Sometimes, the best ideas are the one that cost lest and involve a little more creativity. This was the case with my flea market find below. A twig hearth broom had the right look for Halloween, but it was a little plain by itself. Some black crows I found at a floral store transformed the plain broom into a witchy piece for Halloween.
The birds look as if they are ready to take flight and scare anyone entering the front door.
Candy can also serve as both treat and decor. This jar is filled with a mix of traditional and Indian candy corn. The colors are so bright and cheerful on a kitchen bar or table.
Gothic elegance was the 2009 Halloween theme. I’ve tried to add some sparkle and shine with glittery black tree branches, a witch corner, a special display for a corpse bride and a Halloween village. It took me about a week to put all this stuff back, but it’s so much fun to arrange in different ways each year. I was happy to discover a new witch bust, one of my best finds, from upscale retailer Horchow. I got her on sale and couldn’t be happier with the vibrant colors and black glittery accents that add to her menacing allure.
Here’s a few highlights below:
A lonely ghost carries her lantern in search for the living
This is a Katherine’s Collection doll from the Shiver Me Timbers collection. The title is Lady of Balete, but I think of her as a modifed Corpse Bride. This one is unique. Her left hand had two fingers broken off of them when I ordered it, so I hot-glued them together in the hopes it would look like some wax from her candle dripped onto her hand.
Also, I wasn’t satisfied with the lips, which I thought looked a little snarly, so I tried to match the color and paint them a little more thicker. This is one of my favorite dolls. She embodies a lost spirit, but doesn’t really look too perturbed, just relaxed in a dreamy state between this world and another…
These two dolls complete each other’s web. Both are from Katherine’s Collection. Mr. Snidely sports a dapper top hat and spider staff, while Griselda shows off her colorful attire with a hairdo reminiscent of the Bride of Frankenstein. Both watch over a bag of baby spiders waiting to crawl out all over the living room floor.
Mr. Snidely and Griselda watch over some baby spiders crawling out of their bag
A black owl was a perfect door greeter. The Welcome royal Halloween banner featuring a skull wearing a crown was another spooktacular purchase from Target, as well as the werewolf bust at the bottom with flashing red eyes. Both were from the retailer’s Halloween Heraldry collection, an affordable take on gothic glamour.
A black owl greets visitors at the door
This is one of the buffet tables I use for the Department 56 Snow Village Halloween collection. This is my city scene, the commercial district, complete with a motel, movie theater, wax museum, brew pub and costume shop. Lugging the village out and unpacking all the styrofoam boxes consumes the most of my time, but it’s worth it to see the village come alive each year in new designs and districts.
The village is busy on Halloween night
A pumpkin candolier lends a glow to festive ornaments
It’s a shame the Radko’s Shiny Brite line does not include Halloween items anymore. These pieces offer a nostalgic, retro-look to any scene. I was lucky to find this candolier on eBay. It provides a soft orange glow to any dark corner.
All the spooks find a spot on the bookshelf
A bookcase offers a landing spot for some decorative pieces without a theme. The candlestick is a part of a Masquerade collection by, surprise: Cracker Barrel. The franchise has offered some unique pieces like this that fit into a sort of elegant party theme each season. This candlestick is fun to use. All you have to do is pick it up and drop it to turn it on and off.
Next is a Jim Shore Headless Horseman, alongside a candy dish guarded by a raven and another candlestick from Hallmark. This one flickers and glows and is battery operated. I especially like the face featured in the candle flame.
Fireplace fiends gather to celebrate All Hallows Eve
A butler and the evil mistress of the mansion flank some colorful comrades decked out in beads and feathers.
Tattered ghosts wail at sea
I didn’t think this picture would ever be completed. It started out as a cross stitch pattern called Skeleton Crew. I had never been a cross stitch fan and was dismayed to find out it was 17-count (super-tiny) holes cloth to stitch these in. Well, I tried and after one hour, it felt like I was going cross-eyed. So for months I put the pattern out of sight and thought about throwing it away. A trip to Hobby Lobby and a walk down the acrylic paints aisle gave me an idea. I bought a canvas and some paints, in addition to these distressed frame that looked like it had been battered at sea.
