Celebrate Halloween Early with These Top Décor Picks

As far as we’re concerned, the second that bell rings on the first day of school it is game on for Halloween decorations and décor shopping. Sure, it might still be 100 degrees, but nothing says summer’s end quite like the stores clearing the back-to-school supplies and laying out black feather wreaths, skull pillows, and pumpkin-scented candles.

For any goth-loving Mistress or Mister of the Night, it can be hard to contain the excitement and anticipation of Halloween – not the least of which for the Halloween décor. Giant skeletons and spiderwebs adorning the landscaping, dark, moody foliage, and animatronic monsters ready to spook passerby…what’s not to love?!

The good news is: there aren’t any rules anymore about when you can start buying or decorating for Halloween. While many people believe it’s all ghosts on deck on October 1, one in five think it’s A-OK to put your spookify your home well before that. Our take? You do you, boo. If you’re ready to say goodbye to summer and embrace all the ghosts and pumpkin spice you can, we stand by you.

More good news: A lot of summer and fall décor items you already have on your porch – or in your self-storage unit – can be slightly modified to easily make the transition between seasons. We’re not talking Summerween, the hot weather Halloween celebration on Disney’s Gravity Falls, but we are ready to make our decorative belongings pull duty over multiple seasons.

If you don’t have many pieces to repurpose, don’t fret. Regardless of whether your Halloween décor style leans more towards the subtle or the shocking, there are great buys to jump on now both online and in your local stores. Prices tend to rise as the holiday approaches, so decide today what you’re going to want and need to spend on this year, and fill those shopping carts.

Keep scrolling to learn how to shop smart while making the most of what you’ve already got this Halloween.

Halloween Decorations and Décor That Transitions from Summer to Fall

While it’s always tempting to buy new stuff for a new season, it’s oftentimes unnecessary. We bet there are plenty of pieces that you’ve enjoyed all summer that can be slightly repurposed to fit the coming season.

We’ve gathered some ideas below to get your creative juices…brewing!

Wreaths

Sure, dark feather and twig wreaths are a Halloween staple. But what about spray painting your summer wreath black and adding plastic snakes and eyeballs? Dead flowers, broken branches and anything else that speaks to decay can also work here.

Planters

If your petunias and pansies are done for the year, clean out your porch planters and replace them with autumnal pieces. If you can’t get your hands on birch branches, spray paint regular branches white, gold, or black with high gloss paint. Decorate them with fairy lights, mini-pumpkins, and either faux or real bittersweet.

Lighting

Swap your normal overhead or sconce standard issue LED lighting with bulbs that create a different sort of ambiance. Check out these purple and mercury gold options or simply grab your white holiday lights and string them around for a more festive vibe.

Outdoor Rug

A great way to repurpose your summery outdoor rug without doing anything permanent is to either tape or chalk out a body outline. Spookiness engaged at level 10. Especially if you do it really early in the season.

Take a good hard look at your current state of decor and see if there’s anything that can be modified to fit the bill. Ask Alfred Hitchcock. He discovered long ago that adding a few faux black crows can make a peaceful and benign summer scene absolutely haunting.

What Halloween Décor Should I Buy Today?

If you’re asking, you’re in the right spot. One of our top tips for shopping for Halloween decorations and décor is to hit up the stores and sites early and often. You’re going to want to be on the lookout for traditional Halloween décor, but also heavily discounted items that could be slightly altered for a spookier and more sinister vibe.

We’ve found a few hot deals to get you started, though act quickly! These prices will jump before you know it.

• 12 PCS Assorted Sizes Rustic Harvest White Artificial Pumpkins – Amazon.com – $11.99
• 9 PCS Eyeball Orbs – OrientalTrader.com – $29.98 (orig. $34.99)
• Halloween Lights (White Ghosts), Battery Operated String Lights – Walmart.com – $3.97 (orig. $6.99)
• 6 PCS Black Cat Decor Yard Signs with Stakes – Temu.com – $10.79 (orig. $20.99)
• Crescent Moon Halloween Branch Wreath – FiveBelow.com – $5.00
• 2 PCS Witch Feet Yard Stakes Halloween Decorative Prop – Target.com – $10.00
• 18-inch Halloween Trees – DollarTree.com – $5.00

While you’re shopping, be on the lookout for heavily discounted holiday décor that might also do the trick. Fake trees, white lights, silver or gold bulbs, and plaid or burlap fabrics could all be woven into your Halloween décor to great effect.

Shop Your Storage Unit for Halloween

The last tip we’ll give you is to take a good look at what you’ve already got. Shop your storage unit for decor pieces, lighting, craft supplies, and more to add to your home’s Halloween decoration. If you’ve got an outdoor lounge chair that’s not in use, for instance, seat a cigar-smoking skeleton on it and post it at the front door. Old rug that’s ready for the trash heap? Stage a crime scene like we mentioned above but add in large amounts of fake blood to up the ante. Vases that can stand up to colder temperatures? Add branches, lights, and a realistic fake spider for instant ambiance.

Of course, if you’ve got items like paint, paint brushes, and even drop cloths in your storage unit, a creative sort could easily make some unique and extremely low-cost Halloween décor. After all, anything covered in black paint works for Halloween. And strips of cloth flung into the trees, dangling from the bushes, or made into a pennant with black and orange stamps can be quite eerie.

Many folks store their tools in self-storage, including chainsaws. If you’ve got one in your unit, pick it up, remove the chain, and then rev it in the background when trick or treaters arrive. The shrieks alone will make the effort well worth your while. We hope the suggestions above give you plenty of “Boo!” for your buck – and get your Halloween off to the right start.