The spookiest time of the year is almost upon us and people aren’t holding back with their decorations. Many started shopping before October already and retail experts say spending is set to reach $11.6 billion, in the U.S. alone. The vast majority of those polled in a recent survey gave a resounding “yes” when asked whether they’d be celebrating Halloween this year.
Bored Panda has scoured the net to find the most spooktacular selection of houses that scream Halloween. From those covered in spider webs, to witches perched on the roof, some families have left their neighbors spellbound with their creepy and creative exterior decorations. Keep scrolling for some thrilling inspiration on how you can turn your home into a true house of horrors. And don’t forget to upvote your favorites.
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The witches, skeletons and ghosts come out to play on the last day of October every year. Halloween has become a fun and freaky tradition over the years, for both young and old. According to the National Retail Federation, most people spend around $104 each celebrating the occasion. Almost half of those polled said they started shopping before October. They’re mainly forking out money on candy, home decorations, and of course, creative costumes.
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If Google trends are anything to go by, the most popular Halloween costume of 2024 is going to be the Beetlejuice Shrunken Head Bob. But the number two spot might come as a surprise. People are apparently scrambling to dress up as none other than the Australian breakdancer, “Raygun”. In case you missed it, Rachael Gunn, who goes by the stage name “Raygun“, almost broke the internet with her Paris Olympics routine this year.
As the BBC reported, the 37-year-old university lecturer failed to score any points in all three of her competition rounds in Paris, “with a routine that included unorthodox moves, such as the sprinkler and the kangaroo hop.” There were memes aplenty following her performance. And some even accused her of making a mockery of the sport. Nonetheless, “Raygun” was controversially ranked the world’s number one breakdancer in September this year. And we should expect to see many versions of her walking (or hopping) the streets come Halloween.
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The third most-wanted Halloween costume this year goes to “Catnap” from Poppy Playtime. “Poppy Playtime” is a horror game of survival set in an abandoned toy factory. So it’s not too surprising that the characters are a hit for Halloween enthusiasts who are planning to dress up on the night.
Ever since The Wizard of Oz, I’ve wanted to have a spooky tree. Next year I might add a burl hole with an owl! I don’t have a lot of faith that this guy is sealed to the elements, but the season will tell.
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The National Retail Federation says America’s total spend on Halloween costumes this year looks set to total $3.8 billion. Like last year, adults are spending more to look the part, with an estimated total spend of $1.8 billion. Kids costumes come in at around $1.3 billion. The Federation’s research also revealed that 76% of adults already know what they’ll be transforming into when they celebrate the occasion.
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When it comes to what people will be wearing, the NRF’s findings were a bit different to the Google trends results. Most of them (5.8 million) plan on dressing up as a witch. 3 million are taking inspiration from shows like “Twilight” and want to turn into a vampire. Other popular grown-up costumes are a cat, Batman or a pirate.
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The NRF says 2.6 million kids are going wild for Spider-Man. 1.8 million will walk the streets as a ghost. 1.7 million are toning down the terror, and have decided to go trick-or-treating dressed as a princess. We can also expect to see lots of little witches, and mini superheroes.
Fido isn’t missing out on the fun either. The NRF says the most costumes for pets include a pumpkin, a hot dog, a bat, a ghost and a bumblebee. If you’re still unsure about what your furry family member will be strutting this year, we’ve gathered some inspiration for you right here.
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When it comes to decorating their homes and gardens, Americans aren’t holding back. One Massachusetts man made headlines earlier this year with his elaborate “house of horrors”. While most people start decorating their space a few days or weeks before Halloween, Billy Gridley has been at it since August.
“My son and I have an advent calendar counting down the days (to) when we start decorating for Halloween,” revealed the dad. “I started putting this up the last weekend in August. I use September for my decorating, so by the time it’s October 1st it’s 90%, if not all, done.” Gridley has been into his displays for many years but said he became a bit obsessed after the birth of his son in 2015.
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Gridley’s house is no doubt the spookiest on his street, and it pulls crowds every October. The dad claims he went through 40 gallons of candy last year, with around 200 people rocking up at his door. Not one to disappoint, he goes all out. And we aren’t only talking about decor.
Gridley’s doorbell camera alerts him when anyone enters his property. “I get a notification if someone is walking through the yard, so I can actually, by push button, activate different animatronics,” he said. As CBS reported, the decorations fill his whole home, front yard, and even spill out onto the street.
He has “rigged a solar light to power lights hooked up inside of a sewer drain. The lights illuminate a Pennywise mask hidden under the sewer grate. There is a corresponding animatronic ‘It’ child above the grate.”
I made this back in 2018 for a Harry Potter-themed Halloween party. It took a few weeks to complete, and I eventually sold it to a shop in Italy called the Lucky Pot. It's still there today.
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We don’t expect everyone to be as elaborate as Gridley and some of those featured on this list. But we would love to hear your plans for Halloween. What are you wearing? How have you decorated your home? Or are you planning to skip the celebration altogether? Let us know in the comments.
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I was out this morning when it was still dark and the spotlights were on. The school bus stopped and muffled kid shrieks and laughter followed. When it’s dark, the light paints giant spider leg shadows all across the front of the house. I’ve managed to get five years out of these spiders. Totally worth it!
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They had skeletons on sale at Home Depot, and I've always wanted one. Thought this would be fun to put up! Now let’s hope the homeowners don’t call telling me to take it down.
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I was able to teach my daughter some MacGyver tricks this weekend. With some flashlights, a fishing line, some painter's tape, and some cutouts, we made some fun decor.
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I've been decorating the front of my house with monster faces for the past couple of Octobers. I'm planning on building it out a bit this year and adding some arms and hands to the decoration.
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We’ve been doing a Ghostbusters theme for the last few years, ever since my son became a fan. I wanted to make some updates and ended up doing a complete overhaul with a new big inflatable stay puft, led rope lights, new printed cutouts, and a bunch of 3D printed mini stay pufts. I think it came together pretty nicely.
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I can't leave stuff on the grass since I'm renting, so the porch is pretty much the only place I can decorate. But I'm happy with it. He'll protect us from the ghouls and spooks out there this month.
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Working on a massive spider to go above the web. The web is attached to a skeletonized patio umbrella. Each spider is made up of 9 craft pipe cleaners. It took a few tries to get it right, but once we figured out the pattern, it was easy to replicate. Just trial and error until you get the look you want. It takes about 20 to 30 seconds to make one.
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