Halloween Decoration Ideas: How to Create a Haunting Vignette on a Budget

by Lynzi Judish

Decorating for Halloween isn't everyone's cup of tea-- but if the only thing holding you back is not knowing where to start or thinking that you have to drop a bunch of money on items only used for a few weeks a year, then keep reading! I'll walk you through how to design a simple but spooky vignette that you can pull together with secondhand items and things you probably have laying around your home!

Vignette styling was my go-to this season. I found these amazing figurines at an estate sale on AuctionNinja [below], which I knew would look amazing (and spooky) painted black. If you'd like to see the before and after, you can check them out here or my IG @lyzinliving.

Once I painted these pieces black they were stunning and perfect for the space -- but how do you pull together the rest of a vignette? Let me give you some tips!

1. Mirror

I find that a mirror hung over a vignette really helps to open a space and keep it bright. I particularly love this for my dresser because it lives in a relatively dark space in my bedroom and desperately needs some depth.

2. Balance

Balance doesn't necessarily mean symmetry. It means finding a way to create mirroring objects or flowing asymmetry. For example, I chose to weave gold taper candle holders throughout to create an even look, but I chose more asymmetrical decor for the main elements, playing with heights and angles to create a flow. It doesn't need to be even, it just needs to have an overall equilibrium 

3. Books

In my humble opinion, no vignette is complete without some books. Since I was creating a Halloween version, I stuck with darker colors. I laced books throughout my dresser to create a flow. 

4. Something Quirky

For my Halloween vignette, a lot of this could be categorized as "something quirky", but my intended items were my AuctionNinja sculptures. You want something unique that would start a conversation, like my cleverly painted figurines or my cat skeleton. Anything that makes a big statement! 

5. Dark Colors

Don't have a lot of Halloween decor? That's zero problem because you don't need it. Simply working within a color palette will do the trick. I like to create new vignettes throughout the year and I do it by rotating pieces around my home. For Halloween, I grabbed black items, a little bit of white and some elegant taper candle holders to create this look. The orange taper candles were a nice touch to give it that typical Halloween color palette. 

The dried flowers are from my wedding bouquet, the black vase was a find at a flea market in Croatia and the horse book end was another AuctionNinja find. Alone, none of these pieces look like Halloween decor, but place them together and we have a spooky vingette!

Pulling together a hauntingly stylish vignette doesn't have to be overwhelming! Following these steps won't steer you wrong. It's as easy as counting to five. Happy styling, ghouls!

Written by:

AuctionNinja Staff

October 26, 2021     Updated 03:06 PM

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