Cute Not ScaryNo. 6537 · The 2026 edition
45 Non-Traditional Halloween Decorating and Entertaining Ideas
Forget orange and black! These 40+ Halloween decorating ideas are bursting with rainbow colors and cute vibes.
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at hgtv.com.
A collection of colorful, non-spooky Halloween DIYs, including a rainbow pumpkin wreath, a rainbow pumpkin arch, a spooky-cute beverage dispenser, and an eye-catching cocktail garnish.
About this
An HGTV photo gallery of 45 Halloween decorating and entertaining ideas that skip the usual black and orange in favor of bright, pastel, rainbow, metallic and muted looks. It walks through painted, decoupaged and glittered pumpkins, colorful wreaths, porch, mantel, tablescape and bookshelf displays, plus a few party-friendly food and drink touches. Each slide credits a blogger or designer and links out to a fuller how-to.
The plan
- Choose a non-traditional palette — pastels, rainbow, metallics, blues or muted taupe — instead of black and orange
- Opt for reusable pieces that work year-round, like a bamboo-footed planter and a ceramic serving bowl
- Give a beverage display height by placing the dispenser on top of an upside-down bowl
- Limit candy to three or four colors so the platter reads as a styled palette
- Layer matte-painted pumpkins with metallic gourds to add drama to a table, mantel or porch
- Spray-paint mismatched thrift store candleholders to match your tapered candles
- Cut layered printed napkins down to only the top printed sheet before decoupaging
- If decoupaged pumpkins will be outdoors, spray on an acrylic sealer to protect them
Decoration ideas
- Glam-edition Halloween decorating and DIY guide for readers who are over black and orange — a roundup of charmingly cute, non-spooky ideas.
- A pretty playhouse given a spooky-twist with giant cobwebs and a ghost wearing a witch's hat (by Ashley Wilson of At Home With Ashley).
- A pastel rainbow pumpkin wreath hanging on a sage green door.
- A rainbow arch built from PVC pipes and spray paint, paired with vibrant painted pumpkins.
- A pink front door dressed with festive garland and a matching wreath for 'Fall-oween' vibes.
- Clean, minimal Halloween entryway: a console layered with mini pumpkins, a botanical print from Target, a lantern and a vase of branches picked from the front yard (by blogger Made by Carli).
- A taupe, muted fireplace mantel setup that reads equal parts creepy, stylish and cute (by Cynthia Morena of Hot Pink Pineapples).
- Boo-zy beverage dispenser: cute adhesive vinyl stickers applied to a glass beverage dispenser from HomeGoods (stickers peel off when the party ends), with the dispenser set on an upside-down bowl for height (by Amber Kemp-Gerstel of Damask Love).
- Eyeball cocktail garnish: a large gumball decorated with a food-safe marker to look like an eye and slid onto a skewer, served in a holographic stemless wine glass.
- Spooky-sweet candy charcuterie: start with a large melamine platter, limit candy to three or four colors max for a pretty palette, and add a fun element such as ceramic eyeball salt and pepper shakers.
- Ghost candy bowl for trick-or-treaters: nest a ceramic bowl on top of a planter, cover both with a tablecloth (tucking the excess under the planter), cut eyes and a mouth from black felt and adhere with double-sided tape, then fill with candy.
- 'Hey Boo' kitchen message with bats stenciled above the stove (by Rebecca Propes of Rebecca DIY).
- A kitchen shelf styled with pink and orange pumpkins and a pretty print for a girly take on classic Halloween.
- A spooky-cute Halloween cake in a pink, gold and orange color trio, decorated with vibrant card stock, wood skewers and twine.
- A Halloween bar cart made sweet with sprinkles, balloons and lots of pink.
- A candy 'charCUTErie' board loaded with colorful candy to brighten the tablescape.
- A non-traditional fall front door: a DIY fall wreath and matching doormat in shades of blue and yellow with layered pumpkins and flowers against a bright turquoise door (from HGTV Magazine).
