Imagine opening your front door on a late October evening in 1928. The ordinary sitting room has disappeared beneath a canopy of orange-and-black streamers. A witch peers from the corner, ghostly figures hover overhead, and a familiar house has become a place of shadows, surprises, and Hallowe’en merriment.

It is the sort of transformation that seems wonderfully extravagant until one looks a little closer. Much of the magic could be accomplished with paper, scissors, string, and a lively imagination.

For today’s installment of A Week of Hallowe’en, we’re turning to the October–November 1928 issue of Dennison’s Party Magazine, where readers could find inspiration for decorating everything from a large party hall to an ordinary room at home.

And although nearly a century separates us from those parties, there’s something remarkably familiar about the pleasure of making a house look just a little mysterious for one special evening.

A Party Made of Paper

Today, decorating for Hallowe’en might mean opening a box of electric lights, plastic pumpkins, and ready-made ornaments. In the late 1920s, decorative crepe paper offered another possibility: a room could be dressed for an occasion without permanently changing anything about the house.

Dennison was particularly associated with decorative paper products, and its party publications presented ways to turn those materials into festive settings. The illustrations were more than pretty pictures. They offered readers a vision of what a little ingenuity could accomplish.

Hallowe’en was an especially inviting occasion for such transformations. Orange and black established the season at a glance. Paper silhouettes suggested creatures of the night. Streamers softened the familiar lines of a room, and a few well-placed figures could make an ordinary doorway seem delightfully haunted.

Decorations That Will Create Hallowe’en Atmosphere

One of the most striking illustrations in the magazine is the colorful decorating spread titled Decorations That Will Create Hallowe’en Atmosphere.

Here, the emphasis is on the room itself. Long arrangements of paper draw the eye toward ceilings, windows, and overhead fixtures. Repeated bands of orange and black make large spaces feel coordinated, while fringe and hanging decorations introduce movement.

What appeals to me most about these illustrations is their sense of scale. A single paper ornament might be charming, but dozens of repeated streamers can change the character of an entire room.

Notice, too, how the decorations make use of places that are often overlooked: the upper corners of a room, the space above a doorway, the edges of a window, and the area around a central fixture.

This was decorating as a kind of temporary stagecraft. For one evening, the guests were invited to enter a different world.

The room itself became part of the entertainment.

When Ghosts and Witches Invade the House

The magazine also turns its attention to a more intimate setting in the article When Ghosts and Witches Invade the House: Some Clever Ways to Decorate It.

Its illustrations suggest a wonderfully playful sort of haunting. Instead of relying solely on a great quantity of paper, the decorations introduce recognizable Hallowe’en characters and figures into the domestic setting.

A ghost or witch becomes a small theatrical surprise. The decorations invite guests to look up, glance toward the corners, and discover that the house is not quite behaving as it ordinarily does.

I rather like the distinction between these two decorating approaches. The grand arrangements give us the atmosphere of a public celebration, while the ghosts and witches bring the same spirit into a home.

Neither approach depends upon elaborate machinery or costly furnishings. Their appeal lies in the arrangements, the silhouettes, the unexpected placement of familiar Hallowe’en figures, and the cheerful willingness to make something by hand.

Recreate the Look: Five Hallowe’en Decorations

Inspired by the magazine’s illustrations, I’ve gathered five simple ways to bring a little 1928 Hallowe’en atmosphere into a modern home. Open any of the projects below for materials and instructions.

1. Orange-and-Black Ceiling Streamers

The quickest way to suggest an old-fashioned party hall is to dress the ceiling with repeating lengths of orange and black.

Materials

• Orange paper streamers or crepe-paper rolls
• Black paper streamers or crepe-paper rolls
• Removable decorating hooks or suitable low-tack tape
• Scissors
• Optional lightweight paper rosette for the center

Method

1. Choose a central point above the room or along a wall, away from lights, fans, vents, and heat sources.
2. Measure several lengths of orange and black streamer from that point toward safe attachment positions.
3. Attach the streamers alternately, allowing a gentle curve rather than pulling them tight.
4. Repeat the arrangement evenly to create a canopy effect.
5. Finish with a lightweight paper rosette if desired.

Editorial touch: A small room needs surprisingly few streamers to create a festive impression. Concentrate the decoration above a supper table or along one wall rather than filling every available space.

Keep all paper clear of ceiling fixtures, bulbs, fans, heaters, sprinklers, and electrical equipment. Do not block exits.

