What We Do In The Shadows – How To Decorate For Christmas

How to Decorate Your Home in a What We Do in the Shadows Theme: Embrace Your Inner (Hilarious) Vampire! 🦇

So, you’ve binged What We Do in the Shadows, and now all you want is to deck out your space in true vampire style—but make it funny, dark, and just the right amount of tacky. After all, who says vampires can’t have a good sense of humor? Here’s your ultimate guide to turning your home into a fangtastic lair that’s part gothic, part satire, and all amazing. Let’s get spooky, and a little ridiculous!

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1. First Things First: Set the (Dramatic) Lighting

The key to any What We Do in the Shadows-inspired home is all about dramatic lighting. We’re talking low, moody lights that are both creepy and cozy. Go for dim red light bulbs or candles that flicker just enough to give you that eerie glow but not enough to actually see what’s in your soup.

• DIY Tip: String up fairy lights but only keep every third one on to keep the shadows extra spooky.
• Bonus: Light up a candelabra but let the candles get so low that they look like they might burn the house down. Nandor would approve.

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2. Drape Everything in Black (Preferably Velvet or Faux Fur)

Vampires have two favorite textures: velvet and faux fur. Hang a few velvet curtains, drape some faux fur throws over your couches, and instantly feel 10% more ancient and mysterious. Black is the obvious color here, but shades of blood red and midnight purple are also acceptable.

• DIY Tip: If you can’t find black curtains, grab some fabric dye and DIY it. Even better if it looks haphazard and “aged” for that authentic, dusty vampire lair aesthetic.

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3. Add “Antique” Furniture (The Dustier, the Better)

Find furniture that looks like it’s been around since 1437 but actually didn’t cost more than $20. Think heavy, dark wood chairs, an old-timey desk, and maybe a Victorian-style armchair with springs poking out for “historical accuracy.”

• Thrift Store Haul: Search your local thrift shop for furniture that looks like it might come with a family curse. An armchair that creaks when you sit down? Perfect.

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4. Decorate with Spooky Portraits (Of Yourself, Naturally)

For the walls, nothing says vampire vibe quite like eerie, somber portraits. Take a few pictures of yourself looking incredibly serious, wearing a lacy collar or cape (preferably both), and frame them in ornate, vintage frames. Give yourself an aloof gaze that suggests you’ve lived at least 300 years.

• Pro Tip: Get them printed in black and white, but with an oddly yellowed tint, for that truly undead look.

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5. Embrace Cobwebs and Dust

Skip the deep cleaning for the next month. Cobwebs and a touch of dust add instant vampire charm! For once, you’ll look at those ceiling-corner cobwebs with pride. Don’t have enough? You can find fake cobwebs in the Halloween aisle, but we all know real cobwebs give the space that ancient and abandoned vibe that Lazlo would definitely brag about.

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6. Get Your Coffin Couch (Or Just Make One Up)

Every vampire lair needs at least one coffin. Not ready to commit to a full coffin bed? (Totally understandable.) Go for a “coffin couch” instead! Just toss a bunch of dark pillows onto your existing couch, drape it with a cheap black blanket, and voila: you’re lounging in luxury, vampire-style.

• Optional Upgrade: For true vampire vibes, add a tiny pillow embroidered with “Sleep Like the Undead.”

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7. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall… Actually, Lose the Mirror

Vampires famously don’t have reflections, and neither should your new vampire lair. So, forgo mirrors altogether, or cover them with dark fabric if you can’t part with them just yet. This little touch adds mystery and saves you from daily self-reflection (literally).

• DIY Twist: Hang a frame without the mirror in it, so it’s just an empty gothic frame on the wall. It’s spooky and oddly profound, like your reflection just… vanished.

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8. Curate Your Vampire Library (Filled with “Ancient” Tomes)

Fill a shelf with big, ominous-looking books that seem like they contain ancient spells, forbidden knowledge, or recipes for blood pudding. These could be anything from encyclopedias to old cookbooks—no one has to know. But if you do want to take it a step further, grab a gold pen and write “Forbidden Spells” on an old binder.

• Reading Suggestions: Pick up some classics by Edgar Allan Poe or Bram Stoker for when you actually feel like reading. For bonus points, find a copy of The Lusty Argonian Maid and keep it somewhere unexpected.

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9. Hang Garlic (But, You Know, Ironically)

Nothing says What We Do in the Shadows humor quite like ironic garlic decor. Hang a string of garlic in the kitchen as a joke, maybe with a note that says, “For the brave.” Guests will get a kick out of it, and you’ll still look like you’re keeping vampires (or maybe just yourself) away.

• Optional: Frame a “Vampire Safety Kit” with a garlic bulb, a mini wooden stake, and a picture of Colin Robinson looking incredibly unamused.

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10. Make It Cozy with a Few Coffins for Guests

Thinking of hosting a vampire movie night? Line up some cozy “mini coffins” for guests. It can be as simple as getting black sleeping bags or creating coffin-shaped pillows so everyone can lounge like an undead aristocrat.

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11. The Secret Dungeon (Okay, Just the Basement)

This one’s optional but ideal if you have a basement that’s slightly sketchy-looking. Transform your basement into a “secret dungeon” by adding a few fake chains, dim lighting, and maybe a mysterious old trunk. Just tell people, “I wouldn’t go down there… it’s for, uh, storage.”

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Final Touch: Add a “Familiar” Pet

Lastly, no vampire house is complete without a familiar! Cats and black dogs are classic, but feel free to get creative. Place a “reserved” chair for your imaginary familiar, a.k.a. that pet bat who’s a little too shy to show itself during the day. Alternatively, pick up a plastic raven and hang it somewhere prominent.

Not very What We Do In The Shadows but picture of my Familiar for fun

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And There You Have It!

With these tips, your What We Do in the Shadows-inspired home will be dark, a little ridiculous, and absolutely charming in a hilariously vampiric way. Just don’t be surprised if guests keep checking for garlic or a stake nearby when they come to visit. Happy decorating, and remember—no mirror selfies allowed! Now I must go, Bat! 🦇