Five Ways to Use Picture Frames in Your Spooky Decor

October is one of the best times of the year for many parts of the country. Crisp air, exciting games, and of course, the time-honored tradition of celebrating Halloween.

Some people choose to go all out with their decorations, covering each inch of their home and yards in cobwebs, skeletons and inflatable witches. If you want to have a more understated creepiness, and not spend a fortune on new supplies, follow these simple tips on how to use your already existing picture frames to add to your haunt.

Make an unconventional door wreath. Pre-made wreaths can cost a fortune, and even buying the basics to make your own can be daunting. Take an old picture frame, and cover it with everything from fake cobwebs to sparkly foam stickers to make a colorful door decoration you’ll want to keep up all month long. Distressed and antique frames are best for this project, as it will add to that old and decrepit vibe of a haunted home.

Hang up a few old black and white photos. Whether they are part of your family history or ones you printed off of a stock photo site, old photographs can be creepy by nature. The very concept of photography was so new in the days of old that traditions held today, like smiling or wearing bright colors, were not practiced back then. If you have some that appear to follow your guests with their eyes, even better! Be sure to make a backstory for your photos to tell at the party.

Make a mystical faux mirror. Using an antique oval frame, paint a black background and cut it to the size of your frame. Add the reflective image of a woman, desperate to escape her prison world, seemingly reaching from the middle of the frame. Keep it in a dark room to ensure your guests are surprised and frightened!

Hang your Halloween mantra. For something more cute than creepy, use a series of hanging frames to let everyone know “Witches Brew Here,” or “Ghosts and Ghouls Welcome.” Simply paint the phrases on the bare glass of your frames, and hang them with a black and orange bow from your favorite spot.

Create a gorgeous spider web. Using white paint, make an intricate spider web within the glass of a black large frame, and hang it right inside your front foyer. Perch a large fake spider right on the corner in order to properly greet your guests. If you want to make it even more special, add a welcoming message written within your web.