This “Tacky” Halloween Decor Is Back in Style—And You’ll Be Seeing It Everywhere This Year

Halloween is always an incredibly fun time to decorate, especially if you’re doing it with trick-or-treaters in mind. But it seems like every year, we hear mixed messages on what’s “in” and what’s “out” as it relates to decor for the spookiest season of all.

People seem eager to bring back the nostalgia of the Halloweens of yore, and seasonal decor that was maybe once viewed as “tacky” to some is now roaring back into major fashion ahead of Halloween. Here’s what’s back to stay.

’90s Nostalgia

This one is for all the ’90s kids out there—this Halloween is officially your time to shine. Thanks to the fact that the children of the millennial generation are more or less now of prime trick-or-treating age, all the ’90s decor we loved is making a major decor comeback.

Like all trends do, these types of Halloween decorations temporarily went out of style and felt “tacky” when compared to the more minimalistic, sleek Halloween decor of later decades. But now, everyone seem eager to reintroduce that once “tacky” Halloween decor to a whole new generation.

Picture: cotton spiderwebs spread across the hedges, caution tape wrapped around front doors, toilet paper-wrapped mummies, goblins, ghouls, and orange pumpkin-shaped trick-or-treat baskets taking over once again. Feels good, doesn’t it?

Even trending Halloween costumes are giving off a solidly retro vibe this year, thanks to the fact Wednesday and the rest of the Addams Family are still very much thriving in the cultural zeitgeist. 

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Kitschy Vintage

If you love a retro look but want to go back even further in time, then you’re in luck. This Halloween is all about bringing back the classics, and truly vintage items are a great way to instantly elevate your Halloween decor without breaking your budget or overhauling your Halloween decor vibes.

The trick here is to pick one statement piece, like an over-the-top witch figurine or a dramatic and antique-looking punch bowl, and decorate more minimally around it. It’ll offset your vintage piece and make the whole design scheme feel much more intentional. 

Halloween-Colored Lighting

While an artfully arranged assortment of pumpkins, grouds, and mums with a simple wreath on the door offers a timeless way to decorate your front stoop for the season, this doesn’t exactly make a spooky statement. However, huge yard inflatables don’t scream Halloween chic, either.

Luckily, Halloween-colored lights are making a big impression this year. To take part, opt for orange string lights with pumpkins, cauldrons, or witches to set the mood and create an eye-catching ambiance.

Classic Color Schemes

In the last few years, we’ve noticed a major shift toward warm, earthy tones and muted neutrals for Halloween. While rusty orange and deep evergreen are beautiful autumnal hues, they’re not exactly on trend for whimsical Halloween decor, however good they might look with a ghost or ghoul standing out front.

However, it seems like this year, classic Halloween color combos are back in a big way. If you’re craving more color this season, do yourself a favor and stop trying to be overly elegant with your October palettes.

Instead, go back to the tried-and-true classics with black, white, and bright orange. You can mix in pops of purples, blood-curdling burgundies, ghostly grays, and shades of black that stretch as deep and dark as the night.

Traditional Iconography and Motifs

Thankfully, whimsical decor is also back this year—albeit in a much more refined way. While toadstools and acorns might’ve taken over in the past few years, traditional and “tacky” Halloween decor enthusiasts will love knowing that this year also marks the return of witch hats, simple ghost silhouettes, dancing skeletons, hanging bats, and creepy, crawling spider decor.

If you’re ready to work these pieces back into your decor scheme but don’t want to run the risk of going overboard, start by picking one theme and letting that trend take the lead when it comes to your design plan. You don’t have to lean all the way in if you’re not ready—you can decide how much kitsch to work into your decor and dial it up or back depending on what you like.

Above all, you shouldn’t let the design opinions of anyone else but you rule what you like. What’s “tacky” to someone is tasteful to another—all that matters is that you like the space you’re living, creating, and decorating in.