Halloween decor doesn’t have to be scary skeletons or cute orange pumpkins. This Halloween, turn your house into an atmospheric haunted forest with the help of some sparkling branches.

A black and white color palette makes this easy, elegant Halloween decor more chic than scary. And the decor is so simple that you can even create it at the last minute. All you need are some branches—you can gather them from your yard or buy them at a local flower shop—vases, faux cobwebs, some twinkle lights and a few creepy critters.

Once you have your branches, arrange them in tall, heavy vases that won’t tip over. (If your branches are very large, add rocks to the bottom of the vase for stability, or use a clear fishing line to tie the heaviest branches to wall hooks or stair rails.)

When branches are secure, take twinkle lights and wrap them around each branch individually, hiding the battery packs under a table runner or behind the vases. Then, wrap each branch with cobwebs. The light will make the webs seem to shimmer in the moonlight.

Next, turn your display into a haunted forest by upping the creep factor. Add faux crows, spiders, and bats, (or print your own from our downloadable template!) to the branches for a haunted forest full of creatures. You can nestle them into the branches or hang the bats from branches so they appear to fly. Finish up the scene with a hanging moon lamp.

To add even more atmosphere, you can also set up a patch of white pumpkins—using real or plastic pumpkins—and illuminate those with flameless pillar candles.

Once Halloween is over, take off the creepy crawlers and (if you have the patience) remove the cobwebs to save for next year. But you can keep the illuminated branches up through New Year’s, hanging them with fall leaves, snowflakes, or holiday decor.

What You’ll Need:

How-To

Step One Take bare branches and set them in vases. Add stones to weigh down the bottom of the vase if the branches are extra big and heavy, or tie them to wall hooks or stair railing with clear fishing line.

Step Two Wrap branches with twinkle lights, hiding the battery packs under a tablecloth.

Step Three Wrap lighted branches with cobwebs.

Step Four Nestle critters into the web-covered branches, or hang them from each branch with fishing line.

Step Five (optional): Add a glowing moon lamp.