This weekend we spent a few hours combing through things we already had and popping out to Target and Michael’s for a few affordable Halloween accents to decorate three different areas of our living room just in time for the season of ghosts and goblins. We don’t usually go all out for the spookiest day of the year, but when we realized that purchasing a silver candy bowl, a faux crow (say that ten times fast), two votive candle holders, a plate, one red candle, two white faux pumpkins and a few black feathers could transform our console table, coffee table and dining table we were totally game.
So here’s a little video all about how we repurposed everything from an Old Navy scarf to dog treats (yup, dog treats) to get into the Halloween spirit without breaking the bank:
And for those of you who can’t view the video at work, here’s a little summary for ya. We opted for an eerie Edgar Allen Poe meets Twilight & True Blood effect, so we skipped the orange pumpkins and fall leaves and went for high contrast black and white accessories set off by a few haunting accents like an ominous black crow and some DIY bleeding candles.
For the console table we dug up an old scrap of burlap to use as a raw and rough looking runner and placed various candlesticks and votives around the new silver candy bowl we picked up.
We also found books laying around with appropriately spooky titles and black spines to work into the display…
…and even realized that old printing blocks from the flea market that spelled LOVE could be rearranged to spell EVOL- just one letter away from EVIL. So we flipped over the O block and markered in an I on the blank wood back. Voila- a cheeky little greeting (or warning) to add interest to our display.
John also had some free Photoshop fun with our wedding picture, turning us into skulls and framing it above our console table in a let’s-see-who-notices experiment for the Halloween season. Switching out art is just another easy way to add some dark and creepy interest around the house, so from ominous silhouettes to spiderweb sketches there’s no end to what you can DIY for your walls on the cheap.
When it came to the coffee table we gathered every single candlestick and votive holder that we already owned (from mercury glass beauties to crystal and glass varieties) and grouped them en masse on the coffee table.
Then we just dug out some white taper candles we already had and purchased just one thing for this entire set up. A $69 cent red candle, which we heated up and used to drip red wax down the tops of our existing candles (an old Martha Stewart trick we love).
Presto- an arrangement that Edward and Bella (or Sookie and Bill) would be proud of.
Then for the dining table we pulled out my aforementioned Old Navy scarf to repurpose as a runner (the black and gray pattern almost looked like spiderwebs) and a glass greenhouse that used to house a fern in the guest bedroom (which we used to display a silhouette of Burger that John gifted me a while back). It’s funny how putting something behind a dome of glass makes it look like a specimen or some sort of eerie mad-scientist experiment. We even added an old fashioned stopwatch for even more of that scientific vibe (a relic from my past as copywriter- I used it to time scripts I wrote for commercials).
Raising the glass dome up on a cake stand created some interest and height in the center of the table, and then we just added our two white faux pumpkins, two hurricane candle holders from the den, and even two white ceramic pears from the kitchen. The finishing touches were six small ceramic-looking bones which are actually Burger’s treats! They’re made of oyster bones and they’re odorless and actually look super convincing among our other Halloween décor- especially when paired with Burger’s silhouette. And the funny thing is that they’re around $2 for a bag of 15 at Target (which we already had laying around) so although we used six on the table there were still plenty left over for Burger’s belly.
So that’s how we sifted through our closets, cabinets and even Burger’s treat dish to come up with three fun little arrangements for the Halloween season. And because we know you people love a budget breakdown…
- Silver candy bowl – $14 (Target)
- Faux-crow – $4 (Michael’s)
- Smoky glass votives – $7 for two (Target)
- Skull plate – $2 (Target)
- Red candle – 69 cents (Michael’s)
- Two faux-pumpkins – $5 for both (Michael’s)
- Black feathers – $2.00 (Michael’s)
- Grand Total: $34.69 (which breaks down to around $11 per arrangement)
Not bad considering we were able to snag a few things we can use all year round (like our new silver bowl and the smoky glass votive holders). Plus we love that we now have a little go-to collection of Halloween accessories that we’re sure we’ll be able to repurpose in a whole new way next year. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves… we still have at least 30 hungry neighborhood kids to shove candy at THIS Halloween.
And speaking of doling out candy to the adorable 3 foot tall ghosts and mummies who ring our doorbell, that’s always our favorite activity along with getting together with friends. Do you guys have any fun Halloween plans or traditions? We’d love to know what DIY decorating schemes you have up your sleeves and whether you’ll go door to door, dish out candy or meet up with friends on the 31st. And stay tuned for some more Halloween-related projects coming down the pipeline, from pumpkin carving to porch decorating and more!
