Halloween Fun on Your Deck!
Halloween is almost here! Are you ready to start decorating? Have you ever thought about extending the decorations to your deck? You can show off your “skills” and go all out on the deck.
Decks by Schmillen would like to inspire you to turn your deck into a Halloween wonderland, so here are a few ideas to help you get started.
Lighting
Stringing Halloween-themed lights along the deck railing, the roof line, or if you have a pergola, along the beams can help create an entertaining atmosphere. Amazon has some great ideas for different styles such as https://amzn.to/4eBry8K.
Lanterns are another fun way to provide themed lighting on your deck. Doing a google search on Halloween Lanterns yields a multitude of options, everything from paper lanterns to themed cutout lanterns. I bought a few of the cut out lanterns at a dollar store a few years ago. They were inexpensive, so I don’t mind as much if they damaged outside.
Carved pumpkins with battery-operated candles are another way to add mood lighting. If you want to put out a lot of pumpkins, throw a pumpkin carving party before the holiday! You will get a bunch of people to help carve a large number of pumpkins and have a wonderful time with friends and family while doing so!
Music
It seems as though there is an endless supply of Halloween playlists available online. I searched “Halloween Sound Effects” on Spotify and came up with a very long list in numerous styles. Unlike the “old days,” you do not have to place a speaker in an open window so everyone can hear. There are multiple styles of outdoor speakers that are Bluetooth-capable. For example, these speakers would blend in with the other decorations as they are designed to look like lanterns – https://amzn.to/3N0iWg3.
Graveyard
For the spookiest night of the year, having a fake graveyard is almost a necessity! The items you need to create one can all be purchased at brick and mortar stores or online. However, you can make it a family affair by building a DIY graveyard. I’ve been following some DIY Halloween pages on Facebook and people share ideas that range from very basic to extravagant! Most of the posts have tutorials to help you create your own props. The Navage Patch, https://bit.ly/4dnKbf4, contains a walk-through on how to create your own headstones that are more durable than the foam ones available in most stores. Depending on your style, you can make silly or scary headstones. Some people have even added ghosts, spooky trees, skeletons, etc to their graveyards.
Misc Ideas
Don’t forget the ubiquitous spider webs! Some people go all out using these, and others use them as background props to help the other decorations stand out. The wider you stretch the webbing, the better they tend to look. If you want to go all out, you can use them throughout the railing, handrail, roof line, etc, and throw in a bunch of spiders of different sizes. For background webbing, try twisting it around some areas with just one or two spiders to make it stand out. Secure the webs by wrapping them around a railing or using a thumbtack and wrap the web around the tack.
A fog machine can help create the perfect spooky setting for your decorations. Some of the best horror movies always have that one sequence with the innocent person walking through a foggy graveyard while the eerie music plays in the background.
I also found a Better Homes and Gardens article with different DIY projects you can create for your seasonal decorations – https://bit.ly/3XAP92m
If you decorate your deck for Halloween, we would love to see the final products! If you’re willing to have us share them online, please email pictures to decksbyschmillen@gmail.com
Enjoy the holiday and stay safe!
