There are people who don’t understand Halloween, people who love it, and people who absolutely live for it. The lattermost group isn’t merely satisfied with plastic pumpkins and faux corn stalks. They’re looking to inspire thrills and chills, and thrive on researching the season’s most scream-worthy mascots.
This year, Halloween décor is going beyond the usual skeletons, mummies and ghosts. A new trend known as ‘whimsigoth’ is making the rounds on social media and in home décor circles – it’s a style that takes the mystery and solemness of the gothic style and brightens it up with eclectic elements, like plants, vintage patterns and apothecary designs. It’s moody and dark, but playful at the same time.
And it appears that Barbiecore is prevailing well into the end of the year. The American e-commerce company Etsy saw a 22 per cent increase in searches for pink Halloween items this year. People are taking all the usual motifs, like skulls, spiders and pumpkins, and painting them pink instead! Not as spooky, but definitely eye-catching.
If you’re looking to stay with classic decorations, or going off on a Barbiecore tangent, let us help you narrow down your shopping list. Even the most warm and welcoming house can be transformed into a suitably dark, spooky abode, come October 31.
We bring the drama right to your fingertips, with top-rated home décor options for Halloween, on Amazon. Get your favourite scary merchandise with Prime membership, well in time to set up and create a memorable experience for your neighbours, family and friends.
If your kids are trick-or-treating, check out Halloween costumes they can wear on the day, and check out other items from the Halloween store.
1. Best Decals: Pawliss Hanging Bats and Wall Decals
You can’t have Halloween without a few well-placed bats. This pack of 10 by Pawliss features waterproof plastic bats that you can attach to windows, walls and doors, or hang by your front porch. Reviewers like that they are all differently sized, since it creates a more realistic look, and that it looks like the bat wings are flapping when there’s a breeze. Many say the heavy-duty adhesive for these decals works fabulously, even surviving multiple rain showers and storms.
2. Best Outdoor Inflatable: lestar Halloween White Ghost
A ghost in your front yard is definitely going to get people’s attention. White Ghost by lestar is a 5.4-foot inflatable ghost, with three customisable RGB colour-changing LED lights. Its built-in fan allows you inflate it instantly, and you can leave it on all through the night without worrying about whether it will get damaged – it’s made from thickened waterproof polyester fabric, and is wear-resistant. We’d give it a spook level of 3 out of 10: it’s scary enough to add to the Halloween atmosphere, without completely terrifying any children in your neighbourhood.
3. Best Outdoor Décor: LANWANGJI Halloween Stretch Spider Web with Spiders
Cover the façade of your home in a giant spider web for the ultimate ‘haunted house’ appeal. This package includes 300g of artificial cotton, which can be stretched out to cover approximately 1,500 square feet. Once you’ve added the monstrous cobweb, you can scatter around up to 100 black plastic spiders to elevate the creepiness of the décor. Reviewers say they’ve wedged the spider web into doors, windows, walls and ceilings, with no problems.
4. Best Barbiecore Décor: Winlyn Artificial Pink Pumpkins
If you’d like to subscribe to the Barbiecore Halloween décor trend this year, go for Winlyn’s assorted pumpkins, which are all painted in various hues of pink. There are 14 pieces included, which gives you plenty of options, whether you’re looking to create a festive tablescape, or setting up outdoor decorations. The faux pumpkins are made of dense foam, so they’re lightweight and easy to move around. Reviewers appreciate the attention to detail – the ridges, painted stems and tough-looking exterior make the pumpkins look like the real thing.
5. Best Lights: Romadedi Mini Lanterns, Black
Perfect as part of your table centrepiece, and excellent for stringing along windows, these black mini lanterns cast a beautiful, yet eerie, shadow pattern when they light up, enhancing the mysterious atmosphere around Halloween. Crafted in a traditional, vintage design, the lanterns feature flameless candles that flicker like real ones. They’re safe to use around children and use LED lights, so they can last up to 120 hours before you’ll need to change the batteries.
