One of the great things about Halloween is that it offers a plethora of decorating possibilities. You can buy your decorations or, if you're feeling crafty, you can always make them. A good benefit to making your own decorations is that you can customize them around your house and preexisting decor, and also make them all consist in style.
The Haunted House
If you want to go all out for Halloween, why not try turning your home into your very own haunted house? This is something that can be done relatively inexpensively. Hang fake spiderwebs in the corners and in doorways or drape them over your furniture. Fake spiderwebs can be purchased for as little as 99 cents at many stores and they often come with plastic spiders. Want a more colorful touch? The spiderwebs come in a variety of fluorescent colors like purple, green, and orange, which are black light reactive.
Give your windows and creepy feeling by tattering some old curtains from Goodwill or hanging "creepy cloth" from your curtain rods. Also, many Halloween stores sell window clings that will make it appear as though your windows are cracked. Or if you want to spook visitors, purchase light-up eyes to peer out at passersby. If you want give your furniture an old, abandoned look, you can cover them in old bed sheets and creepy cloth. Covering up your furniture will also protect it from spills, makeup, etc. if you host a party in your home...or in case the little ones have one too many pieces of candy.
Don't forget ambient lighting! Candles are a must for the Halloween mood. They can be stand alone or taper candles in gothic candelabra. If your concerned with safety (or replacing the candles after extended use), consider purchasing flameless candles. LED candles flicker like real candles and often times look just as good.
If you really want to go all out, Scene Setters and the like are the way to go. These are thin plastic sheets that can be placed on your walls to imitate rotting wall paper, stone, and several other creepy settings. Also, many stores now sell Halloween paintings and portraits that change for normal to frightening based on the angle you look at them.
TIP: Have little ones in your home? This can easily be adapted to be child-friendly. Use cartoony looking creatures and happy ghosts, skeletons, etc. Think Disney's Haunted Mansion.
The Graveyard
Got a big yard? Tired of the same-old-same-old? Make yourself a graveyard! Tombstones are readily available at all stores that sell Halloween decorations. They range from inexpensive foam headstones to elaborate resin monuments. If you have the budget, I highly recommend the resin gravestones at Target. Menards also has a nice selection of foam and plastic ones. Some are black light reactive and some have LED lights built in and they are of a nice size. I also recently picked up some neat Celtic Crosses from Meijer.
TIP: Be sure to secure your tombstones well or else they may blow away. They pretty much all come with a brace-like stake. You may want to glue or tape the stake to the stone. Once the stake is in the ground, use a heavy wire and make a "U" shape to pin the brace part of the stake into the lawn.
On Halloween night you can add to the ambience by using a fog machine and playing creepy music over a hidden stereo. Floodlights in eerie colors can also add to the feel while adding additional light for safety without ruing the mood.
Simple Decorating
An elaborate display not your thing? That's perfectly alright. The Halloween spirit can easily be spread by simply decorating in shades of black and orange. A few die cuts on the wall or a figurine here and there and you're ready to go. You can also decorate with seasonal housewares like dishtowels, pot holders, shower curtains, rugs, and so forth.
A Fun, Child-Friendly Halloween
If you're worried about scaring the little ones, you can't go wrong with a more harvesty theme. Cute scarecrow and smiling Jack-O-Lanterns make good child favorites. An inexpensive way to illuminate your yard is to line your walkway or porch with plastic pumpkin pails with tea lights. However, if you expect trick-or-treaters, it is best to use flameless candles as the real thing poses a fire hazard with all those flowing costumes going by! Also, don't forget about the happy ghosts, good witches, and timid black cats. These are the kind of decorations my mom put out when I was a tot. You can also put a twist on Christmas classics like the holiday village and tree. Menards and Hallmark have extended selections of miniature houses and characters themed around the holiday. You can also decorate a black "Christmas" tree with orange lights and spooky ornaments. 
More to Come
Keep checking back for updates! In the coming days, we will be taking a look at some more specific Halloween decorations like the Telco Motion-ettes of Halloween, blow molds, and die cuts. The thing to remember when decorating is that it is ultimately up to you and what you like. Highlight your favorite parts of Halloween and go from there!
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