ChristinaO says
A Burger burger? A HOT dog?
YoungHouseLove says
Wow ChristinaO! Very very very good guesses! Time will tell…
xo,
s
Katie says
LOVE IT ALL! I am going to go buy a red candle today and spook up my candles as well! GREAT IDEA!
Erin says
FYI…you guys are nominated for an award over at one project closer. They are taking reader votes for the winner.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
Thanks so much for reminding us! Everyone go check out all the fabulous before and after projects over at One Project Closer and vote for your fave!
http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/before-after-2009-vote-for-the-best/
xoxo,
s (& j)
Maria Johns says
Great job, so creative, festive but not in an overtly ghosts and goblins way! love it all and all the money you saved, genius!
Andrea says
Carolyn – I noticed that too….Burger is just following the bones. Such concentration!
Amanda V says
Hey Sherry,
What is that book on the coffee table with the red coral on it? What a fabulous artsy book!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amanda,
Ooh that’s one of our favorite coffee table books! Here’s the link to it on amazon (where we also snagged ours). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Melanie says
Great job but that picture is super scary of you two:)
Jennifer says
LOVED the Twilight and True Blood shout-outs! Im definitely a huge fan of both :) Im all about the bleeding candlesticks- very festive without being obnoxious!!!
Sara says
Thanks for the breakdown for those of us who can’t watch videos at work!
Autumn says
Halloween in an understated and classy way–I love it! And I really appreciate the video breakdown. Can’t wait to see what Burger will be!
E.A. Poe says
Surly, you mean to write that the bird is a raven, not a crow! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha E A Poe…. Raven it is!
xo,
s
stylefyles says
omigosh this post is great!!!!!
I love the bloodied candles, and thanks for giving a text and photo rundown for those of us who can’t see the videos!!
Kim at Yellow Brick Home says
I love, love, LOVE the wedding photo! This is such a great adorable idea… you have my brain spinning on how I can incorporate this into our home decor. Thanks for the eye candy!
Magchunk says
Yikes, the wedding photo creeped me out! Haven’t watched the video (at work still…) but will when I get home. Like Sarah, we’re also throwing a co-Halloween/Housewarming party (that is, if we can get some of our crazy projects out of the way!). We’re also using candles (love that “blood” trick) and pumpkins and probably some cutout sillhouettes. I love Halloween!
Adrienne says
Wow, I love the candle idea. Very creative thoughts! Tonight I would like invite everyone to a Halloween tweet up: http://www.twittermoms.com/events/coinstar-twittermoms-get-you
It’s put on by Coinstar and the Twittermoms network, from 5-7pm PST. Coinstar will be randomly giving away gift cards from some big name brands while Twitter mom, Jen Singer shares Halloween tips! Should be super fun!
Tovah says
Since you all are dog people I will add a link here so you can actually see the bumblebee costumes my dog and I have. It’s not a tradition but I think dressing up my dog could be:) He is such a good sport and I can’t wait to have him dressed up to help us hand out candy to trick or treaters!
I love that you didn’t just do the orange/pumpkin classic decorations. I definitely got some great ideas from this post!(I want that big silver bowl, dang, and I was just at Target today!)
OMG-YHL says
Love it! Chic and spooky– didn’t know it could be done! We go all out corny for Halloween. Light up pumpkins, black cats that yowl when you press their tail (plus two real kitties who would definitely yowl if you pressed their tail ;) ), and all that good stuff. We do the outside of the house too. It’s so fun!
Christen says
What great ideas! This whole post made me smile, especially the little raven and the photo-shopped wedding pic!
I just did a little decorating with ravens myself! Feel free to check it out on my blog:
http://lovelifelists.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-list.html
Rachel says
Everything looks wonderful! I love how you were able to use things that you had, and that’s it’s a fun look but still adult. I’ll be linking.
Sharon says
Love the non-orange scheme, and that you had most of the ‘props’ around the house. I am definitely doing that bloody candles. Thx.
