Damage-Free Halloween Decorations for your Ideal Home

Anne Shirley famously said, "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” At Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods, we couldn’t agree more.

There’s something about fall—the changing leaves, the football games and tailgates, and the blessed relief from the Oklahoma heat—that makes this a special time of the year.

When the weather turns crisp and the days shorten, many people are ready to decorate their porches with colors that reflect the season. We love seeing Ideal neighborhoods decked out in orange pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, yellow and purple mums, and ghosts and goblins of every kind.

No matter if your Ideal home is 1,200 or 3,200 square feet, its front entrance was designed with care and intention. It’s ready to welcome you and your guests at the end of every day and on special occasions. These front entrances also serve as the perfect backdrop for seasonal decorations. 

Still, the last thing you want to do is damage the outside of your beautiful, new Ideal home. We’ve got you covered with some damage-free outdoor decoration ideas that will help you create a cornucopia of seasonal splendor…or give trick-or-treaters a fright!

Gathering the Tools

Decorating the outside of your home without damaging it requires the right tools. Don’t worry; they’re easy to find and inexpensive.

Zip Ties

Zip ties are the duct-tape of damage-free decorating. Use small zip ties to connect lightweight objects, or heavy-duty zip ties to affix large objects like decorative arches to the columns and other structural components of your house. (More on that later).

And remember: never zip tie anything heavy to your gutters. Also, make sure that whatever you zip tie won’t catch a gust of Oklahoma’s strong winds, especially if it’s near a window.

Brick Clamps

Brick clamps hook at the top and bottom of bricks. With a picture-hanger hook on the outer surface, they are perfect for hanging wreaths, small lights, and other decorations…like creepy crawlies climbing up the side of your bricks.

Command™ Hooks

Don’t want to put nails in your beautiful, new siding? Hang wreaths and other decorations using Command™ Hooks. These come in a variety of options, and can adhere to most smooth surfaces like glass, metal, or siding.

Hot Glue

Yes, you read that right! Did you know hot glue can be used on brick? Simply apply the hot glue and affix lightweight decor like strings of lights. When you’re ready to remove your decorations, you’ll use a putty knife or wood chisel to release them from the glue. Then simply peel the glue away from the bricks. Don’t use hot glue on siding or other painted surfaces. Hot glue will become brittle over time and is only meant for temporary decorations.

Gutter Clips

Don’t count out the tool synonymous with Christmas outdoor decor. Gutter clips affix strings of lights along gutters and can be used for Halloween lights and other lightweight decorations like leaves or ghosts.

Decor Idea 1 – Easy as Pumpkin Pie Window Silhouettes

Want decorations that stand out but also require minimal effort, tools, and time? Let’s talk window silhouettes.

When you think of window silhouettes, your mind might jump to the small sheets of cheesy cling films adored by children on road trips, but window silhouettes are quite different. These solid-black decorations are large and make use of backlighting to create dramatic silhouettes. Be it a silly monster, an arch-backed cat, or leaves that appear to be tumbling in the wind, you can make a big impact with this easy project.

Premade silhouettes that cling to the inside of windows are available online. You can also download one of many templates online and make your own with some black paper and double-sided tape!

Amazon: Extra Large Spider Silhouettes

DIY Silhouette Template

Decor Idea 2 – Gourd-geous…But a Bit More Work – The Pumpkin Arch

A pumpkin arch over an entryway makes a big statement. While pumpkin arches require a bit more effort and tools, they’re easier to create than you might think. Even better, they won’t damage your home.

Start by either cutting PVC pipes to the right sizes or purchasing a portable arch kit online. Next, assemble your fake pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns and carefully cut two holes where you plan to thread the pumpkins through the frame. Depending on the look you’re going for, these holes can be either in the back of the pumpkins or through the tops and bottoms.

After (or likely while) you’re stacking your arch with fake pumpkins or other ghoulish decorations, secure the frame to your home with zip ties and other tools we listed above. Make your arch stand out even more by threading white lights through the pumpkins. 

There are hundreds of tutorials online that delve deep into the ins and outs of decorative entryway arches. We’ve pulled two for you: This tutorial uses a portable arch kit, and this uses PVC piping.

Using the Holidays to Build a Vision for your Ideal Home

If you’re considering buying or building a new home in Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Tulsa, or other locations throughout the OKC metro, take a minute to envision how you’d like to decorate the exterior of your future home for autumn, Halloween, and other holidays. 

Is an arched porch a must? Do you want large front-facing windows? Or, if you’re building a new home, do you want to add extra exterior power outlets? 

Thinking in advance about how you want to decorate your home for the holidays may sound frivolous, but it can help you focus on what you need and want in your Ideal home.