Don’t you love it when it takes someone awhile to spy a new piece you have added to your home? You wait for them to notice, hoping they do, and you are pleased that it caught their eye unexpectedly, and delighted them. That element of surprise is what I was aiming for this Halloween.

I have read several magazine spreads that encourage you to think outside the box and place objects in spots normally not reserved for props. For instance, one article I read suggested placing a life-size skeleton in the bathtub or behind a shower curtain. I can just image someone jumping at the sight of a bony bather!

Some objects “planted” throughout the house included dangling sequin spiders, a “haunted” book that produces sound effects when opened, several small ornaments, and two life-sized pieces — a witch holding a gray rat by his tail and a grim reaper clutching his lighted lantern.

 

The spiders and book fit perfectly on a dresser. I placed the spiders over the mirror and left them draped over the edge. The book was placed casually on the dresser top. I added just this one tome with Hocus Pocus written on its spine to ensure that it stood out, rather than shelving it alongside other volumes where it might get lost in the shadows of a bookcase.

Miniature and gem-size ornaments adorn a metal haunted house backdrop and gnarled black tree. I liked the idea of placing all the smaller ornaments together to create unity.

I found some outstanding candle holders this year. One is three hanging pumpkins for tea lights. I placed this alongside a figurine of a raven sitting on top of a pumpkin.

A skull and bony hand tart burner added a gruesome glow to a table covered with a red tablecloth and adorned with a dandy owl with pinstriped breast and a purple top hat.

The two life-sized props, a witch and grim reaper, might have been made to hang or stand watch at the front door, but I decided to invite them into the living (or should I say dead) room. The reaper sits in a blue chair, and the witch is placed on top of a black stove. This placement creates a unique perspective for guests, as the reaper figure is level with them in a chair, and she is looming over the whole room, looking down on visitors.

Overall, I think this decorating scheme will please the eye and create more than a few lingering glances from anyone who absorbs their surroundings.

I’d love to hear your decorating ideas. Leave comments below to share your own tips or tricks.