Last year, we got you guys into the Halloween spirit early with our first list of DIY Halloween decorations, so for 2016, we had to make sure we found another stellar batch of quick and inexpensive Halloween decorating ideas that you would enjoy making just as much this year.
When looking for ideas on Pinterest, I wanted to put together a list that anyone could tackle, so if you’re a newbie to the world of crafting, you’ll be able to handle any of these ideas with very little problems (and they are all very cost-effective as well).
We hope you enjoy these ten Halloween decorating ideas, and look for more Halloween ideas the next few weeks right here on Daily Dead!
Mummy Mason Jars
Looking for some adorably spooky candle holders this Halloween? Then you’ll definitely want to try your hand at making these mummy mason jars, as they take less than ten minutes to make and are as functional as they are fun to look at.
Materials:
Glass jars, assorted sizes
Gauze
Googly eyes
Glue (glue dots work even better)
Scissors
Directions:
First, attach one end of the gauze to the top of your glass jar using glue or a glue dot. Completely wrap the jar in the gauze, mimicking a mummy effect, until you get to the bottom of the jar. Snip off the end and fasten the other end of the gauze to your jar.
Make a space towards the top of your mummy to place the pair of eyes on the front of your jar, and affix the googly eyes using glue or glue dots.
To finish off your mason jars, feel free to place real candles inside, or use LED tea lights (to be more cost-effective).
Googly Eyes Wreath
Looking for a different way to adorn your front door this Halloween? Then try this goofy but fun googly eyes wreath, which is sure to leave a smile on all your visitors’ faces this fall. If you really want to give this wreath a creepy touch, you can even coat the Ping-pong balls with glow-in-the-dark paint before affixing them to your wreath base.
Materials:
18-inch straw wreath (you can find these at most craft retailers)
White ribbon
Crafting wire
Ping-pong balls (you’ll need around 250 balls, and Amazon has a great deal on 144-packs HERE)
Googly eyes
Hot glue and hot glue gun
Directions:
First, tightly wrap your straw wreath using the white ribbon (a wider ribbon will work better), and then, using your hot glue, affix both ends to the back of your wreath.
To make sure your ribbon is secure, use the crafting wire to wrap your wreath. Once it is completely covered, twist the ends of your wire together in the back to create a hanger for your wreath.
Hot glue your ping-pong balls to your wreath. This can be done using whatever approach you’re comfortable with, just make sure to fill in any gaps using ping-pong balls.
To finish off your wreath, attach the googly eyes to your ping-pong balls, using one for each “eyeball.” Let it set a few hours before hanging, and to remove any hot glue wisps, use a blow dryer on the low setting to get rid of those sticky strings of glue.
K-Cup String Lights
As someone who drinks (a few) Keurig K-Cups every morning, I thought these K-Cup string lights were a fantastic way to reuse those tiny cups for something fun, and I’m going to be giving these a whirl myself this October.
Materials:
Empty K-Cups (you’ll need enough to cover the length of your light string)
A string of Halloween-themed lights (orange looks best, but I think purple would be fun, too)
Knife
Black Sharpie (or you can use the stencil and transfer paper as per the directions from the link above)
Directions:
First, make sure that your K-Cups are completely cleaned out by removing the foil lid and rinsing all the grounds out from inside. Be sure the K-Cups are dry, too.
Next, draw the faces you want on the front of your K-Cups using the black Sharpie (the site I found also had some fun designs you can download, but you can always do these however you prefer).
Once you’ve decorated your K-Cups, it’s time to insert the lights. Since the cups are already punctured, you can use a knife to gently increase the size of the hole on each bottom. Push the lights through far enough so that the bulb makes it through the hole, leaving the wired parts outside.
Hang your K-Cup string lights wherever you feel like adding a festive touch!
Boo Door Sign
Want to find a simple way to usher in the Halloween season this year? This boo door sign makes a great impression and costs very little to put together. The instructions mention using spray paint, but I personally find acrylic craft paint to be just as durable and effective, minus all that messy spray-back that comes with using spray paint.