Next, I placed the cross stitch pattern over the canvas and traced it with a pencil. I then painted the outlines and added a few embellishments. In the original, there is no moon, bats, or hill with a spooky tree on it. I’m glad this image is preserved now, because I believe it would have taken me 15 years to complete the original way.
Autumnal friends gather for the season
I used these items to hide some cords. They make a fun group. The scarecrow is from a shop in Branson, Mo., called Mulberry Mills Gifts & Floral, which carries a lot of works by local artists.
Bone Appetit
The table is ready for a Halloween feast. For the spiderweb effect I looped some webbing around my kitchen table lights and spread them out to the ends of the table.
A pork tenderloin mummy wrapped in phyllo dough rests is ready to escape his sauerkraut bed. This was easy to make.
A queen turns into a medusa monster
Yet another masterful offering from Target. This picture is one of the best of its kind I’ve seen. The queen’s image changing into a maniacal cat/medusa figure that scared more than a few visitors to my house.
This clear skeleton server looks like the real thing as its used to scoop up some thick Witch’s Brew.
A skeleton hands out some Witch's Brew
Mean and Green
One of the more serious witches I’ve encountered. This Horchow witch I was talking about above was a wonderful addition to my collection and didn’t break the bank, since it was on sale the week before Halloween.
I really like this witch’s expression. She grimaces as she grips her broom handle, ready to fly.
Up, up and away
Harbingers of Halloween, a witchy weathervane joins the grim reaper and a vampire.
Jim Shore has produced some excellent Halloween pieces. I remember thinking that this Witch Weathervane was a departure from his more family-friendly, Disney characters. Definitely a figure you won’t forget.
A dapper skeleton dances to his own beat
I tried to place these skeletons together in their own scene. The cloth figure is by Joe Spencer, and the Boney Bunch skeletons are from Yankee Candle Co.
Some of these were about $14. I was amazed to learn about three weeks after I bought them that they were sold out in 2008 and were going for more than $100 on eBay. Glad I got mine when they first came out in August.
Dressed to thrill
The witch with the purple hat is from December Diamonds. I have long admired this company known for its mermaids and mermen ornaments. I thought this was a well-crafted piece with colors that pop and little details like her coffin purse.
This witch is a vision in purple
This owl witch and Lenox Moonlight Enchantress completes my witchy-themed corner. Lenox used to make some outstanding Halloween figurines, but lately, they mainly produce Disney pieces. Nothing wrong with that, but these more traditional Halloween collectibles are my favorite. Just give me a witch who is unknown, not a character in a movie or cartoon, but one that looks like she could be someone you know, or at least a real Halloween haunt.
A Haunted welcome
Lowe’s really surpised me this year with their Halloween decor. The company doesn’t usually have Halloween props, but they did this year. This welcome mat is from the store. It’s the perfect balance of creepy and elegant.
Team Halloween
Dracula, a gruesome butler and haggard witch await trick-or-treaters. I made the small wreath in the background out of black feathers and beaded branches.
My house has a black mold on it — perfect for Halloween. I didn’t have to produce that effect on purpose!
Sun rays create a haunting ambiance
The landscaping usually looks unassuming, but I thought this picture of soft sunlight stretching its rays out over the roses, ghost and pumpkin cast an eerie light on the scene.
Glowing Jack
I placed this jack-o-lantern decoration on either side of my garage over lights to give it an other-worldly glow when trick-or-treaters walked up the drive.
Grave stones line the walk
I place tombstones I’ve collected over the years in the landscaping. Usually I trim back the weeds and dead hostas, but I was hoping the unkept appearance would make it look more like a real haunted house.
Orange Glow
I bought one tree at Lowe’s this year and added some orange and purple lights to my dwarf alpine spruce tree.
Checking out the moon
The flash wasn’t on in this photo to show the orange glow cast by the trees and pumpkin. That’s me checking out the scene.
I am usually a blonde for Halloween, since I have naturally dark hair. It’s a fun change, and that’s what the holiday is all about, to step out of your comfort zone and become someone else.
I’ve collected Department 56 Snow Village Halloween for 11 years, and I have watched the town grow each year. Nearly every item you could think of spotting in a real town — from stoplights to construction cones — has been developed by artists. The villages became a monster of sorts and start to take over the whole house. I don’t have room to display in now all together, so I’ve set up tables in other rooms, including the kitchen, to allow for more space in spreading out different sections of the village.
