easy Halloween decor

I suppose this post might have been more timely on October 1 than it is on October 31 but I could think of no better way to celebrate the day than with a little Halloween festivity!

My mom sends us lovely laser-cut or layered paper greeting card creations for Halloween (among other holidays). I stash them away in the Halloween bin and pull them out every year. Display groups of cards on shelves, end tables, or your mantle for easy and instant Halloween flavor.

When your kiddos begin to acquire a collection of Halloween-themed toys and books, consider stashing those away too and pulling them out only once a year. Despite having only experienced 3 Halloweens, my daughter has quite a heap of these seasonal, and often noisy, toys. This year I piled them up in a simple wooden tray and left it out on an end table. All visiting children have found them and enjoyed them easily. And tossing them right back in the tray makes for quick clean up. I've also stacked our Halloween-themed picture books on the coffee table.

Do you have cute bags for collecting candy? Loop them over a doorknob for a quick and easy decoration.

And lastly, I will share a slightly craftier idea. As a graphic designer, I get catalogs of stock images in the mail. I saved a Halloween-themed catalog that featured illustrations. Using the creatures I found in there, some thrifted black frames, and some extra photo frames I already had, I put together some Halloween portraits that are easy to add around the house or mingle amidst the usual family pics.

Stash away these ideas along with any Halloween-themed objects you or your little ones might acquire, and enjoy some quick decorating come next October!