Orange you glad?

It’s getting to be that time of the year when witches, ghosts and other things that go bump in the night begin to appear. With Halloween just a few weeks away, now is the time to begin getting your house into the proper spirit.

Amy Cafazzo, style expert for Marshalls, said there are many ways to decorate the house. “You can use real kitschy stuff or use a fall harvest theme with touches of orange.

“When it comes to Halloween, I think orange and black is the way to go,” she said.

Traditional décor would use creepy things including accessories featuring characters such as witches, ghosts and ghouls along with “Rest in Peace” gravestones. Another option would be to use an alternative theme with items such as a bouquet of black roses or a black and silver wreath.

At the Disney Store, spooky and comical characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” reign. Holiday decorations sold exclusively at the store include items such as figurines, plates, mugs, mirror and throw.

According to a store spokesperson, one of the most popular items this year is a mantle clock that features most of the animated film’s characters and is accented with jack-o’-lanterns. It has a suggested retail price of $99.50.

But, Cafazzo said the holiday doesn’t have to be creepy, especially if you have young children.

“I think it would be better to go the harvest route with pumpkins or pretty painted signs. You could even find a nice looking witch on a broomstick. Even a nice glass jar filled with candy could be used as a centerpiece, Cafazzo said, adding the caveat of staying away from that if there’s someone with a sweet tooth in the home.

The harvest theme also is good for those who would like their decorations to last beyond Halloween and extend through fall and into Thanksgiving.

A simple and inexpensive way to introduce fall colors into the décor is to get a few orange and/or rust-colored dishes and intersperse them with your everyday dinnerware. Cafazzo said black napkins also could be added to the table setting.

Other mood setters are candles and painted signs on the front door or in the entry.

Along with that, home decorators can take a favorite lamp and replace the standard white light bulbs with an orange bulb. Cafazzo even suggests adding a touch of the unexpected by using a black light bulb. Or, a string of lights put on a mantle and accented with leaves adds a nice touch.

“Lights really add a lot of ambience,” she said.

Cafazzo said the best places to decorate are the rooms that get used the most: the family room and kitchen.

“With any holiday, most of us really focus on family room and kitchen. Beyond that, the dining room is next. Those who want to go above and beyond should do the guest bathroom. That’s what people will really see when they come to your house. For just a few dollars you can get decorative towels that are Halloween inspired.”