Halloween is an ideal holiday for crafters. From making costumes and carving pumpkins to creating haunted houses and decorations, this is a creative holiday for malers.
This year, 2021, in-person events like trick-or-treating, apple picking, and trips to the pumpkin patch are slowly coming back and kids and adults alike are excited to take advantage of the Halloween season. According to a survey from the National Retail Federation, 65% of consumers plan to celebrate Halloweeen this year, up from 58% in October 2020. Of those celebrating, 52% plan to decorate their home or yard, with total spending on decor expected to reach an all-time high of $3.3 billion. Overall, consumer spending on Halloween-related items is expected to reach $10.14 billion, up $8.05 billion in 2020 and an all-time high.
This Halloween, expect to see a mix of classic and contemporary styles, an expanded color palette, and new accessories added to the mix. Let’s take a look.
The traditional Halloween palette continues to expand this year. Warm metals, including gold, brass and brushed metals will be explored and we’ll see primary colors as bold accents. Soft, earthly pastels will be mixed in with the classic Halloween colors. Bold jet black is growing in popularity and is a great way to give graphic elements a big statement. Trending searches on Etsy include victorian halloween, vintage apothecary, crystal balls, outdoor decor and tarot cards.
Natural Elements
Last year’s focus on outdoor celebrations and decor will continue, with an emphasis on pumpkin carving, outdoor dining decor and fire pits/cauldrons. Natural elements and rustic decor such as garlands will make an appearance in outdoor decor.
Nature-Inspired Ideas
- • Garlands
- • Spindly bare tree silhouettes
- • Pumpkin carving kits
- • Dried, wilted flowers
- • Tabletop centerpieces with gourds, pumpkins and flowers
Halloween Jewelry & Accessories
Halloween jewelry and accessories are a simple way to add a festive touch to the season.
Jewelry & Accessory Ideas
• Halloween earrings
• Bold headpieces
• Halloween masks
• Halloween necklaces
• Chokers and collars
Dress Up
Well worn witch hats with plaid and patchwork patterns will be a popular and easy way to dress up for the season. Popular searches for costumes this year include witch, princess and Cruella.
Halloween Paper Goods
These trends will be popular for invitations, decorations and party supplies:
• Bold, graphic style with high-contrast and ALL CAPS lettering
• Gothic style lettering reminiscent of ink and quill lettering
• Sketchy effects such as doodles, hand lettering and typewriter style
• Playful characters and natural elements intertwined
Cute & Creepy Characters
Fun but slightly creepy characters in the form of graphics and patterns are going to be popular for kids and adults alike. We’ll see traditional skulls, skeletons, witches, and pumpkins with non-traditional characters like hearts, owls and gnomes.
Victorian Details
Shoppers on Etsy have been searching for antique styles across categories such as jewelry, home decor and art.
Victorian Halloween Ideas
• Vintage Halloween decor
• Victorian costumes
• Vintage jewelry
• Victorian-inspired wall art
• Techniques such as stippling, shading, prints, negative prints, cyanotypes, and working with black ink for a moody effect.
Kate Ankeny
Operations Manager and Outreach Coordinator
Kate has a background working in the arts non-profit, marketing, and design industries. She has coordinated with craft business owners to put on workshops, guest artist residencies, discussions, and large scale creative events. In her design business, she creates visual branding and promotional pieces for creative entrepreneurs. She lives in Silverthorne, Colorado.
