Easy Halloween Decor Ideas (with Minimal Disruption to Your House!)

Halloween and all that comes with it was never been a big deal in our house. I can’t remember the last time I dressed up and while Dave and I have always tried to live each holiday to the fullest, without children, the Halloween season has kind of been left to one night of trick-or-treaters. This year, that all changes. Since bringing Eliza home, I’ve been thinking of holidays in a whole new way — all the new experiences and introductions to traditions and old standards. And this year… well, we started building our arsenal of actual Halloween decor! As with any season, I don’t think you have to turn your entire house into a holiday showcase. My goal — to incorporate simple, spooky little Halloween moments throughout the house without totally disrupting our entire home. Today, I’ve partnered with At Home to share easy Halloween decorating ideas that don’t require a ton of work to make a statement.

*While this post is written in partnership with At Home Stores; as always, all opinions, concept, and creative are my own. Click HERE for full disclosure.*

Ideas for Incorporating Easy Halloween Decor into Your Existing Everyday Decor

I head to At Home a good bit in preparation for the holidays (I’ve already scoped out their Christmas aisles for this year and it is a serious must-visit!) but because they don’t have an e-commerce site, I never really know what direction I’m going in until I walk the store for inspiration. The only thing I knew this year is that I was starting from scratch, I didn’t want to overwhelm myself with any huge projects, and I wanted to be able to live in my house comfortably without necessarily feeling like I was in a bat cave (maybe another year 😉 ). The good thing is that you can totally turn ordinary decor into something fun/spooky without overhauling the house. For Halloween, you can be as subtle or over-the-top as you want! I actually ended up spiraling and doing a little more than I had even anticipate because once I was there, I got a little excited about the possibilities haha. Here’s the result.

The front of the house got the most “overt” treatment. I know a lot of people would see a witch’s cauldron on the At Home shelf and think “candy bucket” — I saw it as the perfect vessel for a spooky statement floral arrangement.

Halloween Flower Arrangement that Makes a Statement!

I set a glass vase inside, and went to town on a simple, elegant white rose/lily combo before incorporating some faux black roses and the “cherry” on top. Can you spot it??

Easy Halloween Floral Arrangement with Bones and Black Roses

Discreetly nestled at the base are two skeletal hands — crawling out? Waiting to grab someone as they walk by? All of the above? 😉 While I placed our arrangement in the entry, it would be perfect for a party/dinner centerpiece or the kitchen island.

Halloween Flower Ideas -- Using Bones in a Spooky Floral Arrangement

Dave has asked for a skeleton for years. And this guy- well, this may be his most favorite “gift” ever. If you have nothing else but a skeleton, he can easily be moved all around the house throughout the season. This is where I started going a little “deeper” than I had planned haha. There were all kinds of animal skeletons from cats and dogs to mice and mermaids (yes, you read that correctly). I couldn’t help but to give my skeleton guy a couple pets (by the way- I think he needs a name?!) Whatever his name is, I felt like he was on the more regal side so I made sure he was outfitted as such 😉

Creepy, Elegant Halloween Entry Decor

Skeleton Setup for Halloween Decor

I love elegant, gothic vibes so naturally, our dining room got the treatment…

Gothic Halloween Decor for the Dining Room

And while I don’t know that I would use spider webs outside of Halloween, black candlesticks, goblets, etc. can be repurposed throughout the year.

Spooky Halloween Decor Ideas with Candles and Cobwebs

Tip for Decorating with Spider Webs:

  1. Take the web out of the bag.
  2. Pull off a tiny portion. Seriously, way less than you think you need.
  3. Then, pull off a small portion of your already small portion.
  4. Stretch it so you can see individual fibers; connect it to corners and around objects. Use tape on the back of an item if needed.
  5. If you end up with a wad in your hand, cut it away.

Reminders- It goes way further than you think; don’t pull every fiber too tightly; it’s ok to have some that is poofed together a little heavier (like a natural spider web); and not every single thing has to be webbed.

Halloween Ideas for the Dining Room

Dining Room Halloween Decor with Cobwebs

Speaking of incorporating easy “moments” without disrupting your entire house, I think sometimes, the most discreet can also be the most unexpected and surprising…

Creepy Touches of Halloween Decor throughout the House

I think these hands are meant to be coming out of the ground but I had other plans in mind. Also fun– having them palm-down, coming out either side of the sofa 😉

Easy Touches of Halloween Decor

My little monkeys are having a total witch doctor moment…

Halloween Bookshelf Decor Ideas

but if you really want to be discreet, some carefully placed surprises is all you need.

Subtle Halloween Shelf Decor -- Super easy and inconspicuous

You can leave a trail of spiders/scorpions/hands on your coffee table books…

Easy Halloween Coffee Table Decor

or make it look like it’s been a long time since anyone went through your kitchen.

Easy Creepy Halloween Decor Ideas in the Kitchen

This little potion vignette stands on its own, but would also be fun in a drink area or charcuterie setup for a party.

Halloween Kitchen Inspo and Other Home Decor Ideas

Halloween Potions and Bottles for Kitchen Countertop Decor

Even though I mainly stuck to our primary spaces on the first floor, this fun guest surprise had to happen.

