How to Make Your Home Feel Like Halloween in the 90s

Remember when Halloween meant glowing jack-o’-lanterns, orange pumpkin bags on the lawn, and the smell of apple cinnamon in the house? Growing up in the 90s, those little details made October feel so special.

I love bringing that feeling into our home now, especially with my kids. It doesn’t take elaborate decorating, just a few familiar touches that make you want to turn down the lights and put on Hocus Pocus. The amazing thing about the 90s was it wasn’t about perfect and fancy, it was just about being festive.

p.s – the photo above is my brother in 1996 in front of the same house shown in the top photo 🙂

🎃 👻 Shop my favorite 90s Halloween Vibes from this post here.

Bring Back the Simple Halloween Decorations

Simple Halloween pictures and jack-o’-lanterns are some of my favorite ways to decorate. A pumpkin glowing in the window instantly gives me that childhood Halloween feeling!

And remember those big orange jack-o’-lantern trash bags everyone filled with leaves? They were practically part of the neighborhood Halloween scenery. Bring them back by gathering fallen leaves and filling a few pumpkin bags for your front yard (see in the first picture!). The kids can help, and suddenly a yard chore becomes part of decorating. I found them on Amazon last year!

Use what makes you smile. A few cheerful pumpkins and familiar Halloween pictures can make a room feel festive without filling every corner.

Give Your TV a Halloween Mood

One of my favorite little tricks is putting Halloween videos on our TV. It adds another layer to the room while we’re hanging out, getting things done, or enjoying the decorations. These 90s Halloween scenes on youtube have been bringing us so much comfort and joy this October.

Here are the YouTube videos I put on so you can try them at home, too:

Turn on your jack-o’-lanterns, put a video on the TV, and enjoy a little 90s October atmosphere.

Remember When Fall Smelled Like Apple Cinnamon?

When I think about fall in the ’90s, I remember scents like Glade Cinnamon Stick and Apple Cinnamon. That sweet, spicy smell was part of the season! I remember my mom specifically using the Glade cinnamon stick all through the autumn season.

To capture a similar vibe, try cinnamon brooms around the house or a plant-based blend with an apple-cinnamon or cinnamon-spice scent. You’re recreating the feeling rather than making an exact copy of those old fragrances.

Halloween Pajamas and a Hocus Pocus Night

Halloween pajamas for my kids and a night watching Hocus Pocus are an easy way to make October feel special. Order some pizza, pop some popcorn, and make a blanket fort in the living room.

That’s what I love most about bringing back 90s Halloween: sharing the little things I remember with my own kids and watching them become part of their childhood, too.

Halloween School Supplies

I remember in the 90s, getting to use my Halloween pencil was the coolest thing. My teacher would have them available for us if we did well in class and got to dig through the treat bucket. Or we could use our AR points. I have Amelia’s homework box stuffed with halloween pencils and erasers. She thinks it is so festive! Again, the 90s weren’t above perfectly curated and fancy items, it was just about jack o lanterns and ghosts 🙂

Bust Out The Special Halloween Festive Books

There are several Halloween books from the 90s that stick out in my mind. First, the I Spy Halloween book. I still love doing this with my kids.

Other Halloween book favorites are 5 Little Pumpkins, Berenstain Bears Halloween, The Bailey School Kids, Goosebumps, Karen’s Ghost, and The Dollhouse Murders.

Make Everyday Things Feel Like Halloween

Remember the Halloween-themed Ziploc bags? Even a sandwich or an afternoon snack felt more fun tucked inside a bag covered in pumpkins or ghosts.

Pick up some Halloween-themed Ziploc bags and use them throughout October for school lunches, snacks, and little treats. My kids love them!

Another memory is the Halloween paper towels they always had in the 90s. I found some similar on Amazon, so I use those for packing lunches too.

I love simple touches like this for my kids, and they make an ordinary day feel like part of the Halloween season, just like I remember from the ’90s. And to be honest with you, I enjoy it just as much as they do. It brings me so much joy doing this in October!

What takes you straight back to Halloween in the ’90s…the pumpkin leaf bags, apple-cinnamon smells, or a favorite movie? Tell me your favorite memory in the comments!