Halloween Decorations
Start with light. Two carved pumpkins with LED lights inside and one string of orange lights make a porch look done from the street. Add one big piece, a skeleton or an inflatable, and stop. More is not better. Below are the decorations that earn their place, and the stencils that go with them.
Last updated 2026-09-02
The porch in three moves
One: two pumpkins, carved or painted, one each side of the door, each with an LED light. Two: one string of orange or purple lights along the rail. Three: one big thing. A five-foot skeleton, an inflatable, or a tombstone set. That is a finished porch.
Outdoor pieces that hold up
Plastic tombstones with ground stakes. Posable skeletons. Inflatables with a built-in fan. Lawn stakes with lights. Anything made of cardboard or thin fabric will be in the neighbour's yard by morning.
Inside the house
A paper bat garland along one wall. A black tablecloth. Candles in jars, LED not flame. A bowl of small pumpkins. One room done well beats every room done a little.
Light without fire
LED puck lights inside pumpkins. Flameless tea lights in jars. Orange string lights on the rail. A fog machine on the step if you want to go further. None of it gets hot. Battery LED lights eliminate the open flame, but follow manufacturer instructions.
Pumpkins are the cheapest decoration
A real pumpkin costs less than any plastic decoration, and a stencil turns it into the thing people look at. Seven free stencils are below, two Halloween and five animals, no email needed.
Decorations on Amazon
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Lights for the pumpkins
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Questions
- What are the easiest outdoor Halloween decorations?
- Two carved or painted pumpkins with LED lights, one string of orange lights, and one large piece such as a skeleton or an inflatable.
- How do I light a pumpkin safely?
- Use an LED puck light or flameless tea light inside. They do not get hot and they do not blow out. Follow the maker's instructions, and switch lights off when nobody is home.
- When should I put Halloween decorations up?
- Most people put them up in the first two weeks of October. Carve pumpkins in the last week so they are still fresh on the night.
- What Halloween decorations survive rain?
- Plastic tombstones with stakes, posable plastic skeletons, and inflatables with a built-in fan. Cardboard and thin fabric do not.
- Do LED pumpkin lights look as good as a candle?
- A flickering LED is hard to tell from a candle from the street, and the pumpkin lasts longer because nothing inside gets hot.
The pumpkin still needs a face
Two Halloween stencils and a five-design starter pack are free. No email, no catch.