Amy @ Renovation Innovation says
I LOVE that you did a different take on the typical orange pumpkins and leaves decor that abounds this time of year. That picture is spooky! Is Burger ever tempted to jump up on your dining table to get those treats? We could never leave anything like that out with our 5 dogs around – we wouldn’t have anything left on the table! :o)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy,
So glad you’re digging out Halloween set-up. The funny thing about having a tiny dog is that he has no way of jumping up on the dining room table unless we keep the bench pulled out enough for him to use it as a “stair” of sorts. So we’ve been sure to keep it pushed in over the past four days and he has yet to get his mitts on those bones (although we have been giving him others from his treat jar!).
xo,
s
Cecelia says
Halloween the chic, adult way, that doesn’t detract from the existing decor.
Good job!
Erica says
Sherry,
I had to laugh at Burger STARING at his treat as you were waving it around talking about how you can get a whole bag for only $2…he looked like he could have had drool coming down his face!
And I know this is totally not home related, but can you give us girls a tutorial on how you do your makeup? You always look so nice but never look like you’ve gone overboard in the makeup department! How do you do it?!?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erica,
Aw thanks! I owe it all to organic makeup so it has nothing to do with my application (it’s just lighter and makes my skin look and feel better). I wear Organic Wear concealer, blush and bronzer from Target (by Physician’s Formula) along with their mascara and eye shadow and I just curl my lashes and call it a day. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
I love the red drips on the white candles. AND I LOVE that you thought to change the printing blocks to say “evil”.
tara says
The “Skeletor” picture was just waaay too scary. I wasn’t prepared for that. Please, please don’t do that again. I nearly dropped my laptop. Yikes!
kelly says
The bleeding candles are great! I like black candles, too. Red paint on white sheets can also be pretty effective, especially for Halloween party tablecloths. So much fun! I’ll be posting our old Halloween parties soon. Sadly, none this year with the move. Boo. (And not even the scary boo.)
Kelly
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com
ele says
So SUPER cute!!!
Poor Burger, he wanted one of those treats SO bad:)
Laura @ so alaurable says
I can’t get enough of you guys! I actually snorted out loud with laughter when you showed John’s update of your wedding photo.
Julie says
Was the skull picture inspired by Skull-A-Day? I noticed he’s on your blogroll and I just met him tonight at an event.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Julie,
That’s so funny! Noah is one of our best friends! Seriously we hang out at his house and play bananagrams all the time! In fact here’s a very old post about him bringing us skull cookies: https://www.younghouselove.com/2007/11/a-dinner-party-sans-kitchen/
And another post about his amazing accomplishments with his skull project: https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/10/hes-got-skullz/
In fact, now that you mention it, our skull wedding picture just might be a subconscious homage to our best buddy! Although he actually makes skulls out of things like duct tape and post-it notes while we rely on Photoshop to do the work for us. Ha!
xo,
s
Candace says
Fabulous decoration ideas!! Thank you! I love holiday decorating but I don’t like inevitable tackiness that seems to come along with it…so this is a grown up way to get in the spirit(s)! ;) Thanks, love the blog!
WM says
Wow! This is exactly why I love this site. You guys are so creative! Looks fantastic. I love the idea of switching out your photos for something seasonal.
heather s. says
I love the coffee table idea with the candles. I’m not sure what white, ceramic birds or lemons have to do with Halloween though. ;)
amyks says
YOur decorations look great, classy, not cheesy. Also, Sherry with every video you seemed to be getting more and more comfortable in front of the camera. Will you be HGTV’s next “Design Star?” :)
Roeshel says
Oh spooky accents! Great job guys! It looks awesome! :)
TheBellaLife says
I was not wanting to decorate my house for Halloween because I fear it might look tacky or unoriginal but NOW I want my house to look just like yours. Is it ok if I totally copy you??? I mean we live like 20 states apart… but just want to make sure its cool. :) I actually bought those votives from Target the other day because they are more than Halloween decor they are everyday decor!
Keighley
YoungHouseLove says
Hey TheBellaLife,
It’s totally cool! Send us pics. We love it when our house gets to meet its twins!
xo,
s
Ginny says
Wow! I loved your spooky decor! I am going to do the wedding photo today and see how long it takes hubby to notice…actually I’ll just give a day or two or we might actually look like that before he does…lol.
Thanks for the wonderful ideas!
