Today is Halloween, a holiday primarily celebrated in the English-speaking Western world, said to have originated in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Over time, it evolved into a holiday characterized by various traditions, including decorations and dressing up in costumes.
One of the most iconic Halloween traditions is for people of all ages, especially children, to dress up in a wide range of costumes, from classic monsters like vampires, witches, and mummies to pop culture figures, superheroes, and various creative and imaginative outfits. The practice of wearing costumes on Halloween is believed to have originated from the Celtic belief that during Samhain, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, making it easier for spirits to return to Earth. People would wear costumes to disguise themselves from these wandering spirits.
The practice of wearing costumes on Halloween is believed to have originated from the Celtic belief that during Samhain, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, making it easier for spirits to return to Earth. People would wear costumes to disguise themselves from these wandering spirits.
Also, a big part of the festivities is decorating your home, yard, or business with various Halloween-themed items to create a spooky and festive atmosphere. Common decorations include jack-o’-lanterns (carved pumpkins with candles inside), skeletons, tombstones, witches, ghosts, bats, black cats, spider webs, and eerie lighting. Meant to evoke the macabre and supernatural elements associated with Halloween, they are also the perfect backdrop for a party that allows people to express their creativity through costumes and decorations while enjoying the spooky, mysterious, and sometimes eerie aspects of the season. It’s a time for communities to come together, enjoy festivities, and embrace a bit of the supernatural in a lighthearted manner.
Below you can find five DIY Halloween decorations or costume ideas to get you in the mood – or give inspiration for a last-minute idea. Happy Halloween everyone!
DIY Wreath With Flying Bats – Halloween Decoration
This fun bat-themed DIY Halloween wreath will dress up your door & and get your home ready to welcome all the trick-or-treaters and spooktacular guests you might enjoy over the season. The idea for this Halloween wreath is to combine things you might already have at home or at your disposal, which help you create a homemade wreath just to your liking and the style of your decor. I myself combined a ready-made wicker wreath base with some old artificial flowers and a bunch of hand-cut paper bats – which I attached to the wreath with some spring-shaped metal wire, to create a flying colony of bats.
DIY Rattling Bones Garland – Halloween Decoration
Halloween is all about dressing up, decorations, and getting spooky and creepy. Oh and of course filling up on candy and sweets till you drop dead. A big part is the fun costumes and decorations which help you get into the Halloween spirit. Some go all-out and deck their home from top to floor, some like it more modest. One clever and easy way to add some fitting ambiance is garlands. Not too messy, easy to hang up, and most often only requires materials you will be handy anyway. And simple enough to make with the small ones as well, so something fun to make with the whole family.
DIY Bat Hat! – Last Minute Halloween Costume
Headwear seems to be my way to approach this holiday of costumes and dressing up, and I know why. I’m a super picky dresser. My wardrobe consists of marely black dresses, shirts, and pants, with an odd white dress shirt thrown in, which unfortunately represents the cliche of a Scandinavian designer to a tee. But as I’m not one to diverge from my comfort zone, but have an enormous love for hats – headwear is the perfect Halloween costume option for me – and anyone like-minded!
DIY Bear Mask – Halloween Decoration
Looking for a last-minute Halloween costume? Sounds familiar. Somehow Halloween managed to creep up on me (hehe, pun intended) this year. Well, it happens almost every year, and every year I end up franticly looking for a costume at the last minute. Then end up pulling together something that’s obviously an after thought, and get green with envy for others’ amazing costumes. But this year, Wintercroft printable DIY masks totally saved me. Every paper lover must-go costume!
DIY Bat Mobile – Halloween Decoration
Looking for a last-minute Halloween costume? Sounds familiar. Somehow Halloween managed to creep up on me (hehe, pun intended) this year. Well, it happens almost every year, and every year I end up franticly looking for a costume at the last minute. Then end up pulling together something that’s obviously an after thought, and get green with envy for others’ amazing costumes. But this year, Wintercroft printable DIY masks totally saved me. Every paper lover must-go costume!