Spooky season is upon us!
Obviously, this Halloween is going to be different, and it can be hard to get into the spooky spirit when we think about all the things that we won’t be able to do, like going to big parties with friends or giving candy to trick-or-treaters and dressing up. That’s why I thought I would compile a list of things you can do to bring the spooky season to you this Halloween.
Decorations
The best way to make it feel like Halloween is to make your space look like it’s Halloween! While most of us are students, which means we don’t have a ton of money to spend on decorations, or barely any space to put them in, there are lots of ways to decorate on a budget. The Dollar Store has cheap decorations that you can use to make your space feel more festive, and Pinterest is a great resource for easy and adorable DIY Halloween decorations. Something as simple as ghost stickers on the windows and cobwebs on the door can help make your space feel spookier, and make your Halloween feel a little more “normal”.
Carving pumpkins
This technically falls under decorations, but it’s too important not to be its own thing. For me, it doesn’t feel like Halloween until I’m elbow-deep in pumpkin guts and improvising some sort of carving with shitty tools. This year, more than ever, we need that pumpkin carving energy. So, if you can, get your hands on a pumpkin and carve! Even if it just lives in your living room for a few days, it can help give that Halloween-feel. Plus, if you sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on the top of the pumpkin and use a real candle, it can make your apartment smell like pumpkin pie!
Fall candles
Speaking of the smell of pumpkin pie, fall scents are super important to bringing the spooky season into your life. If I could capture that smell that comes with the falling leaves, making you feel like the supernatural is real and present in everyday life, I would, but until I can get those candles ready you can use anything fall scented: pumpkin spice, apple and cinnamon are perfect for this time of year. Candles and tea totally fit the spooky vibe we’re working to cultivate.
Candy
Who cares if no one’s trick or treating? Buy a big box of your favourite candy from Walmart and treat yo self!
Spooky soundtracks and movies
If the crackling yule log makes a home feel like Christmas, the wails of the damned make it feel like Halloween! While you might not want to play the sounds of people screaming on repeat, the things you watch and listen to can help put you in the Halloween mood. Make a spooky soundtrack full of your favourite Halloween jams designed to cause fright or delight (Or check out A-Team’s “Creepin’ It Real” playlist!). Also, make time to watch movies or shows that put you in the mood for the season, whether that’s horror or children’s Halloween movies. I personally recommend the TV show Over the Garden Wall, which has an eerie fall vibe and is only ten 20-minute episodes! You can binge it on the day!
Dress up!
Who says you can’t dress up if you’ve got nowhere to go? Put on that costume from last year, post some cute pics on your Instagram story, light a fall candle and spend the evening watching Halloween movies while dressed as a sexy cactus. You do you girl.
There you have it, my list of things you can do to celebrate Halloween by yourself. Yes, this year is going to be different, but that’s no reason not to give yourself the spookiest season you can!