Skip Traditional Halloween Decor: There's A Cuter Way To Dress Up Your Front Door

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Though popularized as such, Halloween isn't all about trick-or-treating. You also need to deck your house for the celebration, taking your front porch fall decor to the next level to welcome visitors and set the seasonal tone for the neighborhood. However, if you are a bit bored of the same 'ol pumpkin, mums, skeleton, or wreath idea for your outdoors, know that there's a charming, more unique way to decorate your front door as you prepare for the holiday. TikTok creator heybrooklynb recommends using a pool noodle and a curtain tension rod to make an adorable garland you can suspend over your porch's entryway.

This is an easy idea anyone can undertake — simply extend the tension rod to fit between two of your porch columns, and wrap it with a pool noodle so you can pin on your favorite seasonal decorations. Plus, you don't necessarily have to spring for new supplies. Shop around your home first to see if you can forage an old pool noodle. Uneven cutouts left over from your previous projects will work, as will an old tension rod. Just ensure it's big enough to fit between the columns on either side of your door. 

Additionally, grab any fall-specific artificial flowers and garlands you have. You'll also need fun decorative elements, like fairy lights (bonus points if they're Halloween-themed), ribbons, plastic skulls and bones, witchy hats, jack-o-lanterns, and other spooky embellishments to hide the bald spots and make your decor look fuller. Don't forget to grab a huge bow (raffia or silk, whatever you're comfortable with) to complete the look. Other than that, keep some sharp scissors, a utility knife, and a pack of U-pins, such as Volisau U-Shaped Fork Pins, on hand.

If you're repurposing an old tension rod, give it a quick wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth to get rid of dirt and grime. While it dries, cut your pool noodle to match the length of the rod. Then, slit it down the middle in a straight line. Feel free to draw a line down the middle with a yardstick and marker if you'd rather not freehand this. Suspend your tension rod between the columns of the front door, and wrap the pool noodle around it, covering the rod from end to end. Try mounting at a height you can easily reach, since going up and down a ladder continuously will be exhausting.

@heybrooklynb

I transformed the front door for Halloween! 🎃 #halloween #homedecor #diy #spookyseason #fyp

♬ original sound – heybrooklynb

After you put the pool noodle in place on the rod, start decorating. For a simple design to fit in seamlessly alongside your other Halloween decor ideas, wrap two or more autumn-esque garlands around the noodle (secure it with U-pins along the way) and call it a day. If you want a bit of a colonial vibe, allow the garland to dangle from both ends. A string of fairy lights will make it look magical when the sun sets. 

Alternatively, consider upping the cuteness factor by starting with a garland to hide as much pool noodle as you can and then moving onto flowers. Use your favorite spooky decorative elements function as your filler. You could even add a string of macabre lights with built-in LEDs and haunting music or spider webs (like a Dollar Tree Decorative Spider Web) to make your decor stand out.