A flat has no front garden, no porch and usually a landlord who wants the walls to stay as they are. Halloween can still look like Halloween. It needs a few chosen pieces in four places: the door, the light, the balcony and the table.
In Spain, 31 October is not a public holiday, but 1 November, All Saints' Day, is. This year 31 October falls on a Saturday, so Halloween night is a weekend night. In Catalonia the same days bring the Castanyada, with roasted chestnuts and panellets. One small flat can host both.
Start at the front door
The door is the first thing a guest sees, and it is the easiest place to begin. The Halloween Ghost Door Sign is a round wooden board, 30 cm across, in black with a ghost holding a pumpkin. It is light, so an over-door hook holds it with no screw in the door.
For a softer look that can stay up into November, the Autumn Harvest Wreath is 50.8 cm across, with pumpkins, berries, maple leaves and pine cones. It suits indoor and outdoor use. If your door opens onto a shared landing, check your building's community rules before you hang anything outside.
Let the light do the work
In a small room, light changes the mood faster than objects do. Switch off the ceiling light and build the room from low points of light.
- On shelves and the table: the Spider Flameless Tea Lights are 12 small spiders, 5 x 8.5 cm, each with an orange LED glow on its back. They are battery powered, so there is no flame near curtains or lace.
- Along a shelf or the fireplace: the Willow Branch Pumpkin Light String has 54 pumpkin LEDs, 8 lighting modes and a timer. It runs on batteries, with no cords.
- On a desk or side table: the Lava Skull Table Lamp is a 20 cm resin skull with an orange glow through its cracked finish. It runs from a USB port.
Three groups of light in three corners are enough for most living rooms.
Use the balcony as your front garden
If your flat has a balcony, it is the part of your home the street sees. Choose pieces that are compact and need no socket.
The Light-Up Inflatable Pumpkin with Remote is 58.5 cm wide, with swirling LED lights inside. It runs on 3 button batteries, included. The Solar Pumpkin Wind Chime Lights carry 6 colour-changing pumpkins. Hang them from a door or a window frame. They charge in the sun and are waterproof.
Solar lights need direct sun to charge. On a shaded balcony, choose the battery pieces instead. Keep the balcony door and the walkway clear. The Inflatable Halloween Pumpkins display measures 245 x 105 x 155 cm and is made for a yard, not a balcony.
Dress the table
A table is where a Halloween evening actually happens, so it deserves the most attention.
Start with the Halloween Lace Tablecloth: black lace in 100% polyester, 135 x 175 cm, with a haunted house and pumpkin design. Down the middle, set the Pumpkin Glass Candle Holders, 6 holders in black and gold glass with a different pumpkin face on each. They take your own candles. With real flames, keep them clear of the lace.
For treats, the Skeleton Hand Bowl Holder holds your own bowl in white skeleton hands, and the hands detach for cleaning and storage. For a matching table and wall, the Spider Web Lace Table Set with Bats has 22 pieces: a spider web runner, a fireplace scarf, round table mats and 3D bat wall stickers.
Hang from above, not into the wall
A rented flat rewards anything that hangs from what is already there. A curtain rail, an existing hook or a door frame can carry most Halloween pieces. We use the same approach in our guide to no-drill bathroom fittings for renters.
The Hanging Halloween Bats are 18 bats in 3 sizes, in waterproof PP board, with fishing string, foam tape and eye stickers in the pack. Hang them from the curtain rail, or stick them on a window. Test the tape on one piece first. The Hanging Light-Up Ghost is 119 cm tall and fills a doorway on its own. It takes AA batteries, which are not included.
A Castanyada corner
In Catalonia, the Castanyada is celebrated around All Saints' Day. People share roasted chestnuts, roasted sweet potatoes, panellets and a glass of sweet moscatell. A tray of chestnuts next to the pumpkins puts both traditions on one table, and it suits guests who did not grow up with Halloween.
What to know before you buy
These pieces are reusable, which also means they need space from November to October. In a small flat, choose 3 or 4 pieces that fit in one box, not a full set for every room. Several light-up pieces need batteries you buy yourself: the Hanging Light-Up Ghost takes AA, and the LED Pumpkin Lights with Remote take 3 AAA each. Solar pieces depend on sun, so they are a poor match for a north-facing or covered balcony.
One box, one night
The short version for a small flat: one piece on the door, light in three corners, one compact piece on the balcony and a dressed table. On 2 November it all goes back in one box. The same thinking works all year, as in our guide to making a rented flat feel more expensive: fewer pieces, chosen well.
The full range is in our Halloween collection, with more for the table in Living and for the balcony in Outdoor.
