Charming to Chilling: A Guide to Halloween Decorating Styles

It’s coming! The witching season will soon be here, when neighborhoods are “haunted” by ghosts, ghouls and gourds of all shapes and sizes.

Given Americans’ fascination with Halloween, it’s no surprise we love setting a spooky scene with Halloween decorations. According to the National Retail Federation, about 73% of American households celebrated Halloween last year by decorating, handing out candy, dressing in costume or throwing a Halloween party.

Since 2019, sales of Halloween decorations have increased by $2.6 billion. While the pandemic accounts for some of the growth, post-pandemic Halloween decoration sales haven’t slowed. 

Just walk through any big box store and you'll see why: Those giant witches and skeletons are eerily compelling. 

If a particular door wreath or Halloween inflatable has caught your eye, you’re probably already aware that Halloween decor falls into distinct styles from

 kid-friendly and cute to ghastly and gruesome.

What are your favorite Halloween decorations? Do you prefer a subtly spooky touch? Or do you decorate for full-on fright factor with all-out gore?

Below, we’ve outlined a few different approaches to decorating for Halloween. See which one appeals to you and explore our full range of Halloween decor to find many more examples of outdoor Halloween decorations, Halloween wreaths, lights and indoor autumn decor that fit your particular style.

Decorate your door with a colorful Halloween wreath or fun door wrap and put lighted Halloween silhouettes in the window. Hang a Halloween flag from the front porch and set cheerful path lights along your walkway as an invitation to trick-or-treaters.

Set a raven on your porch rail. Hang Halloween flags featuring eerie images. Window silhouettes with bat or black cat images send out a soft but spooky glow, as can a Halloween projector. Enhance the mood with orange or purple Halloween lights or novelty lights featuring spiders, zombie hands or bloodshot eyeballs. 

Does your Halloween yard decor send chills throughout the neighborhood? If you define your style as “the scarier, the better,” you are definitely into horrifying Halloween decor. You delight in menacing ghosts, zombies, skeletons and other sinister creatures of the night.

For maximum creep factor, any Halloween decoration that appears decayed, blood-covered or downright evil is a win. Hideous Halloween figures are the obvious go-to, but don’t overlook lights, Halloween trees and some strategically placed props to create a setting that induces absolute terror. 

What ups the Halloween scare factor? Things that screech, flail, wail and go bump in the night! Animated Halloween decorations are among the most popular, featuring everything from sound-activated scurrying spiders to motion-activated screaming creepies.

Almost any creature you can envision is featured in animated Halloween decor, including possessed pumpkins, zombie vampires, evil clowns, werewolves and a Master of Death with flashing eyes.

Start with black Halloween candles and black wreaths. Intensify the ambience with a Halloween lantern or purple lights. Halloween pillows and throws are soft reminders of the season, while signs and wall art add a touch of fun.

Ghouls and ghosts are not the only way to celebrate the season. Autumn offers plenty of decorating inspiration on its own, from fall wreaths to miniature gourds to wall signs. Interior and exterior accents feature the fruits of the season in all their glory – pumpkins, apples, nuts and more – for a look that falls far from the typical horrific holiday decorations.

Incorporated warm white, orange or yellow string lights, plush pumpkins, garland, florals, wall signs and cozy gnomes into a bountiful celebration of the harvest. Throw blankets, candles and lanterns bring warmth to porches and interiors as the air chills. From the first of October through Thanksgiving, you can’t go wrong by embracing the glowing tones of autumn in your decor.

What decoration makes you instantly think of Halloween? Some people are inspired by witches and black cats, while others appreciate more macabre decor.

According to one recent poll, the top 10 most popular Halloween decorations in the United States are:

1. Pumpkins

2. Corn stalks

3. Skeletons

4. Black cats

5. Witches

6. Tombstones

7. Spiders and spider webs

8. Crows

9. Bats

10. Ghosts 

Explore our wide selection of popular Halloween decorations.

If you think you’re seeing more and more Halloween decorations every year, you’re not wrong. Overall, Americans spent more than 13 billion on Halloween last year, exceeding the previous high of $12.2 billion in 2023 and double the $6.9 billion spent a decade earlier.

Why do so many people enjoy decorating for Halloween? Maybe it’s because Halloween doesn’t evoke the same strong emotions as other holidays. Unlike your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, which might come with a side-serving of uncomfortable family issues, Halloween is meant to amuse. The decorations, costumes and candy, trick-or-treating and even haunted houses are mainly for entertainment. That could make Halloween a more stress-free holiday for a lot of people.

Plus, for people who love to decorate their lawns, it doesn’t hurt that October weather is generally more favorable for outdoor decorating.

On the other hand, maybe it all comes down to the fact that Halloween is just for fun!

Some people are ready to put out their orange and black decorations any time of year; others prefer to limit Halloween decorating to a few weeks. That being said, when is the right time to decorate for Halloween?

The simple answer is that there is no definite or “acceptable” time to start setting out your Halloween decorations. The holiday just doesn't generate the same controversy as “Christmas creep.”

In fact, according to YouGov, 43% of Americans begin decorating for Halloween between October 1 and 15. Another 21% decorate sometime between October 16 and 30. Conversely, a significant number of respondents (13%) start setting out the jack o’lanterns and other Halloween decor sometime in September.

In northern regions, seasonal changes seem to naturally inspire a change in decor. It isn’t uncommon to see Halloween decorations pop up weeks before the October 31 holiday.

If you’re eager to decorate for Halloween, Martha Stewart’s experts suggest starting with pumpkins and other fall harvest decor. There’s plenty of time in October to break out the rest of your Halloween decorations. 

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