Spookify Your Stoop
The stage is set: brooms betray the fact that witches are near, spider’s webs adorn the door as if no one has come or gone in quite a while, and a cauldron of bats signals that the time is nigh. It’s the season for trick-or-treating, Halloween is here!
Give those ghosts and goblins the supernatural evening they’ve been waiting for with a front stoop they won’t soon forget. A well decorated front porch can make or break the trick-or-treat experience, which is why we’ve got tips to help you create a spooky, yet fun and stylish, front porch your neighborhood will be talking about for years to come.
Learn about the origins of our modern Halloween traditions and get some professional insight on how to deck out your front porch this holiday season, from how to arrange a Halloween inspired bouquet of flowers, to adding creepy paper-craft night life to your entryway and displaying your witches' brooms in all their wicked glory. There is no end to what you can add to your bubbling cauldron of crafts to make just the right potion for your porch and to delight the spell caster in all of us.
Halloween’s Ghastly Origins
If Halloween feels like a strange mish-mash of traditions, that’s because it is. This now distinctly American holiday began its roots nearly 2,000 years ago with the Celtic tradition of Samhain. Historically celebrated on October 31st, this day marked the end of a calendar year and the beginning of winter—a harsh and uncertain season. It was a time to celebrate the end of the year’s harvest, and pray for an easy winter.
The new year also marked a boundary between the living and the dead, and it was believed that ghosts were able to return to earth for one night, only. It was common to wear masks to avoid recognition from dead relatives, and to carve turnips and potatoes to scare fairies from taking up residence in homes and farms.
By the time the Romans conquered most of the Celtic region in 43 A.D., Samhain was combined with their own festival commemorating the dead: Feralia. Both traditions were absorbed by the church-sanctioned holiday of All Saint’s Day on November 2, and the evening before (which was traditionally Samhain), became known as All Hallow’s Eve, and eventually Halloween.
It wasn’t until the wave of Irish and Scottish immigrants brought these traditions to the United States in the mid 1800’s that Halloween became the holiday we know and love today. The tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns was adapted to the native North American pumpkin, while bats, who roost in the northeastern region of the United States during October and November, become associated with the season.
Trick-or-treating is also a distinctly American event, but it didn’t become mainstream until the 1950s. In an effort to curb vandalism on Halloween night, cities decided to host “treat-or-treat parades” and turned the festivities of Halloween into fun family and community activities. The campaign worked, and now over 95% of Americans purchase candy in the week leading up to Halloween.
Now, every year kids look forward to the door-to-door fun of Halloween and trick-or-treating, and a great front porch design goes a long way to adding to the overall experience. If you are ready to spook your neighbors with a front stoop that is as stylish as it is seasonal, here are some ideas to get you started:
Add a Cauldron of Bats to your Doorway
Whether bats are roosting in your hometown or not, there is no reason not to add them to a doorway! This is an easy paper craft for kids and adults alike. Simply cut out a bat-shaped template, use a white pencil to trace the shape onto black cardstock paper, and cut out a flock of bats. Use sticky tack or tape to adhere them to a doorway, trying to keep their flight direction the same for a natural effect.
This is a fun activity that can help children practice their fine motor skills and teach them about bats. You may also consider placing bats in other parts of the house (like a stairwell), or incorporating different materials like felt or laminate paper.
Create a Creepy Flower Arrangement
Flowers are seasonal, which means the materials you choose can go a long way towards conveying specific feelings and moods. To create a Halloween inspired arrangement, opt for flowers that are in season and showcase the colors of the holiday (think chrysanthemums, black roses, or calla lilies), or dried flowers which will naturally give an arrangement that autumn vibe. Dried flowers are especially perfect because Halloween is the holiday of the dead, after all.
Try to focus on selecting materials with dark and moody textures. The more variety the better, and items like dried lotus pods or branches will add a sense of “unearthliness” to an arrangement. Don’t be afraid to add Halloween decor for the final touches, either. Whether it’s a themed vase, “spider’s web” lace trim, or black felted pumpkins—these extra details will make a front porch arrangement undeniably festive and ready for trick-or-treaters.
