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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at South Carolina chapter.

We’re all a little bummed this holiday season is going to be a little less exciting as big gatherings are difficult and sometimes even banned. However, keeping the spirit of the holidays alive is what’s really important for us to somehow normalize our lives at the moment. Even if we can’t see every single one of our friends on Halloween; we can carve pumpkins, watch movies, bake pumpkin spice goodies and decorate in preparation for this Halloween. Remember: All Hallow’s Eve isn’t just a holiday, it’s a season. Treat it as such.

 

1. Start with a general decoration and pattern.

Whether it’s spider webs, bats, pumpkins, etc. we want an overall theme for our decorating. The foundation is the most important part of creating a spooky energy flow. Spiderwebs are the standard for this aspect, as every vacant, eerie place has spiderwebs and dust.

2. Add interesting pieces to grab the attention of mortals.

Stop by anywhere that might be selling Halloween decorations and buy a talking witch or dancing skeleton. Basically, buy anything that could be entertaining for guests to enjoy upon arrival and place it near the doorway. If it’s possible to buy a spine-chilling prop with a motion detector, that would give the bonus of scaring anyone that would dare enter.

3. Display sweets for casual trick or treating.

Buy a fun and creepy candy bowl and fill it with your favorite candies for everyone to enjoy. Let a zombie reaching out from its grave, (which is now on your counter) give out the candy. Pro tip: most people love chocolate (or maybe there’s some bias here).

4. Lighting sets the mood.

Make sure any lighting matches the warm, dim lit mood a candle’s flame projects. We can use our LED strip lights or string lights genuinely everyone has and change them to a sinister and dark color or even use actual candles for an authentic warm All Hallow’s Eve vibe.

5. Add accent pieces.

Buy a dusty looking set of fake spell books, candles that bleed when melted, or absolutely any subtle trinket that would raise some questions if put on display for any other season.

 

Last but definitely not least; do not forget to put garlic on the door handle to ward off vampires and carve a Jack-O-Lantern to ward off any bad spirits. Keep salt and clear quartz handy for this Halloween as the full moon approaches and make sure to always say ‘goodbye’ after conversing with nearby spirits.

 

Reagin von Lehe

South Carolina '23

Reagin von Lehe is a first-year Journalism Major at the University of South Carolina-Columbia. She's a writer and photographer for The Daily Gamecock as well as a part of the editorial staff for South Carolina's Her Campus.
Abby Davies

South Carolina '22

U of SC '22. Public Health major.