With Halloween fast approaching, it’s time to get a little spooky, and nothing says spooky more than a good ol’ fashioned haunted house.

You may be wondering how to achieve this without needing to go out and buying loads and loads of Halloween specific material. Luckily, we are here to help with some of our favorite tips and tricks to turn your home into something a bit more – must we say it – bootastic – using just your furniture and a few household items.

Scream for a Theme

First things first, establish a theme for your haunted house. Do you want zombies shuffling around? A haunted graveyard? A spine-chilling, haunted hospital (where you see creatures that scare you even more than that hospital bill)? Whatever theme you decide on, stick to it. Need more ideas for themes?

The Haunting…of your house

Once your theme is established, it’s time to take a deep dive into making your house as spooky as possible. Luckily, using some of your favorite pieces of furniture as a foundation is a great way to get started.

For example, placing a black tablecloth across your long dining table sets the scene for a spooky place. Cut open a few empty 2-liter bottles (or any size bottle you can find) and add in your favorite fake eyeballs (ping pong balls you draw eyes on), and fake blood (corn syrup mixed with chocolate sauce and red food coloring). Finish it off with some fake spiderwebs and skeleton heads and you’ve made yourself a haunted dining room.

Continue these ideas with stairs covered in spiderwebs and caution tape, and possibly a skeleton or two. The creepier, the better. Bring some end tables into the mix by placing jars filled with creepy crawly spiders or a homemade “Broom parking only” sign. To finish it off, add a couple fake crows or homemade witch finger cookies.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

Lighting is key when it comes to haunting your house. We love red lightbulbs or black lights to set the mood. If red is not your thing, the fewer lights on, the scarier. Our favorite part about this is you can use all lighting fixtures that are already in your home! With a twist of the wrist (and a colored bulb), you’ll see an instant Halloween-esque transformation. This also makes it perfect for your ghoul squad (your closest family and friends) to hide in the shadows and scare trick-or-treaters as they look for candy!

Nightmare on Your Street

Looking for more of a haunted front yard than a haunted house? We have some ideas for that, too. Floating candles always give off an eerie, mysterious look, and are very simple to create! Reuse old books that you no longer read to create spell books that show your trick-or-treaters that you know how to turn them into frogs. Complete the look with spiderwebs covered in spiders and a couple well placed spotlights to cast creepy shadows across your lawn. Place a few skeletons enjoying witches brew while they relax on your outdoor seating arrangement and get ready for the kids to walk through!

While you’re decorating, if you find yourself looking for additional furniture to add a little spook to, stop by our store! We can take care of all your furniture needs, and may even have a couple more ideas to add a ghostly presence to your Halloween fun.