As the most spooktacular time of the year approaches, it’s time to get planning. We’ve got all the inspiration you need for decorating your home, spookifying yourself and planning a nightmarish night in.

With the globalisation of media and popular culture, October 31^st is now firmly embedded in calendars internationally as a time to get spooky, grab the broomsticks and eat all the treats. Our retailers, of course, have happily jumped on this trend, giving us everything we need to decorate, dress up and embrace the darkness. And we’re not complaining. It’s all a bit of fun, a good opportunity to come together with friends and family and, of course, a great excuse to dress up as our alter ego. Here are our most ghoulish ideas to bring some Halloween hysteria to your home.

Spookify your home

Halloween house party, small family affair, the neighbourhood Halloween house or a light celebration with trick or treating after dinner? First, decide how big you want to go when it comes to your creepy theming, and everything will fall into place from there. Here are some ideas to get the blood flowing:

 

• Pick a theme or scheme – having a common element threaded throughout your web of delights and frights makes it much easier to achieve something stylish that looks put together. It helps if you can avoid getting caught up in the retail hype, and you can even DIY your own decor on a budget.
• Take a tasteful approach – Halloween doesn’t need to be all garish ghouls and plastic purgatory; these expert tips can help you strike a balance. Focus on things like candles or fairy lights, a pared-back version of the slime green and bright orange colour scheme, and natural elements like real pumpkins.
• Go big or go home – nothing screams Halloween more than investing in an obnoxiously large spider for entranceways. This 16-foot creepy critter does the trick.
• Adopt the pumpkin carving tradition – get involved in the classic Halloween activity with family or friends, and spend the day scooping gloop and preparing your masterpiece for eerie illumination.
• Add haunting tunes – spooky music can transport you to otherworldly places. Create a petrifying pl aylist of horror movie soundtracks and spooky songs, and throw in some Halloween-themed pop for some much-needed relief.
• Do some delightfully dreadful DIY – from decorations to cutesy crafts, get into the spirit with a DIY project.

 

Spookify yourself

Mummy or witch, Marty McFly, or Wednesday Addams – almost anything goes when it comes to Halloween costumes. While some people hate dressing up, look at it as a fun opportunity to put your identity aside and embrace an alter ego for the day (or night). And for those who love, it’s your time to shine! Here’s how:

• The outfit – whether you plan ahead and work with what you’ve got on hand, DIY a costume, hire, or buy, there are plenty of options across all budget and effort levels. Whichever approach you take, it pays to get organised in advance – so start planning now!
• The make-up – you might be a master when it comes to cheekbone contouring, but how are your scars and zombie-induced skin decay makeup skills? Halloween is a fun opportunity to get extra heavy-handed with your shadow compact and one of those rare occasions when more is more. There are endless tutorials to assist you in your endeavours, and you don’t even have to stop at the face – body makeup can take your ‘fit to the next level – and even form the basis of your entire costume.

 

Spookify your night

Halloween doesn’t have to mean roaming the streets fleecing your neighbours for treats; there are plenty of other fun ways to celebrate the most haunting night on your calendar. Here are our favourites:

• Host a nightmarish dinner – gather your ghoulish friends and treat them to a night complete with on-theme creepy catering and blood-curdling cocktails. Conclude the night with some Halloween-inspired treats to satisfy their sweet fangs.
• A spine-chilling soiree – Halloween parties are always a good time, so why not host your own? Head to your local party shop, Spotlight or The Warehouse, to create a frightening atmosphere, decorate the house, add haunting tunes and prepare to welcome unrecognisable guests for some freaky fun.
• A grim night in – for something, a little more low-key but equally terrifying, gather a few friends and settle in for a carefully curated Halloween movie night. The Rotten Tomatoes list of the Best Horror Movies of 2023 is a great place to start your research.

 

Don’t forget the treats!

Finally, make sure you’re armed with ample sweets and treats if trick-or-treating is commonplace in your neighbourhood. Individually wrapped treats work best, so grab a few bags of fun-size chocolate bars at your next supermarket shop or embrace the theme with something like Halloween Jelly Eye Pops or Mallow Eyeballs.

 

Ghouls, ghosts, and good times

Making new traditions is fun, and there’s plenty of that to be had at Halloween. Mountains of sickly sweets and treats aside, it’s a great excuse to gather with friends and family, not take life so seriously, and create new memories. And if, while roaming the streets around your neighbourhood with the kids, you notice the community isn’t quite on board with having frightful fun as much as you’d like, it might be time for a change. Contact your local First National Real Estate office, and we’ll help you find a new haunt.

 

Happy Halloween from the team at First National Real Estate.

 

Disclaimer

Ensure all decorations and ornaments are used as intended and fit for purpose. This means you need to carefully check the conditions of use for each item or ask your retailer for assistance before purchasing or installing it in your home. We do not claim any recipes; no recipes are our own. The following advice is of a general nature only and intended as a broad guide. The advice should not be regarded as legal, financial or real estate advice. You should make your own inquiries and obtain independent professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances before making any legal, financial or real estate decisions. Click here for full Terms of Use.