I can still remember the Halloween costume I wore aged about nine or ten. It was made from an old party frock, a plastic sword cut in two and tied around the inside of the dress, topped with a whole load of fake blood. I loved it.
Halloween is a very special time of year in this house. Two thirds of its inhabitants are properly into the dark side - T remains bat-obsessed and I have always harboured goth tendencies. A few weeks back, our local Aldi started advertising their Halloween stock in that flimsy weekly catalogue they do. The minute T spotted it, he talked of nothing else. A big batch of copies clutched in his hands, he brought them home, pored over them, and even took them to bed with him. We had to do a countdown every night until the stock came into the store, at which point I ended up spending far too much on costumes, cupcake sprinkles, a water bottle, a freaky talking doorbell, and a ghost bucket. We had one very happy boy on our hands.
But I much prefer decorating and baking myself rather than buying cheap tat. And there are some brilliant ideas out there, which tick all the boxes for me: they don't cost a lot, they're easy or quick to make, and they look ace - stylish at the same time as being spooky enough for my little T. He takes it very seriously.
Here are my top 20 Halloween ideas this year that won't make you die of hideousness.
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It doesn't *have* to be orange. Love these pretty gold confetti pumpkins in bright colours |
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How cute? Not v scary are they? |
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These dudes are (as A would say) - RAD |
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Bet this BOO banner would end up staying on the wall well into November |
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Eyesome |
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These three look benignly scary. Okay, just benign |
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I'm so wearing this bat headband |
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The simple spookies are the best |
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Stay for a bite to eat? |
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My black heart is filled with joy |
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Drill holes into pumpkin, use as Chupa Chups stand |
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Anything can be improved with the addition of BATS! |
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Why are these little ghost meringues so teeny weeny? |
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Pop 'em for double the scare |
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Sharpies + satsumas = spooky mini pumpkins |
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Jampires on the loose |
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Wrap croissant dough around frankfurters for instant mummy hot dogs |
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Cute! Buy munchkin pumpkins, add fangs |
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A must chez nous |
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Kinda actually scary in their simplicity, aren't they? |
All these ideas and more can be found over on my Halloween Pinterest board.
Got spooky plans this year? I'd love to hear what you're up to - leave me a comment.