Whether you’re planning a spooky soirée or simply want to set the scene for trick-or-treaters, bringing the spirit of Halloween into your home doesn’t have to break the bank. Our guide to 30 cheap DIY Halloween decorations will show you how to turn everyday items into hauntingly creative displays.
From eerie candle holders to ghostly figures that lurk in the shadows, these easy-to-make decorations require little more than a bit of time, imagination, and a few simple supplies. Get ready to transform your space into a frightful delight that will impress both the living and the undead.
1. Ghostly Lanterns by Chalking up Success
Transform clear milk jugs into ghostly lanterns by drawing spooky faces with a black marker and illuminating them from the inside with string lights. These are perfect for lining your walkway or lighting up your porch with a ghoulish glow.
2. Creepy Cobweb Coasters by Creativities Galore
Using black felt, cut out cobweb shapes to create eerie coasters for your Halloween drinks. They’re not only functional but add a creepy touch to your party décor.
3. Spooky Silhouette Windows by Heat her Paige Blog
Cut out silhouettes of bats, cats, witches, and more from black cardboard. Stick them on your windows so from the outside, your house looks like it’s occupied by a host of scary creatures.
4. Mysterious Mason Jar Mummies by Easy Peasy and Fun
Wrap mason jars with medical gauze and add googly eyes to create adorable mummy lanterns. Place a candle inside for a mysterious flicker that enlivens any corner.
5. Frightening Floating Candles by House of Love Designs
Hang white candles from the ceiling with fishing line and place a LED tea light on top for an illusion of floating candles that will amaze your guests.
6. Wicked Witch’s Potion Bottles by Hermiones Secret Library
Collect various glass bottles and fill them with water dyed in creepy colors, adding labels that say “Poison” or “Magic Potion”. They make great centerpieces for a Halloween feast.
7. Batty Branches by Venue and Menu
Gather branches from outside and paint them black. Hang little paper or felt bats from them and display in a vase for an instant, eerie tree.
8. Eerie Eyeball Wreath by The Love Nerds
Glue a multitude of fake eyeballs to a wreath form to create an unsettling welcome for your guests. It’s a simple project with an eye-catching result.
9. Terrifying Tissue Box Monsters by Momee Friends
Transform empty tissue boxes into monstrous decorations by painting them and adding teeth, eyes, and other scary features. They’re fun to make and can scare the tissues out of anyone.
10. Pumpkin Balloon Ornaments by Hostess with the Mostess
Inflate orange balloons and use a marker to draw spooky faces, turning them into lightweight, floating jack-o’-lanterns that add whimsy to your Halloween décor.
11. Haunting Halloween Garlands by Avada
Cut out shapes like ghosts, pumpkins, and black cats from construction paper. String them together to create thematic garlands that are perfect for doorways and mantels.
12. Vampire Napkin Rings by Crafty Journal
Make napkin rings that double as vampire teeth by using small red beads glued to white ring bases. They add a bite to your Halloween table settings.
13. Creepy Crawly Soap Bottles by My Un Entitled Life
Add plastic spiders or eyeballs to your soap dispensers to surprise anyone who dares wash their hands. It’s a creepy twist on a daily necessity.
14. Gruesome Glowing Ghosts by Domestic Fits
Cover balloons with white fabric, tying them at the bottom, and draw ghostly faces. Illuminate them with glowing sticks for phantoms that float through your home.
15. Sinister Spider Wreath by Pink Pepper Mint Design
Craft a wreath with black spray-painted branches and adorn it with fake spiders. It creates an ominous welcome that’s perfect for the spooky season.
16. Bewitched Book Covers by Instructables
Cover your books with aged paper and inscribe them with spine-chilling titles. They’re ideal for creating an occult library look on your bookshelf.
17. Tombstone Placeholders by Capitol Romance
Cut out small tombstone shapes from grey cardboard and write your guests’ names for morbid but unique placeholders at your Halloween dinner table.
18. Dangling Doughnut Spiders by Kitchen Sanctuary
Attach black pipe cleaners to doughnuts to form legs, creating edible spiders that serve as both decoration and dessert. They’re sure to be a hit among guests.
19. Shadowy Handprint Curtains by Home Lava
Using fabric paint, create handprints all over sheer curtains for a sinister effect that suggests someone or something is always watching.
20. Ghoulish Glowing Glasses by Ghoul at Heart
Paint the outside of clear glasses with glow-in-the-dark paint. Charge them under light and they will glow eerily in the dark, perfect for late-night Halloween toasts.
21. Enchanted Floating Hats by Home Talk
Suspend pointy witch hats from the ceiling with invisible thread for a magical atmosphere that suggests witches are afoot and might drop in at any moment.
22. Creepy Paper Chains by Muu Made
Similar to traditional paper chains, but with a twist. Use black and orange paper and add in elements like bats and ghosts for a Halloween-themed decoration.
23. Malevolent Mirror Messages by Click Hole
Write spooky messages on mirrors with washable paint or a dry-erase marker. It looks like someone from the other side is trying to communicate.
24. Haunted House Silhouette by The Tattered Pew
Cut out a haunted house silhouette from black cardboard and place it in a window. Backlit by indoor lighting, it turns your home into a ghostly mansion.
25. Morbid Muffin Tin Votives by Song Bird Blog
Repurpose old muffin tins by placing votive candles in each compartment. Adding decorative elements like pebbles or sand can enhance the eerie ambiance.
26. Bone-Chilling Bookmarks by Making make Believe
Craft bookmarks using black ribbon and plastic skeleton bones. They’re perfect for marking pages in your Halloween horror stories.
27. Terrifying Toilet Monsters by Mum in the Mad House
Decorate your bathroom by creating monstrous faces on the toilet seat that greet unsuspecting users. It’s a humorous yet frightful addition.
28. Sorcerous Spell Jars by Pet Scribbles
Fill jars with mysterious ingredients like colored water, plastic bugs, or dried flowers, labeling them as spell components. They add an element of magic to your decor.
29. Spooky Spoons by Ann Marie John
Utilize severed wood spoons painted with ghost faces for a macabre touch to your Halloween feast. Guests will think twice before taking a serving.
30. Ghastly Gallery Wall by Hgtv
Create a gallery wall of spooky artwork, old family portraits that look haunted, or DIY creations. It can be as eerie or as playful as you like, setting the tone for your Halloween decor.
Crafting an unforgettable Halloween ambiance is all about creativity, a dash of spookiness, and a willingness to think outside the proverbial coffin. From floating witch hats to bone-chilling bookmarks, each of these DIY decorations adds its own unique charm and fear factor to your haunted house. Remember, the goal is to create a space that tickles the imagination, scares gently, and most importantly, brings joy to all who dare enter.