It’s never too early to start getting ready for Halloween. Actually now would be a pretty great moment, especially if you plan on making some of the decorations yourself.

We have a whole bunch of ideas you can try and a lot of cute, spooky and fun designs and projects that are definitely worth a try. Pick your favorites and get started.

How to decorate your house for Halloween

It’s fun to get excited about Halloween and about all the decorations and projects that we plan to make for the occasion. This gives us an annual opportunity to be creative, to explore our imaginations and to get goofy and the best part is we can do all of that without looking crazy. So are you ready to give it your all this Halloween? We have some ideas that you might like to try this year.

Make your house look like an abandoned building

How cool would it be to go with a post-apocalyptic theme this Halloween and to make your house look like an old abandoned building? You could borrow ideas for all those zombie movies and TV shows you’ve watched over the years. Make the windows look broken by applying stickers, place some scrap wood over them to make it look like someone tried to block the entrances, hang some cobwebs in corners, add some flickering candles and replace those cheerful window flower boxes with some dead grass instead.

Keep it kid-friendly but still spooky

There’s plenty of ways in which you can make your house look spooky on Halloween without going overboard and making it too scary for the kids. You can start with a bunch of pumpkin lanterns which you can place outside and it could be cool to display a scarecrow as well. Dress it up with some old clothes, give it a hat and a jack-o-lantern as a head.

Fill the lawn with creepy decorations

On Halloween, it’s all about atmosphere so what better way to make the house lookextra spooky than by decorating the front lawn with things like tombstones, skeletons, spiders and so on? You could even make it look like there’s zombies coming out of the ground.

Go with a bountiful autumn theme instead

Halloween doesn’t necessarily have to be scary and spooky. If you want to go with a different theme, try a harvest décor instead. You can use things like pumpkins, straw bales, cornstalks, gourds and so on to fill your house with autumn colors.

Decorate the mantel

There’s all sorts of interesting ideas for decorating the outside of the house so what about the inside? Well, if you have a fireplace, the mantel would be a great starting point. For this occasion you can decorate it with things like cobwebs, black lace, skeletons, bats, black cats and all sorts of spooky ornaments.

Create a scene

Not sure what the focal point of your Halloween décor should be? Orchestrate one by creating a scene. You can use a console table or a side table for this. Decorate it and the space around it with spooky pictures, ornaments, candles, garlands and so on and you’ll surely attract all the attention.

Decorate the staircase wall

If you have a staircase take this opportunity to create a spooky vibe for anyone going up and down the stairs by decorating the staircase wall with spiders, webs, creepy pictures and other details that come to mind.

Make a themed gallery wall

Another very effective way of creating a focal point and giving your home a spooky vibe is by creating a Halloween-themed gallery wall. Find an empty wall section in the living room or use the entrance or a hallway for this.

Draw attention to the ceiling

This is a great idea if you’re short on space and don’t have much room for Halloween decorations in the room. You can draw more attention to the ceiling by hanging a bunch of ghosts, balloons and various other things from the ceiling.

Give the couch a quick makeover

Nobody expects you to make any permanent changes to the furniture or to your home décor in general but you can definitely set the right mood on Halloween just with a few temporary decorations. For example, replace your everyday sofa cushions with some themed ones instead.

Decorate the light fixtures

A cool idea is also to decorate the light fixtures in the house, like the chandeliers and lamps. For the ceiling fixtures you can make paper bats and hang them on or around the lights. They’ll create cool-looking spooky shadows on the walls. You can also decorate the lampshades with toy spiders, bats and various other ornaments.

Don’t forget the shelves

This is a very versatile idea because pretty much everyone has shelves in their home. You can decorate these with cobwebs, spiders, birds, dead tree branches and flowers and other spooky ornaments for the occasion. It could also be cool to make it seem like they’re extra dusty for an eerie vibe.

DIY Halloween decorations that you should definitely make this year

A spooky terrarium

If you haven’t made terrarium decorations before, now be as good an opportunity to do so as any. Making a spooky terrarium is pretty easy and straightforward and involves, of course, including some Halloween-themed ornaments like plastic spiders and skeletons.

