Make Friends With A Ghost - Rebecca Green
- The Scariest Book Ever - Bob Shea
- Funny Bones - Janet & Allan Ahlberg
5. Halloween-themed Prints
When it comes to kids decor, updating framed prints in their bedroom is a really easy way to change the theme and the same applies to Halloween decor. There are some really lovely small businesses out there who have designed some amazing Halloween kids' prints, but I love this alphabet print from Olive & Eve Co. They have a wide selection of printable graphics, especially for Halloween.
ABC Halloween Print: Olive & Eve Co
6. Witches Hats
If you want to create real impact with your Halloween decor, try hanging witches hats from the ceiling. I threaded fishing line through the top of the hat and then taped to the ceiling with Scotch® Magic™ Invisible Tape. As the fishing line is clear, children will believe they are really floating! Just don't hang them too low if you've got tall guests!
7. Halloween Bunting
For a super easy Halloween decoration we have created a range of Halloween bunting featuring cute characters and slogans. We love our bunting for any child's celebration or room, but we especially love our Halloween bunting for a reading corner in their bedroom or playroom.
8. Lights and Lanterns for Halloween
I have a few black lanterns that I bring out year after year (try Ikea). Lanterns are a really easy decoration for Halloween and go with most colour themes. Instead of using real candles, use battery-operated candles that flicker realistically. To be honest they are a great decoration for grown-up parties too!
Finally I added in a few generic accessories to match the colour scheme. For example, I used black star wall stickers, as well as some "magic" themed wall hangings.
You don't have to use all of the ideas featured here. Just a couple of details will create some Halloween magic. Add a few sweet treats and some hot chocolate and the kids will love it!!
Sarah x