Unique outdoor decorating ideas for Halloween

If you go to any Halloween retail store, you will find numerous ideas for outdoor decorating. But then, so will all of your neighbors. Are you looking for some unique outdoor Halloween decorating ideas that you can do yourself? Most these five suggestions are easy enough to make yourself; you only need a little bit of imagination and a few supplies. Let's get started.

1. Decorate a Halloween tree. Carve jack-o-lanterns and place them on tree branches--make sure you can find a tree with branches that will support them first. Cut a white sheet into small squares to make a bunch of little ghosts. Draw spooky faces on each one and hang them from the branches. Set stuffed ravens on the branches, as well.

2. Decorate no-carve pumpkins for the front steps. Rather than carving a jack-o-lantern for Halloween, decorate your pumpkins with other supplies you might have around the house. Draw faces on them with black (or colored) markers. Paint them with fun colors, like metallic silver or bronze. Bedazzle your pumpkins with glitter.

3. Make your own pumpkin flower planters. Cut the top third of the pumpkin away and scoop out the insides. Fill it with potting soil and plant your favorite autumn flowers inside. Set a few pumpkin planters along the front steps to welcome guests. Throw the entire thing away once the pumpkin starts to decay.

4. Set stuffed birds outside the house. Place realistic, stuffed black ravens on the porch railing so it looks like there are actually birds on it. This is a fun Halloween prank to pull on visitors. As they walk up to the house, they will start to wonder why the ravens aren't flying away. They might even try to shoo them out of their path. You are sure to get a laugh from watching their expressions go from baffled to one of understanding.

5. Make a homemade welcome sign. Begin by finding a piece of scrap wood--it can be as nice or worn out as you like. Sand it down if you need to and apply a coat of paint. Once it dries, distress it by sanding the edges and hitting or scratching it with sharp tools. Then paint a Halloween-inspired picture or message on the sign. A spooky, distressed sign above the door that says "Trick-or-Treaters Welcome" is sure to make any guest nervous--I mean, welcome.

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