DIY Easy and Spooky Halloween Decorations

“Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen, Voices whisper in the trees, Tonight is Halloween!” – Dexter Kozen

The dark and magical festival is around the corner, and everyone is busy rummaging through their craft supplies to keep up with the spooky spirit of Halloween. Time is also ripe for easy and delicious Halloween treats. While carved pumpkins and faux cobwebs will never go out of fashion, there are a zillion other ways to make your home look spooktacularly ghoulish – and without spending a fortune!

We did some heavy digging to select the 10 best fun and frightening DIY Halloween decorations to transform your house into a spooky haven.
Whether it is your front door, porch or indoors, these wicked DIY easy and spooky Halloween decorations will surely turn your home into a haunted zone.

Method 1: Scary Lights

Halloween calls for flickering lights and scary faces lurking around the house. Create these devilishly cute DIY Halloween decorations lights using ping-pong balls fixed on fairy lights.

Things you’ll need:

• Multi-colored permanent markers/Sharpies
• Ping-pong balls
• Fairy lights
• Box cutter

Step 1. Make small cuts on each ping-pong ball

• Use a permanent marker to draw a small ‘x’ on each ping-pong ball.
• Where you’ve drawn an ‘x’, make an incision with a box cutter to create a tiny hole in each of the balls. The hole should be big enough for the fairy light bulbs to pass through.

Step 2. Draw a spooky face on each ball

• Use the colored permanent markers and your creativity to draw spooky faces on the ping-pong balls.

Step 3. Put the balls on the fairy lights and hang them up

•  Attach a ball on each light to get your string of ghoulish faces.
• Hang the lights on a wall, around a window, or across your porch or stoop.

Method 2: Balloons

Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, baby showers – no party is complete without colorful balloons. So why leave out Halloween? There are endless ideas for using balloons as a part of your Halloween décor. We tried our hands at ghostly faces and spiders.

Things you’ll need:

• Multicolored balloons
• Sharpie
• Toilet paper
• Black paper

# Ghosts

Step 1. Draw ghost faces on the white balloons

• Draw ghost faces on the white balloons with a Sharpie.

Step 2. Tape toilet paper strips around the bottom

• Cut out long strips of toilet paper.
• Use double-sided tape to attach the strips at the base of the balloon to form the ghost’s body, so to speak (as shown in the image above).

# Spiders

Step 1. Cut and fold strips of black paper to create the legs

• Cut out long strips of the black paper.
• Fold each strip in half to create bent spider legs.

Step 2. Tape the legs and googly eyes on the balloons

• Use a small piece of double-sided tape to secure the legs on the black balloons.
• Finish up by sticking googly eyes on the balloons.

You can also draw jack-o’-lantern faces and Frankenstein on the other balloons to make DIY easy and spooky Halloween decorations.

Method 3: Toilet Paper Roll Monsters

You can recycle your toilet paper rolls to make cute little monsters. This is also a great activity to keep the kids busy while you get the Halloween costumes and makeup ready. You can also close the rolls on one side and fill them up with candies to give away to trick-or-treaters.

Things you’ll need:

• Multicolored paper
• Multicolored yarn
• Clear glue
• Googly eyes
• Toilet paper roll
• Scissors

Step 1. Cover the roll with colored paper

• Cut out a broad strip of colored paper. The strip should be wide enough to completely cover the toilet paper roll.
• Use glue to stick the paper onto the roll.
• Let the glue dry completely before you proceed.

Step 2. Glue on the wiggly eyes

• Using some glue, stick different sized googly eyes on the roll.
• Let that glue dry, too.

Step 3. Create monster hair with yarn

• Loop the yarn multiple times around your fingers to get a thick bunch for the hair.
• Retrieve the bunch from your fingers and tie a knot at the center using the loose end of the yarn (see the image above).
• Cut both the looped ends of the bunch with scissors.

Step 4. Embellish the roll

• Tape or glue the hair on the roll.
• Embellish the roll further using mouth cutouts, wiggly eyes and different colors of yarn.

Method 4: Popsicle Spider Webs

Another fun DIY project for the kids is these adorable spider webs made using popsicle sticks and yarn. They are extremely easy to make and go well with the Halloween theme.

