Spooky Chic Halloween Tablescape

In this post, I’ll be sharing my Halloween tablescape decor ideas for an elevated spooky chic dinner party.

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Feeling like hosting a little spooky chic dinner party this year for Halloween? If so, I’ve got you covered with today’s post!

I typically like to pick one spot in my home to fully deck out in Halloween decor. You may have caught some of my previous posts where I’ve decorated my tv console unit and bar cabinet in a “chic apothecary” theme, and my foyer table in a “witchy library” theme.

This year, I wanted to combine two of my favorite things, decorating and hosting, and came up with a tablescape design, perfect for a more effortlessly elevated Halloween dinner party. For the most part, I used things I already had in my decor collection, and sprinkled in a few easy DIY’s as well, because… well that’s the fun part!

I hope these images help spark some ideas or at the very least, inspire you to start pulling out your Halloween decor for the season.

Scroll to the very end of the post for some shoppable links to similar items if you’d like to recreate this design, and a freebie template download for DIY butterflies + bats!

A Spooky Chic Halloween Tablescape

Focal Point: When setting up a tablescape, I like to start with a central focal point and work my way out towards the edges of the table, varying the heights of each item to create a “wave” effect. This adds visual interest and keeps the eye flowing across the table. I found a black velvet skull that sadly broke and was missing a large chunk off the top of its head. Instead of tossing it, I repurposed it as a vase and added some faux stems (some of which were left over from my DIY fall wreath) to create a tall centerpiece. Tip: make sure the floral arrangements aren’t too tall and block the line of sight for your dinner guests.

Creepy Cloth: Create a super easy and effortless table runner by using a beige creepy cloth – it instantly adds a spooky factor and makes the perfect base layer to add decor over. I also draped a few pieces over the back of the chairs and love the way it added a weird and whimsical touch. Tip: If you start with a white tablecloth, use black creepy cloth as the runner for more contrast.

Ambiance Lighting: This one is a given, always finish with layered candles. I love combining tall candlesticks and short tealights to add various levels of light throughout. This also helps illuminate certain areas of the decor and brings out the texture of the spooky details.

Mix & Match: A creepy chic Halloween tablescape is the perfect time to break all the rules about matching dinnerware sets. I love the look of mismatched antique glassware and mixed metals in my tablescape. Tip: To keep things looking somewhat cohesive, choose one item to keep uniform, like the plates, and then mix and match the glassware or silverware.

More is More: I know this is a personal preference, but I truly think Halloween decor has way more of a wow factor when the more is more approach is used. Try creating a “layered found objects” look by overlapping decor pieces, leaning objects against each other, and filling in gaps with small items. It’s not your typical dinner table, so have fun with spooky elements like bones, creepy bugs, etc. To keep things looking elevated, opt for more luxe materials like velvet, ceramics, glass, and gold/bronze.

Easy DIYs to Try:

All the butterflies and bats you see scattered throughout are a super simple DIY project I decided to tack on last minute. To recreate this, make templates for each shape, and cut them out of black cardstock or poster board. Fold up the wings/edges leaving a flat area in the center. Then, place wherever you’d like using double sided tape or glue dots (my favorite!). To save some time, CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MY FREE BUTTERFLIES AND BATS TEMPLATE. ps- these would also look great cascading down a wall, mirror, or mantle!

I found these snakes at Goodwill that were originally supposed to be bracelets for kids. They looked like the perfect size for napkin rings but obviously needed to be spruced up a bit. I took some gold liquid leaf and quickly painted over the grey areas. This really made the pattern pop! Try thinking outside and box and see if you have anything laying around the house that could work as a napkin holder. Sometimes all you need is a bit of gold paint to help elevate an item.