You can’t go wrong with fake cobwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. But this year you may want some Halloween decor that’s a little more sophisticated. Enter techorations—high-tech decorations to up the spooky factor in your Halloween decorating.
From creepy lighting to scary sound effects to frightening projected images, here’s how you can create Halloween-worthy atmosphere without breaking the bank.
1. Light Up Your Home With Smart LED Lights
LED lighting has come a long way in recent years. Not only is it more advanced, it’s more affordable than ever. All you’ll need to turn your home into the spookiest place on the block are a few multi-colored light strips or spot lights. You can use these Halloween techorations to illuminate your home from the inside, outside or both. You can even buy light bulbs with a flame effect for extra Halloween ambience.
Philips Hue is one of the leaders in the industry, with a whole set of spooky smart lights that are perfect for Halloween. You can download their Hue smartphone app to control them remotely, sync them up to music, and more.
2. Control Your Fog Machine With a Smart Switch
Fog machines are nothing new, but you can pair them up with lighting and advanced technology to create an eerie atmosphere. Plug your fog machine into a Wemo Insight Smart Plug, and you can control it with Alexa, Google Home, or IFTTT recipes.
You can program your fog machine to turn on randomly, work on a specific schedule, or activate with voice or remote control. Choose a fog machine with LED lights for even more techorating options.
3. Ask Alexa to Play a Spooky Playlist
Both Google Home and Alexa are compatible with Spotify and can handle all of your DJ requests. You can ask Alexa to play a customized Halloween playlist, or choose from several other spooky sound and story options. There’s even an interactive Haunted House game you can enable on Alexa for free.
All you have to do is say “Alexa, tell me a spooky story” or “Alexa, tell me a Halloween joke.” Or, ask her for costume ideas and movie recommendations—a Halloween techoration you may already have in your home!
4. Set the Tone With Ambient YouTube Videos
You don’t have to leave home to transport yourself to another dimension. YouTube is full of free videos that can lend your house some much-needed ambience. For example, this three-hour video is filled with rain, thunder, and a crackling fireplace.
The Amazon Echo also has a haunted house screensaver for a similar scary atmosphere. Even a simple techoration can turn any night into a dark and stormy night.
5. Project Haunted Scenes From AtmosFX
AtmosFX is known for its digital decor, with a variety of techoration tools to help you bring Halloween scenes to life. You can use a projector to cast animated images onto your windows to creep out anyone who walks by your house. You can also display them on any TV or monitor that can play HD video files.
Since these decorations are all downloadable, you can purchase animations for other holidays without having to buy new equipment.
If you’ll be attending a virtual Halloween party on Zoom, try one of their spooky backgrounds instead.
6. Add Some Sound Effects to Your Doorbell
You don’t need a smart doorbell to add scary sound effects, but if you do have one, it’s even easier. The Nest Hello has spooky ringtones built in, including ghosts, vampires, and witches.
The Amazon Ring also has some seasonal upgrades, including a decorative faceplate that snaps on over your doorbell and an Addams Family chime tone.
7. Create a Hologram Using the Pepper’s Ghost Illusion
Finally, creative types will love this DIY techoration idea that’s used in theme parks, live music performances, haunted houses, and more.
The Pepper’s Ghost Illusion is a technique dating back to the 1800s that uses a transparent mirror to create a hologram effect. You can create the Pepper’s Ghost Illusion at home in photos, videos, in your window or outside of your home. All you need is some carefully placed lighting and plexiglass.
Another option is to create a holographic pyramid using a smartphone and a CD case. These ideas definitely take a little more effort, but the payoff is worth it!
Whether you’re trying to impress the neighbors or entertain the kids, we think these seven spooky techoration ideas are a great way to bring some extra fun to your Halloween this year.