Some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way have enhanced my decorating experience. Some are purchased from Department 56, and others are fashioned from found objects or floral leftovers from craft stores. We’ll take a tour of this year’s village at Village Scapes. Enjoy your visit!
Haunting The Home
One of my biggest challenges is grouping odds and ends I’ve found throughout more than 14 years of collecting. So I try to envision areas of the home where each piece would most naturally fit. For example, I have my collection of wine bottle candle holders and kitchen witches in the kitchen, and spooky black feathered owls with red eyes sitting on top of the topiaries by the front door.
Color schemes are another consideration. I found a regal looking owl with purple glitter around its eyes, and propped him a small chair. For added color, I arranged a purple bead garland around a candle and tucked the ends under the chair.
I find these spangled wreaths at a Lilli’s, a home and garden decor shop in Eureka Springs, AR. They add a sparkle to any scene. I used one an orange garland around a lamp and let the ends hang down to form colorful tendrils. This was the perfect complement to an Evangeline Ghastly doll, who was dressed all in black. I placed her and her horrific cat under a lamp.
Evangeline Ghastly and her Halloween cat are ready to haunt the house
Purple is the color for 2010. I’ve seen it at most major retailers, including Yankee Candle Co. The all-purple display in the store caught my attention, along with a large black crow in a purple bird cage and wine bottle tea light holders that look like they are lit from black lights when a candle burns.
I found the perfect welcome mat with purple lettering at Pier1 Imports. I love the bat shape instead of the traditional square.
Bat Mat
A bottle from Sleepy Hollow Winery keeps a grim reaper company in the kitchen
I don’t have many vintage or retro Halloween pieces, although I’m starting to collect those. I think this crescent moon with a cat and pumpkin dangling down the side is a wonderful addition. It is designed by Halloween artist Scott Smith/Rucus Studio for Bethany Lowe. The piece looks at home alongside a black fluffle bird and mean green witch bust.
A jolly moon offsets a grim witch
A black bowl I use for potpourri made the perfect spot for a painted gourd with mouth carved into a bat shape. A little bit of moss added underneath provided an accent to the bright orange. Several household items make the perfect props for your Halloween pieces. You could use cake stands, serving trays and apothecary jars to display collectibles.
Even a grapevine floral design came in handy. I had four kitchen witch ornaments, but I didn’t want to display then on an ornament tree or have them hanging in the way, so I fastened them to the filler in this grapevine cone. I think they look like they belong flying among the twisting green vine. In fact, the girls look so good, I plan to keep them up all year.
Four kitchen witches fly on a fork, spoon, whisk and spatula, casting their cooking spells
These food-themed dolls from Katherine’s Collection add a whimsical touch to the kitchen. One is placed on the fruit stand — next to other bad apples — and the corn is one the veggie bin, and lastly, the pumpkin carver sits atop a pumpkin.
I believe in decorating every room in the house for Halloween. This prevents my whole living room looking like a store, as one blunt visitor put it. Spiders aren’t usually a welcome sight in the bathroom, but this one from Bath & Body Works is adorable with her orange bow and black body. Best of all, the spider loofah can help you stay clean in spooky style.
The store went all out for Halloween this year. The Harry Slatkin candles were scrumptious smelling. My favorite was Creamy Pumpkin, which sold out at the local store in the first two weeks it was out. Slatkin has also designed a haunted house candle holder that is bewitching when the candles glow, as the interior is painted orange.
These haunted house windows present a warm orange glow
Even the dish towels were creepy. I hung them over the kitchen cabinets to showcase their creative names: Ice Scream Cone, Scarrots and Terrormisu.
A large mirror in the corner of a bedroom gave me the idea to create a witch’s dressing area, with two arms and a boot attached to the mirror frame. This is the only Halloween decor in the bedroom, but it’s simple enough to not overwhelm the space and lend a playful touch to the holiday.