Things you’ll need:

• Popsicle sticks
• Clear glue
• Black yarn

Step 1. Glue 3 popsicle sticks together to form the base

• Put a drop of glue in the center of a popsicle stick.
• Fix another stick on top of it.
• Repeat the process to add the third stick to form the base of the web (as shown in the image above).
• Optionally, you can spray paint the sticks to add more color to your décor.

Step 2. Wind the yarn around the sticks

• Begin to wrap the yarn around the web base. Loop the yarn around each spoke (as shown in the image).
• Continue to loop the yarn until you reach the ends of the spokes. Try to make the loops an equal distance apart to get uniformity in the web.

Step 3. Glue on the loose end of the yarn and decorate with toy spiders

• Once you’ve reached the tip of the spokes, glue the loose end of the yarn on top of one spoke.
• Cut off the excess yarn.
• Let the glue dry completely.
• Make multiple cobwebs and let each one air-dry before you use them for decoration.
• Hang the webs on your front door or in the trees.
• Embellish them with toy spiders.

Method 5: Creepy Hand Candle

One of the coolest and creepiest decorations you can make for this Halloween is this hand-shaped candle. Basically, you’ll use a glove as a mold to create the candle. You can decorate the wax hand to make it look as gory as you like.

Things you’ll need:

• Red candle
• Candle wicks – 4 or 5
• Long flask (to hold the glove)
• Bunch of candles (or any other wax of your choice)
• Latex cleaning glove
• Scissors and box cutter

Step 1. Insert candle wicks in the fingers of the glove

• Snip the tip of each finger on the glove to make a tiny hole for the candle wick.
• Thread the candle wick through the hole of the fingertip. Make sure that the wick runs through the entire length of the finger, or else it won’t burn completely.
• Repeat the same for the other fingers.

Step 2. Secure the glove over the flask

• Place the glove inside the long flask.
• Secure the glove’s end over the rim of the flask. Make sure the flask is long enough so the fingers drop straight down and do not bend at the tips.
• Set it aside and prepare your wax for molding.

Step 3. Melt the wax, pour it into the glove and let it solidify

• Place a large pan on low to medium heat.
• Break and drop the candles or wax into the pan.
• Let the wax melt slowly.
• Remove the pan from the heat as soon as all the wax has melted.
• Carefully pour the melted wax into the glove.
• Let the wax set for a few hours until it turns solid.

Tip: You can dip the glove in cold water to make the wax harden faster.

Step 5. Remove the glove from the molded wax and give your hand candle final touches

• Carefully make small cuts on the glove to tear it off the wax. Do not hurry or you may end up scratching the molded wax.
• Chop off any excess wick from the fingertips.
• Use a box cutter to cut a flat base on the bottom, so the hand candle will stand up.

• Make the candle gorier by pouring red wax over it to create bleeding fingers.
• Let the red wax harden.
• Place the hand (or two) on a candle stand on your dining table and light it up for your Halloween dinner.
• You can also place it in the window at night when trick-or-treaters are out.

Method 6: Cheesecloth Hanging Ghosts

Create cute floating ghosts using some cheesecloth and fabric stiffener. Place them on your side tables or hang them around to boo your guests.

Things you’ll need:

• Cheesecloth
• Sharpie
• Long bottle
• Ping-pong ball (or any round object)
• White glue – 1 cup
• Powder fabric stiffener – ¼ cup

Step 1. Soak the cheesecloth in a stiffening solution

• Add ¼ cup of fabric stiffener to 1 cup of white glue.
• Mix them well. You need a thick yet runny liquid to make the ghosts. If needed, add a little water to dilute the solution.
• Cut the cheesecloth into small, square pieces.
• Taking 1 piece at a time, dip it completely in the solution.

Step 2. Drape the soaked cheesecloth over the mold

• Place a ping-pong ball (or any round object that fits) on top of a bottle to serve as a mold.
• Take the cheesecloth out of the stiffening solution and wring out any excess liquid. It is important to squeeze out the excess glue, or else the cloth will stay wiggly and difficult to mold. It will also take longer to dry.
• Carefully drape the wet cheesecloth over the arranged mold.
• Spread out the corners of the cloth to look like a ghost while it is still wet, as it can’t be molded later.
• Allow the cloth to dry completely, for 4 to 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Step 3. Retrieve the ghost from the mold and decorate it

• When it’s fully dry, slowly pry the cloth off the bottle it was resting on.
• Before you remove the ball, use a Sharpie to add eyes and a mouth to the ghost’s face.
• Carefully remove the ball.
• Cut off the excess pointy ends of the cloth, if needed.
• Hang the ghosts together outside your home to make DIY easy and spooky Halloween decorations.