Build a Witches' Broom Display
Witches’ brooms are the ultimate Halloween decor, and there is no reason not to go all-out with a broom-themed front porch. Adding other natural decor items, like lavender bunches, dried pencil cattails, or cotton stalks will not only add intrigue to your display but it will also create the apothecary motif so often associated with these broom-donning night riders.
If you add a display to both sides of the door, don’t feel like they need to be symmetrical. Play with broom orientation, adding cute signage, or throwing in some gourds and pumpkins for a stronger effect. Because brooms have long vertical height, it’s good to balance the display out with some visual weight at the bottom of the display. Pumpkins are perfect for this, and if you want to go for an even more farmhouse style, try using fabric or branch pumpkins instead. To up the spookiness, try painting your pumpkins or using other props, like spell books and faux carnivorous plants.
This entire look is made complete with a broom sign on the door that ties everything together. The additions of mini brooms and a dried lotus pod make it seem like an authentic storefront sign, so trick-or-treaters won’t know whether they are at a neighbor’s front door, or the local witches’ supply shop!
When in Doubt, Bust that Spray Paint Out
Black and white Halloween decor is in this year, but if that’s not what you have on hand, it’s an easy fix. To match the dark and light tones of this apothecary sign, lightly spray dried wheat stalks black before attaching them to the sign along with faux plum leaves, dried rose hips, and two mini brooms. The result is not only subtle but interesting, and adds to the sense of botanical mystery.
Tips and Tricks (or Treats) When Using Spray Paint:
Get the right products
The first step to any good project is finding the right materials. If you have questions, ask someone at your local home improvement store. There are different primers and types of spray paint, so you’ll want to get what’s suitable to your project.
Work in a well ventilated area
Spray painting outdoors is ideal. Make sure to paint in an area free of debris that may fly into the paint. If painting outside is not possible make sure to heavily ventilate using fans and by opening windows. Depending on how much painting needs to be done, a respirator may be advisable.
Prep your surface
Create a smooth clean surface for the paint to adhere to by sanding away imperfections and wipe off any dirt or dust.
Shake well before using
Shake that can! Before and during painting, it is important to shake the can often.
Don’t spray too close or too much
Spray 6 to 8 inches away from your surface and do a thin, even coat while moving the can in a sweeping motion from side to side. Several thin coats will look much better than one thick coat and will help prevent drips.
Embrace the Details
To add to the story being told on your front porch, try adding things that give your home a sense of place...someplace, unearthly. Whether it’s ribbons, accent trims, lace, or a buffalo-patterned pumpkin, or it’s details like fake eyeballs, spell books, empty wine bottles, witches shoes, or bats—It’s all in the details.
Understated, natural, but unsettling indeed, black feathers are also a fantastic way to refresh existing Halloween decor and tie together different pieces to create cohesion in the overall look. Since they are natural (or at least, naturally inspired), feathers fit right in with the dried corn stalks, dried wheat, pumpkins and gourds, and hay barrels indicative of the season. Try using them to frame a door sign or add to the rim of a vase or planter.
For something that’s both rustic and creepy, dried lotus pods are a wonderful and surprising option. With so many clustered holes, these pods trigger an instinctive association with poisonous or venomous biological threats. They are also a classic element of farmhouse autumn decor. So if you want the best of both worlds, put a pod on it.
Kids and adults alike will marvel at the time and attention that went into their trick-or-treat experience, putting your home on the map again for next year.
A Holiday for Everyone
We all love Halloween for different reasons. For some, it’s the all out holiday decor; for others, it’s the costumes and candy; and for some it may be the opportunity to throw a themed party that gets you excited. Whatever your reason for the season, Halloween is a pastime with ancient roots and cross-cultural symbolism. It’s a time to celebrate the bounty of summer, acknowledge the changing of the seasons, and embrace our inner witch. Ride on!
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