The witch’s boot is ready for her to slip on for an evening of fun
Smaller pieces tend to get lost among large busts, dolls or pumpkins, so I placed them on bookshelves and try to think of some creative ways to display them. It’s really fun to place them in seemingly ordinary spots in the house. The effect is a little more startling when a ghost or skull head pops up in a fern, curio cabinet or window.
Black rats scuttle along a bookcase shelf
It’
Halloween nutcrackers are not as prevalent as their Christmas counterparts, but they are equally charming. The Frankenstein on the left is from Target, and the one on the right is a Jim Shore design. I scattered some black velvety rats and gray sisal rats along the sign for a creepy effect.
Skeleton key and witch ornaments hang from a DVD case, which allows them to command more attention than lost on a tree of ornaments.
A small ghost could have been lost in the crowd, but he stands out as a surprise. He is tied to a pull cord on window blinds.
Spiders, spiders everywhere! I knew something special had to be done with two large spider dolls that were displayed separately last Halloween. I had found a great bench from the previous year at a store closing sale, and I thought this would be perfect for the couple to sit in front of the fireplace.
An ordinary spider web that retails for $2 formed a backdrop. Plastic spiders were placed in the web to resemble a steady stream of them crawling from the “power couple.” I opened another bag of fuzzy spiders to create a total spider homecoming.
A spider couple is surrounded by Halloween friends
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A home wouldn’t be complete without Dracula stopping by for a visit. This year the count settled into a corner and folding a wing around his red wine.
Pumpkins make the perfect bowls. Even if you aren’t making a pumpkin-based soup or stew, the cheerful orange globes create instant October ambiance. I decided to prepare one of my favorite soup recipes on this September night. No chill is in the air yet, but I’m already in a fall state of mind. This hearty mixture is extremely filling. Cabbage, celery, onion and kidney beans also make it a healthy choice. Most of the fat may be eliminated by purchasing lean ground beef or draining the fat from the meat before adding it to the pot.
Sodium was slashed in half with the use of Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes with low sodium. A healthy dose of garlic powder adds enough salty flavor to prevent a bland taste. Enjoy this recipe all throughout the year, but especially on rainy or cold days. There’s nothing as comforting as a good bowl of soup.
Cabbage Beef Soup
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 medium head cabbage, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 ribs chopped celery
1 medium diced white onion
1 16-ounce can kidney beans
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
24 ounces beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
Salt and pepper, to taste
Brown ground beef and drain. Add remaining ingredients in a large pot and bring to boil at medium heat. Turn burner to medium low and simmer about 45 minutes.
Servings: 8
The pumpkin used in the above recipe performed double duty as the bowl and ingredients. The scraped out pumpkin flesh was just wasting away on the cutting board, so I thought it could be used for making bread. Real pumpkin versus canned is more difficult to work with, but the taste can’t be compared. I found the pumpkin similar in texture to zucchini bread — moist and soft. I used the innards of one pie pumpkin, which is on the small side, so I would use two pumpkins next time. Chocolate chips are optional, but I always like the pairing with pumpkin flavors, as in pumpkin cheesecake with a black bottom crust.
Candy corn and melted Almond Bark drizzled on top add a little color and extra sweetness to the bread.
Candy corn adds a festive touch to Pumpkin Bread
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup semisweet morsels
1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Grand Marnier
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. Melt butter in microwave for about 35 seconds. Let cool to room temperature. Add sugars and butter. Beat eggs and stir into mixture. Scrape the insides of a pumpkin, carefully discarding seeds. Place in blender and puree, or mash with a fork. Add pumpkin to mixture and stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and Grand Marnier.
Bake for about 350 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Servings: 1 loaf
The following recipe features canned pumpkin in place of the real thing. It still tastes good, but it doesn’t have that fresh pumpkin smell. The texture is a little more smooth. This version makes two loaves, but in recognizing Halloween, I decided to use one of my pumpkin cake pans to decorate this one in the form a ghostly white jack-o-lantern with candy corn pupils and teeth. A little leftover almond bark served as the icing, and melted bittersweet chocolate completed the mouth and eye areas.
This is easy to make and fun to decorate.
A ghostly white pumpkin stands out in the “cemetery”
Pumpkin Bread
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
24 ounces canned pumpkin
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped black walnuts
3 squares almond bark, for decorating
3 squares bittersweet chocolate, for decorating
Heat oven to 350 degrees; grease two loaf pans. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy in a large mixing bowl. Stir in eggs and pumpkin. Blend flour, soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans and bake about 70 minutes.
