Vintage Halloween decorations will impress your guests far more than anything you can pick up at a big box store. Even better, you can gather them yourself or get them on the cheap. Here are some tips to recreate Halloween décor as it was at the beginning of the 20th century:
Avoid the trendy, and go with the traditional. Witches, pumpkins and black cats have always been in Halloween style.
Light up the lanterns. Stick with lanterns as your primary source of light for your Halloween party. All types of lanterns, not just Jack-O-Lanterns, were popular as Halloween decorations. Vintage lanterns included Chinese lanterns, cat's heads and owl heads.
Create spooky silhouettes. Using large sheets of black cardboard, cut out silhouettes of cats and witches on brooms, and tape them to the walls. If you really want to impress your guests, tape the silhouettes to the windows, and let the lantern light illuminate them so people can see the outlines of the shapes from the street.
Summon the gypsies. Fortune telling was a major part of Halloween, even before Ouija Boards became popular. Set up a fortune-telling station, complete with a crystal ball. Dress like a gypsy or a witch yourself, and offer to "read" the fortunes of all your guests. Keep the focus on romance, as Halloween used to be a great time for matchmaking.
Fill a tub with water and apples. Guests can then bob for apples, and whoever can bite into an apple without using his hands will enjoy good luck for the rest of the year. According to some traditions, whoever gets the apple first will be the first in the group to get married.
Honor the harvest. Set out harvest fruits and vegetables, such as ears of corn and gourds. Save your largest pumpkin, and hollow it out, but don't turn it into a Jack-O-Lantern. Instead, fill it with its own fruits, and your guests can take them home as favors.
 | Depending on what your outdoor Halloween theme is, the right Halloween door decorations can be a wonderful finishing touch. |
 | Outdoor Halloween decorations can help draw Trick-or-Treaters and even a few curious neighbors to your home. These decorations are surprisingly simple and might even give passers-by a little fright. |
 | When it comes to decorating your home and yard for Halloween, things can get pricey, but you can make Halloween decorating easier on your budget without cutting back on frights. |
Dry ice fog can create the perfect atmosphere for a Halloween party. However, dry ice is not the same as regular ice, and you need to know a little more about it before you start planning to make spooky Halloween fog. |
Creating a haunted house for Halloween is a popular activity, whether for neighborhood fun or for a group's fundraiser. If you have a large space, such as an empty building, barn, trailer, tent or even a corn maze, it's time to populate the soon-to-be-haunted space with ghosts, ghouls and otherworldly creatures. |
