Summerween: bring some spook to your season

What is Summerween?

The first mention of Summerween was in an episode of the American animated show Gravity Falls, a mystery-comedy in which the characters celebrate Halloween in the summer. Since then, fans of the show have adopted the tradition, and now the rest of us want in on the fun!

It’s as simple as getting your Halloween decorations out of storage and bringing some haunt to your home during the summer months, but we’ve got some great ideas to give your Summerween a spooky twist.

Pumpkins and picnics

A Halloween hallmark is pumpkin carving, but they’re out of season in summer and hard to find in supermarkets.

Instead, get creative with some warm-weather fruit and veg for carving this Summerween. Pineapples work brilliantly as they already have spiky hairdos, but the classic choice is switching out Jack-o-lanterns for Jack-o-melons! Whether you go big with a watermelon or keep it simple with something smaller, they work in an identical way to pumpkins. Simply cut the top off, scoop out the tasty insides (make it into a delicious, nutritious fruit salad or summer smoothie for picnics), and get creative by carving faces.

If you’re looking for carving inspiration, our pumpkin carving blog has plenty of good ideas which you can use on summer fruits just as easily!

Spooky styling ideas for summer

It’s time for sun-soaked spookiness - think traditional Halloween icons drenched in vibrant colours!

Swap out the deeper autumnal hues and traditional dark colours for bright pinks, oranges and greens; but keep it creepy with skulls, bats, ghosts and coffin motifs. With temperatures rising from the grave, home decor such as bedding, towels, or comfy cushions is a perfect year-round staple to keep your spooky vibe going.

Ornaments are a fantastic way to bring this trend into any space. Summerween is a more cutesy take on the traditional holiday, so you can reuse your Halloween decor from last year and bring in a splash of colour to make it pop!

Bring the heat to your haunt!

It always seems such a shame to leave all those Halloween decorations sitting in storage. As much as it seems apt for them to be waiting in the shadows, we’d much prefer to see them out and about in the sunshine for Summerween!

It’s a great excuse to get the kids involved with some crafting and decorating the house. Once that’s done, why not be a trendsetter and throw your very own Summerween party in the garden? We’re sure your friends and family will love the novelty of a classic summer BBQ with a haunting twist. Encourage costumes, get the Summerween decorations out, and really confuse the neighbours this summer.

Here are some ideas to easily create Summerween decorations:

• Put sunglasses on skulls.
• Mash up watermelon for a gruesome-looking fruit pulp, ideal for making Summerween drinks.
• Cut eyes and a mouth into your cheese slices before putting them on your burger.
• Full fancy dress in the heat is no fun - stick with single accessories like a witch hat or vampire teeth, but pretend they're on holiday with summer by pairing with Hawaiian shirts or linen shorts.
• Outdoor Halloween decorations look extra-spooky at night, and celebrating Summerween means you can appreciate them for even longer. Pop some on your patio for a creepy vibe.
• Hosting a BBQ or picnic? Turn your napkins into ghosts to bring some fright to your al fresco!