Summerween is real, it's here, and it's the perfect excuse to make something weird and wonderful before October rolls around. Maybe you're into hot-gluing bones to a picture frame, stirring up a suspiciously dark beverage, or just leaning into the spooky-crafty energy that lives rent-free in your head all year.... this is your season. We've rounded up 11 activities that are equal parts creative, creepy, and unhinged in the best way.
1. Build a Goth Summer Fit (Stxrdust Approved)
If you're going to be a hermit, at least look like a fashion-forward villain. Here's the look for your next indoor marathon:
The Foundation: Start with our Fix Your Hearts or Die tee (it's the perfect moody base).
The Vibe: Pair it with some oversized distressed denim or a flowy black midi skirt.
The Accessory: A Cauldron Mug filled with iced coffee - because even in the underworld, we need caffeine.
The Mood: Light one of our candles to mask the scent of existential dread.
>> Shop the full Stxrdust Summerween Collection <<
2. Curate The Summer Slasher Watchlist (Spooky Streaming)
Forget the rom-coms. Here are 4 movies to watch when you want to feel slightly unsettled while the sun is still up:
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: "The scariest movie I've ever seen," - my dad.
Tourist Trap: Mannequins that laugh? Gorgeous people in trouble? It's bizarre, it's campy, and it's the ultimate Summerween nightmare.
The Burning: A classic camp slasher that hits all the right notes of "stay away from summer camps."
Cujo: Because nothing says "hot summer day" like a St. Bernard that's had enough of everyone's nonsense.
In a Violent Nature: The slow-burn, ultraviolent slasher you didn't know you needed.
3. Add Some More Horror Books to The TBR (Slasher Edition)
You need books that feel like a cold breeze on a humid day. Here's what we're reading:
Slasher Summer by E.L. Chen: The title says it all. It's fresh, it's fast, and it's basically a movie in book form.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix: A classic meta-slasher dive. If you've ever wondered what happens after the movie ends, this is your answer.
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones: Brutal, brilliant, and perfect for the gore-enthusiast who loves a good pop-culture reference.
Summer's Edge by Dana Mele: A high-stakes, haunted-house-by-the-lake story that will make you glad you're indoors.
4. Carve a Watermelon into a Jack-o-Melon
5. Kayak in a Lake then make Ghostie S'mores
6. Serve up some Pumpkin smoothies in a Cauldron mug
7. The Alternative Summer Playlist
Danger Days: The Fabulous True-Lives of the Killjoys by My Chemical Romance
Pretty. Odd. by Panic! at the Disco
The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me by Brand New
8. Drink the Blood of Your Enemies (Hibiscus Agua Fresca Recipe) - a tongue-in-cheek "ritual" drink recipe with a dark twist
9. Consult the Moon (Make a Lunar Phase Sun Catcher) - a crafty DIY using resin or wire and beads to make a moon phase window hanging
10. Paint Your Rage (Splatter Art Therapy, Summerween Edition) - cathartic outdoor splatter painting framed as a dark ritual
11. Pressed Flower Grimoire Page - pressing summer wildflowers into a hand-decorated "spell page" or journal spread
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Ready to curate your perfect Summerween?
Check out the full collection at shop.stxrdust.com/collections/summerween to grab the gear and the vibe.
How are you spending your Summerween?
Tell us your favorite spooky-but-not-scary guilty pleasure in the comments.
