Favorite Halloween Decorating Ideas: Day 6

Courtesy of H. Camille Smith

Hi Friends,

Craft a Litter of Black Cats. Turn a sheet of plywood into these simple cat silhouettes that keep a baleful eye on Halloween visitors with glowing eyes created by backing moon-shaped cut-outs with small, battery powered lights.

Haunted Terrarium or Cookie Jar


Add a little Halloween "spirit" to your kitchen counter. All you need is a large glass jar, basic craft supplies and a little imagination. This easy project is perfect to do with kids, they'll love coming up with ideas for spooky details. Get crafting with our step-by-step instructions.

Turn a Pallet Into a Jack-O'-Lantern

From: Sam Henderson

Spook up your front porch, walkway, foyer or any dark corner with this rustic recycling project that uses a (free!) wood pallet to craft a Halloween pumpkin you can display year after year. Learn how to make your own with our step-by-step instructions.

Light Up Your Front Porch

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Prep your front porch or entryway for the arrival of trick-or-treaters or Halloween guests with the sweet aroma of candy-corn-filled hurricanes. To create them, place pillar candles inside clear glass hurricanes of different sizes then fill each hurricane, roughly halfway, with candy corn. For safety, be sure to blow out the candle before it burns below the candy.

Invite Bugs to the Dinner Table

From: Marian Parsons

Give inexpensive white dinner plates a creepy-crawly makeover with black ceramic paint and easy-to-create bug silhouettes. Learn how to make the painted plates food-safe.

Trick or Treat...

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Favorite Halloween Decorating Ideas: Day 5

Courtesy of H. Camille Smith

Hi Friends,

Craft a (Cute!) Owl Pumpkin. You don't need an intricate pattern or advanced pumpkin-carving skills to turn a fresh pumpkin and white gourds into this adorable decoration. Learn how to make your own.

Tiny Ghost Town

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Matte black spray paint turns craft store birdhouses into an eerie mini landscape. To bump up the creep factor, add oversized spiders, rubber snakes or faux birds to your scene.

Glam Glittered Pumpkins

From: Marian Parsons

School glue and black glitter are all you need to give natural or faux pumpkins a chic makeover. Choose an easy pattern for crafting with kids or go with a timeless design, like a monogram or graphic pattern, for a sophisticated look. Get step-by-step instructions.

Craft a Cheery Orange Wreath


Bright orange tow rope makes it a snap to craft a cheery orange wreath you can display from Halloween through Thanksgiving. Just swap out the saying on the mini pumpkins for an easy holiday update. Learn how to make your own with these step-by-step instructions.

Whip Up a Little Poison

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Don't toss that old bottle. Instead turn it into sleek Halloween decor. To get the look: Thoroughly clean the glass; once dry, coat each bottle with one coat of spray primer and 2-3 coats of matte black spray paint. Add a handwritten label and display your potent potables as a group.

Trick or Treat...

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Favorite Halloween Decorating Ideas: Day 4

Courtesy of H. Camille Smith
Photography by Sarah Busby

Hi Friends,

Monster Up Your Mum. Give your entryway a not-too-scary Halloween update with this easy-to-craft blooming beastie. These step-by-step instructions will make this front porch fix-up a snap.

Make a Mini "Pumpkin" Wreath

From: Marian Parsons

Although the tiny orange shapes covering this wreath look like diminutive pumpkins, they're actually putka pods. A great stand-in for mini pumpkins, the dried organic seed pods don't deteriorate, so your wreath can be displayed year after year. Get crafting instructions to make your own.

Or, Ditch the Wreath for a Basket Instead

From: H. Camille Smith
Photo By: Sarah Busby

1 basket, 3 holidays. Make swapping out your Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations a snap by upgrading multiple wreaths for a single straw tote or basket you can fill to fit the season. Bonus: Add vinyl house numbers for a custom touch.

Craft a Classic Banner

Photo By: Rennai Hoefer

You certainly don't need sorcery on your side to magic up this budget-friendly decoration. These free printable template makes it a snap. Get these step-by-step instructions.

Stencil One On

Photo By: Ruth Meharg

Pumpkin-carving patterns and paint markers are put to good use to turn a bit of white fabric into a festive Halloween tablecloth. Learn how to make your own.

Trick or Treat...

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Favorite Halloween Decorating Ideas: Day 3

Courtesy of Sam Henderson
Photography by Sam Henderson

Hi Friends,

Turn a Peaceful Plant Into a Man-Eating Monster. Betcha never thought about giving your houseplants a Halloween makeover, right?! Hit the hardware and craft stores for supplies to turn the humblest of household residents into a devilish denizen. Get crafting with step-by-step instructions.

