Even though Halloween is expected to generate over $5 billion in sales this year*, you don’t need a ton of cash to transform your home into a haunted house. Sure, that $8,900 Attack Alligator prop would be amazing, but what really sets the mood is lighting. Every Halloween event, from home Halloween party to professional haunt, needs spooky lighting to create realism with mood. Fake cobwebs and dangling rubber bats look pretty lame in the light of day, but place them in a dark room with flickering candles or well placed spot lighting, and they create the foreboding atmosphere they were intended to. The best part is that great lighting can be achieved quickly, easily, and on the cheap.

Candles are an obvious first choice, and can be used in a lots of ways. For a dramatic, gothic feel, try a candelabra with tall tapered candles like the one featured above from Illuminations. Luminaries are a common Halloween lighting solution, and new styles are breathing life into this old idea. The owl is not a common symbol of Halloween, but this black Own Lantern uses unique cut-outs to create a slightly menacing look that is perfect for the season. Bats are much more commonly used, but there isn’t much diversity in their design usage. I like how this iron Bat Lantern can be hung upside-down, like a real bat, and has a stomach that resembles a furnace. (Maybe it’s just me, but those thick grates remind me of eerie basements and horror films.)

Real candles can be used in any of these items, but fake candles have a lot of upsides worth considering. For flammable items such as real pumpkins and paper bag luminaries, electronic candles are required to avoid a call to the fire department. Even in flame-safe environments, fake candles will eliminate soot, smoke, and all fire hazard. Some places restrict use of open flame, and kids+candles should never be left unattended, so LED candles make great choices for dorm dwellers and children.

More spooky lighting is available from Fright Catalog and BuyCostumes, and Yard Haunter has some good lighting tips to further inspire you.

*Article via Ghost Droppings