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Admittedly, I’ll be the first of my college friends to share the story of our college trick-or-treating days. We dressed up every year.  The private school I attended had 3 private roads with old mansions and they welcomed the college ‘girls’.   Through those yearly escapades, I witnessed some of the most stunning Halloween decoration theme ideas.

Now some years later, I theme Halloween to keep it interesting, as my earlier years left me super impressed with their themed Halloween yards.  While I never saw a life-size Mermaid Skeleton in their themes, I saw quite a few startling, unnerving, and blood-curdling scenes that really showed the artistic side of each homeowner. 

I am about to share the haunting of a spider (la araña), a pumpkin (la calabaza), a pirate (pirata), and a black owl (búho negro), as my theme celebrates a Halloween Mermaid decoration theme. 

The entire DIY theme centers around the life of 6-foot Mermaid Skeleton (esqueleto de sirena). She’s creepy, eerie, and life-size, but I don’t think she’s horrifying.  Don’t think Ariel, because that’s not the Halloween Mermaid theme I envisioned. Let’s walk the plank, and I’ll share how to DIY 

How To Create A Halloween Mermaid Decoration Theme 

This project was made possible by a collaboration with Oriental Trading Company, where Halloween is the reason for the season! I was part of the OTC Skeleton Squad. Opinions and decor items were chosen by me! There are affiliate links throughout! If a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

The Cast of the tale of Halloween Mermaid Decoration Theme 

Assume for this horror-tale that Melanie the Mermaid(we named her)  swashed the plank and her mermaid skeleton was washed ashore to Casa Vento.  My life-size 6 Foot Mermaid Skeleton is spooky, spine-chilling, and comes complete without a heart, or eyes.  Truly the skeleton mermaid a gutless (sorry guys had to) decoration.

The reality, she was delivered to my doorstep from the  Oriental Trading Company and you can get one too! 

What comes next is everything. Halloween Mermaid Decoration Theme 

While you might assume a scary scene, I imagined one a bit different.  In fact, a washed ashore, type theme, inclusive of not only the life-size skeleton mermaid, and a skeleton spider that is icky enough that you can’t take your eyes off of it. Call it a trainwreck of an arachnid and then you will understand! 

The rest of the story includes a pumpkin head who got washed ashore with the spider, a black wise old owl, and other treasures that probably washed ashore over time! This all comes together when the scene is set, take a look! 

Bring On The Glitz, Glamour & The Mermaid. 

Now that you know our characters, the Giant Skeleton Spider, The Mermaid (Melanie), and Mr. Pumpkinhead, the rest will, of course, make sense. However, getting those characters came about After I started with the Mermaid! 

I always work backward, like first I buy shoes, then the outfit. So first I got the Mermaid, then I chose the theme! Maybe in my world of Halloween theming, backward is the new forward? Shoes The Mermaid Skeleton was the starting point and from there it was all about the bootie, and the other survivors or lack of! 

The Mermaid Skeleton -How To Create A Halloween Mermaid Decoration Theme

She’s posable and huge. I used her outside, but I imagine I could wash her off and bring her inside. Did I mention I also had considered spray painting her tale, but then I decided not for this display, it did not work with the theming?  

Posing Melanie the Mermaid meant putting her kind of on her side. She was agreeable. Then, I added a chain cuff with links to her hand and attached that to the trunk. Really easy and definitely perfect for the theming! 

The addition of the lantern was compliments of the Pirate that sought out the Mermaid. The addition of a pirate sword to her chest is the clue that a Pirate was there. 

You see, just because you can’t see him, the clue that ties him to the crime scene is his sword.  He came creeping up on her, as she protected the treasure chest, hung his lantern and killed her.  However, he did not get away trust me! Read on, as to how I know that! 

Her light of life burns on through her well-placed candelabra and stays there as a reminder of days gone past! 

 The Treasure Chest 

The treasure was worth dying for I assume because neither party survived. A wise old black owl, ‘Whooo’ (lol) offers a haunting wingspan of 37.5″ whips the wind beneath his wing and lands right next to Melanie the Mermaid. What a fantastic scene.  The owl decor does not fly but the wings do flap and the eyes glow, all motion-activated and it screeches too! 

Consider a wicked attack of a black owl, against a nasty pirate who just killed a Mermaid. Now, you understand how the pirate died, but he still ‘remains’, keep reading! 

What Was In the Treasure Chest? 

What would a mermaid theme be without some other high seas additions? Buried treasure is generally a big part of the stormy seas since the boats of pirates would crash through the waves and sink to the bottom. 

Bulk golden coins, coupled with a large bulk purchase of metallic Mardis Gras necklaces are perfect (IMO).  The Mermaid stood to watch over the bootie and now it sits untouched with her chained to it! 

Perhaps her time ended sadly as a Pirate’s sword delivered the punishing blow through her chest. She was protecting the treasure and the nasty pirate tried to take it from her. He did not succeed, because the treasure is still there! 

Last, since El dia de Los muertes is so popular and trendy, I took that into consideration.  To add a little pop of color, I added on a El dia de los Muertos mask.  

From The Grave 

Skeletons have a lot to do with celebrating Halloween.  That’s why in the ground, you see the hands from beyond. The Skeleton Hand Ground Breakers are perfect. A 3 pack (so funny to say that) of skeleton arms, with stakes. 

Now, you have figured out how the pirate died, (by the owl), and where his remains are. Those skeleton hand groundbreakers are his remains. 

I put them around the exterior of the Mermaid and one in the bush. For a little more ‘ooh’ and ‘ahhh’ effect, I stuck in some large eyeballs I purchased at the dollar store, as though, the shrubbery is watching! 

Don’t forget a few foam graveyard signs, just randomly tossed in and few plant holder metal stakes for another bit of El dia de los muertes decor, to just add more skeletal cranials! 

Spider Webs From Time 

Since the Skeleton Mermaid has been around a while, she has made a few bony friends, lol! One of her best friends is the Giant Spider Skeleton, Marvin (so we named him).  Using a natural color creepy cloth, I affixed it to little snags of branches. 

Then, I attached Marvin. When the wind blows the spider web rocks, and that is freakin’ scary and definitely haunted and creepy! 

Dead Pumpkins Do Like To Swing

Having fun with great Halloween decor is easy when you have so much to choose from. My pick of the Swinging Dead Pumpkin was because of its ease of hanging. It comes with 2 hooks and all yo have to do is hang it. 

I gotta be honest, this pumpkin head freaks me out.  To have a bit more fun with it, and the part that sends chills up my spine, we use a solar spotlight. At night, when this pumpkin sways with a push from the wind, I want to run and hide! Seriously, it’s that creepy and so perfect for the Mermaid theme. 

Why? The pumpkin kind of brings it all full circle. After all, pumpkin is what we celebrate the holiday with, but the Mermaid is how I started my theme! This poor pumpkin got left behind when the island that the Mermaid Skeleton is left forevermore.  

After The Feast 

After you enjoy all the candy and the parties, it is time to consider the other impending holidays, and I highly suggest NOOM.  Check out what NOOM is offering by clicking here. 

Products provided as I was a member of the OTC Skeleton Squad – Disclosure ~ If a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!