Neatorama’s Halloween Decoration Geekstravaganza

This Halloween, Neatorama’s already given you costume ideas and spooky food inspirations, so now it’s time to think about your home decoration. Whether you’re planning to decorate for a killer Halloween party or just want to impress the local trick and treaters, these cool geektastic decoration ideas are sure to impress.

Because pumpkins are one of the most critical elements of Halloween decorations and because there are about a billion pumpkin galleries online, the first half of our decoration ideas focus exclusively on Jack-O-lanterns. If you’ve already got your carving planned or are sick of looking at orange sculptures, then feel free to skip further down.

LED Lights:

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When you want to do something more techy, try making your own LED pumpkin with an artificial pumpkin wired with lights and controlled externally so you can change the expression at will.

Dark detecting:

To take LED lights to a new level, you can always try installing circuitry that will tell your pumpkin to turn on when it is dark. While I haven’t seen this done, I think a motion detecting light would also be pretty awesome. Any readers want to give it a shot?

Snap-o-lantern:

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When you want to go a step beyond LED lights, try buying a mini-pumpkin and engineering it to snap its mouth at passers by. This is also a good decoration for your cubicle since it doesn’t take up much space but is sure to get a lot of attention.

Robo:

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While there are plenty of pumpkins that look like robots, this is the only one I have seen so far that actually is a robot.

Steampunk:

I know you Neatonauts are torn on the whole steampunk thing, but those who do like the art form are sure to appreciate this awesome steampunk pumpkin.

Angler fish:

For those of you who like to carve your pumpkins to look like animals, this angler fish pumpkin is not only a favorite animal of geeks everywhere, but it also makes an impressive looking pumpkin.

Dalek:

I have to admit, this Dalek pumpkin just might be my favorite carving of all time. I’m sure other dalekmaniacs will agree.

Pac Man:

While these are technically not pumpkins, the hard-shells of gourds make an excellent jack-o-lantern and the shapes of these two lent themselves perfectly to the artist’s concept.

Star Wars:

As you probably know, there are a ton of awesome Star Wars pumpkins out there. Rather than try to post a whole bunch of them, let me share this gallery of them instead.

Video Games:

Similarly, there are a ton of video game pumpkins, so here’s a link to another gallery filled with them. The picture here is my personal favorite, but yours will probably vary based on your favorite game.

Simpsons:

If you prefer geeking out with the Simpsons, don’t miss the chance to check out these awesome pumpkin artworks.

Geeky Pumpkins:

While this gallery has a few pictures seen in the other three above, the browser and operating system pumpkins are something every geek can appreciate.

Templates Gallery:

If you want to make your own geeky pumpkin but can’t freestyle a design, then be sure to take advantage of this excellent collection courtesy of Think Geek.

Extreme Pumpkins:

While I don’t condone the idea of paying someone else to carve pumpkins for you, professional carver Tom Nardone’s Extreme Pumpkins website has some great tips for carving your own pumpkins, as well as some really amazing examples of his past work. He even has a great selection of free pumpkin templates. If you really like his work, you can buy his excellent how-to book, “Extreme Pumpkins” on Amazon.

Now, as promised, here are some geeky non-pumpkin decorating tips.

Skelevision:

By using a two-way mirror, a motion detector, a light and a skeleton, you can easily create a creepy surprise for trick or treaters.

Ghost Projections:

Another cool, creepy geektastic project are these awesome projections that instantly fill your home with spooky ghosts.

Charred Corpse:

If you really want a fake skeleton to look scary, you need to go a step beyond. By using some paint and a few other basic products, you can convert a plain skeleton into a truly creepy charred corpse.

Papercraft Skulls:

For a truly geeky skeleton though, try making this awesome papercraft skull project.

Origami skeleton:

For another paper project, you can also try making a full skeleton with nothing more than folded paper if you follow these exceptionally complex directions.

Tree Faces:

When you’re looking for cool Halloween decorations that aren’t too creepy for youngsters, these tree faces can cheer up your yard with a surprising twist.

Cobweb Shooter:

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While spider webs are a pretty traditional Halloween decoration, there’s never been a cooler way to spread them out than to use a cool cobweb shooter like this one.

Thumb thumb drive:

If you want to decorate your cubicle and snapping pumpkins and spider webs aren’t enough, try investing in this dismembered thumb thumb drive. It’s not only eerie, it’s also punny.

Web Master:

If you really think your cubicle is a gateway into hell, then this silly webmaster set up is a perfect way to show everyone just how terrifying life in the office really is.

Helicopter and Plane Crashes:

If you’ve got a pretty large budget, decking out your front yard to look like either a helicopter or plane crash is a pretty cool way to go, but it might be a good idea to ask your neighbors about putting a real broken aircraft in your yard first.

Flying Saucer:

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For a really geeky twist though, try going for a flying saucer instead. This one even rises and falls and has a special visitor pop in and out vehicle.

Toxic Waste Drum:

Even if you happen to work in a power plant or other area where you could take home toxic waste drums to decorate, it’s best to avoid breaking the law and risking the health of everyone in the immediate area and make a fake one instead.

If you decorate your house for Halloween, you may have some of your own cool geeky tips, so please share.