75 Halloween Decorating Ideas That Are Spooky Yet Chic

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Try a Balloon Arch

Whether you're framing a cocktail bar or a buffet table, an arch made of balloons is a great way to delineate a party space. Pick a color scheme that works with the rest of your decor instead of sticking to the traditional black and orange theme for a look you can keep up after your guests go home.

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Go for Black and White

A simple black-and-white color scheme is a great way to give your home a spooky feel this Halloween without feeling overly bold. Bring this color scheme through the entire house for a spooky-yet-classy look.

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Embrace Your Inner Artist

Whip out the paintbrush and get creative this Halloween. Instead of carving pumpkins, paint them with classy designs and muted colors. Create designs and scenes that are festive but not over the top so you can keep them out throughout fall.

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Channel Your Favorite Movie

There is so much to love about a nostalgic Halloween film like Hocus Pocus. Embrace your inner witch and pop out the spells and potions with vintage-inspired bottles and candles and hang a banner as an ode to your favorite film.

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Add a Warm Glow

Candles are the perfect accent for basically any holiday because they add such a warm, inviting glow that can feel incredibly festive. Create a little vignette using a handful of Halloween-inspired candles.

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Decorate With Lanterns

Porch with halloween decor — Finding Lovely

Instead of scattering pumpkins on your porch, decorate with spooky (yet charming) lanterns. Fill them with candles or mini pumpkins to give your home a touch of Halloween charm that is not overboard.

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Make Paper Ghosts

Decorating your table or your home with ghosts doesn’t have to feel childish. DIY a simple, minimalist ghost centerpiece that’s as charming as it is festive. Keep it simple and it's the perfect, unexpected look for your Halloween dinner party.

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Lean on the Neighbors

Black houses on a mantle — Finding Lovely

We love this simple decor idea using black house cutouts to create a ghoulish neighborhood perfect for decorating a mantle or a coffee table.

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Go Rustic

Create a rustic spider web using sticks and string to add a load of texture to your wall. Even if you’re scared of spiders, this charming web design is the perfect way to fill up empty wall space and sprinkle in a creepy but chic Halloween vibe.

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Elevate Your Pumpkins

Instead of opting for the traditional field pumpkin to adorn your porch or interior this season, opt for unique heirloom pumpkins in fun colors such as blue, green, or pink instead.

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Keep It Neutral

Wreath with pumpkins on it — Finding Lovely

Instead of pulling in bright colors this Halloween, embrace the holiday with a simple neutral color palette. Swap the orange jack-o'-lantern for a simple white one that blends well with the rest of your decor.

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Perfect Your Shelfie

Halloween decor on bookshelf — Finding Lovely

Instead of decorating a mantel this year, sprinkle some Halloween fun on your bookshelf. Mix in a few spooky objects to give your shelf a festive flair.

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Keep it Simple

You don’t need a lot of décor to give your home a Halloween feel. Display a couple of spooky objects around your house to keep it simple without going overboard.

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Throw a Spooky Dinner Party

Halloween decor on table — The Every Hostess

Swap your standard wine glasses for black opaque ones and invite a few ghoulish friends over for a dinner party to help celebrate this Halloween.

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Fan Out

Create or buy a few black and white paper fans to decorate this Halloween. Keep the colors simple so they can stay up all through the holidays.

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Try Faux Flowers

Table with black candles — The Every Hostess

Instead of a traditional boutique, opt for faux black flowers to decorate a table or a bar cart this Halloween. Pair with black candlesticks for the full effect.

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Swap the Runner

Want a runner with a little more personality this Halloween? Use cobwebs to create a spooky but tasteful runner for your next dinner party.

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Keep Everything Autumnal

For a Halloween look that doesn't feel creepy or spooky, stick to fall-themed decor. Burnt sienna and orange hues are perfect to bring your décor look all the way through November.

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Channel a Haunted House

halloween decor with skull — Bethany Campbell

Give your home. a spooky, Victorian vibe with faux stuffed crows and skulls. Opt for higher qualify décor to avoid the look feeling cheesy — think flea market finds over party store.

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Go for Black

pumpkin with black paint — Lindsay Barnes

Instead of orange, go for black when it comes to pumpkins. A black jack-o'-lantern is a great way to get that Halloween look without feeling too flashy.