Your terrarium would look extra spooky if you were to add some faux spider web among the greenery or on top of the moss, just to make it look as if it’s been forgotten for a while and creepy crawlers started calling it their home.

Make your own tombstone

Tombstones are perfect lawn decorations and, of course, we’re talking about Halloween here. You can easily make a tombstone from scratch out of a piece of plywood and some paint. Cutting the plywood is the only step of this project which requires you to use a power tools and you might not even need to do that if you already have the shape you want.

This tombstone is very reusable because the chalkboard paint on it makes it easy to wipe the surface clean and write or draw something else on it every time you feel like mixing things up.

Confetti pumpkins

Not all Halloween decorations have to be spooky. You could also stay in the theme by sticking with a proper color palette but applying it to create something more glamorous instead. For example, you could paint a bunch of pumpkins black and then decorate them with gold confetti.

Spray painting the pumpkin is easy and straight-forward and a good tip for the confetti is to use metallic tape. Just cut a bunch of pieces of tape in different shapes and sizes and then stick them onto the pumpkin one by one randomly.

Tiny clay pumpkin planters

Don’t let their spooky faces fool you. These pumpkin planters are adorable and also tiny. You can make these out of clay using a silicone mold. Don’t leave this project for the very last minute however because the clay needs time to dry and to harden and you also have to paint the pumpkins once they’re out of the mold.

Dish towel pillowcases

Just because something has an intended use doesn’t mean that’s the only possible use for it. Dish towels are useful in the kitchen but they can also be used to make a bunch of cute pillowcases. Find some that are Halloween-themed and make some festive pillowcases for the occasion. Don’t worry about the size. If one towel isn’t enough just use several.

Special Halloween cocktail glasses

Make this Halloween extra special by putting the finishing touches on all the accessories. For example, instead of plain glasses you can make a special set by just using glass etching cream and a Jack-o-lantern stencil to apply a themed design on them.

Skulls on a candlestick

Candles are always useful for setting the right mood or putting the finishing touches on a mantel décor or a table centerpiece. But it’s not the candles themselves that are the focus of this project. These plaster skull candlesticks actually great on their own, even if you don’t choose to paint them all black.

Jack-o-lantern wine stoppers

If all the big decorations are all planned or already in place, there’s plenty of small details that you could be adding to your Halloween décor. For example, check out these jack-o-lantern wine stoppers. They’re really cute with a big of spookiness as well and they’re fun and easy to make too.

Halloween lanterns

The lighting is super important for the Halloween décor because it’s what sets the mood and creates a mysterious and spooky vibe. That gives you an opportunity to make some cool Halloween lanterns this year. There’s a few interesting techniques that you could use. For example, you could put a bunch of skulls inside or you could make these ghostly pictures that will definitely not go unnoticed.

Themed burlap pillows

A great way to get your living room ready for Halloween is by decorating the sofa with a bunch of themed accent pillows. There’s no need to go overboard with this project. Make a few pillowcases yourself out of burlap and keep the designs simple.

Candy corn decorations

Candy corn of all things can be used to make a bunch of cute and interesting decorations for Halloween. There’s a few different ways in which you can use it. For example, fill a vase with candy, make a candy corn garland or use it to decorate a plain picture frame.

Halloween-themed coasters

Since you’ll be serving some spooky drinks on Halloween, how about some themed coasters to fit the occasion? You can make these last-minute Halloween coasters is just a few minutes and you only need some basic supplies like scrapbooking paper and paint.

Wire word art

Some wire, a pair of pliers and your imagination are enough to put you on the right track for making some unique Halloween decorations. Wire word art is one of the obvious options and there’s plenty of ideas to choose from apart from the classic “Halloween” so be creative.

A bat branch

No, it’s not a branch shaped like a bat or a bat holding a branch, as cool as that might sound, but instead we’re talking about a super simple and easy to make decoration that involves black cardboard, fishing line and a branch. You can hang this anywhere in your home for a bit of spookiness this time of the year.