Let bread cool. Melt almond bark in microwave at 30 second intervals until all lumps disappear. Melt chocolate squares. Spread almond bark over face area and chocolate for eyes and mouth. Decorate with candy of your choice.
Creamy and rich dark chocolate was the perfect alternative to some of the sweet Halloween candy I’ve been munching on this month. I love dark chocolate and I’m always looking for new dessert recipes. I had some small black containers I use for salsa and other dips that resemble cauldrons, so I thought about filling these up with some treat for the October season.
The dessert was scrumptious tasting but lacked a little bit of decoration, so I added a witch’s broom made from a pretzel rod and crushed shredded wheat for the bristles. The broom looks like it’s stirring the cauldron by magic, without the assistance of a gnarled witch hand.
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk (at least 2 percent)
5 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pretzel rod
4 to 6 shredded wheat squares
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
5 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
Melt chocolate in the microwave at 30-second intervals until smooth. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and salt, slowly adding the hot cream mixture into the yolks. Add chocolate and stir until combined.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the mixture into ramekins. Pour enough water in baking pan to reach halfway up the side of ramekins and cover with foil. Bake about 35 minutes or until edges being to firm. Let cool. Chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Assemble broom by crushing about 4 shredded wheat squares in a small mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons peanut butter until “broom” holds together. Attach to one end of the pretzel and insert into chocolate mixture. Add crushed cookie
mixture to center of the pot de creme for garnish.
Servings: 6.
A peanut butter broom swirls in a chocolate cauldron
Caramel apples are good without any decoration, but Halloween allows for more creativity with extra candy. For these monster heads, I crushed Oreo cookies and used peanut butter M&Ms and candy corn for the eyes and mouth. The caramel was extra creamy with the addition of some heavy whipping cream I had left over from the above recipe.
4 to 6 apples
1 14-once package caramels
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Place sticks down into core. Melt caramel along with cream, checking at 30-second intervals to make sure contents do not bubble over.
Roll apples in caramel; add desired candy coating. Place on wax paper to cool
Do you like to immerse yourself in fog-shrouded cemeteries, melancholy swamps or slightly sinister carnival grounds? If so, there are plenty of these worlds to enter at Big Fish Games. I’ve been a club member for about two years and have naturally gravitated toward spooky games that could all serve as Halloween scenes. Games are mostly available for PCs, but there are also Mac versions and some games designed for iPhone and iPad.
Collector’s Editions are slightly more expensive ($19.99 or $13.99 if you are a game club member). Regular games are $9.99 and $6.99 for club members. If you fill up your monthly punch card with six purchases or two collector’s edition purchases, you are eligible for a free game that is not a collector’s edition. These editions offer bonus chapters, early access, song samples, concept art, desktop wallpaper and screen savers. Sample versions of the games are available for you to experience the game before purchasing.
I wrote down all the ghostly games I’ve played and was amazed and how many I’ve bought. Each game featured gorgeous graphics and soundtracks. My favorite will always be Return to Ravenhearst. This game’s soundtrack is performed by the Berlin Orchestra and is a separate purchase from the game. So haunting. I played it for this year’s Halloween festivities. People asked where I purchased it. They were surprised to learn that it was from a game.
Part of the fun is just looking at all the wonderful graphics. Each of these games include hidden object scenes in which you are rewarded with an item that will help you later in the investigation/game plot. Others are puzzles. Most are pretty common-sense. If you get stuck, Big Fish Games user help forum will have a game walkthough posted, and some collector’s editions come with an integrated strategy guide.
Warning: These games are addictive. You will find yourself looking for keys in trees and smoking pipes in the clouds. Some games are more challenging than others, but I have discovered an improvement in memory and attention to detail since logging a few hours at the computer — no matter which game I’ve played.
Best of all, if you’re an avid Halloween fan like me, these games offer a chance to enter paranormal situations throughout the year. Check out my links list below (screenshots, strategy guides and a video may be viewed) of favorite games and feel free to leave comments about your favorites and game experiences.
