It’s October, and you know what that means? It’s the most Spooktacular time of the year, and don’t we know it! Even though Halloween is traditionally a very American holiday, it’s still something that brings a lot of joy in this country, and for weeks now supermarkets and shops have been piling the spooky costumes and decorations high, encouraging everyone to get into the spirit. And if you’re as big of a Halloween nut as my 7-year old, then you’ve been trying to work out how to get a full-sized dragon statue onto your roof.
But if you live in a rental property, then it can be a bit difficult to get excited. After all, decorations mean hanging things on walls, from brackets and draping things over your house – most of which go against your tenancy agreement. But fear not (unless you want to) – we have a few suggestions to help you channel your inner monster without annoying your landlord or breaking the bank.
Pumpkin Displays
Pumpkins are a staple of the Halloween season, and they are a great way to showcase your love of the holiday. But why stop at one? Rental properties are a great excuse to go mad with the vegetable and put together a display of carved and lit pumpkins around your home? A few ideas for inspiration include this pretty staircase display, or this fun ‘pumpkin cart’. Not only do they look amazing, but carving them can be a great way to get yourself into the mood for the spooky season as well! Why not make a family event of it and get together in the kitchen, grab the carving knives and tell ghost stories as you carve creepy faces?
(P.S Don’t forget to take them to your local woods for the squirrels to eat when you’re finished!)
Abandoned House
If you’re hosting a Halloween party, you can’t go wrong with the abandoned house theme. Decorating is as simple as covering all of your living room furniture with plain white sheets and draping everything in cobwebs to make it look like it’s been vacant for a long time. If you wanted to up the scare factor, you could splatter fake blood on some of the sheets (as if there had been a horrible accident there). This is a bit of a win-win, as it’ll also protect your furniture from any inadvertent ‘black cauldron cocktail’ spills or dripping blood from your guests. Bonus points if you can get some dusty, bloody decals for your windows, as these peel right off without leaving marks.
Gothic Graveyard Garden
The garden is another great way to decorate your home without causing any damage, and it can make for a really spooky party location at the back, or trick-or-treat hideaway for a front garden. There are lots of bigger decorations that can fit in here too, so you don’t have to miss out on making an impact. From gravestones and emerging skeletons to giant hairy spiders and even tables set for a gothic wedding, you can really go to town with your garden as a canvas.
Go The Natural Route
Of course, you might not want to go the creepy route. Let’s not forget that Halloween was originally a Celtic festival called Samhain, and all about the harvest. It was a time to gather the crops in, celebrate the bounty of nature and, of course, gather around bonfires in costumes to ward off ghosts. If you want to visit the roots of All Hallows Eve, natural decorations are a great way to do it. Decorate with autumn leaves, corn stalks, fall flowers and all kinds of gourds (not just pumpkins) to make a beautiful autumn display. You could even make a wreath of natural elements to hang on the door, and build beautiful displays for the entrance to your home.
We hope this has given you some inspiration for the start of the festive season! At Northwood, we think that a rental property shouldn’t stop you enjoying the holidays in your own way. When you stop to think about it, there are plenty of ways you can decorate your home for Halloween without damaging any walls or other parts of the property. If you have any tips or tricks we haven’t mentioned here, we’d love to hear about them! Just share them in the comments below.
And from the whole team at Northwood, we hope you have a spooky October!
