Do you love the fall? Is Halloween the high point of your year? There’s a chill in the air, a certain smell from fallen leaves, and a special feel as ghosts and ghouls begin to prowl the streets.
This holiday presents wonderful opportunities to add a special touch to your yard. Whether you want a general fall theme or prefer to build on that and go all-in for October 31st, you have a lot to choose from. You can go for simple or elaborate, DIY or store-bought.
Here are some of our favorite elements to add to our yard each Halloween. What would you want to include on the list?
Get more ideas for decorating your yard and patio!
Hay Bales
Nothing shouts “autumn” quite like a hay bale, or a whole stack of them. They’re great to recall the harvest.
They can be a great backdrop for a display in front of them or use them as a seat or table to place other decorations on.
Of course, you want to try to keep them out of the rain because musty straw has an overwhelming straw. At the same time, when they’re too dry, they can be a fire hazard. However, when used correctly, they’re a traditional and wonderful part of fall decor.
Corn Stalks
Another fall tradition, dried corn stalks are a great addition to fall decor.
Since they’re at the end of their growing season anyway, they’re being cut on farms. But you can easily incorporate them into your decorations. You can also grow your own corn and create your own decorations!
They work great with three or four stalks bundled together. You can lean them against the hay bales. Or maybe tie them to a railing or post on the porch, or even to a tree.
You can find them at a local home and garden or craft store. But they’re even available on Amazon! This bundle of corn stalks will look great on your porch and can be delivered right to your door.
Pumpkins And Jack-o-Lanterns
Once Labor Day has passed, pumpkins dominate! It seems like everything comes in pumpkin flavors nowadays – coffee, doughnuts, Twinkies, Pringles . . . who knows what else! But we still love the scent and the taste of pumpkin.
But we love how they look, too. Whether it’s the “traditional” orange color or other shades from white to dark, they look great as part of your fall decor. Place them on your stairs, on top of those hay bales, or along the walkway.
You can add a touch of Halloween delight by carving them into Jack-o-lanterns, as well. Whether you want a spooky or a goofy look, there’s so much to do with them! At one time, candles were used to light them. But LEDs are so much better. They’re safer and longer-lasting. There are sets of LED lights that are the perfect size for a pumpkin and can even be operated with a remote control.
A good pumpkin carving kit can help you get the job done!
Scarecrows
Of course, a good scarecrow fits right in with the theme! Get an extra bag of hay and some old clothes. Just stuff the hay inside and create a figure that can stand waving by the sidewalk or sit on the rocking porch on the porch!
A scarecrow adds personality. You can make it as serious or as funny as you’d like. Just think about how great it would be to have one wearing a hockey mask or holding a chainsaw!
Tombstones
Another great DIY project is to add a few mock tombstones to your front yard. Set up a small section to be a cemetery and place some realistic-looking pieces throughout it. Nothing quite matches that scary feeling!
Worn tombstone decorations can be made from all sorts of materials. Styrofoam is one of the easiest to work with, though. It’s not the most durable but it will last the season if you don’t face lots of rain (or visitors who abuse them). Check out this video from Epic Guys about how they made theirs!
Garlands
Another unusual but awesome way to add some seasonal flair is with garlands. You can wrap them around railings, trees, or porch columns.
Burlap ribbon is a great base material, but there are many other types available, too. It’s usually best to wrap the ribbon first. After it’s attached, you can use safety pins to attach directions right to the ribbon. Plastic corn cobs, apples, or fall leaves are great for a general fall look. Bats, bulging eyes, or small skulls look great if you want a Halloween look!
Inflatables
A more modern addition to fall decor, inflatable decorations can add a spirit of whimsy or even a little jump scare to your yard.
With a small pump built in, modern inflatable decorations are easy to set up and take down. They’re often lighted with LEDs, too, making them great as the days grow shorter.
Lights
Of course, you’ll want to add a little light too, especially with the shorter days! Daylight savings might not end until November, but the days are still getting shorter.
Go batty with bat string lights, or a simple look with lights that have orange and brown tones to them. So many colors are available and the LED lights last so long and can be kept lit for a low price.
Wreaths
A wreath on your front door makes a great statement and helps your home feel welcoming. It can seem somewhat formal. But at the same time, you can have some fun with it.
You can buy a wreath or make one on your own. Woman’s Day has a great slideshow of some fall wreath ideas with links to how to make them.
But you can add some more fun to these, too. Buy or make a simple wreath, then add some Halloween decorations to it! Plastic bats is an obvious one. But what about a wreath covered with plastic eyeballs? It’ll be quite the surprise when the letter carrier comes to the door!
Yard flags
Yard flags have a kind of formal feel but also can be fun. Hang them from your porch columns, the walls of the home, or trees. Or choose the ones that stick in the ground.
There are all sorts of themes available, so you can switch them out seasonally. They look great and good ones will hold up for years with minimal care!
Welcome Mat
You can easily adapt almost any element of your yard for seasonal use – why not the doormat? Sure, there’s plenty of commercial ones available, but there are also a lot of great DIY ideas.
A natural doormat, like one made of coconut hair, can be a great base. All you need to do is paint an image onto it. We found the one here at DIY Candy – we think Amy did a great job with this bat doormat!
Conclusion
There are so many ways to bring your yard to life for fall and Halloween! It’s easy to bring color and a seasonal feel to life. These are just a few of our favorites (we have too many to list here!) We hope you enjoy and we’d love to hear your favorites, too!
