Creating a Haunted Bed & Breakfast

To avoid any real scares this year, I’ve decided to forgo a costume party and a house full of guests mingling in close quarters.  Instead, to keep some sense of normalcy, I’ve revamped last year’s Halloween décor and resurrected my haunted Dead & Breakfast Inn.

My initial inspiration for this idea was sparked a few years ago from Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It reminded me of the haunted houses that would pop up each fall in the huge, old houses downtown. I remember one that had a different scare in each room of the two-story house.  Visitors waited patiently for the previous group to exit screaming before being ushered in to view the fright for themselves.  It left quite an impression.

I’ve since been intrigued with the idea of creating a haunted-house type experience for a Halloween soiree, but without the bloody gore. A haunted inn seemed much more attainable and could be created using lots of household items already on hand.    

How to Make a Haunted Bed & Breakfast Sign

To stage a proper haunted bed and breakfast, your establishment needs a sign cueing guests that they’ve arrived at their final destination.    

Using my inspiration pin, I purchased a natural-colored wood plaque from Michael’s.  I painted it using flat white craft paint and a foam roller.  After it dried, I loaded up another foam brush with black paint and stenciled on the “Dead & Breakfast Inn” text.  The usual advice when stenciling, is to use less paint to prevent “bleeding” edges.  Instead, I purposely used more to get a hand-painted look.  Using the same roller, I lightly applied black paint to age the corners of the sign.  The finishing touch was the AWESOME sequined spiders I found in the scrapbooking section of a craft store.   

I displayed the finished sign on a metal, scrolled plant hanger from Big Lots.  Other than the drying time between paint coats, the sign didn’t take a lot of time, effort, or money. I love how it turned out, and I’m glad I can wring one more use out of it.

Decorating Your Haunted Inn

Next, I created a small “check-in” area near the front door.  The lobby registration sign was designed by a fellow Halloween lover, who’s also a graphics designer. The beautiful antique silver key is actually a bottle opener.  

You can’t have a haunted B&B without a few skeletons, I mean guests, lounging about.  The “Do Not Disturb” sign he’s clutching was purchased from Michael’s, but you can easily create your own. Follow the steps I detailed above for the bed and breakfast entrance sign, just use a smaller size plaque.  There’s a variety of styles, colors, and options available.

Another denizen of my haunted inn carefully guards a basket of apples set out for guests.  This side table draped with a blood-splattered cloth has extra ambiance courtesy of the silicone light bulb that looks like a live candle flame.  Once the lights are dimmed, these candles look amazing. I’ve also used them in my dining room chandelier.    

Again, one of the advantages to a haunted B&B theme is that you can whip up spooky vignettes using furniture, and decorations you already own. Raid your basement and/or attic for old lace tablecloths, oil lamps, china, Depression glassware, carafes, antique silver trays (or replicas from a dollar store), glass or silver vases, candleholders, etc.  

Another decorating idea to reinforce the theme – tuck a stack of old suitcases in a corner. The options are endless.

Once we revive the quaint old tradition of entertaining again, guests and ghouls will be frightfully impressed with your cozy, haunted Dead & Breakfast Inn. They may choose to stay a while …or forever.