- Watercolor-style painted pumpkin: a matte aqua base with bold, imperfect pink and orange strokes forming peach posies and finished with dimensional emerald leaves (by artist Amy Moffat).
- Warm-toned natural materials layered on a surface and topped with an array of bright pumpkins (by Kim of Xo My Home).
- A transitional Halloween porch with pops of pink: wreaths by Kandi's Kreations Co. on a bright yellow door and cozy lights by Copperworks Lighting (by Sara McDaniel of Simply Southern Cottage).
- DIY polka-dot pumpkins: spray paint craft pumpkins, let the paint dry, then add ChromaLabel stickers in a shape and color of your choosing (by Kate Dreyer of Kate Decorates).
- A lavender pumpkin table setting with pumpkins painted by the family, gold flatware, taper candles and a scarf used as the table runner (by designer Sallie J. Lord of GreyHunt Interiors).
- DIY Dia de los Muertos birds: thrifted wooden birds painted with the Mexican holiday in mind, styled with taper candles and a serape blanket (by Stephanie Watkins of Casa Watkins Living).
- Metallic fall tablescape: miniature pastel pumpkins with a gleaming metallic gold fairytale gourd; layer matte-painted pumpkins with metallic gourds for drama on a table, mantel or porch.
- A DIY fringe moon: a shiny, colorful half-moon made from leftovers of a party backdrop (by Kara Whitten of Kailo Chic).
- A DIY roving wall hanging where bats bring the spooky and muted pumpkins cheer it all up.
- DIY iridescent planters made with spray paint and iridescent vinyl that pop against traditional Halloween decorations.
- Pink pumpkins paired with vibrant orange ones, plus an eye-catching hocus pocus banner.
- Shimmering pumpkins: DIY color-blocked pumpkins layered with mirror balls for Halloween disco vibes.
- A super-spooky fireplace framed with peel-and-stick black cobweb wallpaper, with painted pumpkins and hanging banners topping the mantel.
- Bright orange and pink pumpkins used to Halloween-up a blush velvet couch, including a metallic mini pink pumpkin.
- Mini pumpkins painted and carved in pastel shades, then stacked on a staircase (by Ashley Rose of Sugar and Cloth).
- A Halloween porch topped with a pink DIY pumpkin wreath and plaid pumpkins by the doormat (by Jolie Carrier of Vintage Meets Glam).
- A muted tablescape: spray-paint mismatched thrift store candleholders the same shade as the tapered candles, then add bright mums and pumpkins painted with chalk paint (from HGTV Magazine).
- A pink haunted playhouse with a pink flood light and string lights on the ceiling and mini pumpkins painted by the kids (by Ceres Mercurio of The Pink Dream).
- Yellow emoji pumpkins made with a little yellow paint and construction paper.
- A cheeky DIY doormat made from a cheap coir mat, some paint and a free downloadable template.
- Decoupaged pumpkins covered with printed napkins and Mod Podge for a pink-and-blue Halloween elegance.
- ROYGBIV bookshelves: built-in shelves styled in rainbow order with red devils, orange pumpkins, yellow picture frames, green vampires, blue micros.
Food & drink
- Boo-zy beverage dispenser: adhesive vinyl stickers applied to a glass beverage dispenser, set on an upside-down bowl for height.
- Eyeball cocktail garnish: a large gumball decorated with a food-safe marker to look like an eye and slid onto a skewer, served in a holographic stemless wine glass.
- Spooky-sweet candy charcuterie: a large melamine platter with candy limited to three or four colors max, plus ceramic eyeball salt and pepper shakers.
- Ghost candy bowl for trick-or-treaters: a ceramic bowl nestled on a planter and covered with a tablecloth, with black felt eyes and mouth, filled with candy.
- A candy 'charCUTErie' board loaded with colorful candy to brighten the tablescape.
- A spooky-cute Halloween cake in a pink, gold and orange color trio, decorated with vibrant card stock, wood skewers and twine.
More photos
Photos hosted by hgtv.com.
