If you’re like me you love decorating for the holidays, but you don’t go “all out” for Halloween. I definitely save the majority of my decorating efforts for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but you really don’t have to spend a lot of time and money to add a little Halloween “spirit” to your dwelling. To help you in that effort, we’ve rounded up a great selection of cheap and easy DIY Halloween decorations to incorporate into your decor to avoid becoming the Halloween Grinch! ;-)
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Spooky Cheesecloth Ghost
This ghostly little guy hails from way back in 2012… but he’s still as cute as ever! :-) These cheesecloth ghosts can be placed on flat surfaces or hung from the ceiling (or a ceiling fan) with clear fishing line for a spooky floating effect!
Batty Front Door
For this frightening bat invasion simply trace the bat shape (click link beneath picture for template) onto some black cardstock and cut it out with a pair of scissors.
Bat Branches
These “batty” branches are such a clever idea! All you need to put these together are some branches, black ribbon, and white puff paint. I think they would work equally well as indoor or outdoor decorations! Follow the link below the picture for more of Diane’s great fall decor ideas.
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Spider Invasion
Spray styrofoam balls with black paint, push the ends of the pipe cleaners into the styrofoam….4 on each side….and bend them to look like legs. That’s it!
Ding, Dong The Witch Is Dead
Cut the legs from a pair of striped stockings and stuff them with cotton batting, then glue them underneath a welcome mat and add witchlike shoes.
Trash Bag Spiderwebs
Just like making a paper snowflake, you can use a plain black trash bag to create a great spiderweb! These would look great on Halloween night against an illuminated window.
Floating Witch Hat Luminaries
Add a bit of whimsy to your Halloween porch decorations with these Floating Witch Hat luminaries! They even light up, making them a fun and only slightly eerie Halloween decorating idea.
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Full Moon
To create your own spooky full moon – take an embroidery hoop, paint it white, put in a white pillowcase, trim it to size and hang it off a tree with fishing line. Behind the embroidery hoop, put up one of those stick on LED touch lights that you can buy for your closet. SpooOOooky!
Mummified Front Door
Utilize your front door to make an easy Halloween decoration splash! All you need are rolls of white crepe paper to make it look like a mummy and then cut eyes & mouth out of white & black poster board.
Spooky Glowing Eyes In The Bushes
Cut some spooky eyes into empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls, insert glow sticks, and cover ends with duct tape. Hide them around the yard for some spooky Halloween decor.
Boarded Up Windows
Give your house a “haunted” look by “boarding up” your windows with pieces of cardboard painted to look like aged wood planks.
Halloween Window Silhouettes
Make people think there is something sinister going on with these scary Halloween silhouettes! Just print them out and tape them up! (Templates provided at link under picture.)
DIY Halloween Candy Bowl Holder
Set a big bowl inside an empty trash can (or something similar), cover it with a white sheet, add felt eyes and you have a friendly ghost candy holder!
Ghost Leaf Bags
Rather than putting your fall leaves in the garbage or straight to the compost bin, have some fun with them. Fully stuffed bags can make some fun looking ghosts scattered throughout the yard.
Spiderweb Doormat
Step 1: Purchase an indoor/outdoor carpet. Cut out a circle. Step 2: Using a yardstick, evenly space and draw eight intersecting lines that cross the rug from edge to edge with a Prismacolor white-colored pencil. Between those lines, draw arches around the mat, using the above photo as a guide. Step 3: Coat the rug with a clear finishing spray, like Krylon Make It Last Clear Sealer, to protect your web from trick-or-treating feet.
Dancing Lawn Ghosts
For this project, simply poke a styrofoam ball through the top of a white or green, tall garden stake or dowel, and then cover it with lightweight white fabric or cheesecloth. Make several of them and place them in a circle with the fabric corners tied together.
Foam Board Graveyard
Turn your front yard into a graveyard by making some tombstones out of black foam core board. All you need to do is decorate them, tape a stake to the back, and arrange them out in the yard. Plus, the whole family will have a blast coming up with silly names to put on them!
Ghosty Jugs
If you have a lot of milk-drinkers in your house it shouldn’t take you long to come up with a few jugs for this project. Line your group of glowing ghosty jugs along your walkway or front porch to welcome trick-or-treaters!
Thank you so much for sharing the witch’s legs project that I tried! These are all such adorable ideas!
Don’t forget to display your Teal Pumpkin! For kids with food allergies, Halloween can be a really challenging and sad time. Several years ago, FARE (foodallergy.org) introduced the Teal Pumpkin Project – a way to distinguish your home as being welcoming to kids with food allergies. If you display a teal pumpkin (or even their free, printable teal pumpkin poster), it lets kids with food allergies know that you have allergy friendly or allergy safe alternatives for trick-or-treating. There are several choices of candy that do not include the Big 8 food allergens, like Dum-Dum suckers, or you can offer… Read more »
Thanks for the reminder!!
Those dancing lawn ghosts are absolutely gorgeous!!! <3
I have said it once and I’ll say again your my new ” Hints from Eloise” Lady . . . If I can learn of a new way or a short cut ,or how to from A-Z . . . thank you so much. I would have to say learning about the Dawn and Vinegar spray the bathroom has been a life saver. And I use it for other things around the house. Great for spraying on my blouse if the cooking oil should spatter on it. Spray right away if possible, if not before washing spray and let dry… Read more »
Just in the nick of time, too, with the crafts and your bat template at the after-slumber party activities. 10 yo girls.
Very cute ideas! I’m going to try out the spooky eyes in the bushes trick.
These pumpkins from milk jugs are too cute. I have a balcony on 4th floor and im going to put some out there. I have to find someones milk jugs…i drink almond milk and the jugs are not clear.
The trashbag spiders surely will surprise someone.
Very interesting idea.
I really love all of these great Halloween decorations idea’s. I especially like the toilet paper eyes and the doormat with the “witches” legs. I’m definitely going to pin these for next year. You always have fabulous things to share. It’s why your email is read first in the morning. I just love your blog. Keep up with the amazing things that you share.
Thank you so much!
These are fabulous ideas! I love the toilet paper bats!
Love the TP roll eyes.
For scary yards rake your leaves into graveyard mounds, they really look creepy once it gets dark.
This is also a great time to use all those odds & ends half burnt candles. I even pull out the Christmas electric & battery candles for quick displays. I just cover the candle stick with construction paper in Halloween colors.