To set the mood for Halloween in your home, one of the easiest things you can do is to update your front door decor with a spooky facelift.
Since it’s the first thing anyone sees when they approach your house, a display on your doorstep instantly creates whatever tone you want for the season. And, it’s easy to have a lot of fun with doorway decoration because, in such a small space, a little bit can go a long way.
Shop at Goodwill Central Coast for incredible one-of-a-kind pieces to decorate your porch. All purchases support our mission to help people overcome challenges to build skills, find jobs and grow their careers through the power of work.
Here are some easy ideas to spook-up your entryway, with a little help from Goodwill:
Attack of the pumpkin!
It’s easy to create a hilarious and spooky scene on your porch, one that would create the headline “Jack o’ Lantern devours man!”
It starts with a giant pumpkin that you carve grotesquely, leaving a wide, gaping mouth painted red with “blood.” Then roam the aisles of Goodwill to find a pair of denim overalls, or a faded pair of jeans and a long-sleeve denim top, along with some work boots. Stuff the clothing to create a human form (using stuffed latex gloves for hands), tuck the pant legs inside the boots and lay the figure face down on the lawn or front porch. Place the top of the headless man into the pumpkin’s mouth, apply a generous amount of additional fake blood to make it look like it had to struggle fighting the carnivorous pumpkin. Oh, adding a butcher knife to the figure’s hand is a nice touch.
And there you have it, your own spooky crime scene.
Halloween Candy Door Hanger
This DIY Halloween Candy Door Hanger is the perfect way to greet your guests. It’s also a great way to let trick or treaters grab a piece if you are going to be gone for the night. Just find a small rectangular chalkboard and a plastic pumpkin at Goodwill. With an Exacto knife, carefully slice the pumpkin in half, carving out a huge smile near the bottom of the sliced half. Decorate the pumpkin with paint, and attach it to the chalkboard with wood screws, leaving room at the top to write a cute message. Fill the mouth with candy and you’re good to go.
Duct Tape Garland
Here’s an outdoor Halloween decoration that can withstand any weather October throws your way. It’s a fun, easy and festive DIY for the kids. All you need is duct tape in your choice of colors/patterns, nylon string, and scissors. Be sure to measure your string beforehand if you know where you want it to hang so you don’t make it too long or too short. Just lay the string on the sticky 6-inch strip of tape, and fold over. You can leave these strips rectangular or cut them into triangles, rounded edges, or little notches.
DIY customized door mat
Doesn’t it seem like doormats are overly expensive? Who wants to spend more than $15 on something that we will literally be wiping our feet on? Very often our Goodwill stores offer inexpensive, basic mats, and with a little time and paint you can turn them into something special. For a fun Halloween project, customize a mat exactly the way you want.
Check out this tutorial from HGTV.
Any one of these ideas will surely attract trick-or-treaters on Halloween night by quickly making your home look a little haunted. And, little did you know, as well as giving out candy this All Hallows Eve, when you shop at Goodwill for your decor and costume supplies you’ll be giving to your neighbors in yet another way. After all, only Goodwill unites caring and enterprise to empower people and build communities that work. That’s why it’s important to start every seasonal shopping trip with a visit to your closest Goodwill!