10 wicked ways to kit out your haunted house
The devil is in the detail for a howling Halloween, says Sam Wylie-Harris.
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Is there anything more entertaining than dressing the home for Halloween with gloriously ghoulish decor?
Especially with a blanket of darkness lending the perfect backdrop for spooky string lights, pumpkin lanterns, bloodthirsty festivities and masquerading in the name of fun.
To put some flair into fright night, here’s what’s teasing and trending…
1. Happy Halloween Lantern, £9.99, Jack-O’-Lanterns Twin Pack, £7.99, rest of items from a selection, Dobbies
First impressions count and an eerie door-scape is the best disguise. Top your spiderweb decor with lanterns and fresh pumpkins to spook trick-or-treaters.
2. Halloween Toast Large Enamel Cooking Pot, £52, Halloween Toast & Marmalade Witch’s Brew Small Mug, £18, The Wise Witches Small Mug, £18, rest of items from a selection, Emma Bridgewater
With a good measure of sorcery, a web of intrigue surrounds this Halloween-themed tableware to cast a spell on family and friends.
3. Felt Bat Halloween Basket, £9.99, Lights4fun
Fangtastic… this bat basket is cute and creepy enough for a table centrepiece. Piled high with candy, bookend it with Halloween flowers, fairy lights and vampire fangs for a decadent display.
4. Garland – Orange Physalis, £24, Resin Candle Holder – Pumpkin, £4.99, Box of 4 Taper Candles – Black, £8.99, rest of items from a selection, Gisela Graham
For a classic pumpkin orange and black scheme, this floral garland teamed with bat-winged candlesticks will add some gothic glamour to your mantelpiece or sideboard.
5. Stacey Solomon Small Light Up Wicker Hat, £8, Large Light Up Wicker Hat, £10, Direct.asda
A brilliant styling tool, these wicker light-up witches hats can be propped against a broomstick – before rewarding yourself with some spellbinding sparkle!
6. TruGlow Bat Decal LED Pillar Candle Trio, £29.99, 1.5m Pre-Lit Black Glitter Halloween Garland, £24.99, Lights4fun
For vampire-themed get-togethers, even the prince of darkness will be drawn to these mysterious LEDs and glitter garland before sunrise.
7. Black Haunted House Cupcake Stand, £7, Hobbycraft
They’ll be squeals of delight when littl’uns set their eyes on this cupcake stand strewn with sweet treats. Easy to assemble, it’s just the ticket for trick-or-treat parties.
8. Light In The Dark Forest Wall Mural, from £28 per square metre, Wallsauce
Call it creepy-chic with its monochrome palette, this dark grey wallpaper can be used all year round, depending how you style it. Add some Halloween panache with metallic pumpkins, a bat wreath strung on a black satin ribbon, basket of white chrysanthemums and bat lace applique on fittings. With premium paste or textured peel and stick options.
9. Gold Skull Black Marble Cushion, £32, Ink & Drop
A statement cushion to set the macabre mood, place this skull on an accent chair to darken a corner.
10. M&S Collection Large Glass Light Up Pumpkin Decoration, £20, Marks & Spencer
Streaming your décor across a specific nook or cranny? This glass light-up pumpkin is perfect for highlighting ghostly figurines; otherwise a thrilling tablescape.