This weekend we spent a few hours sorting through what we already owned and making quick runs to Target and Michael’s for a handful of affordable Halloween accents. With a silver candy bowl, a faux crow, two votive holders, a plate, one red candle, two white faux pumpkins and a few black feathers, we transformed three areas—the console table, coffee table and dining table—into spooky focal points without going overboard.
We put together a short video showing how we repurposed everything from an Old Navy scarf to dog treats to create the look on a small budget:
For those who can’t watch the video right away, here’s a concise summary. We aimed for an Edgar Allan Poe–meets–Twilight/True Blood vibe, skipping the usual orange and autumn leaves in favor of high-contrast black-and-white accessories with a few dramatic accents like a black crow and DIY bleeding candles.
On the console table we used a rough scrap of burlap as a runner and clustered candlesticks and votives around the new silver candy bowl.
We pulled a few books with black spines and suitably spooky titles into the arrangement to add height and texture.
At a flea market we discovered old printing blocks spelling LOVE and realized a small alteration turned it into EVOL—one letter away from EVIL. We flipped over the O block and marked an I on the blank wood back to create a cheeky, slightly sinister greeting that fits the display.
John had some Photoshop fun with our wedding photo, turning our faces into skulls and framing the result above the console table. Swapping or altering art is an easy, low-cost way to add dark, creepy interest to your walls—from silhouettes to spiderweb sketches, there are plenty of DIY options.
For the coffee table we gathered every candlestick and votive holder we owned—mercury glass, crystal and plain glass—and grouped them together for an eclectic, candlelit centerpiece.
We used white taper candles we already had and bought one inexpensive red candle (69 cents) to melt and drip red wax down the tops of the existing candles—a simple Martha Stewart trick that gives a dramatic “bleeding” effect.
The result felt perfectly moody—an arrangement that could belong in a gothic novel or a supernatural TV show.
On the dining table we repurposed an Old Navy scarf as a runner—the black-and-gray pattern almost looked like a spiderweb—and used a glass greenhouse that once held a fern to showcase a silhouette of Burger, our pet. Encasing the silhouette in glass makes it read like a specimen or an eerie science experiment. We added an old stopwatch for a vintage, mad-scientist touch.
Elevating the dome on a cake stand added height and a focal point. We finished the table with two white faux pumpkins, two hurricane candle holders from the den, and two white ceramic pears. Small ceramic-looking bones—actually Burger’s oyster-based, odorless dog treats—made convincing props scattered among the decorations. They cost about $2 for a bag of 15 at Target; we used six on the table and saved the rest for treats.
We pulled items from closets, cabinets and even Burger’s treat jar to create three coordinated yet distinct Halloween arrangements. For those who like a budget breakdown, here’s what we bought:
- Silver candy bowl – $14 (Target)
- Faux crow – $4 (Michael’s)
- Smoky glass votives – $7 for two (Target)
- Skull plate – $2 (Target)
- Red candle – $0.69 (Michael’s)
- Two faux pumpkins – $5 for both (Michael’s)
- Black feathers – $2 (Michael’s)
- Grand Total: $34.69 (about $11 per arrangement)
Not a bad investment when a few pieces—like the silver bowl and smoky votives—can be reused year-round. We now have a simple collection of Halloween accents to repurpose for future seasons. But first, we’ll need to hand out candy to the neighborhood’s little ghosts and ghouls—around 30 hungry trick-or-treaters are expected at our door this year.
Handing out candy and getting together with friends are two of our favorite Halloween traditions. What about you? Do you decorate, go trick-or-treating, or host a gathering? We’d love to hear your DIY decorating ideas. Stay tuned for more Halloween projects coming up, from pumpkin carving to porch decorating and other simple, budget-friendly ideas.