How to decorate your house this Halloween

It's October and we're coming into week six at university – scary, I know – so of course we're all living for Halloween. You've probably already thought about what costume you're going to wear and what concoction of alcohol you're taking to the Halloween house party, but there's one thing that most people forget about – Halloween decorations.

Whether you're hosting a freaky party, or you're just a die-hard Halloween fan, decorating your house is the best way to get into the Halloween spirit! Here are some cool and cheap ways you can convert your typical student house into a haunted mansion.

Eyeball Wreath

Get yourself a plain wreath and some eyeball fairy lights – adding these two pieces of decor together makes for an inventive Halloween centrepiece. It would make a great discussion point for when you're trying to chat up that fit guy/girl at the Halloween party (we've got you covered ladies and gents). You could even say it was art – call yourself the next Picasso! And when Halloween is over *gasp* you can throw some glitter and tinsel on it and it becomes a Christmas wreath. Getting double for your money here!

A Halloween decoration you can't keep your eyes off

Carved Pumpkins

Ah, some classic Halloween decor. If you're not so artistic don't worry, there plenty of shops on Smithdown, and in town, that sell plastic, pre-carved pumpkins that will look sick on your window ledge, or even illuminating your living room in the evening. However, if you are a scarily talented carver, grab yourself a proper pumpkin and carve away. You can even make it into a house activity. What a great way to spend your Sunday morning when you're hungover – carving away at a few pumpkins! You could even make your own little family of them, how sweet!

Two Pumpkins flirting – let's hope his chances aren't squashed

Make a ghost

Okay, so this one does take a bit of time but, as you can see, the results are magic. You will need a lot of gauze, PVA glue and some empty bottles to mould your ghost around. It's a Papier-mâché masterpiece (throwback to when we were all 10). Added bonus: it may actually scare some of your housemates! That's what Halloween is all about, right? And if you maybe find yourself getting a bit attached to your ghostly creation, s/he could become a permanent fixture in the house. Alternatively, just give them a name and it's like a nice, silent version of your annoying housemate.

Steve scares away the real ghosts

Day of the Dead decorations

Although we may not celebrate Day of the Dead, it has become a massive part of Halloween now, with a lot of people dressing up like this in recent years. So why not bring an 'international' feel to your house and grab yourself some Day of the Dead themed decorations?! A little skeleton might even become a great way to show guests where your nearest bathroom is. "Er yeah, it's the door with a skeleton wearing a sombrero on the outside". Perfect.

Blood Gel Window Stickers

Simple yet effective – the gel blood splatter decoration is the ideal way to pimp out your house if you're too skint to go all out on spooky decor. It's also a great way to make the house look spooky if you forgot about the 31st because of all your upcoming deadlines. They're easy to remove and are reusable, so you can always take them to your next student house. No more wasting money on single-use decorations.

The most fun part is sticking these to the window

Pumpkin Trail

Yet another pumpkin-themed decoration idea! This one is also ideal when it comes to guiding your guests to the upstairs bathroom – just put it on the staircase. They're the perfect way to spice up any bland student wall or hall! For added Halloween amazingness, they're reusable as well – what more could you possibly want?

Follow the orange-pumpkin road

Bunting

Who'd have thought such a typical British decoration could be used at Halloween? Well it can! You can get a wide variety of Halloween-themed bunting from major stores like Asda, Home Bargains and B&M so there really is no excuse to be a Halloween-Scrooge. You can go for the cuter side of Halloween with something like this ghost bunting, or something more innovative that you can easily make yourself.

Cute little spooks

So, get ready to be hailed as the interior designer queen or king of your house. Whether you're on a budget, trying to be eco-friendly or just want to celebrate Halloween, there's loads of ways you can decorate your house for the 31st October. And, be prepared because you'll have people talking about your spook-tastic decorations for weeks to come.