With Halloween fast approaching, you may start seeing neighbors and friends pulling out all the (décor) stops to prepare for the festive night-of-the-dead. Which is fun for the masses and definitely creates a great Halloween ambiance and experience. However, you may not have the inclination or time to go crazy with your own décor this year. It happens. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do some simple things around your house to lend an aura of spookiness to the holiday.

Here are some fantastic decoration ideas that share one common theme: small simplicity. Maybe they’ll inspire and encourage you to add a unique-yet-simple touch to your soon-to-be-haunted home…{found on site}.

Never underestimate the power of an untouched pumpkin. Or eight. They are colorful, nicely shaped, and very impactful either alone or in groups. A mantel line-up is particularly charming, as it really requires no other supplement to be an aesthetic seasonal decoration. And you can make pie and roast the seeds afterward, too. Win-win.

Keep it classy. Throw in some unexpected artistic details on common silhouettes for a unique and sophisticated spin on Halloween décor.{found on site}.

Some orange candles in candlesticks. The juxtaposition of an elegant candle-in-candlestick and a pumpkin-orangey color is simultaneously fun and sophisticated. Bonus, the pop of color can add life to an otherwise neutral vignette.

Incorporate a simple pumpkin into everyday décor. A pumpkin (real or otherwise) perched atop some books on a table is often sufficient in decorating for Halloween. Of course, some sprayed white branches and minimalist-modern printables in frames furthers the festive message here…{found on thriftyandchic}.

One piece of Halloween décor is sometimes all you need. In your everyday fruit bowl, for example, a skull and a “Poison apple” sign is enough to convey spookiness in a simple and direct – but still fun – way.

Keep the Halloween décor well-edited. One or two well-chosen items, such as this jarred bat and mini orange pumpkin, can have a much bigger (and better) impact than an entire roomful of gaudy décor. Plus, it’s so much easier to clean up!{found on aubreyandlindsay}.

Make a Halloween garland/banner/bunting, whatever you call it, and reuse it year after year. A benefit of garlands is that they cover a lot of visual ground without actually requiring a lot of space. Plus, you can customize the garland to fit your space and style.{found on site}.

A single blackbird sitting somewhere – anywhere – nonchalantly is an unsettling, somewhat eery sight. Which makes this simple décor idea a major bang-for-your-buck. Resting in a more formal room, like a living room, makes the presence of a blackbird even more dramatic.