Are your Halloween decorations going to be tasteful or trashy this year? For some people, Halloween means an opportunity to go garish. But while it’s true that many people enjoy the jokey scariness and prank-filled atmosphere of this ancient festival, some just aren’t that into the whole horror theme that seems to dominate the season.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of color in the autumn palette to characterize your home Halloween decor if you don’t feel like resorting to the macabre. The fall brings a wide variety of gorgeous colors and fruits to inspire homemade decorations and provide materials for your craft projects and household designs.

After all, the holiday has its roots in an ancient festival to celebrate the transition of the seasons. So there are plenty of good looking harvest time themes to celebrate this time of year, with decoration ideas and recipes that evoke time-honored customs and rituals.

So if you love Halloween but don’t fancy jumping on the blood-curdling bandwagon of scary Halloween decorations, why not deck your house with seasonal trimmings and flourishes instead? Here are some suggestions for decorations and ornaments to keep you in the holiday spirit:

Pumpkin decorating ideas: carve them if you want — but they’ll probably last longer if you leave them intact and decorate them instead. Try painting funny faces and giving your pumpkin characters extra personality with a hat and scarf, or perhaps even some trendy shades for a ‘cool dude’ look. Seasonal collections of fruits and gourds: these look great when artfully arranged as a mantelpiece or table display. House decor: anticipate some of the elegant Christmas trimmings by putting up a garland or front door wreath that uses autumn colors. Make a Corn Dolly: this old tradition stems from a time when farmers wished to honor the spirits of the harvest and encourage them to return the following year to provide good crops. These figures, made from bundles of wheat, can be as simple or elaborate as you wish and can form part of a centerpiece or an outdoor decoration.

Even if you prefer to give the spooky side of Halloween a miss, you can still take the opportunity to celebrate the autumnal traditions that are traditionally associated with the festival.

By: Cece Lorenz

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