Indeed, time flies so fast─October 31st is coming! Whether it’s part of your annual celebration or you’re looking to start a new family tradition, we’ve got some easy DIY Halloween decoration ideas to make your home spooky.
From one-time to permanent indoor and outdoor Halloween decorations, we’ve got the most creative ideas to give your home a spooky makeover. You and your kids can make the holidays as festive or spooky as you want!
Easy Halloween Decorations for 2024
spider web
Spider webs are one of the most common Halloween decorations. Now, it’s fun to weave intricate webs out of fringe, but who has time? Instead, you can make them out of yarn, construction paper, or even gauze to create the feel of an abandoned home. Just stick them to your porch or window with some hot glue and add the rubber spiders for the final touch. Look! You have turned your home into a haunted house.
pumpkin lantern
In many cultures, including Australia, the scary gourd is the ultimate representation of Halloween. If you can carve pumpkins, that’s great. But I personally would pick rock melons for our jack-o-lanterns. They are much cheaper and easier to carve than carving pumpkins with a craft knife.
I also like to place battery-operated flameless candles inside the lantern for a glow-in-the-dark effect. You can also use a cloche jar instead of a glass bottle.
Painted pumpkin
An alternative to jack-o’-lanterns are painted pumpkins that look like they’re blooming from the ground. Paint faces on mini pumpkin varieties or even oranges if they are available in the area. You can also paint round objects to look like pumpkins and tuck them into the grass in your yard. If time is of the essence, use orange balloons. Personally, I prefer something more sustainable, like ping pong balls or rocks, that I can reuse the following year.
paper bat
You can simply cut out bats from black cardstock and stick them to the windows. But if Halloween is still a few weeks away, why not take it a step further and make papier mache? All you need is old scrap paper, homemade glue or Mod Podge, and black acrylic paint to create a lifelike bat sculpture.
Ghoul behind the window
This is a foolproof way to keep trick-or-treaters from banging on your windows. You can use old blankets or towels to assemble your creature onto a coat rack. You may want to purchase some frosted window film from the store for best results.
Pro tip: Choose an empty room in your home so your child won’t be scared. Trust me, I’ve been there.
dead doll
Now, even for me, this is scary, especially as a mom of a little girl. My neighbor Leticia is famous for her collection, which is made from old porcelain and silicone dolls with their eyeballs cut out. She placed the doll under a tree in her front yard, covering it with a thin layer of dirt. If it didn’t scare me, I’d give it a try.
skeleton
Skeletons are a fixture of Halloween, whether hidden in a closet, half-buried in the yard, or hung from the ceiling. They are easy to make using cardboard and markers. You can also take your Halloween craft show a step further by using sticks and string.
For older kids who don’t care about giant skeletons, they can help make paper skeletons for the Halloween table. I’m trying out this instructable on my nightstand for the upcoming spooky season.
Cheap and Easy Halloween Decorating Ideas
halloween wreath
To add a festive touch, how about placing a wreath on your front door? Wreaths are a great choice for Halloween door decorations. You can attach fallen leaves, eyeballs, skulls and other spooky furniture. Alternatively, you can simply swap out the spooky decorations for Christmas-themed ornaments to welcome the upcoming holidays.
sugar skull
My daughter is obsessed with Pixar cocoawhich is why we’ve been making sugar skulls for years. I found the papaya shape to be the perfect Frida Kahlo style table decoration. Coloring them with food coloring is also a fun art and bonding activity with your kids. They make a great first impression and captivate our visitors.
Mom hacker? I always look for green papayas so we can eat them when they are ripe after Halloween.
mason jar lantern
Mason jars are perfect for charming and spooky Halloween decorations on your coffee table and mantel. They’re perfect if you have older kids who you can trust not to make a mess.
You will need used mason jars, black construction paper cutouts, and small candles. I like to purchase purple or orange flameless candles from the store, which make them safer to set up.
Ghost Pinata
Pinatas are always fun, and a ghost-themed piñata is the perfect home decoration and a treat for your kids. Just cut the front and back of a large box (think cereal) into identical ghosts. Glue more cardboard to the sides so that you create a box with an opening at the top. Paint it white or cover it with white scrap paper. (Add ruffles if you want!) Then, before placing the treats inside, draw or use black paper on the face. Your kids are sure to have a blast!
ghost garland
I’m the first to admit that I’m not a crafty mom, so my last minute decorations are always wreaths. Most likely, you’ll find these supplies in your child’s art drawer: construction paper, scissors, tape, or glue. Cut the paper into thick strips and assemble them in alternating colors, securing the ends with tape or glue. Cheap and convenient!
If you have more time and supplies, you can hang a cutout of a ghost, a pumpkin, or a witch’s hat from old book pages or vellum on a long string and hang it from the mantel.
Store-bought orange string lights and plastic jack-o’-lanterns also make beautiful DIY outdoor Halloween decorations for your front porch.
evil witch
Finally, we couldn’t end this list without the Queen of October 31st! You can make simple themed decorations at home, such as a witch’s cardboard hat, cape, and pointy shoes.
Another carefree witchcraft item is also her broom! If you’re like me, you already have this at home. All you need is to attach a few small embellishments, such as a string of spider webs, and you’re good to go.
Conclusion: Creepy DIY Halloween Decorations for Homemade Fun
If you and your kids love Halloween, you’ll want to make it special every year. And you don’t want to spend so much money and time just to celebrate the day. This is where DIY crafts come into play.
Homemade Halloween decorations come in many forms. When we think of this day, the first things that come to mind are spider webs, bats, ghouls, and witches. But ornate skulls, glass lanterns and garlands are also cool and on-trend.
The best thing about these decorations is that most of the materials are already found in your home. Your child’s art drawer likely contains a glue gun, spray paint, craft knives, and construction paper. This way you don’t have to spend money and you can turn it into a fun learning and bonding activity.
What is your favorite DIY idea?
