Finding Halloween lawn decorations is so easy, even a zombie can do it. By summer’s end, when store aisles have been invaded by dark armies of macabre merchandise, the real challenge is to find yard decorations that work best for you. Here are some tricks to help you cull the horde and build up your scare stash.
Narrowing Your Scare
Is your goal to get folks into the Halloween spirit, scar them for life or just do something spooky and fun? Decide what level of Halloween horror your yard will host before going on a buying binge.
Case in point: lighting is important, whether you want a family-friendly feel or a total fright fest. But while candy-corn string lights are easy to find and theme-friendly, you might want to pick something less tame, like Gerson Skeleton String Lights, if you’re going for a Dawn of the Dead vibe.
Some items will always work, regardless of your scare tactics — giant spiders, for instance, are surprisingly versatile, You can always keep things creepy with hanging bats, stretchy spiderwebs and other spooky outdoor staples from The Oriental Trading Company.
Revamp and Recycle
Take time to through your lawn decorations from Halloweens past. When you have the urge to purge something, ask yourself if it is still useable. Even the most harmless homemade scarecrows and plastic pumpkins can become horrifying with help from a Zombie Halloween Makeup Deluxe Kit.
On the other hand…nothing will take the bite out of that ghoulish Life Sized Hanging Vampire you invested in like the cuddly inflatable ghost you bought when the kids were in diapers. Don’t be afraid to donate items that no longer fit your fright level.
Pick Your Poison
A strong centerpiece is a great way to set the tone for your yard and give you something to build around for years to come. The Grandin Road 12′ Inflatable Hearse Carriage is an epic example. Just add some Snow Village Halloween Tombstones and a Gothic Graveyard Fence from Forum Novelties and you have the start of a diabolical diorama with nearly unlimited growth (and scare) potential.
On the other end of the spectrum, a hay bale mazee will make your yard stand out and works with family friendly themes or total fright-fests. Try a Happy Harvest motif with scarecrows, jack-o-lanterns and the like. You can also feature classic Halloween fun favorites, like witches with black cats, vampires, and mummies, or go into full haunted-maze mode with ghouls, ghosts and gory sound effects to make your maze memorable. Change from year to year — just about anything Halloween is at home in the hay.
Remember, no one wants a yard that looks like a Halloween swap-meet, so keep things streamlined. By adding your own creativity to these guidelines, you’ll have Halloween lawn decorations that can be easily resurrected to haunt your yard for years to come.