Halloween to Fall Decorating Made Easy

How is it already the middle of October?! It always feels like the last three months of the year just fly by. Even though Christmas is already starting to lurk into the back of our minds we also want to give some love to our favorite time of the year- Fall! 

While we truly enjoy decorating for Halloween, the reality is it always seems like a lot of work to decorate for Fall and Halloween all in the matter of a few weeks, especially when Christmas is knocking at the door, too. Plus, if you live in the part of the country where you fall weather starts in September you might start decorating for the season earlier and then transition into Halloween and then change things once again for Thanksgiving. Living in the South where temps are still in the 90s in September, we don't really feel the excitement of decorating for fall until closer to Halloween time. Today we have rounded up our favorite Halloween decorating ideas that could easily and quickly be transformed for Fall or Thanksgiving. 

This front porch looks great for fall, and with the addition of the black crows it instantly makes it Halloween ready. Take it a step further by mixing in your carved pumpkins and some easily removable fake spiderwebs.  

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The same concept for is applied for this Halloween mantle. Start by putting together a fall-inspired mantle by using bittersweet or leaves, a little sheen with the mercury glass and then take it to Halloween by adding spider webs, black cheesecloth and a few fake spiders never hurt! 

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And of course the star of Halloween decorations- pumpkins!! Traditionally carved pumpkins are always a win, but can be tricky and time-consuming, especially when you're trying to incorporate small children. Below are a few of our favorite non-traditional pumpkins, starting with paint!! 

The great thing about painting pumpkins is nothing sharp is used and they hold their shape longer than cut pumpkins which means they can last well into November if you aren't painting something Halloween specific. If you're working with kids you can let them do their own creations or tape off different patterns or Halloween shapes for more polished results. 

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Take the paint up a notch by using metallic paints or gold leaf. A few tips- make sure your metallic paint is opaque coverage or try paint the pumpkins a solid color (dark is best) before applying the metallic paint.  

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Keep designs simple- follow the natural vertical lines of the pumpkin and connect those lines with free-hand diagonal lines. 

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 Beautiful celestial pumpkins created by punching holes in different patterns.

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How adorable are these hanging jack-o-lanterns?!? If you don't want them to be specific to Halloween, just carve out a simple opening to allow your battery tea light to shine through for a lighted walkway. 

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Another great use for pumpkins is as containers for your holiday party. They make adorable ice buckets as shown below or could also be used to hold your favorite punch or snack mix. 

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We also love these gilded place markers using mini pumpkins! These mini pumpkins would be great in a large wooden bread bowl for a centerpiece as well. 

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And we can't do a Halloween post without mentioning some sort of sweets! These adorable pumpkin patch brownies are easily made with crushed Oreos, candy pumpkins and popsicle sticks. A great project that even the smallest helper can create!

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We hope this give you some inspiration for the fast-approaching Halloween holiday. Our takeaway tip is start with your fall decorations and then add easy extras that transform into Halloween which can quickly be removed again in November.