6. Best Crochet Kit: Olassubd Halloween Crochet Kit
On Tiktok, the hashtag #crochethalloween has racked up more than 25.5 million views. Hop onto this trend by making your own crochet decorations. Olassubd’s crochet kit is ideal for beginners – both adults and kids – since it comes with a step-by-step video tutorial. While the decorations in themselves are not scary by any means, you can impress guests with your ingenuity and handicraft skills. Olassubd’s kit has everything you need to start, from test yarn to thread balls, felt and needles.
7. Best Centrepiece: Artificial Antler Dried Tree Branches
There’s something incredibly creepy about tree branches devoid of life. It’s why they’ll add to your gothic aesthetic during Halloween – just add these 13-inch-long branches to a vase and place it as a stunning centrepiece on your dining table. Although made with plastic, the branches look very realistic, say reviewers, and can be used on other occasions too, as vase fillers. Add votive candles in black and gold for a touch of flair.
Bonus: Redeem an extra 10 per cent discount with Citibank by entering the code ‘CB10OCT’ at checkout.
8. Best Animatronics: Cloud Sakura Crawling Zombie Cut-Off Hands
Scare the lights out of people who visit your home on Halloween, with a mechatronic zombie hand that crawls around on its own, and makes terrifying noises. Powered by batteries, all you need to do is touch to activate it. Alternatively, you could deactivate it and leave it on your lawn or front steps as a Halloween prop.
9. Best Garden Prop: Aiseno Skeleton Stakes
Is that a skeleton climbing out of your backyard? It very well could be! Aiseno’s realistic skeleton stakes are easy to install – just insert the stakes into the ground. The pack includes two arm bones and one skull. Place the skeleton strategically in your yard or front lawn to surprise unsuspecting passersby. Reviewers found them to be smaller than expected, but say they do the job, and look unnervingly real, especially at night.
Bonus: Redeem an extra 10 per cent discount with Citibank by entering the code ‘CB10OCT’ at checkout.
10. Best Indoor-Outdoor Props: Halloween Skeletons
You can’t have enough skeletons around the house during Halloween. This set of five includes skeletons made with high-quality plastic. They have moveable joints, so you can position them as you like around your home, and since they’re waterproof and durable, they’re suitable for outdoor use as well. Do note that they’re not very tall – they’re as big as your arm – so they’re best positioned by your tablescape, on your porch, or hung in various nooks around your home.
Bonus: Redeem an extra 10 per cent discount with Citibank by entering the code ‘CB10OCT’ at checkout.
11. Best Wreath: BVCED Halloween Black Twig Wreath with Lights
When guests knock on your door, they’ll be mesmerised by this black twig wreath that’s embellished with artificial bats and glittering lights. Easy to store and reuse, the wreath is a unique addition for Halloween parties, setting up a mysterious, spooky atmosphere right at your door. Reviewers like that the wreath is aesthetically pleasing to look at, with twisted branches in the shape of a bird’s nest.
12. Best Candles: Hausware Flameless Candles, Black
Add to the spooky ambience by setting up these wax pillar candles around your living room. The candles are made from real paraffin wax, but they’re kid-friendly: you don’t have to worry about burning wicks, smoke or messy, dripping wax. The candle light is operated via remote control and even features flame simulation technology, which makes the candles flicker realistically. You can set a timer, so that the candles light up at the same time each day.
13. Best Whimsigoth Décor: Sliner Halloween Potion Bottles Set
If you’re hosting a Halloween party, you’ll get a few eyebrow raises and laughs out of your guests with this apothecary set. Made of thick glass, Sliner’s set of 16 potion bottles comes complete with corks, 25 pieces of label stickers, 24 Halloween pendants and a roll of twine. The labels are made with quality vinyl, and are waterproof and scratch resistant. Reviewers love the creativity in the selection of apothecary ingredients – from black cat hisses to ghost tears – and your guests will, too.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
