Frightfully Fun Decorating Trends for Halloween

(ARA) -The official start of the holiday season isn't until Thanksgiving, but before you know it, ghosts, goblins and creepy creatures big and small will descend on a neighborhood near you; and some of the places they plan to haunt will be all decked out! According to the National Retail Federation, Halloween is the second biggest decorating holiday of the year.

Halloween Party Supplies

Want to make this the year your Halloween display takes the prize for "Best in the Neighborhood?" If so, you'll need to go way beyond the usual cobwebs and skeletons and keep up with the latest Halloween trends.

"This Halloween, voice and motion activated props for the home and yard will take the level of decorating to a new height of fright," says Kim Boyd, vice president of marketing for Johnson Smith Company, publisher of the "Things You Never Knew Existed" catalog and, the same company that brought us the whoopie cushion, rubber chickens, x-ray spectacles and joy buzzers.

Imagine the screams of delight as the trick-or-treaters who dare to come towards your house jump out of their skins, spooked by the props you have set up. Position a pair of Lifelike Kicking Legs, upside down in a garbage can or popping out of the bushes. The realistic-looking legs flail about whenever there's a loud noise. Place a convenient-to-store Fold-Up Wooden Coffin amongst the leaves to add an eerie effect. Set the Mr. Brains Fogger on top of your front step and watch as fog comes out of his glowing brain.

Whether your theme is a haunted graveyard, monster house or something even more sinister, make your front door the focal point. Before the kids even get the chance to say, "Trick or treat," play a little trick on them. Have Dr. Shivers - a motion-activated mad scientist - greet them at the door. The six-foot-tall "man" dressed in a lab coat, white gloves and goggles, speaks and sings. "He'll have the kids doing double takes," says Boyd. "Some may even think he's real until they see his eyes and beaker light up when he slowly turns his head."

"Other popular Halloween props this year include our motion-activated Stranger at the Door Knocker with hand and forearm that starts rapping at the door when someone approaches, and everyone loves this one - the Motion-Activated Eyeball which groans horribly and wiggles back and forth with lights flashing whenever someone comes near it," says Boyd.

For those who don't plan to go all out, but still want decorations that will get people talking, put up a set of Eerie Window Covers. The posters, featuring a bright-eyed skeleton or a creepy cat will scare passersby. Interior house lights illuminate the posters for a totally haunting effect.

"If you love Halloween and want this to be the year your display really shines, don't wait until October to start planning. Order the things you need now, or like the proverbial ghost, they will disappear," says Boyd.

Log on to and click on the link that says "Scary Things & Halloween" to check out this year's offerings.
Courtesy of ARA Content

Halloween "Spooktacular"

Halloween Toys & Candy

Candy Corn Candy Bar
Pumpkin Candy Bar
Witch Candy Bar
For a spook-tacular treat wrap candy bars in personalized wrappers. Choose a design, lettering style and an ink color to create a personalized favor that will scare your guests with fun.

Candy Party Mix 30oz
2LB Candy Mix
4LB Candy Mix
5LB Candy Mix

Halloween Candy Wristlet
Candy Necklace 22g
Candy Necklace 40g
Sports Candy Bracelets
Candy Watch

Ring Pops
Candy Lipstick
Glo Popcifiers Assorted

Marshmallow Pops
Dum Dum Lollipops
Lollipops
Safety Lollipops
Patriotic Tooth Pop

Candy Filled Pumpkin
Wormz & Dirt
Push Pop Candy

Gummi Candy Pizza
Kooky Chew Treats
K-9 Candy

SUGAR FREE CANDY

Halloween Sugar Free Tooth Pops
Gourmet Sugarless Pops
Sugarfree Rainbow Pops

Holiday Sugarfree Pops
Sugarless Bazooka

Sugar Free Candies
Sugarfree Jelly Belly

Item #... or keyword(s)

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL EFFECTS

Halloween Scene Setters
Halloween Decorations

Pumpkin Electric Lights
Batty Electric Lights
Black LED Light Garland

Halloween LED Lights
LED Light Ball Necklace
Flashing LED Necklace
Flashing Strobe Necklace

Virtual Message Writer
Fiber Optic Wand

Slimlite Glow Sticks
Glow Necklaces
Finger Light Rings

Sinister Pumpkin Fogger
Grim Reaper Fogger
Fog Machine w Remote

Smoking Cauldron
Swami Spirit Ball
Sorceress Spirit Ball

Enter If You Dare Sign
Haunted Moving Books

Groundbreaker Skeleton
Out Of Ground Skeleton

 Collapsible Coffin
Tombstone Rocker

Arcade Fortune Teller
Half Body with Head
Well With Skull And Fog

Whirlwind Ghost
Whirlwind Witch
Hanging Witch

 Hanging Scarecrow
Hanging Vampire
Standing Skullman

Inflatable Decomposing Corpse
Air Pump

Grim Reaper Décor 5'
 Grim Reaper 6'
Winged Reaper 6'

Groom w Bride's Head
Evil Bride Tombstone

Halloween Banners

HALLOWEEN LOOT BAGS

Pumpkin Handle Loot Bag
Boo Handle Loot Bag
Graveyard Scene Loot Bag

LG Gruesome Loot Bag
SM Gruesome Loot Bag

Personalized Party Bags
Hand out personalized party
bags at your Halloween party

HALLOWEEN TOYS

Hand out TOYS not CANDY

Mega Treasure Chest w 500 Toys
Value Pack Chest w 100 Toys
Grab Bag Treasure Chest w 600 Toys
Grab Bag Treasure Chest w 200 Toys
Teddy's Treasure Chest w 200 Toys
Chest Tooth Assortment w 100 toys
Stuffed Toy Chest w 36 Plush Toys

Plastic Treasure Chest
Red & Yellow Mega Chest
Large Toy Chest

Magic Tricks w 72 tricks
Super Toy Assortment (50)
Value Pack Refill (100)
Treasure Toy Refill (200)
Grab Bag Refill (600)

Plastic Treasure Chest
Red & Yellow Mega Chest
Large Toy Chest

Multi Literopes 50
Multi Literopes 25

Halloween Duck Assortment
Wild Animal Mask Ducks
Farm Animal Mask Ducks

Halloween Necklace
Frosty Eyeball
Monster Super Balls
Sticky Glow Eyeballs

Yucky Squeeze Ball
Windmill Ball

Box Of Super Toys (100)

Sponge Bob Halloween Stickers
Pooh Halloween Stickers
Scooby Doo Halloween Stickers

PLUM PARTY

Halloween Costume Party