Haunted House Decorations

 The best haunted houses are sparsely decorated with an emphasis on various effects, like lighting, temperature and sound. To achieve this, try these recommendations:

De-clutter the "Haunted" Space

If possible, arrange furniture in your living area (or, wherever you want your guests to congregate) so that there are clear walking paths from the door of one haunted room to the door of the next.

Don't Forget the Corners

For just this one night, you want your home to look as neglected as possible.

Decorate your corners (plus your tabletops and picture frames) with spooky fake cobwebs and bobbing "ghosts."

Bobbing Ghosts

To create bobbing ghosts, pick up a few helium balloons from a party supply store and cover with old sheets. But, first, dye the sheets grey and cut around the edges so they appear old and tattered.

The balloons will sway and move around the room. Or tie the sheets together in a corner or designated area to keep your "ghosts" sedentary.

Tabletops

Go crazy with plastic spiders, bats and other creepy crawlers. Place them strategically around picture frames, books and whatever else sits on your tables, cabinets and countertops.

These 2-inch Plastic Spiders look pretty realistic and have extra-long legs, which make them easy to affix to items.

Dim the Lights

Darkness is often much more frightening than anything you can see in the light, so do your best to eliminate unnecessary lights and rely on candles and window light. A few Skull Candles placed on high surfaces (to more efficiently cast shadows) along with a Black Candelabra will go a long way.

Cool It Down

Have you ever wondered why horror film heroines are always so cold? Because they're skulking around abandoned buildings and cemeteries!

Re-create the feeling by altering the temperature to a (slightly) cooler than normal. To make the room look colder and more like a graveyard, try investing in Halloween Express' remote-controlled Fog Machine. Just turn it on and your home is instantly a terrifying, late night cemetery.

Cue the Sound Effects

Use traditional sound effectsin a tongue and cheek nod to haunted houses, or go the unexpected route and download some tracks from a scary movie soundtrack.

We recommend using Halloween: Original Soundtrack. It's loaded with creepy/cool songs with titles like "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Only Women Bleed."