Birdcage chandelier

Apart from being easy to make, this Halloween decoration is actually one that’s very stylish and actually spooky. For this project, you need a birdcage, black paint, battery-operated candles, a piece of wood and some twigs or greenery for effect.

Candleholder makeover time

Candles look much more spooky and interesting when you pair them with the right votives or candle holders and that’s just what this project is about. Here’s two ways in which you can transform a plain round glass candle holder. One option is to make a jack-o-lantern and the other is to go with a witch’s cauldron look.

A speckled table runner

This table runner is not exactly the most eye-catching type but that’s exactly the point. This simple black and white speckled pattern is absolutely perfect for a monochrome Halloween table setting plus it makes anything you put on top stand out.

A glittery bat wreath

You can’t go wrong with a wreath on the front door for Halloween but, of course, it can’t be just any wreath. It can however be a colorful and glittery one if you want it to contrast with a black door or to give off a creepy cheerful sort of vibe. This bat wreath is perfect for that.

Dramatic Halloween table setting

If you happen to have a black accent wall in the dining room that would make the perfect backdrop for this eerie-looking table setting. Everything is just right for the occasion. The toned-down color scheme, the textures, the arrangement, the themed decorations and the perfect choice of tableware all come together to make this look magical in a spooky kind of way.

Black and gold candle holders

On the topic of dramatic Halloween table settings, every detail is important and if you have the time for it then definitely make at least some of the decorations yourself. Start with these black candle holders. They’re easy to make and all you need is wooden furniture legs and brass hardware fittings, a combination of materials that odd enough to fit the theme of this project.

A creepy key holder

Of all the Halloween decorations we’ve looked at so far, this is one of the creepiest which is odd considering it’s made of doll parts. Instead of hooks or hangers this key holders uses little doll hands. Add to that the custom finish applied to the board and you’re certain to make an impression with this project.

Insect taxidermy decoration

No worries, no actual insects were involved in this project. This cool-looking wall decoration is made using large plastic insects which are glued onto a wooden board. The board is black and the insects are gold which created a beautiful and elegant contrast.

A black feather chandelier

If you really want to go all out this Halloween, how about a custom chandelier made just for the occasion? It doesn’t need to be an expensive or complicated one but it should look spooky. Some black feathers can give you the look you want and, as for the rest of it, all you need is a chandelier base and some string to hang it with.

Spooky table centerpieces and tablescapes

When we say “spooky” we often actually mean cute because that’s the best term to describe this project with. To make the centerpiece you need small metal buckets, painter’s tape, burlap, alphabet cookie cutters or stencils, a paint brush, spray adhesive and a drill. You can find beautiful instructions for this project on Thediyvillage.

Lollipop ghosts just hanging out

Using a terracotta pot, a few sticks, some paint and fabric, tissues and googly eyes you can make a centerpiece that everyone will find interesting. The project described on Tikkido is easy and inexpensive which makes it perfect. You can use lollipops to make the ghosts and then offer them as party favors to your guests.

The magical power of black lace

Anything can become a Halloween decoration if you cover it in black lace. We’re talking about things like fruits, pumpkins and even a squash or two. The Halloween-themed lace is a nice touch but you can do just fine with regular designs as well. {found on Flaxandtwine}

Take your spooky centerpiece to a new level

Add a touch of color to the Halloween dinner table with a bunch or orange balloons. To keep them in check, anchor them to small jars filled with candy and treats. These will be the party favors for the guests. To decorate the balloons all you need is a black marker. {found on todaysmama}

Black balloons and white marker combo

You can check out Sayyes for another interesting idea also using balloons. This time the balloons are black so you’ll have to use chalkboard markers to decorate them. The message is pretty simple and clear in this case but you can also experiment with other ideas as well.

A cool way to set a spooky mood

If you have a snack bar or table, focus on really making it stand out. Everything from the snacks to the drinks, the containers they’re placed in and the accessories can be Halloween-themed. You can find a lot of inspiration on Apumpkinandaprincess.