Or, a Mum Into a Friendly Ghost

From: H. Camille Smith
Photo By: Sarah Busby

This project's easy assembly makes it perfect to craft with the kiddos. Get an assist from your little ghouls to make this cute planter with personality. These step-by-step instructions show you how.

Give Arachnophobes a Fright

From: Sam Henderson
Photo By: Sam Henderson

Inexpensive (and removable) supplies give an everyday shade a creepy-crawly makeover that's only visible when illuminated. Learn how to craft this lampshade with a scary surprise.

Craft a Few Ghostly Visitors

Photo By: Mark Fonville/Hortus Ltd.

Create these fun, floating ghostly shapes with a little formed chicken wire, gauzy cheese cloth and liquid fabric starch. A battery-operated florescent light give the apparitions a spooky glow.

Witch Up Your Pumpkin


Magic up this not-too-scary witch for your front porch or entryway using a faux pumpkin and basic supplies from the craft store. Create a friendly witch to welcome Halloween guests or a scowling witch to keep mischief-makers at bay. These step-by-step instructions make it easy to craft your own.

Trick or Treat...

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Happy Columbus Day!

Hi Friends,

Columbus Day is a celebration of discovery and adventure. Hopefully, we have given you great ideas to discover the interior designer in you and the spirit of adventure to create your perfect space.

Happy Columbus Day from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Favorite Halloween Decorating Ideas: Day 2

Courtesy of H. Camille Smith

Happy Halloween Friends,

Create a Shadowy Scene. Adhesive black vinyl sheets and a bit of creativity turned this ordinary garage door into a shadowy Halloween scene. Best of all: It's easily removable when the season has passed. Get more tips for recreating this look.

Eerily Greet Guests

From: Sam Henderson

Give trick-or-treaters and Halloween party guests a (slight!) scare with this smaller-than-life-size headless horseman figure. Add his jack-o'-lantern head to one hand and a sign leading the way to the festivities in the other. Add a little character to your front porch with our free template and step-by-step instructions.

Create a Colorful Display

Photo By: Sarah Busby

Make a grand entrance with front porch planters filled with colorful fall annuals — like purple fountain grass, mums and ornamental sweet potato vine — surrounded by piles of pumpkins and candle-filled lanterns.

Safely Set a Spooky Tone

Photo By: Sarah Busby

Dry ice + spooky decor = a match made in Halloween heaven — but, you must use this subzero substance safely. Get all our tips for spooking up your haunted house without getting burned. Learn how to safely use dry ice.

Create a Candy Corn Piñata

From: Sam Henderson

What's Halloween without the candy, right? Construct this colorful piñata to serve as both a party decoration and crowd-pleasing game for your Halloween get-together. Get started with the free templates and step-by-step instructions.

Trickk or Treat!

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Halloween Snack Recipe of Hairy Eyeballs...

Beryl Cohen
By: Meg Hall

Happy Halloween Friends,

Turn polenta poppers into "hairy eyeballs" for Halloween by frying them and adding a bloodshot appearance with marinara sauce.

Yield: 20 poppers

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup yellow onion, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 cup ground cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup Parmesan, freshly grated

Directions

1. In a medium saucepot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan and cook until translucent.
2. Add chicken stock and heat until simmering
3. Gradually add cornmeal while whisking to prevent clumping
4. Stir until cornmeal is soft and the liquid has been mostly absorbed
5. Stir in Parmesan and butter. Season to taste
6. Pour polenta into sprayed nonstick pans (two loaf pans, preferably).
7. Once polenta is firm and cool, use a large melon baller to scoop out "eyeballs."
8. To get round balls, try to get the melon baller edges flush with the polenta surface then scoop. This will create a flat bottom and a round top.

Assembly

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 3 corn cobs, leaves removed, silk reserved, cut or torn into 1/2-inch strands
• 20 polenta "eyeballs"
• 4 whole eggs, whisked and placed in large bowl
• 1 quart canola oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Heat canola oil in medium saucepot to approximately 325 degrees F.
2. Set up dipping station with the egg mixture first, then the corn silks in separate bowls.
3. One at a time, cover the polenta balls in egg, then coat in corn silk.
4. Gently lower polenta eyeballs into the oil and fry until the corn silk is golden brown.
5. Gently place polenta eyeballs on paper towels for draining.
6. Sprinkle each with kosher salt.
7. Garnish with marinara sauce on top of the round for a bloodshot eyeball effect.

Bon Appétit...

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Live well,
Yvonne