Elegant, Gothic Halloween Decorations

The mood darkens at the sight of a somber wreath and an arrangement of ebony-painted plates and bowls.

Here's how: For the wreath, remove stems from fabric flowers (dark colors work best). Glue the base of each onto a Styrofoam wreath form until it's densely covered with flowers. Using several light coats, spray the wreath with matte black floral spray paint. For the black dishes, spray-paint inexpensive thrift shop dishes with two coats of satin-finish black paint. Let dry thoroughly.

Artificial flowers, Styrofoam wreath form, foam glue, all available at craft stores; Design Master matte-finish floral spray, dmcolor.com for info; Krylon satin-finish spray paint, krylon.com for info.