2. A Garland of Paper Witches and Cats

Simple black silhouettes make a lovely contrast against pale walls or an orange paper background.

Materials

• Black cardstock or sturdy construction paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• String, cotton cord, or narrow ribbon
• Hole punch
• Optional orange paper circles

Method

1. Draw simple silhouettes of witches’ hats, black cats, bats, or crescent moons.
2. Cut out the shapes, repeating each design several times.
3. Punch two small holes near the top of each silhouette.
4. Thread the shapes onto a length of cord, alternating the designs.
5. Hang the finished garland along a mantel, bookshelf, or doorway where it will not interfere with movement.

Editorial touch: For a particularly vintage effect, limit the palette to black, pumpkin orange, and warm ivory. The shapes need not be perfectly uniform; a little hand-cut character is part of their charm.

Use LED candles rather than open flames near paper decorations. Keep hanging cords away from children and pets.

3. A Little Gathering of Paper Ghosts

A few lightweight ghostly figures can lend a room the playful, theatrical feeling suggested by the magazine’s household decorations.

Materials

• White tissue paper
• Small pieces of crumpled tissue for filling
• White cotton thread
• Scissors
• Optional black paper for facial details
• Removable hooks

Method

1. Place a small ball of crumpled tissue in the center of a larger tissue sheet.
2. Gather the paper beneath the ball to form a rounded head.
3. Tie gently around the neck with a short piece of thread.
4. Leave the remaining tissue loose to suggest a flowing ghostly figure.
5. Attach a hanging thread and suspend the ghost in a safe location.
6. If desired, add two small black-paper eyes, or leave the face entirely blank.

Editorial touch: Make several ghosts of slightly different sizes and arrange them at varying heights. They are particularly charming against a dark background.

Hang decorations securely, away from heat, lights, fans, and places where pets may become tangled in thread.

4. An Old-Fashioned Hallowe’en Window

The magazine’s interest in windows suggests an appealing idea: let the decorations be seen from both inside and outside the house.

Materials

• Black cardstock
• Orange translucent paper or tissue paper
• Scissors
• Removable window-safe adhesive
• Optional battery-operated LED light

Method

1. Cut a large black silhouette of a cat, witch, owl, or bare tree.
2. Cut a few orange circles or simple geometric accents.
3. Arrange the silhouettes on the inside of a clean window.
4. Fix them with removable, glass-safe adhesive.
5. If desired, place a battery-operated LED light safely nearby to illuminate the display after dark.

Editorial touch: Resist the temptation to fill the entire window. One large silhouette and a few smaller accents often create a more striking composition.

Do not obstruct a window needed for emergency escape. Keep paper away from hot lamps and electrical equipment.

5. A Crepe-Paper Hallowe’en Supper Table

Even without decorating an entire room, a small table can capture the festive character of a 1920s Hallowe’en party.

Materials

• Plain cream or ivory tablecloth
• Orange and black paper rosettes
• Small pumpkins or gourds
• Paper silhouettes
• Battery-operated LED candles
• Optional vintage-style serving dishes

Method

1. Begin with a simple, light-colored tablecloth to provide contrast.
2. Arrange small pumpkins or gourds along the center of the table.
3. Add orange-and-black paper rosettes around the display, keeping them away from food and drink.
4. Place a few black-paper silhouettes against a small upright backing or on a nearby wall.
5. Finish with flameless LED candles for a warm evening glow.

Editorial touch: Pair the decorations with simple serving dishes and perhaps one of the recipes from our 1928 Hallowe’en supper article. A little butterscotch would certainly not be out of place.

Keep paper decorations away from serving flames, hot dishes, and food preparation areas. Avoid small loose decorations where they could be swallowed by children or pets.

The Art of a Temporary Transformation

What makes these old illustrations so appealing is not merely the decorations themselves. It is the idea that a familiar place could become extraordinary for a single evening.

There is a certain pleasure in decorating with materials that are modest, temporary, and made by hand. Paper streamers do not need to last forever. Silhouettes can be tucked into a drawer until another October. And a homemade ghost need not be especially convincing to make someone smile.

The illustrations in Dennison’s Party Magazine also remind us that the Hallowe’en party was not limited to one particular kind of gathering. A large decorated hall and a small domestic room could share the same colors, characters, and spirit of merrymaking.

Nearly a century later, we may use different materials and much safer lighting, but the impulse is wonderfully recognizable: to welcome our guests into a place that feels, for a few hours, unlike anywhere else.