Easy Outdoor Halloween Decorations
Halloween is a fun excuse to decorate your house and yard. Here are some great ways to do it easily and inexpensively.
Painted pumpkins:
Instead of carving pumpkins this year, paint them for a fresh new look. To cover an entire pumpkin, use outdoor spray paint. You can leave them one colour for an interesting effect, or when the paint is dry use outdoor paint to create features or spooky designs. When your pumpkin is finished and completely dry, coat with an outdoor sealer so the rain does not ruin it. You can really dress up your porch if you create many pumpkins of different sizes, or try other root vegetable like gourds or squash.
Plastic ghost
This is a fun way for children to help with decorating. Use white plastic bags so they are outdoor-friendly. Cut circles from the bags. A larger circle will create a larger ghost. You can trace the circle to have perfect edges, or just roughly cut it out for a more jagged effect. Roll up balls of newspaper or magazine pages for an appropriate sized head. Tape the paper ball together so it maintains its shape. Tape a piece of string to the ball. Different lengths of string will give you different effects; a longer string suspended from a higher point will allow your ghost to float back and forth, while a shorter string will keep your ghost more still. Create a small hole in the middle of your plastic circle and thread the string through, so the plastic covers the paper ball. Use a little glue to attach the inside of the plastic to the paper. If you would like your ghost to have a round head, use an elastic to pinch off the bag under the paper ball. If you would like your ghost to have a face, decorate it with permanent marker. Hang your ghost.
Spooky jars
Gather a selection of glass jars in many sizes and shapes. Make sure they are clean and dry. Using red, orange, or yellow acrylic craft paint, cover the jars with 1-3 layers of paint. Use fewer layers if you want more light to get through. When the base coat is dry, use black paint to decorate a Jack-o-lantern face or spooky Halloween designs, such as a bat or a witch's profile. When all paint is dry, use an outdoor spray-on varnish to seal. Put tea lights inside the jars to light up your porch at night.
Scarecrow
Stuff old clothes with rags or other clothes to create a human shape. Stick real or fake straw into the ends of the legs and sleeves. Arrange the clothes so your scarecrow is sitting up, and attach boots. You can put a hollowed out pumpkin on top for the head, or create one with a balloon and paper mache. Cover with a hat.
For more great ideas to decorate indoors and out, check outHGTV's website. You can have the spookiest yard on the block with a little creativity and time.
