It’s that time of year again. Giant spiders on housetops, bats hanging from the porch roof, jack-o-lantern-lined walkways, or zombies crawling out of front yard graves are all fairly common sights. Lighting up your awesome outdoor Halloween display is a practice that has become more common the past few years.
Lighting creates more depth and substance. For instance, lights are known for casting eerie shadows so why not cast one or two giant silhouettes on the front of your home? Flickering lights, recordings of wolves howling in the distance, or ominous organ music shattering the silence of the night can all play a part in fueling a night focused on fear. Yes, on All Hallows’ Eve, well-done decorations can be so effective that trick-or-treaters wonder if they should dare go to the door.
Orange and purple lights work great for setting up a spooky scene. Shades of green or an eerie blue glow can have an unsettling effect too. Make sure the lights you plan to put up are rated appropriately for outdoor use. If you’ve already installed outdoor lighting, however, you can most likely use it to your advantage.
That’s because the odds are that you’ve installed LED lighting. It’s growing in popularity partly due to the low operating cost, part of which is the fact that the bulbs last a long time. Another perk is that LED lighting often comes with color-changing options and, possibly, the ability to program an actual light show into the system.
Mwwwwwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!
If this is your first year with a yard of your own, or you’re an old pro looking for a new theme, here are a few ideas to get those creative juices flowing.
Pulling the eye in
Incorporate the colors used for your lighting design in the other decor used as well. It creates a cohesive look that affects your visitors on a subconscious level… whether they are aware of it or not!
Plan to create your focal points near lighted elements to give visitors the full effect. You don’t want them totally caught off guard as they peer into the darkness trying to determine what they’re looking at. Hold on! Actually, an out-of-focus feature may be perfect for your Halloween display. Is it too much to consider having someone jump out from nearby to yell, “Boo!” as they’re squinting at “whatever that is over there?”
Silhouettes and spooky shadows
Well-placed spotlights create huge shadows anywhere you want to cast them. You can easily create your own props to place in front of the spotlights by cutting them out of thick cardboard. No painting or decorating is required either. You’re totally going for that creepy silhouette to introduce some intrigue.
Flickering lights or those set off by a motion sensor enhance the atmosphere and may even cause chills to run up a spine or two before the night is through.
Faux frightening
Halloween brings out the gory in some people. Blood-stained manikins tossed onto porches or red hand prints smattered across the inside of windows looking as if someone were injured… badly… and trying to escape aren’t unheard of. However, more intense themes are less common. When decorating with young trick-or-treaters in mind, toning things down a notch or two is definitely a more likely option.
Jack-o-lanterns, hand-carved or ready-made and reusable year after year, lend a traditional feel. Depending on the facial expressions, the trip up your walkway could be a joyful experience or a harrowing one. Rather than using wax candles, purchasing battery-operated candles is an option that many homeowners choose. They pose no risk of fire and the wind isn’t going to have a chance to snuff them out either.
String lights, also known as fairy lights, wound throughout tree or shrub branches can have a mesmerizing effect on passers-by and guests alike. Wreaths made of twigs are fairly easy to prep and look especially sinister at night. Just saying. Lastly, if you live in an area in which traditional fall foliage thrives, gather some of those dry, crunchy leaves to sprinkle along the walkway for a dramatic sound effect.
Halloween garland is an option as well. For instance, you could string a line of skeletons across your front porch to dance in the wind. No wind? Not even a breeze? It wouldn’t take much to get one going. Improvise by rigging up a small fan somewhere nearby. Add a little music—The Monster Mash, maybe—to the mix and you’re sure to have a Halloween hit!
Planning a party?
Halloween decorating isn’t just for the trick-or-treaters though.
Halloween party planning in Florida makes it easy to hold an outdoor event because the temperatures are so much warmer here. Moreover, if your outdoor living area is enclosed… even better! You can enjoy the evening air and the festive decor without having a swarm of mosquitoes feasting on friends. Snacks and drinks may attract… well, who knows what this time of year! But whatever it is, it won’t be making its target.
Mesh screen enclosures are tightly woven so no species of insect—or vampire bat—is getting through.
Enclosing your outdoor space affords other benefits for you to enjoy as well. The area stays cleaner for sure—sans partygoers anyway. And, did you know that the number one reason homeowners decide to install mesh screen enclosures is to add an element of privacy to their lives? Even though the screens don’t totally block the view, they create the essence of privacy. And, it’s pretty amazing how much more relaxed you feel when they’re in place.
No tricks in that statement either. Homeowners report that they’re amazed at the difference between having an enclosure and not. Relaxing is always a treat… no matter what day of the year it is.
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