This year, with the uncertainty of lockdowns and a global pandemic, I have wondered whether I should celebrate and prepare for Halloween at all! I’ll be honest, I’ve not properly decorated for it for a few years as my children always make their own plans with friends instead. It seems to be a lot of effort for one evening and I don’t always get ‘trick or treaters’ either!

I have decided I will make a more ‘grown up’ effort this year instead. I will have some halloweeny, autumn, vibes going on for the whole month. That way my effort can be enjoyed a bit longer than normal.

Is Halloween Cancelled?

So far there has been no guidance from the government on this topic, especially surrounding the common activity of Trick or Treating. With many counties in local lockdowns and social distancing in place it might seem reasonable to avoid such activities this year. Although, it is commonly practiced outdoors and most children wear a mask anyway, the act of handling sweet/goodies could be a sure way to spread the virus.

Check the information on local social sites or news reels to find out what is happening in your area, there is nothing worse that preparing loads then not having any door knockers.

Here are some tips if you do want to practice safe Trick or Treating:

• Sanitise – before preparing the treats to be handed out, give yourself a good sanitising along with any worktops you’ll be using. Wear a mask, gloves, and a clean apron.
• Prepare – the goodies that will be handed out. Ideally use individual bags to separate items, such as kid’s party bags, sandwich bags, etc. This way there aren’t lots of little hands all touching the same stuff.
• Organise – you can use a basket or box to store the bags of treats neatly whilst you await little visitors.  This way the little peeps don’t have to rummage around choosing their treat. You could also use a pair of tongs so you don’t have to handle the treats yourself more than is necessary.
• Notice – put a notice on your door indicating that you have goodies to hand out in a safe manner. Let them know how you expect them to behave at your doorstep, and the required etiquette, i.e., no touching loads of stuff, just the 1 bag you will taking.
• Distribute – making sure you answer the door with a mask, place the box by the door and ask them to take the goodies. If you have a smaller basket, you could even put the required number of bags in it so the children can only take that. The basket can then be sanitised ready for the next person.

How to decorate for an adult Halloween season

Lighting – I’ve bought some novelty lighting that isn’t too tacky. That way I can spruce up certain areas without it looking like the haunted house from a funfair. I got these lights from Amazon, probably overpriced (and I should have waited for my trip to Home Bargains).

• Maple leaves string lights £7.99
• Pumpkin string lights £5.99

Candles – I’ve chosen some autumn smelling candles to set off the atmosphere that I’m trying to create. When I think of Halloween the scents of spiced pumpkin latte, toasted marshmallows, and toffee apples spring to mind. Also the burnt orange and pale brown colours associated with autumn and pumpkins. I found some autumn pillar candles hidden away in a drawer so I’ve dusted them off and put them back in use. I picked up these new ones from Home Bargains:

• Halloween wax melter (with spiced pumpkin melt) £1.49 – smells subtle, and of spiced orange/citrus which I love.
• Halloween candle jar (Trick or Treat) £2.99 – smells like sherbet sweets. I’m so glad I bought this instead of the Yankee candle, much better value for money and smells 100% better!

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Accessories – I love a pine cone! Luckily I live in the countryside, where pine cones are a plenty. I’ve managed to pick up a few good sized ones which complement the theme very well. I’ve also picked out a few cute pieces:

• Pumpkin glass sweet jar £3.99 (home bargains). Since we don’t have many sweets in our house, I’ve put in my pumpkin string lights (that look like sweets, so work well).
• Pumpkin acrylic light £1.49 (home bargains). It flashed between a pumpkin and the words ‘trick or treat’, adds a little bit of fun.
• Halloween wooden plaque £5.04 from Amazon, but you could get something similar from bargain shops for much less.

Playlist – I’ve decided to make a Spotify playlist for the season without playing the Monster Mash (not that there’s anything wrong with this song, I love it at a party!). I’ve gone for songs that remind me of autumn. That way, when I’m cooking dinner, I can have some ambient music to compliment the visual surrounds I’ve created.

My top 5 on my playlist are:

• Judith Hill – In the Air Tonight
• Chantal Chamberland  – Ain’t No Sunshine/I Can’t Stand the Rain
• Guns’n’Roses – November Rain (acoustic)
• Taylor Swift – September
• Ed Sheeran – Autumn Leaves

Is it a waste of money?

Not at all, I have purposefully picked items that can be put away and brought out again every year, just like you do with Christmas decorations. And it is a theme that can be built upon and modified to suit evolving interior decors.

This theme has cost me less than £30 to create, and nothing is disposable (obviously some are consumable, but I always buy candles and use them anyway). It’s a fun way to add different colours and themes to your existing décor without doing a full makeover.

Are you getting in the Halloween spirit this year? Let me know what you are doing. Share your bargains with me 😊 ❤