Halloween trends for 2022: Velvet, superhero costumes and mushrooms galore!

By Andrea Busche

Halloween 2022 is almost here, and it’s ushering in plenty of exciting trends. Among them: floral centerpieces constructed of dried pods and moody flowers. Decorating with soft, velvet fabrics and luscious jewel tones. Costumes featuring superheroes and animals. And, mushrooms — plenty of mushrooms.

This season, consider incorporating some fresh decor or a new costume into your Halloween repertoire. Best of all? Many of the items listed here can be purchased locally, helping to support our hardworking small business owners and artisans.

Stacey LaCoursiere is the owner of Duluth Studio Market, a sweet little shop that specializes in “a mix of local art and goods that matter.” Located at 512 N. 45th Ave. E. in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood, the store sells items sourced from over 30 local vendors from around the Twin Ports.

LaCoursiere shared some of what’s trending for the upcoming Halloween season.

“We’re seeing lots of mushrooms and velvet,” she noted. “Anything mushroom, from a glass mushroom that is like a vase, to a velvet-topped mushroom where the bottom or base is made of wood.”

Duluth Studio Market also carries an array of adorable velvet pumpkins, which, together with the mushrooms, would make a gorgeous Halloween centerpiece.

“I would group them together using an odd number (three or five), and use them to decorate a table, porch, or landing,” LaCoursiere said.

And, when it comes to color, “jeweltoned colors are really popular,” she shared. “Colors like avocado green, gold and crimson reds.”

Costumes

Whether you have a little one who is excited to trick-ortreat, or are a fullygrown adult heading to a Halloween party, there are plenty of fun ideas for dressing up this year. Emily Austin is the owner of Once Upon a Child, located at 5115 Burning Tree Road, a shop that buys and sells gently used kids’ items, including clothing, toys, books, equipment and more.

Halloween is an exciting time for Austin and her team. Hundreds of gentlyused kids’ Halloween costumes hit the shelves in September.

“This year, we are expecting a wide array of Marvel, Avengers and Star Wars costumes,” Austin said. “We always have tons of animal costumes, like unicorns, too. And, Disney princesses and superheroes are really trending.”

Once Upon a Child also sells brand-new Halloween bows and hair accessories. The costumes are sold at up to 70% off retail prices; each costume is typically priced between $3.50 and $12.

And, if you don’t find what you’re looking for right away, try to come back soon.

“Be sure to shop often,” Austin said. “Our inventory changes every day.”

Another option for Halloween costume shopping is Spirit

Halloween. Featuring two pop-up locations in Duluth: in the Miller Hill Mall and in the former Bed, Bath & Beyond space at 1303 Miller Trunk Highway. Spirit Halloween sells a wide variety of Halloween decor, masks, accessories and costumes for all ages. A quick conversation with a very busy Spirit Halloween clerk uncovered the most popular costume being sold that particular day: a cow. Florals

For florals, we expanded our search to solicit advice from the arguable queen of domesticity: Martha Stewart. A recent article written by Roxanna Coldiron and posted on marthastewart.com, “12 Halloween Flower Ideas That Would Make Eerily Beautiful Additions to Your Spooky Décor,” revealed several floral décor trends for Halloween 2022.

“Anything in season works,” suggested Clover Chadwick, owner and lead designer of Dandelion Ranch. “And dried pods of flowers from the end of summer are also great because they are kind of creepy and interesting.”

The fall harvest season provides a bounty of inspiration: heirloom pumpkins, gourds, flowers and edible crops. For floral arrangements, focus on dark, moody colors and textures that play into the spooky season. This includes black calla lilies, dried lotus pods, black baccara roses, American bittersweet, rose hips, spider mums and quicksand roses.

Katherine Anderson, floral designer and co-owner of The London Plane, advised against using strong oranges in your flower palette. “Do off-tones,” she said, “like soft gray-greens instead of trying to go black.”

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For Halloween tabletop arrangements and centerpieces, try pairing your flowers with sculptural vases and decorated pumpkins. You can also include other parts of plants to set the mood.

Chadwick recommends adding a “branchy” element to your centerpiece.

“Shaping the centerpiece with branches will give it that spookiness,” she said. And your creepiest pumpkin could be the focal point in your arrangement. Plants that have unsettling features like spider mums and “Love Lies Bleeding” heirloom amaranth are also great for setting the spooky atmosphere.

Locally, LaCoursiere is seeing a lot of requests for real, dried floral bouquets.

“They still have color and scent. Sunflowers have been a big request this year.” D

Andrea Busche is a Duluth freelance writer.

Spirit Halloween, with two locations in Duluth, offers all things Halloween, from wigs, masks and makeup, to accessories and costumes for all ages, to home and yard decor.