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Keep It Witchy

We love this floating witch hat vignette that is perfect for adding a hint of spooky vibes to your home. Hang a witch's hat from floss and sprinkle a few other witchy details to complete the look.

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Look Outside

Some of the best Halloween décor can be found right outside of your house. Instead of decorating with fresh blooms, mix in a few oversized branches this season for a fall-y look that is perfect from September through December.

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Stay Subtle

You don’t need to go overboard to add Halloween vibes to your house. A clever, spooky art print or a skull sculpture can make a point without feeling garish.

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Spice Up Your Gallery Wall

We can’t get enough of this updated gallery-wall-turned-Halloween-decor with the addition of simple black bats and faux cobwebs.

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Try Spooky Wreaths

Pink door with halloween decor — Sugar + Cloth

Who says wreaths are only for Christmas? Decorate your front door with eerie black wreaths to welcome trick-or-treaters without being overly scary.

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Use Bright Colors

Halloween doesn’t have to be filled with black and orange. Paint a few pumpkins with whimsical hues (try color-blocking) this year for a spin on the traditional Halloween decor.

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Mix Christmas and Halloween

Decorate for Halloween with a look that you can keep up all through the fall and winter holidays. Mix in black faux plants with red and green hues for a festive look that transcends the seasons.

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Opt for Bright Blooms

Set the table for your Halloween party with fresh flowers, but pick various shades of orange and rust to give your home a festive vibe that doesn't feel like it's right out of a party store.

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Swap the Vase

Pumpkin with flowers in it — Sugar + Cloth

Instead of putting flowers in a vase this season, use a carved pumpkin for a fresh take on traditional Halloween decor.

Put a small glass vase inside the pumpkin to hold water so your flowers stay fresh for days.

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Create a Luminaria

Paper bags with candles in it — Sugar + Cloth

Help all of the witches and ghosts find their way to your door for candy by lining your driveway or sidewalk with luminary bags. Add fun words such as "boo" or "trick-or-treat" for a Halloween-twist.

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Add a Bit of Glam

Instead of carving pumpkins, decorate them with gold sequins for a glam look that's perfect for any room in your house.

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Pick a Classy Color Scheme

If you're throwing a Halloween dinner party, skip the orange color palettes and opt for classier colors such as white, gold and black. This will give you more freedom to play with fun decor such as skeletons and skulls without the look feeling childish.

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Create a Skull Wreath

We love this creative wreath made from paper skulls. Pick a fun, rainbow color scheme or opt for hers that blend with the rest of your house for a subtle, ghoulish look.

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Mix Mums and Pumpkins

Table with pumpkins — Design: House of Jade
Photography: Lindsay Salazar

When decorating your porch this Halloween, don't just use pumpkins, Instead, mix in some greenery and mums to give your entryway a traditional, but classic autumnal look.

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Stay Natural

Your Halloween decor doesn't have to be filled with plastic and bright colors. Opt for natural materials and subtle colors to keep the look chic and versatile.

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Work With Your Climate

Southern style home with pumpkins — Design: Etch Design Group
Photography: Cate Black Photography

Lucky enough to live in a climate where its still warm for Halloween? Mix your pumpkins with hanging flower or greenery baskets to give your curb appeal a big upgrade.

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Decorate a Coffee Table

Black skull with flowers — Lindsay Barnes

Give your coffee table or ottoman a makeover and mix in some ghoulish decor this season. A simple black skull filled with fresh flowers is a great way to add a subtle Halloween vibe.

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Use Mini Pumpkins

Sometimes the best things come in small packages. Instead of decorating with large pumpkins, sprinkle the mini versions around your house, on the table or on the mantel, for a cute Halloween look that is classy and simple.

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Decorate the Fireplace

Instead of focusing just on the mantel, decorate the hearth this season too. Add a few small pumpkins and a vase filled with dried flowers.

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Decorate the Entryway

Living room with bats — Life's Frostings

Greet your guests with Halloween vibes by making sure to decorate your entryway with subtle, spooky decor like hanging brooms and witches hats.

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Be Bold

Chic Halloween decor can still be fun. Instead of tapered candles, fill your candleholders with fun plastic decor for a twist your guests will love.

