Porch & PatioNo. 5025 · The 2026 edition
A Merry Halloween: Porch Decor And More!
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at followtheyellowbrickhome.com.
About this
A Halloween home-decor post that argues for a light, merry take on the holiday rather than a dark or sinister one. The author walks through her porch and indoor vignettes, including a skeleton and a witch dressed in whimsical scenes, a purple-and-green Halloween tablescape, vintage postcards, and collected antique Halloween toys. She also shares how she keeps decor simple with one tote indoors and one outdoors, plus a few ideas for a low-key Halloween get-together.
The plan
- Decide on a tone: keep Halloween decor light, funny and kid-friendly rather than scary, so it delights trick-or-treaters instead of frightening them.
- Pair the funny, merry pieces with a separate set of elegant, 'hauntingly beautiful' vignettes for a balanced look.
- Give recurring figures a fresh look each year (e.g., a skeleton or witch re-styled to match current trends).
- Cull decorations — the author reduced ~12 large totes down to one indoor tote kept in the basement and one outdoor tote in the garage.
- Shop yard sales, estate sales and library discard piles for affordable vintage pieces (blow molds, Jim Shore figures, old books, toys).
- Fill gaps cheaply with Dollar Tree items such as faux purple roses and succulents.
- Mix everyday household objects and vintage found treasures with traditional Halloween decor instead of buying more commercial decorations.
- Keep a basket of Halloween books and games out for little ones in the family room.
- Plan the color scheme first and carry it from the porch to an indoor tablescape (this year: purple and green).
- Disguise an in-progress remodel by setting a small table and a large antique picture in front of the messy fireplace area.
Decoration ideas
- Antique Halloween postcards and vintage ephemera displayed to show 'merry' Halloween characters
- Skeleton figure ('Ms. Beatrice Bones') restyled every year — this year rocking a big buffalo plaid and burlap bow
- Skeletons dressed in silly outfits and posed in funny scenarios instead of frightening ones
- Witch figure ('Gertie') given a 'bewitching makeover' as a friendly garden witch with a green thumb
- Garden themed witch with purple and green autumn kale, green pumpkins and purple succulents
- Black petunias and spectacular mums around the witch display
- Witch's eye makeup and nails color coordinated to match her purple garden theme
- Big white fluffy 'Shabby Tabby' cat prop in place of creepy scrawny black cats
- Witch-and-skeleton garden luncheon scene, each with a favorite Rae Dunn mug
- Indoor Halloween tablescape styled in the purple and green color scheme
- Purple roses and succulents from the Dollar Tree
- Green moss combined with vintage tarnished silver plate pieces and succulents
- Vignette inspired by an old Frankenstein book rescued from a library discard pile
- Vintage photo of 'little Frankie' worked into the Frankenstein vignette
- Green and white striped gourds for early fall styling
- Wooden round tray display reworked for Halloween with a few simple changes
- Halloween witch brooms made from vintage whisk brooms, Halloween tags and altered embellishments
- Favorite witch broom made with a skeleton, vintage ribbon, an old watch face and a funny tag
- Kept Rae Dunn spooky black cat piece
- Primitive-style Halloween decorations
- Four Jim Shore Halloween figures found as a cheap yard sale 'instacollection'
- Vintage Halloween blow molds in the family room
- Basket of Halloween books and games for little ones
- Mantel and fireplace with traditional and vintage Halloween touches that are creepy but still fun and merry
- Small vintage stove used as a prop for Halloween (and winter) vignettes, with its reddish-orange flames highlighted
- Antique clown noise maker
- Everyday items used as decor: an old pool ball, a black croquet ball, and a 13 card from a vintage Flinch card game
- 1960's-era classic movie monster toys in the style of army men, possibly a cereal mail-in giveaway
- Owl figure with beautiful eyes used as 'pretty creepy' decor
- Vintage orange tinsel and a reproduction postcard garland spelling out 'A Merry Halloween' on the mantel
- Frenchy vintage owl postcard pillow
- Cloche filled with mini skulls
- Creepy-but-fun Halloween touches on the mantel and fireplace
- Vintage Halloween cupcake and cake toppers (little black cats and happy Jack-o'-lantern men) displayed as nostalgia
Food & drink
- Cupcakes and cakes topped with vintage toppers shaped like little black cats and happy Jack-o'-lantern men
- A whimsical garden luncheon for the witch and skeleton figures, served with a strong brew in Rae Dunn mugs
- Candy for the trick-or-treaters (the author notes that for most people Halloween is all about the candy, fun costumes and nostalgia)
Activities
- Halloween get-together built around card games — a vintage Flinch game is suggested; Uno is joked about but ruled out because arguments over wild card rules would spoil the merry mood
- Planning trick-or-treat night as a chance to bring joy, laughter and light to the neighborhood kids rather than scares
- Reading Halloween books and playing Halloween games from the family room basket
- Instagram giveaway (the author ran a Halloween Rae Dunn giveaway for reaching 4K followers, with a Thanksgiving Rae Dunn giveaway planned for 5K)
- Halloween blog hop / link party participation and a final round-up of top posts
More photos
Photos hosted by followtheyellowbrickhome.com.
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