Method 7: Mason Jar Globes

If you are a DIY Mason jar enthusiast, then you’ll surely love these Halloween Mason jar globes. Gather everything spooky and evil and arrange them tastefully inside the jars. To get you started, we have made two minimalist globes using supplies that are readily available in and around your home.

# Using Lights

Things you’ll need:

• Glue
• Nail polish – black and orange
• Mason jar
• Battery-operated candle
• Cotton

Step 1. Paint the jar black and orange

• Pour some water into a large bowl.
• Drop in some black nail polish.
• Add a few drops of orange nail polish, too.
• Dip ¼ of the bottom of the Mason jar in the water.
• Do the same for the top of the jar as well.
• Leave the middle portion clean to keep the inside visible.

Step 2. Cover the candle in cotton

• Spread out some cotton on a flat surface.
• Place the battery-operated candle in the center of the cotton and cover it up from all ends.
• Place the light inside the jar. Remember to turn it on before you place it in the jar.

Step 3. Decorate the jar with toy spiders

• Slather some glue on the inside of the lid.
• Stick a small piece of cotton on it.
• Use tape to attach a small string to the lid as well.
• Tape or glue a toy spider onto the end of the string. This will make the spider hang inside the jar.

Step 4. Glue cotton shreds over the jar

• Drop in 2 or 3 spiders and put the lid on the jar.
• Apply glue on the outer surface of the jar.
• Stick small, fine shreds of cotton over it.
• Embellish it further by sticking a few more spiders on the side of the jar.
• Use these jars for decoration or as giveaways.

# Without Lights

Things you’ll need:

• Gauze (square pieces)
• Styrofoam disk (big enough to stick inside the lid of the jar)
• Scissors
• Sharpie
• Cotton balls
• Glue
• Dry twigs (1 branch big enough to fit inside the jar and other small, dried bits)
• Mason jar

Step 1. Glue the foam disc inside the lid

• Put some glue in the center of the lid.
• Stick the Styrofoam disk on it and let it dry.
• Push the big dry branch into the center of the foam.

Step 2. Prepare the ghosts

• Put a drop of glue on a cotton ball.
• Drape a piece of gauze over it (as shown in the image above). Squeeze it a little at the base of the cotton ball.
• Use the Sharpie to draw the eyes of the ghost on the gauze.
• Make 2 or more ghosts that can easily fit inside the jar.

Step 3. Assemble everything together

• Fix the ghosts on the branch.
• Cover the foam with dried bits.
• Secure the jar over the lid and your Halloween ghost globe is done.

Method 8: Milk Jug Witches

Halloween = Sorcery = Witches. If you’ve been planning to incorporate witches into your Halloween decorations, this is it! Upcycle your milk jars into devilish witches to perk up your Halloween decorations.

Things you’ll need:

• Plain black paper – 1
• Black textured paper (round cutout)
• Milk jug
• Scissors
• Acrylic paint (green, black and white)
• Black yarn
• Glue
• Ping-pong ball
• Paint brush
• Black trash bag

Step 1. Paint the milk jug green

• Paint the milk jug with green acrylic paint.
• Set it aside to dry completely.

Step 2. Prepare the witch hat

• Roll up the plain black sheet of paper to make a cone.
• Glue the loose sides together and let it dry.

• Cut off the excess paper.
• Also, cut the bottom of the cone to get a flat base.

• Place the cone on the round cutout.
• Using a pencil, mark the edge of the cone on the cutout.
• Draw a smaller circle inside the marked circle.
• Use scissors to cut out the inner circle.

• Make small, equidistant slits along the circle, only up to the pencil mark (see the image above).
• Fold the slits upward.

Step 3. Stick the cone over the slits

• Put glue on the outer sides of the slits.
• Place the cone over the slits.
• Turn over the hat and stick the slits to the inside of the cone.
• Let the glue dry completely.

