Halloween is the perfect time to showcase your DIY skills with handmade decorations that will impress trick-or-treaters and party guests alike. Whether you’re aiming to create a welcoming front stoop or transform your entire home into a haunted house, we’ve got you covered with tips for eerie and fun projects that will elevate the spookiness of your home. Decorate your home with these 15 easy Halloween decorating how-tos.
Wire Ghost Decoration
Create an ethereal apparition using chicken wire for a truly haunting effect. This ghostly figure uses the malleable nature of chicken wire, allowing for shaping and reshaping. With a bit of patience and creativity, you can conjure up a wire ghost that will send shivers down the spines of all who encounter it. Before you dive in, you’ll need to plan your ghost’s design and gather the necessary tools and materials.
Here’s how to conjure up your own: How To Build a Chicken Wire Ghost
Zombie Planter Decorations
Transform your front entry into a macabre display using old gardening hand tools. This clever repurposing of everyday items creates a creepy show of hands that will leave a lasting impression on trick-or-treaters. This is a simple and cost-effective project, making it an ideal project for those looking to customize their spooky space without breaking the bank.
Halloween Tin-Can Lanterns
Welcome trick-or-treaters with a warm, flickering glow from festive punched-out luminaries made from repurposed food cans. This eco-friendly craft reduces waste while adding a charming, handmade touch to your Halloween decor. Gather cans of various shapes and sizes from your recycling bin to create a diverse display—or find empty ones at a crafts store. Before crafting, ensure the cans are clean and odor-free by wiping them with a damp sponge dipped in baking soda. You can hang them outside or use these as an indoor arrangement at your dining table or arrange them on a windowsill.
See how we banged these out: How To Create Tin-Can Lanterns
Halloween Skull Light
Elevate your pumpkin display with a flickering skull light that’s sure to catch the eye of those passing by. This quick and easy project adds a devilish touch to your Halloween decor and can be completed in less time than it takes to fill a candy bowl. The eerie glow emanating from the skull creates a focal point that’s both spooky and sophisticated.
Giant Yard Spider Decoration
Create an oversized arachnid that’s guaranteed to give both children and adults a fright. This grand spider decoration will be a standout feature in your yard, drawing attention and eliciting gasps from neighbors and trick-or-treaters alike. This impressive DIY project uses inexpensive PVC pipe to construct long, creepy legs, making it an ideal Halloween home center project. However, you will need access to a circular saw, a jigsaw, and a drill/driver. Make sure to grab extra Halloween spider webbing for a more dramatic effect.
Here’s how to let the creepy crawly take over your yard: How To Build a Giant Halloween Spider
Halloween Bone Door Knocker
Give your front door a spooky makeover with a bone door knocker that’s sure to surprise and delight Halloween visitors. This clever decoration sets the tone for your haunted home before guests even step inside. To create this eerie entryway accent, you’ll need faux bones, a drill/driver, screws, and spray paint. The result is a unique and memorable welcome that perfectly captures the spirit of Halloween.
Witch’s Cauldron Decoration
Brew up a frightful sight in your yard with a bubbling witch’s cauldron. This eye-catching decoration brings the magic of Halloween to life, creating a focal point for your outdoor decor. While you can skip the traditional ingredients like eye of newt and toe of frog, this cauldron will still conjure up a spooky atmosphere. This project requires a few materials, tools, such as a circular saw and drill, and some creative flair, but you’ll soon create a bubbling potion that will enchant all who see it. All you have to do is create the cauldron base, craft the cauldron body, add eerie lighting, and add faux foam and bubbles.
Here’s how to bubble up your own potions: How To Build a Halloween Witch’s Cauldron
Skeleton-Foot Doormat
Step up your Halloween decor game with a clever skeleton-foot doormat to add a supernatural touch to your entryway. Using just a plain coir mat, indoor/outdoor matte-black spray paint, and a stencil template, you can create a unique welcome mat that’s sure to amuse and surprise your guests. This practical yet fun decoration spices up the usual dull doormat with a seasonal twist.
Pumpkin Luminaries
Transform ordinary pumpkins into extraordinary luminaries with the help of your trusty drill. This sophisticated take on the traditional jack-o’-lantern uses white and orange outdoor Christmas lights to create swirling or geometric designs. The result is a stunning display that’s far more elegant than the typical carved pumpkin. These luminaries cast a warm, inviting glow that’s perfect for lighting up your porch or pathway on Halloween night.
Get our step-by-step instructions: How To Create Beautiful Pumpkin Luminaries
Gothic Halloween Wreath
Add a touch of Edgar Allan Poe-inspired decor to your front door with a gothic wreath featuring a watchful raven. This striking decoration sets a mysterious and slightly ominous tone for your Halloween festivities. The contrast between the dark materials and the traditional wreath form creates a visually interesting piece that’s sure to catch the eye of visitors.
Halloween Mirror
Create a haunting “reflection” that will spook your guests and transform any entryway into a spot worthy of the Addams Family. This clever DIY project involves selectively removing some of the mirror’s paint and reflective coating, and then securing a scary image behind the glass. The result is an eerie illusion that appears to show a ghostly figure in the mirror, adding an unexpected and chilling element to your Halloween decor. Choose a mirror with an ornate frame for the spookiest effect. It should also have a removable back to simplify the distressing process.
Check out How To Create an Eerie Halloween Mirror for the how-to
Ghostly Graveyard Tombstone Yard Decorations
Extend an otherworldly welcome to Halloween revelers by transforming your lawn into a spooky graveyard. Use weatherproof materials like foam insulation boards or plywood to craft durable tombstones that can withstand outdoor conditions. Add eerie details like moss, cobwebs, or small LED lights to enhance the creepy atmosphere of your homemade cemetery.
Scarecrow Decoration
Repurpose old clothes to create a charming or creepy scarecrow for your Halloween display. This classic decoration is not only budget-friendly but also allows for plenty of creativity. Start with a shirt and pair of pants, stuffing them with newspaper or plastic bags for shape. Use a broomstick pushed into the ground as support for your creation. For the head, transform a brown paper bag into a face by gluing on buttons for eyes and other features. Complete the look with an old hat perched atop your scarecrow’s head. The scarecrow can serve as a friendly greeter or something more sinister for your Halloween showcase.
Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween
Master the art of pumpkin carving with tips and tricks from professional carvers. The first step is to select the perfect carving pumpkin. Make sure to consider your design or pattern when making your selection. You’ll also need sharp tools to carve the pumpkin and a design in mind. You can also use a stencil if you need a little help. When you’re ready to display your pumpkin, use a low-watt electric light.
See How To Carve a Pumpkin for our pro-carver tips
Spooky Window Silhouettes
Create an eerie atmosphere with shadowy figures looming in your windows. These simple decorations can transform the exterior view of your home, leaving neighbors and passersby wondering what mysterious activities might be taking place inside. With just scissors, tape, and some creativity, you can craft a variety of spooky silhouettes to adorn your windows. From classic witches and ghosts to more elaborate scenes, these paper cutouts offer endless possibilities for Halloween decoration. They also help set the stage for a fun-filled evening of trick-or-treating.
