Doing Halloween Safe At Home!

When I wrote Halloween Rescue Plan last year it never occurred to me that in 2020 our flares would be happening inside a worldwide flare. 2020 is a flare dipped in flare sauce with blazing flare sprinkles, but you've still got a life to live. If you love Halloween or have a trick-or-treater at home there are some ways to get into the spirit safely.

Start with managing thoughts

What if it’s not as good as past Halloweens?

It's okay to enjoy each Halloween for what it has to offer. This year, we'll lean on photography, home decorations, and pretend time fun. Next year could be totally different.

Be mindful of sticky traps

It feels normal to do things a certain way but that's not the same thing as an objective fact. We're socialized to an idea of childhood as a fantasy space, free of complications and disappointments. That's impossible because kids live in the world with us. And the fact that we know to protect them from danger is proof that childhood isn't a de facto exemption from problems. In the grand scheme of things, is 1 or 2 strange Halloweens all that bad?

Now what?

How about a celebration table?

Celebration tables are a great way to make people feel special. To make them for birthdays and Christmas I usually cover a table or bench in tissue, wrapping paper, cupcake papers, or doilies, and then add presents and larger decorations.

I made this one for my aunt's birthday, it's a few weeks before Christmas. So I usually decorate the living room and give her some holiday items to use right away.

Upcycle and improvise

This tray includes a pumpkin-shaped candy dish with battery-powered lights, a DIY pumpkin made by fitting two colors of tissue paper over a clean coffee creamer bottle and its lid, framed window clings, and my Abominable Snowman wearing a seasonal garland and gauntlets made out of pumpkin printed socks. We love that snowman so much he's always out, there's no help for it.

Gauntlets

These are one of my favorite DIYs! I started doing this years ago to hold pain patches in place on my wrists. The festive options didn't cross my mind until 2020. To make them, all you'll need are tall socks and scissors. You can hem them or add something like fray check, but you should do fine without. The main thing is to cut a horizontal line to remove the heel and foot area, and make a vertical cut for the thumb. These go great with headbands and crowns!

Craft pumpkins

Craft  pumpkins are my no carve go to! This tray includes my teal Food Allergy Pride pumpkin and treat bag, and assorted craft pumpkins. The gray one is wearing my birthday cat ears and has some paper ghost picks from a seasonal assortment poked into the top.

Of course it's okay to skip Halloween or Harvest celebrations, you don't need permission. But I feel like those gauntlets and cat ears will look amazing on you!