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Create an Apothecary

Dresser with halloween decor — Purposed for Eight

Give your home some old school pharmacy vibes and set up a fake apothecary filled with all of the potions and elixirs needed to summon any ghost this Halloween.

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Think Hitchcock

For a spooky vibe that is still incredibly chic and unique, decorate your coffee table or buffet table with vintage inspired taxidermy (faux is totally fine!) and glass terrariums.

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Go Overboard With Cobwebs

House with large spider — Brooke Meyenberg

We love decorating with cobwebs because it adds a spooky, Halloween vibe without the gaudy colors. Greet your guests this year by decorating your porch or entryway with oversized spiders and cobwebs for a webby look that even Charlotte would approve of.

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Stick to Black and White

Hocus Pocus themed Halloween decor — Happily Inspired

One way to keep your Halloween look chic and classy is to ensure the color palette is simple and subtile. Stick to just black and white decor and play around with banners and candle holders for an easy way to decorate a mantel or table.

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Go Scandi

Neutral halloween decor — Twenty Two Lavender

If you're into the boho-Scandinavian look, you can bring that vibe into your Halloween decor, too. Opt for natural materials and neutral colors for a simple yet festive look.

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Pick a Theme

Couch with skull pillow — Bird Rock Vintage

You can still play around with some of the traditional Halloween decor ideas and keep your look classy. To make sure it doesn't clash, pick a theme and stick to it. Say, skulls or spiders or bats and weave the decor through the entire house.

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Decorate Around Wall Art

Halloween decor with large canvas — jaadealessandra

If you already have an oversized piece of art or canvas, focus your Halloween decor around it. Pin faux bats or set up a catacomb-inspired vignette to update your wall art.

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Use Vintage Bottles

Head to your local flea market or antique store and find a few vintage medicine bottles to decorate with this year. Sprinkle them around your bookshelves or entryway way console tables for a haunted house vibe that's filled with personality.

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Create Faux Candy Apples

Sure, the real things are delicious, but these black candy apples can stay out all year and won't attract bugs. Plus, they're perfect for your witch-themed Halloween party.

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Let the Spiders Out

Large spiders on door — Little Hidden Forest

There's only one time of year where we love seeing spiders and that's Halloween. Embrace this spooky look by hanging up a few oversized spiders around your entryway door for a unique look that's sure to delight the neighbors.

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Line Your Path

Lanterns outside of a home — Pretty Extra Blog

Guide trick-or-treaters to your front door with luminaries. Though often reserved for Christmas, we love this decor idea for Halloween too. Line your sidewalks and get your neighborhood in on it so you can light up the whole street.

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Keep it Modern Farmhouse

Fireplace with halloween decor — Ranch Style Farmhouse

There's something utterly charming and warm about a modern farmhouse fireplace, but your Halloween decor doesn't need to clash with your look. Keep it rustic and simple with a few small spooky objects and finish the look off with faux cobwebs.

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Think Vintage

Fireplace mantle with halloween decor — Brooke Meyenberg

If you love Victorian decor but haven't had a reason to use it in your house, let Halloween be your reason. Decorate a mantel or a buffet with vintage-inspired milk glass pieces to give your home a haunted house vibe. Add a few cameos for a complete look.

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Go With Branches

Black vases and beads — The Prairie Shoppe

Instead of fresh blooms this year, fill black vases with branches to give your home a subtlety spooky vibe. Keep the look simple with understated pieces or add a few faux blooms like magnolia branches to give it a bit of a livelier vibe.

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Don't Forget the Kid's Room

There are simple, cute ways to decorate your child's room for Halloween without giving them nightmares. We love this crocheted pumpkin decor that's perfect for styling a bookshelf or a cabinet for a wonderfully fall vibe.

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Opt for Fall Colors

Whether you're decorating your mantel or a coffee table this season, we love using burnt oranges and reds starting in September and going all the way through November. These colors are perfect for a Halloween vibe, but still feel fresh even after the 31st.

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Make Over Your Pots

Halloween decor in the kitchen — Cassie Bustamante

Have a little fun this Halloween and decorate your kitchen for the season. Have a few deep pots sitting out that you rarely use? Transform them into faux jack-o-lanterns for an unexpectedly adorable Halloween look.

