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Everyone gets something different out of Halloween. Tiny trick-or-treaters learn that it’s okay to be a little scared, teens revel in the truly terrifying, and adults have fun trying to keep up with the Gruesomes as they compete with neighbours for the best decorations. Whatever you want out of this spookiest of seasons, our list of outdoor decorations has something to help you achieve it. From safe-for-wee-babes porch pieces to lose-your-mind-in-fear animatronics, these are our favourite Halloween decor items of 2024.
Fear factor: 1
Halloween decor doesn’t get more inviting than this outdoor doormat designed to look like a page from a children’s alphabet book. Crafted from durable coconut husk fibers, it’s built to last through many fall seasons. If your little trick-or-treaters can’t handle this level of cuteness, they might just need to stay off the streets!
Fear factor: 2
Nothing scary here. Just some orange and purple LEDs on an 82-foot string to help set the mood for the evening’s festivities. Drape them along railings, eaves, trees or even across the lawn to give your Halloween decor a subtle, spooky ambiance. These playful lights are a fun alternative to the usual porch light, signaling to trick-or-treaters that your house is ready for Halloween fun.
Fear factor: 3
What better way to welcome wee ones out for their first Halloween than an inflatable arch covered in peppy pumpkins and grinning ghosts? This six-foot, brightly lit arch inflates at the touch of a button and can be both staked to the ground and weighted with water bags to ensure it stays put on breezy nights. And once Halloween is over it packs neatly into a small bag for safe, clean storage.
Fear factor: 4
Thanks to The Wizard of Oz, images of dangling witch feet have made for a nice, safe introduction to the world of mildly scary entertainment for more than 80 years. This luxurious holiday wreath made of colourful, sparkly fabrics will capture the imaginations of tiny trick-or-treaters without sending them running from your house in fear. One or two might hide their heads in their mom’s skirts, but that’s all part of the fun.
Fear factor: 5
If you feel the need to go big without breaking the bank, it’s hard to beat this 16-foot LED spider web. Drape it from an old tree or make it run from your eavestrough down to your lawn, then choose from eight lighting modes and a selection of auto timers to get the effect you want. Bonus: It comes with a nearly five-foot furry spider that you can pose however you like. And everything folds into a neat little package for easy storage.
Fear factor: 6
The cemetery you construct in your front yard every year is revered by all. You’ve got tombstones, bones, iron fences…even a mini mausoleum. But it’s about to become even more famous in your neighbourhood, because this is the year you add a fog machine. Instant 50s horror movie vibes. This affordable 500-watt model with programmable LED lighting can be set to churn out fog automatically throughout the night, or on demand via a wireless remote.
Fear factor: 7
The body of this self-inflating ghoul? Just mid-level spooky. There are some light-up bits and the fabric flutters in the breeze. It’s the eerie face that kicks things up a notch. A pair of scary demon eyes are framed inside an infinity mirror lit by nearly 100 LEDs, creating the illusion of endless depth as the angel of death stares into your soul. It’s spine-chilling enough that it might even change Blue Öyster Cult’s mind about not fearing the reaper!
Fear factor: 8
You can’t go wrong with a classic set of bones scattered around the yard. Set up the hands to make it look like they’re clawing their way out of the earth. Make a femur stick out of your box shrubs to encourage passersby to wonder what else might lie beneath the leaves. Assemble the skeleton in full, resting peacefully below a tree, like a Rip van Winkle who never woke up. The creative options are endless.
Fear factor: 9
Only for heartless homeowners out to truly terrify trick-or-treaters. This life-sized mummified cadaver is scary enough just hanging motionless from the ceiling of your porch, but switch on the motion detector and your costumed visitors will leap backwards in fear as it begins to laugh and writhe menacingly as though trying to escape its cocoon. If you have a shred of sympathy for tinier treaters you’ll keep it switched off until later in the evening.
Fear factor: 10
This legendary skeleton is outrageously large and extravagantly expensive (though Walmart does offer free delivery). That said, accept no substitutes if you absolutely, positively need to put all other Halloween houses on your block to shame. Your neighbours will be green with envy even as their kids run screaming from your driveway. Just remember: You’ll need help setting it up. And someplace to store it for 11 months a year.
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