Spookified!

When it comes to Halloween decorations, I guess I'm a bit more traditional.  I like all the things that remind me of my childhood - things I would see while Trick-or-Treating or things we would decorate our own house with.  I don't go over the top (mainly because our first halloween we had 2 children come to our house.  Then last year we had I think 12 kids) So it's a lot of effort to go to, when so few kids are around to enjoy it.  But I'm hoping that we'll get more kiddies each year and then I'll add to the decorations accordingly. 

I like cobwebs.  But last year I got so sick of the usual dollar store ones.  The kind you stretch out really thin and stick to the bricks on your house.  They were constantly blowing off the house and, is it just me, or are they making them with worse and worse quality?  Last year they wouldn't even stretch out without breaking apart in chunks.  Very frustrating.  So this year I spotted an idea in the Martha Stewart Halloween magazine that I thought I'd try out... 

I can't seem to find the picture of the porch that inspired me, but it's in her 2011 Halloween magazine if you're curious...

 

The tree in the above picture is the reason why I can't get a straight-on picture of my house.  The tree is dead centered on the house and goes all the way up to the second floor.  It's nice for privacy, but not so much for picture taking.

I think I'm going to stick to this web from now on!  It makes for much easier clean up and I like that it's reuseable, so that I won't have to spend money on new cobwebs every year.  And then I just may add some more of these webs for different parts of the porch as the years go on. 

Last year my sister and I took on a spider sac craft from Martha (See Martha's version here).  Using dollar store white tights, we stuffed them with cobwebs and baby spiders and glue gunned bigger spiders on the outside.

(woops!  Forgot to declutter the porch for the pic!)

A friend of mine bought me this awesome spider that is the perfect size for my new web, and it has little purple lights that flash when you turn it on for the big night!

 Inside the house I have my doily webs decking out my windows...

I had this orange vase and these black feathers so I put them together for a traditional Halloween colour scheme.  Then I saw both Sherry at YHL and Kerry at First Time Fancy do a little decorating with things they already had at home....books!  I have a bookshelf here and so I thought maybe I could try my own combo out...

I chose books based on their colour, I wanted to keep the black and orange going, and I tried to find ones that also had a spooky-ish title.  "The Art of Zombie Warfare", makes sense...."Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?"...well, it was orange....and if there was ever a zombie warfare, I'd definitely want my mum around.  And "Almost", it was black.  And maybe we only "Almost" survived the zombie warfare??  Ok maybe I'm reaching...but I like it!

I had to throw the cheesy pumpkin candle holder in there and a little white candle to go with the white book.  I enjoy! 

I didn't make these this year, but here's some fun Halloween treats I've made before

Apple slices and almond teeth

Hot dogs wrapped in tortillas with bloody ketchup nails (which I would never eat because I think ketchup is disgusting, but if you don't, give them a whirl!)

Carrots with almond nails in spinach dip

So there you go, just a little Halloween decor around here...I've already got a few things I want to make next year to add to it all!

***update, we had 32 trick-or-treaters this year, more than double than last year!
Are you into decorating for Halloween?  Do you like to make your own decor?  Any fun treats you make?