Step 4. Use a ping-pong ball and black yarn to create a hanger for the witch

• Pierce a ping-pong ball on opposite sides and thread black yarn through it.
• Tie a knot to secure the yarn. Add another long piece of yarn to the knot that will help hang the witch.
• Pass the long yarn through the hat.
• Pull the yarn through the top of the hat so that the ball reaches the tip of the cone and acts as a stopper.

Step 5. Make witch hair using a trash bag

• Make thin and long slits across a trash bag, up to the closed end.
• The strips will serve as the witch’s hair. You can add more strips to make thicker hair.

Step 6. Draw a face on the jug and attach the hair and hat

• Use black and white paint to draw the witch’s face on the jug. The handle of the jug will serve as nose.
• Glue the hair and hat onto the can.
• Use the yarn to hang the witch’s head on your door.

Method 9: Hanging Bats Centerpiece

Add more spooks to your living room with this hanging bats centerpiece. Just hunt in your garden for a gnarled tree branch and get set to make hairy, sleeping bats.

Things you’ll need:

• Dry branch
• Black spray paint
• Black faux fur
• Small rubber bands
• Glue
• Scissors
• Black yarn
• Cotton
• Black paper

Step 1. Paint the branch black

• Place the branch on spare paper.
• Spray paint it black.
• Set it aside and let the paint dry completely.

Step 2. Cut out bat wings from the black paper

• Draw the outline of bat wings on the black paper (as shown above).
• Draw 2 or 3 bat outlines in different sizes.
• Using scissors, cut along the drawn lines to get your bat wings.

Step 3. Create the body of the hairy bats using faux fur

• Cut out approximately 3” x 4” pieces of black faux fur.
• Roll them up and secure them with a small rubber band.
• Wrap the bat wings around the hairy body.
• Fold the wings on top of each other and secure them with glue.
• Set it aside to let the glue dry.

Step 4. Assemble everything together to create the centerpiece

• Tie long pieces of yarn to hang the branch. Choose the length according to where you wish to hang the centerpiece.
• Put small drops of glue on the two pointy ends of the bats. These ends will serve as legs.
• Glue the tips of the legs onto the branch so the bats are hanging upside down.
• Glue on 2 or 3 bats in a row.
• Cover the branch with cotton at multiple places.
• Hang the piece with the attached yarn.

Method 10: Scary Wine Bottles

If you have too many empty wine bottles lying around, it’s time to give them a demonic makeover. We have revamped the bottles three different ways. Choose one that goes well with your décor or create an assortment.

# Using Paint

Things you’ll need:

• Paint brush
• Acrylic paints (orange and black)
• Empty wine bottle

Single-Step Method: Paint the wine bottle in orange and draw scary face

• Use orange acrylic color and paint the entire bottle. You can also use spray paint for a smoother finish.
• Let the paint dry completely.
• Use black acrylic paint and a thin brush to paint a jack-o’-lantern face on the bottle.
• Let the paint dry before you use the bottle for decoration.

# Using Melted Wax

Things you’ll need:

• Empty liquor bottle
• Candle
• Sharpie
• Googly eyes

Step 1. Pour melting wax over the bottle

• Light up a candle.
• Tilt it over the bottle to pour melting wax onto it.
• Cover the bottle with wax on all sides.
• Allow the wax to dry completely.

Step 2. Draw a spider in the center

• Use a Sharpie to draw a spider in the center of the bottle.
• Finish up by adding googly eyes to the spider.

# Using Gauze

Things you'll need:

• Gauze
• Cotton
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Wine bottle

Step 1. Wrap the gauze around the wine bottle

• Glue one end of the gauze to the bottle.
• Begin wrapping the gauze around the bottle.
• To cover up the dark color of the bottle, add thin layers of cotton as needed while you wrap the gauze.

Step 2. Stick googly eyes in the middle of the bottle

• Stick big googly eyes in the center of the bottle.
• Place a bunch of ghostly bottles on your porch to welcome guests and trick-or-treaters.

Tips

• You can close the monster rolls on one side and fill them up with candies to give away to trick-or-treaters.
• You can add fairy lights to wine bottles and use them for indoo decoration.
• If you are involving kids in any of the preparations, make sure that an adult is always present, especially if the task involves scissors, a box cutter or hot candle wax.