While a lot has changed in 100 years, you may be surprised that the essence of great Halloween Decorating has remained almost the same. Unlike the 1900's, we do have modern amenities like electricity, electronics and LED lights to bring more pizazz to our Halloween decorating. I invite you to use these vintage Halloween decorating ideas along with modern twists to create a classic and spooky Halloween scene throughout your home.
Outdoor Halloween Decorations:
\"Outdoor Halloween Decorations\"
If the place where the festivities are held is held in the suburbs, the lawn in front of house should be decorated with hanging lighted jack-o'-lanterns. The eyes, nose, mouth in each one should be different and as grotesque as possible. If there is a fence around the yard, put a jack-o'-lantern on each post. Drape black above the front door and, in the center over the door, hang a skull and cross-bones.
Entrance way Halloween Decorations:
Once inside the home, the entrance way should be in total darkness except for light coming from jack-o'-lanterns of all shapes and sizes on tables, and hanging from doors and ceiling, and around/in the fireplace. The entrance way should be draped in black and the person who opens the door should be dressed in black.
Living Room/Family Room Halloween Decorations:
Decorate the main rooms with jack-o'-lanterns made from apples, cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, etc. Hang them somewhere in the room or place on stands, tables, and mantles. Use also green branches, autumn leaves, apples, tomatoes, ears of corn and drape the room with red and yellow scrim and cheese-cloth. If possible, have a fire going in the fireplace.
Halloween Decorations for a Spooky Room:
The best place for spooky Halloween happenings is the garage, attic or basement. Have guests enter your spooky room immediately after hanging their coats. If you are creating your spooky room in a building detached from the house, build a large bonfire. The spooky room should be decorated with gruesome things - jack-o'-lanterns, skulls and cross-bones, black draperies, witches made out of cardboard and suspended from the walls, cats, bats, owls, etc. The shades and spirits should flit about. Use this room to tell ghost stories, play gruesome games or for fortune telling.
Dining Room Halloween Decorations:
The dining room should have festoons of nuts, branches of oats, strings of cranberries, autumn leaves, goldenrod, odd lanterns, yellow chrysanthemums and whatever else goes along with the theme. All the decorations of this room should be cheerful and suitable to the season. Charming maidens flit about serving the guests. For a festive Halloween table center piece use a large pumpkin with top cut off, pulp removed, and filled with water holding a large bunch of chrysanthemums or goldenrod. Bay leaves should be scattered over table and around the dishes. The menu card at each guest's plate should be of burnt leather bearing a sketch of a witch. After all unmask, lights in dining-should be turned up and room made brilliant.
Some modernizations of the above could include solar powered jack-o'-lanterns, spooky sound effects and a skull with glowing red eyes. Enjoy putting your unique twist to these vintage Halloween decorating ideas to create a fabulous setting for your Halloween Party.
Halloween Decoration Ideas - Vintage Halloween Decorating Ideas Inspired by the Early 1900's
Beth S. is a fan of everything Vintage Halloween. She maintains the Vintage Halloween Ideas web site where she shares nifty Halloween ideas from the 1890's to the 1960's - including Dennison's Bogie Books. Visit the site to get 3 FREE Vintage Halloween gifts! http://www.VintageHalloweenIdeas.com