What started off years ago as a simple Scottish Skeleton Clan Army, has quickly evolved into something so much more. Now, every year there is a new theme, which requires serious amounts of advance thought and several grueling hours to execute. This year’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” theme, may just be my favorite so far. So much so, that I am seriously considering revisiting it every five years. So, grab a candy cane, put on some Christmas music, and get ready to take a gander at what’s happening this year in The Historic Herndon Halloween House graveyard.

Not only is tinsel cheap but it’s also extremely festive. It was an inexpensive, easy, and colorful way to add a little bit of Christmas to our usual Halloween scene.

This black and white tartan stocking is one of my favorite finds from after Christmas last year. It pretty much screamed Halloween in a Scottish accent.

A few well-placed poinsettias help to set the scene. I picked these particular ones because they reminded me of blood.

There is nothing quite so happy as a skeleton decorating a tree.

I never, never, ever, ever allow colored lights in or on our house for Christmas but for Halloween, I’m willing to make an exception.

You’ll find that most white Christmas trees have a habit of turning yellow or brown after a few years. Instead of throwing last year’s yellowing tree away, I made sure to save it just for use this year in our display.

A few tartan poinsettias here and there throughout the graveyard totally help to set the Scottish clan mood.

Our skeletons are never so busy that can’t they stop and say hi to passersby, especially, when they’ve gotten into the eggnog.

A $5 clearance North Pole sign from Target? Yes, you better believe I snatched that one up right away.

A few special ornaments here and there blend well with the shatter-proof ones that I picked up for a steal.

You’ll notice that several stockings have been hung in the graveyard with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there.

The Dr. Suess Grinch Tree is probably one of my favorite things in the yard this year. It also helped us to get rid of several leftover cans of random spray paint.

Yes, that is a dog hat on a skeleton. Last year, I was on the lookout for anything that I could use to deck my skeleton guys out in.

Sadly, I had a hard time finding hats last year after Christmas. Thankfully, I did happen upon a few of these sequin ones.

After dressing the clan and arranging them in the yard, I realized that something was missing. Their weapons. After digging in a few bins, the problem was resolved.

I’m pretty sure our mailman must think we’re crazy. This is his view from our front porch each day when he delivers the mail.

Tinsel, colored lights, and weapons? I think this skeleton is ready for battle.

It doesn’t take much to turn an ordinary Halloween skeleton into a Chrismas skeleton.

You’ll notice that our wreaths and garland are already up on the house with a few Halloween touches added to them. After Halloween, we’ll take those little touches off and we’re set for Christmas.

The most important thing to keep in mind when arranging the graveyard is layering. You want everyone to be able to see different things from several different angles.

I spent over an hour hanging ornaments in trees around the yard. I’m fairly certain that the best way to take them off is going to be to just trim the trees. A lot more gentle on the hands too.

Candy canes. What would Halloween be without them? I was contemplating ordering a bunch of candy canes online to give out to the kids on Halloween night, however, I came to the decision that most kids hate candy canes, so it would probably just be a waste of money.

Smile, we’re almost done. Only a few pictures left.

I promise.

This is probably one of my favorite skeletons, perhaps because it is doing one of the things I love the most in this world. Decorating a Christmas tree.

I had a few extra weapons leftover, so I decided that they would be great as Christmas tree decorations. Look close and you’ll see them.

This picture only shows a hint of the colored lights that I hung along the fence line. It took about a hundred tiny zip ties to get those lights perfectly straight. I am proud of the job I did and consider myself an expert when it comes to hanging lights.

That fence in the background caused me to break out in a rash for over two weeks. I’m fairly certain that I somehow got into poison ivy or some other rash-inducing plant that my skin did not agree with.

Thankfully skeletons don’t have skin, so it’s not a problem for them.

Thanks again for visiting The Historic Herndon Halloween House. Stop on by to see what else we’ve done in the graveyard. There’s lighting, tombstones, and special Halloween and Christmas added touches that truly do make this historic home in Herndon, VA a sight to behold.