Halloween Decor Inspiration

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Even as a kid, I loved to spook up the house and scare the trick-or-treaters.  Each year, I try to top the year before - but it's SUCH a challenge to do something new with the same old material.  Here are some clever ideas to spookify and creep up the house without looking cheesy or too campy.

Classic: Skeleton + Pumpkins
New and improved: Decayed Urn + Owl
The idea is GROUPING items together.  Hanging the skeleton is old news, but have it sitting with a pumpkin in his lap = much creepier!  Add some lights (orange or purple) so the display can be seen at night.  Oh, and did you notice those cool candle lights??

Source: inspireplease.livejournal.com via Kerri on Pinterest

I'll always love the classic Jack o'lantern, but these add another level of awesome when carved and painted!  Instead of cutting a hole in the top, cut out the bottom.  Standard carving tools will work great for this.  Paint your stencil and then start carving! But be careful not to carve all the way through.

Source: marthastewart.com via Kerri on Pinterest

Mummies!  If done well, mummies can really add that extra scare to your halloween decor.  Don't have a mannequin lying around? No problem.  These were made using T-shaped plywood, muslin, batting, and a foam wig head.  You can purchase the heads at Sally's Beauty Supply for just a few dollars! (Don't worry if your house doesn't look like this one.)

Source: bhg.com via Kerri on Pinterest

Scrounge your local department stores to find some tossed mannequin legs for this project.  Add some striped pantyhose and black shoes, and you're in business!

Source: bhg.com via Kerri on Pinterest

Wreaths can let your guests (or victims) know what's in store for them.  Wreath base + cheesecloth (or bandages)!  Add some black ribbon and the skeleton hands.  Be creative and make it your own ;)

Source: etsy.com via Kerri on Pinterest

It's Halloween at the Percy Manor!

Mr. Percy always gives me "the look" whenever I want to decorate for Halloween... in early September.  But it's one of my #1 favorite days of the year, so I decided I'd wait a few weeks to get him eased in to it.

I went garage sale shopping Saturday, and found some great little Halloween decor finds!  These homemade wooden stakes are so kitschy!  I decided to buy them, and then upcycle them by painting them myself.  We have an owl, a crescent moon, a skull and a bat.  Props to the maker who spent time cutting these out, but didn't do quite as well on the painting skills.

Here is what I did to them:

I haven't finished the crescent moon yet, still sketching.

New Halloween Crow Magnet!

She's a crow! She's a magnet! She's a Cragnet...?

Brand new handmade item in the Etsy Shop: This is a hand-crafted polymer clay folk-artsy sculpture of a black Halloween Crow. She has an Orange clay button for an eye, and orange ring around her neck, and small orange dots on her wing. She has lots of texture on her wing and body, and the large magnet is attached to her reverse side.

She measures about 4" from beak to tail.

Expect to see more like her!