Spookify Your Studio (Or Anything Else) with Art

Halloween is only a day away, but there is still plenty of time to get decked out to celebrate. My own neighbors are just now hanging decorations to delight the trick-or-treaters we’ll be getting (of course, we’ve had our house decorated since the end of September, but that’s another story!). Here are a few quick ways to spookify your pad for your Halloween party, trick-or-treaters, or your own enjoyment.

Enlarge a scary piece of art you’ve done. Or, blow up an image of Frankenstein, a ghost, whatever. Hang it somewhere prominent. If you prefer, splatter it with some red paint or fake blood—take out your rage and make something new all at once!

Drape spider webs over everything. These are super cheap and super easy to come by. Make a few of your own spiders with construction paper, origami or clay, or simply buy some cheap spider rings to add.

Create a quick theme based on your costume. With a couple of colored light bulbs and a few choice props you can create any atmosphere you like. You can even make the whole place a little spooky with just a few black light bulbs.

Rent or buy a mannequin. Dress him or her up as something terrifying—or as any costume you’ve got from previous years. It will be a lot of fun, and you’ll scare plenty of people who will believe it’s the real deal. Add a coffin if you can.

Bag some ghosts or pumpkins. Making ghosts out of bags is easy enough, and pumpkin bags, cheaply available from many stores, can be stuffed with leaves or paper as well.

Use a wall canvas? Paint a giant pumpkin on it and simply paint over it after the holiday.

Go for the trashed look. If your studio or living area is already a mess, instead of stressing over cleaning it, just go with it. Make it a graveyard, a nuclear waste dump, the junkyard from 13 Ghosts, whatever. Use it to your advantage!

Rent a machine. A quick way to add a spook factor is to rent a fog machine and let it, well, fog the place up. Alternatively, if you’re having little kids over, try a bubble machine.

Pump up some balloons. Buy a helium tank and a bunch of Halloween themed or colored balloons. Blow them up and let them drift across the place, or tie them strategically here and there.