Take a Halloween Tour Through Jennifer Perkins’ Kitschy Austin, Texas Home

Jennifer Perkins of Austin, Texas has been called the "Queen of Halloween Decorating" and for good reason — her collection of Halloween trees, handmade ornaments and vintage masks will put any haunted house to shame.

By: Jennifer Perkins and

Show: HGTV Handmade

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Jennifer Ramos

Come On Over (If You Dare)

Howdy! My name is Jennifer Perkins and I am a creative content designer and kitsch enthusiast living in Austin, Texas with my husband and two children. I have been part of the HGTV family for almost 15 years as a host, stylist and project designer.

Kitschy Not Creepy

Most everything in my home was purchased with a wink and a smile. I'm a firm believer that decorating should never be taken too seriously.

Work With What You Already Have

Simple additions like oozing drips made from paper hanging under paintings, throw pillows and masks on sunburst mirrors give everyday decor items a quick Halloween makeover.

Cabinet of Curiosities

Most bookshelves and curio cabinets get cleared out around Halloween to make room for holiday collectibles. I try to make sure no two years or two vignettes are ever the same.

Black and Orange

Though each room is decorated differently every Halloween, there is always a color palette or theme for each room. This year my front living room is a traditional orange and black color scheme.

Show Me Your Shelfie

I like to remind people that their everyday collections, like vintage orange slag glass vases, can easily become Halloween decor in the right vignette.

Halloween Horticulture

Even the houseplants get a Halloween makeover. During the holidays an easy, festive fix is to change out plant containers for something more thematic, like old ant bait jars or black cat planters.

Pretty in Pink

Always up for a challenge, I set out to make my main Halloween room pretty in pink. The 9-foot-tall tree plus matching wreath and garland are all decorated with black and white accents.

Cute Not Creepy

The Halloween vignettes throughout the house are always styled so that each time you look at them you see something different. This year I covered the mantel with pumpkins, shed antlers, antique binoculars and whatever small black and white items I could find around the house.

The Cobwebs Were Hung by the Chimney With Care

Hanging spiders and bats always look great around a mantel or above a Halloween tree in place of a topper.

Halloween Trees are the New Christmas Tree

Each year Halloween trees seem to become more and more popular. They are a great way to showcase collections of things like Halloween masks or antique cameras. My logic is you already have the trees stored away for Christmas, so why not decorate one for Halloween as well? By my last count, my house is home to five full-sized Christmas trees.

Give Thrift Store Photos a Haunted Makeover

Most items in my house are vintage and have been collected over several years. These thrifted paintings and portraits I found have been transformed into Halloween decor with the help of a little craft paint — just add fangs, witch hats and bones.

Say Cheese

A collection of vintage cameras become a bit eerie when nestled in the branches of a Halloween tree surrounded by skulls and pumpkins. I even have my grandmother's camera in the tree, complete with flash bulb.

Trimming the Tree

Long before Halloween trees were common vernacular, I was forced to get creative and make many of my own Halloween ornaments. These striped pumpkins are a perfect example. White flat craft pumpkins get stripes from electrical tape to fit the black, white and pink theme.

Black, White and Halloween All Over

Across the room from the pink Halloween tree is this vintage '70s brass etagere I picked up at a thrift store. The shelf has a perfect spot for yet another tree.

Fun and Games

This black and white striped tree has pops of pink to tie the room together plus a few vintage doll heads.

Halloween in All Colors

I've been known to style this built-in bookshelf for almost every holiday and occasion. Usually I go with more traditional Halloween colors, but this year I set out to prove that Halloween can come in all colors — even rainbow.

Arts and Crafts

As an avid thrifter and flea market shopper I have filled my home with several gallery walls. All of them include a mix of found and family-created art. One of my favorite treasures is this large Arts and Crafts sign from an old store.

Get Ideas: 10 Creative Frames That Will Get Those Pics Off Your Phone and Onto Your Walls

The Family That Crafts Together

This large cabinet closes into a box or opens into a 9-foot-wide craft studio. Both of my children love to craft as well so this spot is not only my work studio, but also my family’s creative hub.

Heart of the Home

The game room is where my family comes together to watch TV and hang out. The room is full of windows and natural light reflecting off the pool which is why it is also my primary work space.

More Is More, Less Is a Bore

Being raised by a serious maximalist in a pink Victorian home full of antiques, this acorn did not fall from the collector tree. I still subscribe to the decorating ideal of "more is more, less is a bore."

Family Portraits

Rather than taking my family for a yearly photo session we opt to commission different artists from around the world to illustrate and paint our family. We try to alternate between realistic and abstract each year.

Dining in Style

The dining room has yet another gallery wall full of eclectic art and another Halloween tree. Though the home is from the '80s, I enjoy mixing decor decades. This room has a heavy dose of '70s style.

Setting the Table

Old play kitchenware and broken doll parts were used to create these frightening faux dishes that set the table. In years past, the dishes have been used as Halloween tree decorations.

Pattern on Pattern

Whether it is Halloween or not, I love to mix and match patterns. This table runner is made from a combination of an antique quilt piece and thrifted textile from Mexico.

Vintage Halloween Mask Collection

I have been collecting vintage Halloween masks for years, with a collection upwards of 100. Some are still in their original boxes, complete with full costumes, and others are just masks now displayed in my Halloween trees.

Vintage Halloween

My love of Halloween began with a small party I threw for my children and has continued to grow. I like to tell people: “If you think I go big for Halloween, just wait until you see how I decorate for Christmas."