Halloween is right around the corner and you probably need some decorations if you want to have the spookiest looking house in the neighborhood. Purchasing seasonal home decor can get expensive, and it is not environmentally friendly to buy cheap products you will likely dispose of within a year or two.
When you make a DIY Halloween decoration, you can save a lot of money and know you’re doing good for the planet, too!
Important Details to Consider When Building Halloween Decorations
If you want to take on a DIY project for Halloween, here are some things you may need to consider.
Halloween Decoration Type and Size
You’ll want to think about the space you’re decorating. The space you plan to decorate has a huge effect on the kinds of DIY projects you’ll choose.
For example, your Halloween porch decor might mean bigger projects made with heavier materials, while indoor spaces like the entryway or living room may not provide the space for these kinds of projects.
Things you already have at home also make great starter items for a DIY Halloween decoration project. There are so many things you already have laying around in your home that you can put to great use for the spooky season.
Types of Materials to Use
Simple things that most of us already have at home can turn into something spectacular. Mason jars, old craft paper, and reusable frames can become a great seasonal DIY masterpiece. Some of the simplest, around-the-house items are great for an outside, DIY Halloween decoration.
Halloween Decoration Placement
With any decoration, placement is key. After you’ve finished with your Halloween DIY project, you’re going to want to showcase it to family and guests.
Some ideas for extra space where you can display your masterpieces are coffee tables, end tables, shelves, hutches, kitchen tables, front doors, porches, and patios.
You want to make sure that when choosing a Halloween decor project, you consider the space you plan to show it. You don’t want to go through all that hard work and have your project sit in an area no one ever frequents.
Other Considerations
If you find a project you like from our list but don’t have a needed item at home, consider buying it secondhand. Buying secondhand is a cost-effective and Earth-friendly alternative to purchasing something (likely of lesser quality) anyway.
So keep in mind: When DIYing, the thrift store can be your new BFF!
Related Post: 13 Fall Crafts Ideas for the Family
Free DIY Halloween Decoration Ideas to Consider
Here are some of our favorite spooky decoration ideas to make yourself this Halloween.
Creepy Witch Legs
This is a DIY project for beginners. It makes a silly, super-spooky outdoor Halloween decoration. All you need is some crazy pattern knee-high socks, a pair of black witchy shoes, and some garden stakes. Put these three items together, and you’ve got witch feet sticking out of your yard or garden.
Stackable Porch Pumpkin
Everybody has some of those plastic pumpkin candy buckets somewhere in the basem*nt or storage closet. These little pumpkin pails make a cute decor piece with a bit of spray paint.
Choose whatever colors fit your Halloween mood. The user in the link chose a white and gold combination to bring out the fall spirit. Just spray paint the pumpkins and use hot glue to stack them in place. Use three or four, and boom! You have a nifty little decoration. You can even fill the top pumpkin with candy or other spooky items.
DIY Dollar Store Gnomes
The supplies for this one may be something lying around the house. Try going through your old clothes, and you could be surprised what you find.
These little gnomes would be a great party craft for a DIY Halloween decoration idea. You can also put your own spin on this project and make whatever spooky creature you’d like. Maybe even try out a DIY Halloween mummy.
DIY Tombstones
These tombstones are another super-easy DIY Halloween decoration. You can use foam, wood, or any other craft material. Decorate them with paint. You can go basic with a plain “R.I.P” or get creative, and think of a scary saying to put in words on your tombstone.
The personalized tombstones also make a super, group-friendly DIY Halloween decoration idea.
Snakey Wreath
There are so many kinds of wreaths to DIY (for any season). Reuse a wreath that you already have by removing the old decoration and using black spray paint to make a spooky season wreath. You can add any kind of Halloween decor that you like.
DIY Googly Eye Mason Jar
This is a great project for beginners. Grab one of those old mason jars from your cabinet, and decorate it with spray paint or acrylic. You can paint your design on it or use either stick on or glue on decorations after the paint dries.
You can also skip the paint and fill the mason jar with Halloween candy corn for an edible, festive decor piece.
Festive Porch Sign
We all know and love those festive porch signs. Instead of ordering one or purchasing it at the store, why not try using some of your crafting skills?
The supplies are simple. All you need is a large piece of wood that’s a couple of feet long, and paint. Set aside a whole night to build this fun decor piece.
Simple Skeleton Cages
For this DIY Halloween decoration, you can use a small-sized laundry basket. Take two, and you can secure them together with super glue or use a hot glue gun. Before you glue them, pick a creepy doll or old Halloween skeleton to put inside.
Hang this creepy, Halloween cage from a tree or your porch.
Spooky Bush Eyes in the Bushes
Here’s another DIY Halloween decoration craft that you can make with those old pumpkin candy buckets. You can also opt to use small and very round, real pumpkins. You’ll need three colors of paint. First, paint the pumpkins white, work your way inward with black paint, and then add a solid eye color of your choice.
Giant Spider Halloween Decoration
For this plan, you’ll need balloons and some bendy paper for the legs. You can use a white permanent marker to draw a mouth, and again, any color you want for the eye color. If you don’t have black balloons, you can use black trash bags and stuff them with paper.
Trim off the excess and tie them to make your spider’s body. Finish it with a goofy or creepy spider face.
Chicken Wire Ghouls
Shape a generous portion of chicken wire into ghosts, goblins, or scary creatures. To make this decor piece pop at night, you can use spray paint that glows in the dark. When the sun goes down, it will look like you have some scary creatures roaming your yard.
Halloween Doormat
Take that plain old doormat and make it spooky. This DIY Halloween decoration is another beginner-friendly project that is really cute.
You can use spray paint and stencils to outline the spooky shapes you want. Choose shapes like bats, pumpkins, ghosts, and if you want to get fancy, maybe even Frankenstein.
Halloween-Themed Garland
DIY Halloween garlands are easy and fun. Try a black cat pattern and cut out little cat faces. The great thing about garlands is they can be a great accent decor piece just about anywhere in the house.
There are so many fun, cheap, and unique DIY Halloween decoration ideas for your house this spooky season. Don’t feel obligated or tempted by those expensive and wasteful decorations you see in stores. You can do it yourself from something you already have at home. It’s better for our Earth and better for your pocketbook, too!
The best part is you will have decorations that are unlike anyone else’s, and that’s something to be proud of any time of year.
