Halloween isn’t just about candy or costumes—it’s about setting the scene for a spooky season! And what better way to do that than with some homemade Halloween decorations? Store-bought items are great, but you get unique, personalized decorations that stand out when you craft your own.
Plus, DIY decorations can be more affordable and eco-friendly. So grab your glue gun and dive into 25 homemade Halloween decorations that’ll take your haunted house vibes to the next level.
1. Jar Lanterns with a Twist
Spooky meets cozy when you turn empty glass jars into glowing lanterns. Paint eerie faces or creepy scenes onto the jar, then place LED candles inside. These add ambiance indoors or outside. Flickering light creates a ghostly glow that feels unsettling yet warm.
2. Ghostly Bedsheet Specters
Classic, right? Old bedsheets make perfect floating ghosts. Hang them from trees or place them strategically in rooms. For added eeriness, use fishing wire to make them sway slightly in the wind. If you want these ghosts to glow, drape string lights beneath the sheets. Unexpectedly eerie!
3. Spider Egg Balloons
Blow up black or white balloons, then glue tiny plastic spiders all over them. Hang them in corners or from the ceiling. As they move slightly in the breeze, the creepy crawlies appear ready to hatch. If you want to make this scarier, tuck a fake spider inside the balloon before inflating. When popped, the spider “escapes.”
4. Macabre Message Chalkboard
Take a standard chalkboard and add some spooky phrases or hand-drawn images—think “Enter if you dare” or skeletal doodles. Hang it near the entrance. You can switch up the phrases throughout the season for fresh thrills.
5. Skeleton Hands Grabbing from the Ground
Take cheap plastic skeleton hands and bury them in the ground outside your home. Make it look as though they’re clawing their way up from beneath. Scatter some dirt over the knuckles for that fresh-dug effect. Super eerie for a yard walk-through!
6. Glowing Ghost Garlands
White fabric cut into ghostly shapes, stuffed slightly with cotton and hung as garlands—perfect for adding a whimsical spookiness. Add little LED lights behind them for an extra glow. These can decorate windows, mantles, or doorways.
7. Shadows in the Windows
Cut out silhouettes of witches, black cats, and monsters. Tape them on your windows and use backlighting to make the shapes come alive at night. From the street, these figures look terrifying, and the mystery of their stillness only adds to the dread.
8. Spooky Mirror Faces
Draw ghostly faces on your bathroom mirror using a cotton swab dipped in clear dish soap. Once dry, the faces will be invisible. After a steamy shower, these eerie expressions will slowly reveal themselves in the fogged-up mirror, startling anyone who sees them. A simple, mess-free way to add a chilling surprise!
9. Pumpkin Balloon Display
You don’t need real pumpkins to create that pumpkin patch feel. Blow up orange balloons, draw jack-o’-lantern faces with black markers, and group them around your home. Scatter faux leaves or twigs between them to mimic a real pumpkin patch.
10. Mummified Toilet Paper Holder
Wrap your bathroom essentials—yes, even the toilet paper holder—in gauze or thin strips of fabric to make it look like a mummy! Add googly eyes. Not only does this bring Halloween into every room, but it’s also a hilarious touch for guests.
11. DIY Cobwebs Everywhere
Stretch out cotton batting or even white yarn across corners, ceilings, or furniture to create that abandoned, cobwebbed look. Add plastic spiders to enhance the atmosphere. The secret here? Less is more. You want it to look natural, not like an explosion of fluff.
12. Potion Bottles with Labels
Collect old bottles or jars and create spooky potion labels: “Witch’s Brew,” “Zombie Tears,” “Vampire Venom,” you get the idea. Fill the bottles with colored water for extra effect. Add some faux moss or spiderwebs around the display for added ambiance.
13. Hanging Bat Swarm
Cut bat shapes from black construction paper, bend the wings slightly for dimension, and hang them from the ceiling using fishing wire. The swarm effect, especially in an entryway or hallway, brings a feeling that something ominous is overhead.
14. Creepy Candle Displays
Take old candles or LED versions, and coat the tops with red wax (use crayons melted in a spoon) to create a dripping-blood effect. Group the candles together on a tray or mantle for a simple yet unsettling decoration.
15. Ghost Doormat
Using a plain doormat, paint a simple ghost shape with white outdoor paint. Place it at your entrance to greet guests with a spooky little smile (or a menacing frown, depending on how friendly you want your ghost).
16. Bone Wind Chimes
Find plastic bones at a Halloween store or craft shop. Use string to tie them together like a wind chime. When these bones knock against each other in the breeze, it creates a bone-chilling rattle that unnerves anyone walking by.
17. Spooky Silhouette Yard Stakes
Cut plywood or thick cardboard into spooky shapes like gravestones, skeletons, or witches. Paint them black and stake them in your yard. From afar, they’ll appear as dark figures looming in the distance, creating an eerie graveyard vibe.
18. Haunted Mirror Effect
Cover a mirror with cling film or saran wrap, then paint the back with diluted black paint. This creates a smoky, foggy effect. Place it in a dark hallway or a dimly lit room, where it will seem as though a figure might just appear behind you at any moment.
19. DIY Gravestones
Cut out gravestone shapes from foam or cardboard, paint them gray, and add funny or creepy epitaphs. Line your front yard with these tombstones to create a makeshift graveyard.
20. Macabre Fruit Heads
Carve eerie faces into apples or pears to create unsettling fruit heads. Soak them in a lemon juice and water solution to help preserve their shape. Place these ghoulish creations in jars filled with spooky-colored liquids, like green or purple juice. Display them prominently for a frightfully fun Halloween touch!
21. Monster Eyeball Door Wreath
Create a wreath using googly eyes in various sizes, adding a pair of giant monster eyes in the center. Hang it on your front door to let trick-or-treaters know they’re being watched. For added spookiness, make some of the eyes glow with mini lights.
22. Zombie Doll Parts
Take old dolls, remove their heads or limbs, paint them in gory detail, and scatter them around your yard or home. The dismembered doll look brings that unsettling “horror movie” touch.
23. Witch Hat Mobile
Using black construction paper, make simple witch hats. Hang them from a ceiling in clusters, as though witches have just vanished, leaving their hats behind. This works well in porches, doorways, or entryways.
24. Pumpkin Vine Archway
Use fake vines intertwined with string lights to create an archway leading into your home or a specific room. Attach a few faux pumpkins to the arch to give it a more organic, natural Halloween feel.
25. Faux Creepy Candles
Use toilet paper rolls as the base, coat them in white glue to create a dripping wax effect, paint them white, and pop a tea light at the top. Cluster these candles together for a chilling, haunted house atmosphere.
Conclusion
With these 25 homemade Halloween decorations, you can easily turn your home into a spooky, fun space that stands out. DIY decor adds a personal touch while keeping things budget-friendly. Whether entertaining guests or embracing the Halloween spirit, these projects will help create a memorable, festive atmosphere. So grab your supplies and start crafting—your Halloween masterpiece awaits!