Funky pillow covers

Cute mummy pillow – no sewing

Pillows make great decorations all the time but when events like Halloween or Christmas come around the pillows get festive. A very simple no sew pillow cover design that’s perfect for Halloween can be found on Sugarandcharm. It’s a mummy pillow and it looks really cute.

Draw your own design with a marker

You can decorate a black pillow cover with a black marker and change its design to something more spooky and suitable for the occasion. Draw a spider web and a spider or anything else that you want. If your drawing talent is limited keep the design as simple as possible. {found on thehappyhousie}

Doormats with festive designs

Try a different accent

Want your guests to feel welcomed? Don’t show it! That’s the secret when you’re planning a Halloween party. You need to find a way to send this message and what better solution than a festive doormat? The message says welcome but the vampire teeth make you think twice before ringing the bell. {found on creativelive}

No doormat? Just draw one

Spooky can take on a lot of different forms. In this case, it takes the form of a chalk doormat that’s basically drawn on the floor. The “trick or treat” message is perfect and the carefully placed decorative leaves are the perfect finishing touch.

A clever use for fabric paint markers

Sure, the doormat doesn’t actually have to send a message in order to send a message. That’s not very suggestive so take a look at the project featured on Deliacreates to better understand this. It all started with a semi-circle doormat. To transform it all you need is white fabric paint and scissors.

Refresh your old doormat with a stencil

Using a bat stencil and black spray paint you can give a plain doormat a beautiful makeover. Basically you just keep spraying bats on until you get a pattern or a design that you like. Decorate the entryway with a few other things as well if you want to really invite the spirit of Halloween in. {found on amusestudio}

Decorating the outdoors for Halloween

Create a tree monster the easy way

It’s important to try to make your home as inviting and festive as possible in preparation for Halloween but don’t forget about the outdoor spaces. There are lots of great projects you can do outside as well. For example, if you have a large tree on your property, put some googly eyes in it like shown on Princessandthefrogblog.

Hang bats from trees upside down

A bunch of cute bats could hang from the branches of the trees around your house. You can make them out of black craft foam and decorate them with googly eyes. You’ll need a symmetrical bat template and some craft glue for the eyes. {found on hgtv}

Give your house a spooky face

Let’s not forget about the entryway. You can turn the front of your house into a monster. Use wood boards to make the eyes and the teeth and acrylic paint to decorate them. Hang them with screws. Depending on the architecture and the dimensions of the house, you can come up with a customized design. {found on niftythriftythriving}.

Turn a green door into Frankenstein’s monster

Your front door can take on a spooky form as well. There are plenty of great designs and ideas you can try. One can be found on Eastcoastcreativeblog where you’ll see a door that looks like Frankenstein’s monster. Its already bold colors helps it stand out and emphasize the contrast.

Or a white door into a spooky ghost

Another spooky design is featured on Twindragonflydesign. The front door displayed here is white and this made it the perfect blank canvas for a skeleton face design. Use black paper and black electrical tape to get this done.

Hang witch hats and turn them into lamps

You don’t want people to trip over your lawn decorations at night so consider making some Halloween-themed luminaries for the porch as well. Use witches hats, fishing line and LED light sticks to make something similar to the project described on Polkadotchair.

Simple projects you can do with Mason jars

Spooky lanterns made from Mason jars

The versatility of Mason jars makes them a wonderful resource for a lot of interesting DIY projects and a lot of them are Halloween-related. Like the colorful jar lanterns featured on Mycraftyspot. You can make these using black spray paint for the lids, scotch tape, tissue paper in various different colors, black paper for the facial features and glue.

Upside down jars used for a terrarium

You can also use Mason jars to make spooky terrariums. Put inside things like twigs, moss, seed pods, leaves and Halloween-themed decorations like skulls, skeletons, spiders and other things. Use different-sized jars for diversity and feel free to customize the project on Todayscreativelife however you want.

Ghosts trapped in a jar

Masonjarcraftslove teaches you how to make a ghost in a jar. The supplies needed include jars, styrofoam disks and balls, moss, twigs, scissors and a glue gun. Put foam inside the lid and insert the twig in the center. Make two cute little ghosts and attach them to the twig. The moss is added at the end to cover up the white foam.

