Ah, Halloween. The one night out of the year where it’s perfectly normal to ring neighbors’ doorbells asking for candy, dress up as a character who looks nothing like your real self and fill your home with frightening decorations that might give your grandparents a heart attack. Spooky season is a whole experience, though, and there’s nothing wrong with celebrating for the entire season, rather than just one night.

If you love pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons and witches, why not turn your entire house into a haunted Halloween getaway? According to Statista, 73% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween in one way or another this year, with trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving being the most popular activities, so there’s a good chance the majority of people would be happy to see a home decked out with spooky decor as well.  

When I was a kid, we would always adorn the front porch with carved or painted pumpkins, orange and black lights and a cute wooden skeleton that my grandfather carved and painted. And while we always had family-friendly decor, apparently 73% of Americans say they’re fine with a gory Halloween setup, Angi reports. However, only 36% say they actually put up frightening or bloody decorations in their own homes.

Overall, though, Americans love getting into the spooky season spirit and decorating for Halloween. One third say they spend between $100-$249 dollars on decorations for October, while 23% say they shell out between $250-$499. Lots of people like to change up their accessories every year as well, with over a third saying they change the theme of their decor annually.  

To learn more about how to turn our homes into spooky wonderlands, we reached out to Kristen Stafford of the Halloween Art and Travel podcast. Kristen was kind enough to share her thoughts with Bored Panda, as she says she typically goes all out with Halloween decorations.

"My Halloween decorations are done in three zones," she explained. "Zone one is outside – I’m obsessed with old spooky cemeteries so there’s nothing better than having my own for the month of October. A family friend created unique Victorian looking tombstones to set the right vibe. Nighttime is the best time to visit as flickering battery operated votives illuminate the tombstones. A solitary ghost hangs from a tree – but perhaps there’s more that my visitors do not see."

Zone two of Kristen's decor includes her seasonal indoor decorations. "Our powder room transforms into a storage closet for Dr. Frankenstein," she shared. "There’s nothing like using the bathroom and finding a fake brain in a jar. Our dining and living rooms become the Pushing Up Daisies flower shop. There I display creepy plants galore, many from the Ghoulish Garden collection at Target. A happy October night is one spent on the couch wearing a witch hat taking in all the delights."

Last but not least, Kristen says her zone three features her year-round Halloween Room, which is a finished bonus room over her garage. "It’s 400 square feet of floor to ceiling Halloween magic. Stuffed into this enchanted room are one-of-a-kind Halloween art pieces, thrift store treasures, and unsettling antiques," the spooky season enthusiast shared.

"I love that most of the people who pass by our normal looking suburban house don’t know what lies beyond the window over the garage. Treasures in the room include a haunted dollhouse, antique tintypes, 3 Halloween trees with lights and ornaments, and an old taxidermy alligator with trick-or-treaters riding on its back," Kristen added.

"My Halloween Room brings me so much joy," Kristen says. "My collection has vintage vibes, and my style is full of whimsy. I’m proud of the variety of the items I’ve collected over the years. There’s a 'dead' violin with sculpted bones on it, an odd mermaid in an old fish tank, a Day of the Dead doll wearing a dress made from my wedding dress fabric, and crafts created by my children."

Kristen also shared that she cherishes seeing the looks on peoples’ faces when they encounter the room for the first time. "It’s pure amazement. I am most proud of the treasured friendships and connections I’ve made with other Halloween collectors and artists," she noted. "Halloween art shows have become like family reunions to me. I’m part of a whole network of people who have Halloween up all year in their homes. It’s a whole tribe of magic makers."

Kristen also told Bored Panda that there’s extreme financial flexibility when it comes to decorating for Halloween. "Of course, one can go out and collect artist-made pieces and load up on the plentiful stuff at major retailers," she noted. "If someone doesn’t want to make such a large time and/or financial investment, they can reuse and repurpose what they have."

"Cut out masks, bats, and witch hats out of black paper and temporarily adhere them over photos and pictures you already have," the expert recommends. "If you have spooky books, pull them forward and feature them as decorations. Thrift shops are great places to find deeply discounted old scary books. Books also make great display stands for seasonal Halloween décor."

"The best thing about Halloween decorating is it doesn’t need to be perfect," Kristen added. "Rough and imperfect is charming. Bring in some old, clean twigs from outside and make a spooky tree. Jump on the trend of painting cute ghosts on thrifted paintings and prints. A witch’s apothecary can be created out of old bottles and jars filled with candy, things found in nature, glitter, kitchen spices, anything that makes your imagination sparkle."

If you'd like to hear more tips from Kristen or immerse yourself in spooky season vibes, be sure to check out the Halloween Art and Travel podcast!

Are you feeling inspired to turn your humble abode into a spooky sanctuary, pandas? We hope you’re enjoying these fabulous inspiration pics, and please, keep upvoting the ones you find most creative. Have fun scrolling through the rest of this spooky list, and then if you’re interested in checking out even more Halloween decor, you can find Bored Panda’s last article on the same topic right here!