When to Start Decorating for Halloween

As soon as September arrives and the weather starts to cool, there is one thing on the minds of many: fall decorating. At the first sign of autumn, it can be tempting to dress your home with harvest motifs like pumpkins, leaf garlands, and cornstalks. But for the truly "Martha" motivated, you may wonder how early is too early to break out your skeletons, witch hats, and faux tombstones for our founder's favorite holiday: Halloween.

While there is no single right time to decorate for the holiday, we turned to our readers to get a better understanding of when people like to start. In a recent Instagram poll, we asked our followers when they begin decorating for Halloween. Out of 4,624 people who responded, 22 percent said it's never too soon to decorate, 63 percent said they wait for October 1, and 15 percent said they wait until the week before Halloween.

If you're still unsure about when to put up your own seasonal adornments, we asked the experts for their guidance on when to start decorating for Halloween.

Wait for Cool Weather

The most popular time to start decorating for Halloween is during the first two weeks of October. However, you can start putting up decorations as early as late September, which is typically when there is a change in weather. "There is no right or wrong time to start decorating for Halloween," says Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy trend expert and judge on NBC's series Making It. "But I personally like to bust out the cobwebs and pumpkins when the air starts to feel a little cooler and crisper."

Wait for October

Even when the weather outside is crisp, some people still wait until October 1 to start decorating. "Some people say anytime is the right time to start decorating for Halloween, but if you are like me and decorate for every holiday and season, the timing can be tricky," says Lynn Lilly, founder of Craft Box Girls. "My rule of thumb is as soon as October 1 rolls around, I pack away the fall harvest decorations, put on my witches hat, stretch out the spider webs, and start planning my annual Halloween hunt."

Start Small in September

While September is a fine time to decorate your home with fall harvest décor, it may be a little early to break out spookier details. But if you simply can't wait for October (we don't blame you!) start small with subtle Halloween decorations. "If you can't wait to start the Halloween festivities, consider adding a touch of enchantment to your home with spooky-themed candles, ambiance lighting, and cozy throw blankets adorned with subtle Halloween motifs," says Kerrie Kelly, creative director of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab. "These small yet impactful touches will let you savor the anticipation of Halloween while keeping your décor stylish and inviting."

Look to Your Neighbors

Look to your neighbors when considering the right time to begin decorating for Halloween. If they haven't started decorating yet, they might not take kindly to seeing a graveyard of luminary tombstones scattered on the front lawn or giant spiders scaling your house for weeks on end. With that being said, you should still embrace your own enthusiasm for the season. If you don't want to wait for your neighbors, stick to more subtle décor like mum planters or a wreath of dried foliage in the meantime.