Make themed containers for the treats

Spray-painted Mason jars are not exactly mind-blowing and super creative. However, you can make yours stand out by decorating them with ribbons and tags. Paint the jars black and use orange ribbon for a Halloween-like look. {found on okiobdesign}.

Mummy jars with googly eyes

Turning a simple Mason jar into a mummy for Halloween is super easy. Check out Craftsredesigned. Basically all you need is sterile medical gauze, mod podge and googly eyes. Start at the bottom and wrap gauze around the jar, putting glue in between the layers. At the end, paint a layer of mod podge on top of everything and add the googly eyes.

Time to play with some paint

On Eighteen25 you’ll find another interesting project that uses Mason jars. First you use white acrylic paint for the inside of the jar and then you decorate the outside of the jar using tape and black paint. You can create all sorts of patterns such as stripes or polka dots. The final touch is a letter tag.

How to decorate with tin cans

Tin cans can be used pretty much the same way as Mason jars. For example, you can make them look like mummies. You can wrap them in cheesecloth and glue on googly eyes. Leave a bit of empty space for the mouth.{found on hgtv}.

Tin can mummies filled with sweets

And speaking of googly eyes, you can basically just glue them onto anything and that thing around look cute. For example, put them on tin cans and make funny treat containers. You can paint a mouth on them as well to give them more character. {found on eighteen25}

Cute ghost tins with a twist

Recycled tin cans can also be turned into cute little trick-or-treat buckets. You can find out exactly how to do it on simplykierste. Use tape and paint to create patterns, stripes, polka dots and other designs.

Cute personalized buckets from recycled cans

And then, of course, there’s the tin can luminary which you can make any time you want, not just for Halloween. First you put water in the can and then you freeze it. Use a sharpie to outline the design you want to create. Then punch holes in it with a hammer to outline your design. Let the ice melt and then paint the can. {found on jollymom}.

Exploring the spookiness of spider web

Spider web decals go with everything

Spider webs are a favorite feature in Halloween décor. A simple project where you can use can be found on Apumpkinandaprincess. The spiderwebs are vinyl decals which you can print out yourself. Simply use them to decorate a mason jar and turn the whole thing into a lantern.

Candle votives wrapped in spider silk

Make spider web candle votives using yarn. You’ll need a small glass vase, white yarn and small fake spiders. Tie a small knot at one end of the yarn and glue it to the vase. Then start wrapping and gluing until the vase starts to look as if covered with spider web. In the end, glue on the spiders. {found on chickenscratchny}.

Embroidery hoop spider webs as decorations

An embroidery hoop allows you to create a symmetrical spider web so consider using it in one of your projects. The idea came from Thethingsshemakes. The supplies needed also include white wool and plastic spiders. Check out the instructions and make your own decorative spider web.

Empty picture frame taken over by spiders

Similarly, you could also use a picture frame. The whole project is pretty simple and you can find detailed instructions on how to craft the web from Beckiadams. Consider painting the frame an eye-catching color to make the whole thing more interesting.

Go extra spooky with a giant web

The project featured on Myuntangledlife is on a whole different scale. You can do something this on the porch. The spider web will look creepy so imagine the final look when you also add a giant spider at the center.

Turn trash bags into spider webs

Can you imagine decorating your home with trash bags for Halloween? Of course, the trash bags would take on a whole different form from their initial one. You can actually use them to make spider webs which you can then hang around the house. If you’re curious about how such a décor would look like, check out Howaboutorane for inspiration.

Temporary wall décor using washi tape

You can decorate an entire wall with a giant spider web and you can make it all using washi tape. The tape would have to be black to better stand out against a white wall. Start with a star shape made up of five strips of tape. Then start connecting the lines creating a ring at the center. Then add another one and another one until the design is complete. {found on zakkalife}.

Cover the walls in webs using string

Or you can make a giant spider web for the wall using yarn. The whole process is similar to the one we described for the washi tape web. You can find instructions on Theartofdoingstuff. Don’t try to get a very symmetrical or perfect design. In fact, it will look creepier if it has some flaws.

