INDOOR HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS

I love Halloween! It’s my favorite holiday! Have I made that point clear yet? It’s the most wonderful time of the year. So every year when a new batch of fun Halloween decorations premieres, I am super excited to see what I might be able to snatch up (if I wait until November 1st for the clearance).

*this post contains affiliate links*
I get a commission when you buy through my links that goes towards the costs of hosting this free tutorial site.
Site operating fees are expensive but my commission costs you nothing. thanks for your support!

This year, my particular Halloween decor obsession is a Skeleton Statue from Grandin Road. The snag? It’s $500! No clearance sale will ever make that affordable. So I decided to make my own. He’s not as sinister as the original, but I think he’s great nonetheless.

GOTHIC HALLOWEEN STYLE

If I had to put a name to my particular style of Halloween decorating, I guess I would call it “Gothic”. I like very neutral but realistically macabre Halloween decor.

Since we throw Halloween parties every year but we also move a lot, it’s important to me that our Halloween decor remains neutral enough to work in any home we buy. It’s also important that I’m able to use the same serving items and seasonal decorations over and over again throughout the year.

To keep my Halloween home decor cheap, I tend to mix antiques like silver serving trays and bowls in with items I’ve handmade from thrift store finds or the Dollar Store. My general rule is: If I can use it year-round, I’ll spend a little more. If I can truly only use it during the Halloween season, it should cost less than $20 (or $5 for small decor items).

You can see more of my DIY Halloween crafts here: Halloween Decor DIYs From The Dollar Store

Halloween Cocktail Party Style:

I like to allow guests to serve themselves so I fill my table with a macabre buffet and encourage mingling with different drink stations throughout my house.

Adding my skeleton bartender to the mix is a perfect way to inform guests that they’re welcome to partake in my entire bar’s offerings. It also allows me to actually enjoy the party because I’m not tied to the drink station, serving as a bartender the entire evening.

Life-Sized Skeleton Bartender from a $10 Bag of Bones

Since I can’t justify spending $500 on a single decor item – especially one that only gets used during one holiday a year – I figured out a way to create a similar effect for a whole lot less!

Here’s how I built my own life-sized skeleton bartender using just a $10 bag of fake skeleton bones and a thrift store kid’s jacket.

DIY SKELETON SUPPLIES:

bag of bones
hot glue gun / glue
child’s clothing:
suit jacket, dress shirt, bow tie
chicken wire
small dowel
masking tape
wire hanger

Step One: Carefully use scissors or a box cutter to create a small (approx 1/4”) hole in the bottom of the skull, like so:

 

Step Two: Insert a small piece of wood dowel into that hole.

Step Three: Make a hole in the end of the spine and join to the skull’s dowel. Use hot glue to secure. Repeat these steps with two arms and hands.

Lay out the attire you intend to clothe your skeleton in. I found this jacket for $1 at the local thrift store and used an old dress shirt my daughter no longer fits. The bow tie was mine. It’s a long story.

Whatever you use, make sure you have no intentions of ever wearing it again because there will likely be custom alterations required. Don’t worry. There’s no sewing required. I just mean that you’re going to cut it to shreds.

Next, lay our your skeleton pieces and trim the remaining dowel into three sections, one should be slightly longer than the other two. You’re doing to lay these out to mark where your joints need to be. During this stage, trim any excessive dowel, if necessary, so that the entire stick fits within the clothing.

Step Four: Make two small holes in the bottom of the spine bone to run the dowel through. Then secure with hot glue then wrap in masking tape.

Step Five: Trim two pieces of thick metal wire (or a metal hanger) to about 8” long. Bend at a 45 degree angle and insert inside the arm bone, leaving half exposed. Secure with hot glue and masking tape. Repeat with the second arm.

Step Six: Add a bead of hot glue to one of the remaining dowels, then while still hot, begin wrapping the exposed wire around the dowel to secure at a 45 degree angle. Add more glue. Secure with more masking tape. Repeat with second arm.

Step Seven: Lay the jacket out and insert a strip of chicken wire (I actually used a scrap piece of a cubbie system we had laying around – either will work).

Trim to fit, if necessary. Then begin attaching the neck by tying with string. Insert the arms through the jacket and repeat attachment steps.

Step Eight: Finish dressing him.

Step Nine: Hang with command hooks. I recommend using two at the very top of the wire.

Introducing Dem Bones: My Skeleton Bartender

Have you met Demetri “Dem” Bones? He’s a real bag of laughs.

GET THE LOOK: VICTORIAN GOTHIC HALLOWEEN

Featured

Questions about my dining room? See the full home tour here: Our Suburban Home Renovation

xoxo
Teri

SEE MORE SEASONAL DECOR INSPIRATION

Ready to add some fall + winter vibes to your home? Check out these posts to get you started.

SHOP MY DINING ROOM

love this style? I do too! here are the decor items I bought to achieve the look.

Featured

DIY HOME PROJECTS THAT ARE TRENDING RIGHT NOW

quick and affordable DIY projects you don’t want to miss

Featured

YOUR DIY HOME DILEMMAS SOLVED

Commenting on this post is disabled so I can focus on our upcoming projects + client designs but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to hear from you. Send me your questions and comments on Instagram by either commenting on my latest post or sending me a direct message. I really love to chat it out!