Traditions are important. They help to form family bonds and a special identity unique to one’s own family. Holidays, like Halloween, are a wonderful opportunity to create traditions that will bring a lifetime of invaluable memories of togetherness for your family.

My mother immensely enjoyed Halloween all her life. She made it fun, so fun, while growing up for myself and siblings. I looked forward to the special things that she did each year. I still get warm fuzzies just thinking about those traditions.

When I became a mom, I wanted my children to have wonderful Fall experiences as well, filled with fond family memories including those of Halloween traditions. Here are seven of those traditions that we’ve immensely enjoyed over the years. Some are rather common, and others are a bit more unique. Either way, it is my hope that you will gain ideas and inspiration, making them into your own special family Halloween traditions.

1. HALLOWEEN TREE

Because I enjoy decorating and tend to go big with holidays, my kids, now grown up, have come to expect certain decorations. Three of our four kids have left the nest, but the youngest, 20 years old, always asks when we’re going to put up the decorations. One of our favorites is putting up a Halloween tree together while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas. This is a newer Halloween tradition, thanks to my mother, and we most definitely enjoy the whimsical ornaments and glowing lights.

This Halloween tradition is a fun one! Plus, the tree is already up, just waiting for Christmas ornaments.

2. PATCHWORK MEMORY TABLE RUNNER

I tend to save things, all kinds of things. For some reason, I can always see future potential in what others discard. One of the things that I hang onto is old clothing. I have made so many coooool things from outgrown and worn out clothes. One year I decided to make a patchwork table runner using our old clothing as a way to remember… especially our gatherings around the dining table with that table runner included.

I remember spreading the squares out all across the floor, creating just the right pattern, with help from my girls. My older daughter was delighted to see part of her favorite Halloween shirt included in this memory piece.

Our table runner always adorns the dining table as a family Halloween tradition, and it is precious to us. Because my first husband, also my children’s father, passed away in October, while the kids were still growing up, there is much symbolism found in this old runner!

3. ZOMBIE GRAVEYARD

When the kids were growing up, we had one Halloween rule in our house, nothing evil. Because of that rule, our decor was more on the cute side. When I met my husband, he was definitely on team creepy for Halloween. We learned to compromise by being whimsical with the creepy stuff, including our Zombie Graveyard. Having a graveyard was his idea, making it humorous was mine.

The next year we replaced the pile with a Zombie Graveyard. Each loved one got a tombstone and a zombie hand… or two hands. The fun part was decorating the hands with hobby items that we enjoy… coffee mug, Xbox game controller, old cell phone, gardening tool, skeleton dog on a leash, jewelry and more. Because I’ve been a lifelong runner, my gravesite also got an old running shoe.

4. SPOOKTACULAR SILHOUETTE SHELF

This corner cabinet is what my husband and I call a ReStore Score. We found it at ReStore for a bargain price with lots of potential… a fixer upper. I removed the bright green contact paper off the shelves, but left the bright orange paint… just in time for Halloween. I wasn’t sure how to decorate it at first. Then the SPOOKTACULAR SILHOUETTE idea came into my creative mind. This is a family and friends favorite every year.

Don’t be deterred by not having orange shelves. It would also work well with white paint or by covering the back of shelves with orange wrapping paper. Explore my blog, and you’ll quickly see that I hang different wrapping paper on these shelves throughout the year. Use this idea as inspiration and then make it your own family Halloween tradition.

5. HOMEMADE COSTUMES

When I became a mother in my thirties, I retired from teaching to devote myself fully to our family. I never regretted that decision. As a one income family, I quickly learned all kinds of ways to do things as inexpensively as possible. Being creative, resourceful and frugal were definitely assets. There was not money in the budget for store bought costumes, but we never minded. We ENJOYED making our own costumes together.

There are so many benefits to making your own costumes, from the joy of time spent together to the satisfaction of creating something, not to mention repurposing and upcycling materials as well.

I enjoyed how the kids took ownership of their own costumes as they grew. They decided on the costume, gathered materials and created incredible costumes. My role was less and less each year, merely helping as needed. That’s kind of how it is in life, as a parent, phasing ourselves out of the role as they become more and more independent.

6. PUMPKIN CARVING

Carving pumpkins together is nothing new or novel, but must be included as a favorite family Halloween tradition. It’s always a fun time spent together as a family, no matter the age. Whether it’s carving just one family pumpkin or a pumpkin for each person, this activity is memorable. Because one of my sons has a birthday a few days before Halloween, we typically wait to carve together at his birthday party. At least our pumpkins don’t rot on the porch, waiting for Halloween night.

7. TRICK-OR-TREATING TOGETHER

When my oldest was just two weeks old, we moved into our first home, Little Blue Cottage. It was an older neighborhood filled with mainly elderly neighbors. They were excited to have young children in the community again. On Halloween, we were invited into their homes for visits. They always had generous treats for our growing little family.

Over the years, the number of younger families with kids in our little neighborhood grew. Halloween became quite festive and our neighborhood was a popular and safe place for trick-or-treaters. A pastor living down the street from us would go all out with hot cider, s’mores and even roasting hot dogs. Such fun memories!

We made it a fun family tradition to share Halloween with friends, who would join us for dinner and then trick-or-treating. We looked forward to it every year.