Printable Halloween game for the kids

Don’t want your giant spider web to look creepy for the kids? Then how about turning the whole concept into a game? Use a printable to create a “pin the spider on the web” game. Tape it onto a wall and have fun. {found on ellaclaireinspired}.

How to decorate with bats

Spooky shadows that show up after dark

Bats are creepy because they come out when it’s dark, they get tangled in your hair and they have those scary little hands. So we use them as inspiration when we decorate our homes for Halloween. But, even so, they can look cute. A simple project we found on Younghouselove suggests decorating a lampshade with paper bats.

A wall taken over by paper bats

Usually, the kids of the project described on Marvelousmommy is done with paper butterflies but, since it’s Halloween, let’s use bats instead. Basically, you cut out a whole lot of black bats out of cardboard and then you attach them to a wall one by one using double-sided tape.

Decorate the chandelier and pendant lamps

If you have a globe pendant lamp or a lamp on which you can attach decorative bats, go for it. As shown on Rebekahgough, it will actually look beautiful. You can make these out of paper, cardboard, fabric and whatever else you want.

Make cute bats out of clothespins

You could also hang bats from your ceiling beams or chandelier. You can cut out their wings out of black cardboard and then attach them to a black clothespin. Hang them with fishing line or yarn, string, etc. {found on estefimachado}.

A string bat made with pins

You can use this theme when making string art for your home. First you print out the bar pattern. Then you outline it with pins. After that you loop black string back and forth between the pins until you cover the pattern. At the end, outline the bat. To make it stay like that after you remove the pins, dip the string in the fabric stiffener. {found on craftpenguin}.

Turn a bat silhouette into something stylish

You can find another beautiful project somewhat similar to the previous one on Thethingsshemakes. For this one you need black cardboard, brads, silver thread and a bat print. Print out a bat image and place it above the cardboard. Make pinholes at the points that define the outline and then put the brads in place. Carefully rip away the print out and start joining up the brads with thread to outline the bat silhouette.

Give balloons a pair of wings

Bats fly so, if you want your decorations to be realistic, they should fly too. The easiest way to achieve that is with balloons. Check out Alovelylook to see how that would turn out. You need black balloons, helium, double-sided tape, scissors and black paper. Print out a bat wing template and then cut it out. Use it as a stencil for the wings which you’ll be attaching to the balloon.

Ghostly decorations.

Cute cheesecloth ghosts

Ghosts are scary and spooky and often used as symbols for Halloween decorations. Of course, since we don’t have a clear image of how ghosts should look like, there’s no right or wrong way of designing such a decoration. The cute cheesecloth ghosts featured on Consumercrafts are actually very lovely.

Balloon ghosts with an eerie look

Balloon ghosts are another simple option. You can make them using white balloons, stickers, white tissue paper and a sharpie. Blow up the balloons and draw the ghost faces on. Then make tassels out of tissue paper. Stick the paper tassels to the base of the balloon with double-sided tape. {found on thethingsshemakes}.

A string light ghost garland

Ghost garlands can be made in a lot of different ways. One option is provided on Designdininganddiapers. You need white string lights, white cotton fabric, white string and a black sharpie to make this garland. They look cute and funny and when they light up they stand out even more.

Cute garland with tassel ghosts

A different design for a ghost garland is featured on Littlelightdesigncollective. These are tassel ghosts and they’re pretty easy to make. You can connect them to form a garland or use them as individual decorations.

Skeleton decorations reveal their funny and spooky sides

Organize a break-in skeleton

Looking for a simple but efficient way to decorate your house for Halloween? Check out the idea featured on Instructables. It looks as if the house is taken over by climbing skeletons which is scary and funny at the same time. It all starts with a blow mold skeleton. After you sew the joints together you hang them up on your house.

A wreath made of skeleton hands

Or you can only use a bunch of skeleton hands to make a creepy Halloween wreath like the one shown on Triedandtrueblog. This one was made using a total of nine plastic skeleton hands, metallic silver spray paint, strong glue and a chalkboard circle.