Halloween is all about the candy and costumes, but it wouldn’t be the same without a healthy dose of spooky decorations. While you could go out and purchase all of your Halloween decorations, you can save a lot of money making your own — not to mention showing off your creative side. Here are 14 easy-to-make DIY Halloween decorations that are sure to attract all of your neighborhood trick-or-treaters.
1. Halloween Garland
Candy corn is not just for snacking! Turn the popular Halloween candy into a pretty garland.
You can do a lot more with candy corn that eat it. With a little ingenuity, you can turn this tasty treat into a colorful Halloween decoration at little cost. All you need is a little bit of fishing line, a needle and a few bags of candy corn. Start by poking a hole in the candy corn using the needle, being careful to puncture the solid color portions of the candy. The places where the color changes are susceptible to breaking. Then run the fishing line through each piece until you have enough length for your project. You can find the complete tutorial at Woman’s Day.
2. Potions Class
Get creative with the names of your Halloween potions.
A collection of magic potions are sure to give your home an eerie feeling. All you need are a few old bottles, some candles, spray paint, potion labels, and small Halloween decorations. According to Crafty In Crosby, begin by spray painting the bottles a color of your choosing (try and paint each one a different color). Then attach a printed potion label to the front of each bottle and add a small Halloween decoration, like a skeleton or spider, to really jazz things up. Finish the look by placing a candle inside the mouth of the bottle and melting some wax around the edges.
3. Classic Halloween Pillow
Personalize your Halloween pillow any way you like.
A custom Halloween pillow is perfect for your mantel or couch. For this project, brought to you by Eighteen 25, you will need a pillow insert, some yarn, a white pillow cover, black heat transfer vinyl and some scissors. You can add some pom-poms on the corners of the pillow if you want. All you do is print out an image onto the vinyl and transfer it to the pillow case with a hot iron. Once it is dry, place the pillow insert inside the case and decorate it however you please.
4. Spider Tablecloth
Anyone can make this chic spider tablecloth.
A spooky tablecloth can really pull the room together for your next Halloween party. If that isn’t enough, it can also use it as a backdrop for silly pictures. Just choose your preferred color of fabric and prewash it before getting started. Then cover your work area with plastic and draw some spiderwebs on the fabric with chalk or a marker. Then trace the markings with bleach, rinse the cloth in warm water and wash. The bleach will whiten the lines, resulting in a spooky spider web design. You can find the complete tutorial at The House That Lars Built.
5. Nightmare Candles
White candles become creepy with just a few upgrades.
Halloween wouldn’t be the same without candles, and you can make your own bloody versions of this holiday staple in as little as five minutes. All you need are some black carpet tacks, white candles and one red candle. Per Family Chic, start by dripping the red candle wax all over the white candles. Then insert the tacks randomly along the sides of the candles and place them on some spooky holders to complete the look. You can make as many candles as you like, varying them in height for an even spookier feel.
6. Skull Art
Who knew string could create such a cool Halloween decoration?
If you need some DIY Halloween decorations for your walls, some skull art might be exactly what you need. Supplies for this project include a piece of wood, black paint, string, and white nails. According to A Beautiful Mess, start by painting the wood black and printing out an outline of a skull. After the paint has dried, tape the skull on top of the wood surface. Then hammer in the nails around the perimeter of the skull, spacing them about one every inch. Gently rip off the print, leaving the nails behind. Then attach the string to the nails and create a zig-zag pattern through each portion of the skull.
7. Monster Front Door
Get the kids involved and turn your door into a monster.
Turn your front door into a monster with some googly eyes, foam and a few pieces of felt. Start by taping the googly eyes to the front door and cutting a pattern for the lips and teeth. Then place the lips and teeth underneath the eyes to finish your monster. You can add a few streamers on top for hair and anything else you deem appropriate. You can find more ideas for this project at The Paper Mama.
8. Mummy Front Door
If monsters are not your thing, try transforming your front door into a classic mummy. With a bit of white crepe paper, a pair of googly eyes, scissors and some adhesive putty, it won’t take long before your door looks like it just crawled out of a tomb. Per the instructions from HGTV, all you have to do is wrap the door with the paper, securing it to the sides with the putty. Then install the googly eyes at the appropriate height and you’re done. Adding a mouth with some black paper is a nice touch but not necessary. Use the same steps to mummify other items in your house, including punch and candy bowls.
9. Pumpkin Piñatas
Stuff these balloons with your favorite candy and let the fun begin.
You can create a fun Halloween decoration with these candy-filled pumpkin piñatas. Supplies you will need for this project include some orange balloons, black paper, wrapped candy, and soft toys. According to The Gunny Sack, stuff the balloon with goodies and then blow up to an appropriate size. Attach some jack-o-lantern cutouts from the paper and tape them to the balloon to create a face. You can hang these piñatas from your porch or somewhere inside, where your guests and children are sure to enjoy. You can even hand these out as candy on the big night.
10. Tin Can Lights
You can easily turn cans into Halloween lights.
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Tin can lights are great for setting a spooky mood for Halloween, and they’re super easy to make. Start by removing any labels from the can and writing a Halloween word (such as Boo or Trick-or-Treat) on the surface with a marker. Then puncture the can with a nail, following along the edges of the letter. Jolly Mom recommends to then paint the can black, or a color of your choice, and allow the paint to dry. Place a candle or LED light inside of the can to complete the project.
11. Spider Coasters
Bobby pins are the base of these adorable spiders.
Spider coasters are great for making cups of all shapes and sizes look extra spooky on Halloween. All you need are some bobby pins, a 3/8 inch metal washer, twine, white paint, and toy spiders. Per Reader’s Digest, start by connecting the bobby pins to washer and spread them out evenly around the rim of the washer. Then thread the twine through the heads of the pins until you have covered all of them. Creating several layers will give you the spider web appearance. Paint everything white and attach a few spiders to complete the look.
12. Spooky Front Porch
Greet trick-or-treaters with a spooky front porch.
Decorating the front porch is one of the most important things to do for Halloween. Not every trick-or-treater will see the inside of your house, but most will get a good view of the front porch. Luckily, all you need to make your front porch stand out are some pumpkins, old lanterns, and a few mums. Start by collecting an assortment of pumpkins and painting them to your liking. Then add some candles to the lanterns and place them above the pumpkins on pedestals. Decorate the front door with some spider webs and bats to really give off a spooky vibe. You can find the complete tutorial and more Halloween decorating ideas at HGTV.
13. Pumpkin Transformations
Just turn your pumpkin on it’s side to give your witch a spooky nose.
Who says a pumpkin has to be a jack-o-lantern for Halloween? According to HGTV, you can turn an ordinary pumpkin into a witch or a black cat with some pipe cleaners, paper, paint and permanent markers. For cats, start by painting the pumpkins black and adding white paper for the eyes and nose. Then attach the pipe cleaners to the nose to serve as whiskers. To turn the pumpkin into a witch, flip it on its side using the stem as the nose. Then draw in a smile and glasses and attach some leaves for hair. Top off the look with a small witches hat.
14. Ghost Lighting
Save your milk jugs to make these simple lights.
Mixing up your outdoor lighting is a great way to add some Halloween spirit to your yard. If you do not have a large budget for decorations, Reader’s Digest suggests making these ghost lights out of old water or milk jugs, both of which work great for this project. Simply clean out the jugs and draw a ghost face on the flat side of the container. Then throw a few LED lights inside each jug and place them around your yard for a frightening walk to your front door.