P.S. Hope is okay but I linked to your post on my blog…it was just to fabulous not to share. :)
Courtney says
I’m totally loving the Photoshop’d wedding photo. That’s awesome! I’m thinking of trying that with my hubby’s wedding photos. FUN! Thanks for the ideas :)
TheBellaLife says
OKKK YoungHouseLove get ready to meet your LONG LOST TWIN!!! I will send you an email as soon as I have completed the DNA coding… copying?… genetics… blah. When I have decorated to be your identical TWIN-ER I will photograph and send!
Alice P. says
The Photoshop wedding photo is one of the best Halloween decorating ideas I’ve ever seen! And I wanted to add a decorating tip – we go to http://www.wallslicks.com for removable vinyl wall decals. These come in all kinds of designs and themes and you can get just about any of them in black. They have a matte finish so they look painted onto the wall, but are removable with no residue.
Madelaine says
Just wanted to say that I have the same pear (your dinning table) and the matching apple! I always make a big fall splash on the front porch and do some great decorations for Trick-or-Treat night. The inside only gets a few fall touches. Great ideas!
Val says
Very cute and fun. YHL goes Goth. Love it.
Where did that bumble bee pillow on the sofa come from? It’s in the background of the candles-on-the-coffee-table shot. I loves it!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Val,
It was from SaSea Boutique. Here’s the link: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30486827
xo,
s
Heather says
I love the bee pillow too! I was also wondering where you got the silky beige pillows–I’ve been looking all over for some. You would think that beige is so basic it would be everywhere, but it’s hard to find “simple” things sometimes. Keep up the good work. You guys are SUCH an inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
Heather- Those pillows are from Target, and we’ve seen them pretty recently so hopefully you can find ’em! They also have something similar at TJ Maxx/Marshall’s/HomeGoods so those are other options as well. Hope it helps!
OMG-YHL- Good question. We love True Blood, The Office, 30 Rock, Top Chef, Lost, Flipping Out, 24, and lately we’ve really gotten into Flash Forward. I’m sure we’re forgetting a million others (we watch TV to decompress after a long day of DIYing).
xo,
s
OMG-YHL says
Yet again, you guys have inspired me. To go to Target! No Halloween stuff for me, but I got some cute “Live, laugh, and love” white letters. Cute.
Completely unrelated, but the whole Twilight-True Blood thing had me thinking: what are your favorite TV shows?
Eddie Williams says
I just love the photoshopped picture trick. I think i’ll give my neighbors some treat by taking their pictures days before Halloween and leaving their “skulled pictures” in their front door on the day itself. Along with their fake obituary… maybe not.
But its been my circle of friends tradition now to write each other obituaries. It’s a positive activity actually, since we get to know what the others will miss of us or what they truly thought of us. We’re trying to do an “ALfred Noble” here.
Roseanna says
Lovely, real well done. Thoroughly, creatively, captures the spirit of a sophisticated Halloween!
Emily says
Let me just say you guys are SO AWESOME and such an inspiration to me. I love how you come up with great and tasteful ideas and don’t break the bank doing it. Really everything you do is incredible. (Thanks also for posting a few weeks ago about how you travel with Burger, being a new puppy owner I liked reading your tips and advice since we plan on doing a road trip during Christmas time with our little fur baby.)
Carrie says
I know I should have asked BEFORE doing this, but I posted two of your photos with a link to your blog on my website. Please, please, please let me know if you want me to take them down– hopefully it means more publicity for your fabulous site but I certainly don’t want to trespass on copyright infringement. And next time I promise to ask first (I was in a rush to publish my post since, you know, Halloween is almost here). Here’s the link:
http://makinglemonadeblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/more-modern-halloween.html
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Carrie,
You’re so sweet to check in with us. We actually never mind if people use our images as long as they’re credited and linked back to us, so thanks so much for the shout out!
xo,
Sherry
April in CT says
First of all I love the Halloweeniefacation of your casa! Secondly, when I saw the oyster dog bones I got super excited because this sounds just like the treat a friend gave my dog once upon a time, but I had no idea what they were! I looked at my local Target for the ones in your post, but unfortunately didn’t see them. Could you give me a brand name to look or search for? Calvin would love to have the same treats as the famous Burger. :o)
YoungHouseLove says
They’re actually called OystaDent and they come in a blue bag. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
April in CT says
Thank you SO much Sherry!! After reading some negative things about greenies and rawhides I’ve been looking for something a little safer for him to gnaw on. Much appreciated! :)
Beth Frede says
Black and white never gets old, and the dripped on candles are genius! Beautifully done.