Small-space Halloween: pumpkins with no porch and no drilling

The short answer: put Halloween up, not on the floor. An over-the-door hanger holds an 18 in pumpkin wreath, 3 in foam pumpkins and timer tea lights go on the windowsill, and a hook-on planter turns the balcony rail into a pumpkin shelf. Nothing is screwed or stuck to the wall, and on November 1 the whole kit goes into one 6 in under-bed box.

1. The door is your porch

Apartment hallways must stay clear, so the wreath goes on the door. An adjustable hanger slides over the door top and the wreath hangs from it. Floor used: 0 in.

• Fits: doors up to 1.8 in (4.6 cm) thick. The hook needs a gap of about 0.11 in (2.8 mm) above the door; if your door rubs the frame, it won't close.
• Length: 15-25 in (38-64 cm), so the wreath sits at eye level on a standard 80 in door.
• How it holds: gravity and the door top. Felt or foam pads on the back protect the paint.
• How it comes off: lift it. No screws, no adhesive strips, nothing to patch.
• Hanging on the hallway side? Check your building rules first.

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2. The windowsill fit rule

Narrow sills are where pumpkins roll off. Use this rule: the pumpkin's width must be no more than the sill depth minus 1 in (2.5 cm). Measure your sill first.

• 6 in (15 cm) sill: 3 in foam pumpkins fit with room for a tea light beside them.
• 4 in (10 cm) sill: 3 in pumpkins still fit; skip the tea lights.
• Under 4 in: move the display to the door or a shelf.
• No flame by curtains. Battery tea lights with a timer (6 h on, 18 h off) switch on at dusk by themselves.
• How it comes off: nothing is fixed. Lift and pack.

3. A tiny balcony: use the rail, not the floor

On a 1 m deep balcony, floor pumpkins block the chair and the door. A hook-on planter on the inside of the rail holds them instead.

• Check your rail: this planter's hook fits rails up to 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide. Measure the top of yours.
• Size: 16 x 5.1 x 5.1 in (41 x 13 x 13 cm). Use light foam pumpkins in it, not heavy real ones.
• Inside of the rail only, so nothing can fall on the street. Many buildings have rules about rails; read yours.
• How it comes off: unhook it. After Halloween it is a herb planter.

4. No surface? One shelf, five levels

A leaning ladder shelf is 24.8 x 14 in (63 x 36 cm) on the floor, the footprint of a side table, with five levels for a display. Light pumpkins high, heavy things low.

• Renter note: a leaning shelf usually wants its anti-tip strap screwed to the wall. That is a screw, so ask your landlord, keep heavy items low and keep it out of reach of children.
• After October it goes back to books and plants.

5. November 1: everything in one box

In a studio, the problem is not decorating, it is where Halloween lives the other 11 months. A 6 in high under-bed box holds the whole kit.

• Measure first: floor to bed frame must be 6.5 in (16.5 cm) or more for a 6 in box. Too low? See the bed storage layout for bed risers.
• What fits: the hanger, the wreath laid flat, 12 foam pumpkins and 24 tea lights (take the batteries out).
• Size: 33 x 16.5 x 6 in (84 x 42 x 15 cm), zippered with a clear lid, 2 per pack.

Quick checklist

1. Door: thickness under 1.8 in and a hairline gap above it.
2. Sill: depth minus 1 in is your largest pumpkin.
3. Rail: width under 2.5 in for the hook.
4. Bed: 6.5 in clearance for the storage box.
5. Lights: battery and timer only, never a flame near fabric.

More renter-safe ideas: no-drill storage for small rentals, small entryway storage and the tiny balcony guide.