Cute Not ScaryNo. 5273 · The 2026 edition

Halloween Decor With A Touch of Whimsy

Whimsical, kid-friendly Halloween with a touch of 'icky' rather than macabre and gory decor

Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at followtheyellowbrickhome.com.

About this

Amber Lyon Ferguson shares how she decorates her 1926 American Foursquare home for Halloween with a whimsical, kid-friendly touch instead of gore, as part of a Halloween Home Tour hosted by Tammy of Pink Peppermint Design with six other bloggers. The post walks through her skeleton and witch characters on the porch, kitchen and music room vignettes, antique photograph and cabinet card decor, a repurposed whisk-broom witch's broom, and repurposed spice-jar treats. It also covers her low-storage approach to seasonal decorating, her trick-or-treat night food tradition, and how to join the Hauntingly Beautiful Decor Halloween Link Party.

The plan

Choose a whimsical or 'icky' Halloween look rather than macabre and gory decor so children get a smile instead of a scare.
Downsize Halloween storage: keep one large tote of indoor decor and one large tote of outdoor decor instead of hoarding.
The week leading up to Halloween — Rotate the main characters (Geraldine the Witch and Ms. Beatrice Bones) around the porch and yard doing different funny tasks all through the week leading up to Halloween.
Shop your own house for vintage, thrifted and antique pieces to reuse as Halloween decor rather than buying mass-produced items.
Year-round — Watch for unique, interesting items year-round at yard sales and thrift stores that could double as Halloween decorations.
Add a few Halloween accessories to everyday decor instead of packing everything away and dragging it back out.
The week of Halloween — Save traditional orange, black and purple decor for the week of Halloween so the house does not feel cluttered and chaotic.
Throughout October — Move a favorite skeleton such as Mr. Bones into different vignettes throughout October.
Trick-or-treat night — Invite family and friends over on trick-or-treat night to hang out on the porch and help pass out candy.
Style the antique shabby-farmhouse dresser by the staircase as a Halloween vignette.
Early in October — Photograph the mantel and living room early, since rainy, dark October days can prevent getting enough photos.
Every Saturday through Wednesday in October — Link up your own Halloween decor or craft posts to the Hauntingly Beautiful Decor Halloween Link Party, live every Saturday through Wednesday in October.
Follow the other Halloween Home Tour blogs for more inspiration.

Decoration ideas

Ms. Beatrice Bones, a skeleton dressed as a chic master gardener, greeting trick-or-treaters on the front porch amid the flowers.
Geraldine the Witch on the porch, styled after her 'bewitching makeover' with a new hairstyle and bling.
The two character gals staged on the porch together enjoying Geraldine's hot brew in Rae Dunn mugs while making Halloween plans.
Neutral skeletons and skulls worked into neutral decor and vignettes, with pops of Halloween seasonal color in the kitchen.
A fall garden themed kitchen tray converted into a 'rotten garden treats' tray by adding Halloween items.
A garden spider web spun among the kitchen herbs.
Three vintage black and white transferware saucers stacked to hold a trio of Halloween treats plus a centipede and moss 'appetizer'.
An upcycled vintage witch's broom whisk made from a vintage whisk broom embellished with a Dollar Tree skeleton, a vintage 'missing time' watch face, vintage lace, fabric scraps, a black crow feather and a whimsical witch hang tag.
Repurposed spice bottles labeled 'Twisted Treats,' 'Earth Worms' and 'Rotten Sweets' used as Halloween treat decor.
A Beethoven bust dressed as a pirate in the music room to greet music students and visitors.
Faux cobwebs draped lightly over an antique mirror and vintage frames.
Two small vintage bust statues wearing masquerade blindfolds, ready for Halloween games.
A rubber spider web worn as a 1920s style fascinator.
Mr. Bones, the favorite indoor skeleton, displayed on a tall standing candelabra so he appears to float once the sun goes down.
Mr. Bones added to the fall mantel as a quick, early-month nod to Halloween.
Antique photographs and cabinet cards ('adopted ancestors') displayed for Halloween, with witch hats added to a photo of 'happy sisters?'.
Two very old circus performer cabinet cards used as Halloween decor.
The 'hauntingly beautiful lady,' a 10-cent yard sale portrait with scratched-out eyes, first given silly foam stick-on eyes and later an all-seeing eye when moved to the mantel.
Lots of green in the Halloween decor, including various mosses, natural accents and creepy crawling things, plus plenty of skulls, bones and skeletons.
A vintage style fly/bee pillow used for the whimsical Halloween look even though it is not a Halloween decoration.
A vintage style Crosley radio in the music room playing spooky music.
The antique shabby-farmhouse dresser by the staircase styled as a 'hauntingly beautiful' Halloween vignette of oddities and curiosities.
An old-fashioned neighborhood porch done over the top for kids and big kids.
A Halloween mantel featuring the hauntingly beautiful lady as its focal point.

Food & drink

Two huge crock pots of homemade turkey chili made every trick-or-treat night for family and friends helping on the porch.
'Twisted Treats' (black licorice) in a repurposed spice jar.
'Earth Worms' (gummy worms) in a repurposed spice jar.
'Rotten Sweets' (chocolate eyeballs) in a repurposed spice jar.
Geraldine's 'hot brew' served on the porch in the latest Rae Dunn mugs.
A 'centipede and moss appetizer' staged among the yucky Halloween treats on the kitchen tray.

Activities

Host family and friends on the porch on trick-or-treat night to pass out candy together.
Restyle the skeleton and witch characters in new funny poses and tasks on the porch or in the yard throughout the week before Halloween to give neighbors and passers-by a smile.
Crack the music room window on trick-or-treat night so haunting melodies from the halls of Hogwarts or creepy Halloween tunes drift out to trick-or-treaters.
Join the Hauntingly Beautiful Decor Halloween Link Party, live every Saturday through Wednesday in October, to share your own Halloween decor or craft posts.
Follow the other Halloween Home Tour blogs hosted by Tammy of Pink Peppermint Design along with six other bloggers for more inspiration.