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Upgrade Your Shelfie

Bookshelf with skeleton — Chrissy Hunter

We all love a good shelfie, so this Halloween give your bookshelf styling a little makeover. Sprinkle in a few Halloween-inspired pieces, but don't go overboard. Just one or two objects will make a statement.

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Head to the Thrift Store

Bookshelf with skull and owl — Faux Farm Fixer

Some if the best chic Halloween décor can be found at your local thrift store. Look for vintage postcards, glass terrariums, owl sculptures ... basically anything that screams "old and creepy" and decorate your shelf for a simple Halloween vibe.

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Add Pops of Orange

Orange blooms and pumpkin — Jennifer Livingston-Ward

If you want to make a Halloween statement, but don't want to go too deep, sprinkle in a few orange accents. A throw pillow or blanket and some faux blooms are perfect for getting that October-y look without a lot of work.

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Opt for Jewel Tones

Purple pumpkins — Jacquelyn Lopez Lifestyle

Halloween doesn't have to be filled with orange and black. There's something equally spooky and cozy about rich jewel tones like deep purples and dark pinks. Swap the bright colors for these muted, rich colors to give your home a ton of fall vibes this year.

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Release the Crows

Pumpkins with crow on top — Gray Dove Design

Add a fake crow to your decor for a creepy look that feels more adult but isn't overly scary. Top pumpkins or a fireplace mantle with a few crows for a Hitchcock-themed look.

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Reuse Vintage Bottles

Don't throw away your glass bottles this year. Instead, repurpose them for a spooky vignette perfect for a coffee table or a bar cart. Adorn with fake spiders or cobwebs to take the look from vintage to spooky.

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Channel Beetlejuice

Not only is black and white a truly timeless pairing, but it also has a classic Halloween vibe to it. Decorate pumpkins with black and white stripes to give your home a festive look that blends well with nearly any decor style.

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Transform a Painting

Halloween dining table — Kayla Lebaron Design

If you have a large oil painting, a few strands of cobwebs and plastic bats can totally transform the look from warm and cozy to creepy and spooky.

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Unleash Your Creative Side

Black and white pumpkins — Ghost Town Metal Works

Even if you decide not to carve pumpkins, it doesn't mean you can't be creative with your pumpkin decor this year. Grab a paint brush and some paint and create fun designs instead of cutting into your pumpkins this year.

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DIY a Garland

Dining table with paper ghosts — LandligLykke

Remember when you were a kid and you would make DIY paper chain garland? Upgrade that look for Halloween and create a strand of paper ghosts perfect for decorating a dining table or laying across a mantle.

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Go All Out

Chic Halloween decor doesn't have to be subtle. If Halloween is your favorite holiday, embrace it. Go big with oversized skeletons or other decor that packs a big punch. To keep the decor from clashing inside your house, stick with muted or simple colors.

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Welcome the Witches

Instead of hanging up coats this year, give your witchy friends a place to park their brooms by hanging up old school broom heads from a peg rack. We love this fun entryway idea perfect for a rustic farmhouse or a shabby chic look.

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Write It Out

Spiders on a wall — The Wickless Homestead

You may already have a letter board hanging around. If you do, it's a great way to decorate for nearly any holiday without changing up your look too much. Change up the message every day with a fun, Halloween-themed pun or joke.

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Stack Vintage Books

We love finding vintage books to decorate a shelf or coffee table with. There's something incredibly charming, but also a little spooky, about a stack of old books. Check out your local thrift store to find some great classics and set them out around the house.

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Go Wild With Balloons

When done correctly, decorating with balloons can look incredibly chic. We love this cascade of balloons to decorate for a Halloween-inspired cocktail party.

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Keep the Dust

Bookshelf with baby doll heads — Brooke Darwin

If you needed an excuse to stop dusting for a few weeks, this is it. Let your shelves collect a little dust or make fake dust with sand from the craft store to give your shelves a spooky vibe.

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Opt for Dried Blooms

Skip the fresh flowers and go for dried instead. Not only will dried arrangements last so much longer, but they are also great for lending a creepy, haunted look anywhere in your home.