Easy, Unexpected Halloween Decor

Again, I don’t care that these skeletal pieces are intended for outdoor; I love that this guy rising up from out of the bed. The headstone is made of styrofoam so it’s lightweight and totally safe 😉

Easy Halloween Decor Ideas

Even without pumpkins just yet (hello 100° Georgia weather), I am loving the spooky vibes we were able to easily incorporate as we start our Halloween traditions. I also love that Dave will be able to have fun with our skeleton friend (yes, definitely need a name) on the front porch without being embarrassed that his porch is lacking for the trick-or-treaters. True story- a few years ago, Dave stopped by the grocery store on the way home on Halloween Day, just to grab a few masks to put on our pumpkins. But, this is also from a guy who (circa 2012) was too embarrassed to tell our neighbor that our new pup’s name was “Mister Nilla”, and came up with “Leroy Brown” on the fly (like, what?! haha) — which is ultimately how Mister got his name 😉

Royal Skeleton with Crown in the Home Entry

In an Instagram poll, I was shocked that almost 60% of those who weighed in said they do decorate for Halloween, outside of traditional fall decor! Do you go all out for Halloween? Stick to fall? I’ll be sharing some fall-ish ideas soon so be sure to subscribe to emails at the bottom of this post so you won’t miss anything coming up this season!

Share this:
Kelley Nan headshot

FOLLOW KN ON SOCIAL

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

27 Comments

  1. 9.11.19
    Kristi said:

    The most sophisticated skeletons ever! Love your ideas. Thanks for sharing!

  2. 9.11.19
    Sherri said:

    These are some of the most creative Halloween ideas I have seen in a long time.

  3. 9.11.19
    Karen said:

    The ghoulish hands peeking out of the floral arrangement are my favorite.

  4. 9.11.19
    Lilly said:

    You did amazing! Love how classy and beautiful it all looks. Not overwhelming, just perfect. Love EVERYTHING!

  5. 9.11.19
    Jacqui said:

    I am so excited that Halloween got the Kelley Nan treatment!!! I love the sophisticated but super playful look. Awesome job!

  6. 9.11.19
    Sydney85 said:

    Wonderful Halloween decorations. I do decorate my dinner table and have halloween ornaments on a iron tree. You definitely take Halloween to a much higher level. Love it!

  7. 9.11.19
    Sharon said:

    Kelley you nailed it!!! Loveee your Halloween decor. The skeletons are fabulous! Although I would probably have a heart attack if I went to bed and saw that fella .😂😂👌🏻💛💛💛💛

  8. 9.11.19

    Now you have to have a Halloween party!! Love, love, love what you did! Now I think that my skeletons need pets! 🙂

  9. 9.11.19
    Penny said:

    Kelley – LOVE IT ALL! I am a freak for Halloween and always have been; assuming it is as much for adults as the kiddo’s, right? I think Skellie lady needs a boa! That’s right a big black (or red) boa! Plus a lovely “diamond” on her finger! I just love doing up my skellies every year

  10. 9.11.19
    Deb said:

    Great ideas!!! Just the right touches throughout your beautiful home!

  11. 9.11.19
    Virginia Belcher said:

    These are absolutely wonderful. Love the subtleness and your creativity. Hands down some of your best holiday decor.

  12. 9.12.19
    Martina said:

    Kelley these are seriously some of the most creative Halloween decor ideas and pure genius. I am always in awe of what you come up with! Great job

  13. 9.12.19
    Emily said:

    Halloween suits you. It looks good!

  14. 9.12.19
    Carmen Wilder said:

    I love everything about your Halloween decor! It’s so sophisticatedly spooky. I’m so duplicating some of your creative ideas around my house. I love Halloween…..so fun!

  15. 9.12.19

    Omg it’ perfection so classy and just enough! I don’t do Halloween but this year I tried my son loves Halloween asked me too I tried keeping it pretty lol he wanted spooky this is perfect my style just enough ♥️

  16. 9.12.19
    Wendy said:

    Amazing Halloween decorating , so many fun ideas.

  17. 9.13.19

    WOW!!!! I have looked & looked st your post.. and enjoy it more every time… Thanks for such great ideas.. every single post.. Your ideas are always so fresh.. so easy To do.. We appreciate them all! Thanks!

  18. 9.14.19
    Charlotte said:

    Kelley, You are the most creative person ever! I love ALL your posts and frequently visit older posts as well! Your ideas are inspiring and always helpful on where to buy things and when there are sales. Thank you so much for sharing! Bring on Halloween.

    PS. Do you know the name of the company who made your square end table?

    • 11.20.19

      Charlotte, THANK YOU!!! I actually got it on clearance from Frontgate on its way out. I’m so sorry!

  19. 10.11.19
    Gina said:

    Where did you get the potion bottles? I love them!

  20. 10.4.20
    Ellie said:

    I love your wing chair. Where did u get that ?

  21. 10.5.20
    Penny said:

    Nan — I love your decor ideas because they are so unique and classy! Keep them rolling gal! BTW — love that crown on the skellie — where did that special one come from? Thanks.

    • 10.10.20

      Penny, Thank you so much for your sweet words! The crown came from AtHome Stores. They have some really cool items for Halloween and all of the holidays. I hope you have a great Halloween!

  22. 10.8.20
    Libbe said:

    I’ve never wanted to go the “scary” route for Halloween but my 2 boys (age 11 and 7) have begged for scary decorations for years. Seeing that skeleton on the guest bed gave me the BEST idea for a surprise! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!

    • 10.10.20

      Hi Libbe, Thank you so much for your note. It’s so funny how we love to be scared. I bet your boys would love this surprise!