Materials:
Thin, lightweight wooden letters (can be found at any craft retailer)
Black acrylic paint
Black glitter
Clear acrylic top-coat paint
Halloween-themed ribbon
Paint brushes
Stapler
Directions:
First, you’ll want to paint your wooden letters. Even though only one side will be showing, I’d suggest painting both sides just to make sure everything looks even with your sign. You’ll also want to do at least two coats of paint on each letter, and as the final coat of paint is drying on the front side of each letter, you can sprinkle each letter with the black glitter.
Once the paint and glitter have fully dried, use your clear top-coat to seal each of your letters to prevent any chipping or weather damage.
After the top-coat dries, fasten each letter to the bottom of the one above it, creating a chain-link effect using your ribbon. Use a stapler to secure the ends of the ribbon together, and top off your boo sign with a hanging loop of ribbon at the top of the “B,” making it as long as you desire. You can also use hot glue to affix your ribbon ends as well, but be sure to let the glue fully dry before attaching the sign to your front door.
Halloween-ify Your Hand Soap
This idea is so simple, I’m not sure how I didn’t think of it sooner, or came across it earlier while roaming around all the Pinterest boards over the last few years. Want to spread some Halloween cheer into your kitchens and bathrooms this Halloween? Then just Halloween-ify your hand soap using these tricks.
Materials:
Containers of clear hand soap or sanitizer
Small plastic Halloween-themed items (like spiders, skulls, pumpkins, etc.)
Wooden skewer (or something long and thin to push your Halloween items into place)
Directions:
The first step is to fill your hand soap or sanitizer bottles. Last year, I just bought the pre-filled Softsoap bottles and removed the labels (most of them peel off easily). If you have any issues removing labels, some rubbing alcohol helps.
Next, insert your small plastic Halloween items into the soap. Make sure they’re small enough to fit into the dispenser nozzle, and once you’ve added everything you want, use a skewer or something pointy to push your decorations into place.
If you want to add a little extra fun to your soap this Halloween, you can mix in some glitter or Halloween-themed table confetti and swirl it throughout.
Floating Head Ghosts
When I saw these floating head ghosts, I thought they seemed like low-budget versions of some of the ghouls you’d see haunting the grounds inside Disney’s The Haunted Mansion attraction. Ridiculously easy to assemble, these ghostly apparitions are sure to add an otherworldly touch to your Halloween décor this fall. And if you really want to creep out your visitors, you can always paint the foam heads with glow-in-the-dark paint before attaching the fabric!
Materials:
Foam heads (FloraCraft is a leading brand and can be found at most craft or beauty retailers
StyroCutter or a durable knife
3 yards of cheesecloth for each head, cut into 2 Sections
Mod Podge
Foam brush
One eyelet screw per head
Super glue
Fishing line or wire to hang your heads
Directions:
First, cut up your cheesecloth, allowing for two somewhat equal portions per ghost.
Next, you’ll want to cut the neck portions off of your foam heads, using either a StyroCutter (which I recommend) or a durable knife (just be sure to be super careful, as knives can slip easily while cutting foam).
Using the Mod Podge, coat the top and the face of your foam head with the sticky material, using the foam brush to evenly coat the surface. Once completed, drape the cheesecloth over the head, making sure to push the cloth against the sticky parts for more definition.
Once the Mod Podge dries, insert one eyelet screw to the top of each head, and to ensure the screw stays in place, use some super glue to give your decoration a little extra security.
Let the eyelet set for at least an hour before hanging, and once you are ready to hang your floating head ghosts, use some fishing line (or whichever wire you prefer) to hang your creations.
Tin Can Luminaries
These tin can luminaries will undoubtedly add a rustic touch to your Halloween décor this October, and they are quite simple to make. The most difficult part might be scrounging up large coffee cans, so if you cannot find any, you can always utilize smaller cans and adjust your designs accordingly.
Materials:
Acrylic paint (black works great, but you can go with whichever color you prefer)
Clear top-coat acrylic paint
Sharpie marker (in the same color as your paint)
Hammer and large nail (or awl)
Towel
Paintbrush
LED candles
Directions:
First, ensure that your can is completely clean, removing any labels, glue, or sharp edges. Once your can is prepared, fill it to the top with water and place it in the freezer.
Once your water has completely frozen, remove the can and, using your Sharpie, draw your design or words onto the outside of the can using a dotted approach, almost like a stencil. Simple ideas work best (such as a bat or the word “Boo!”).
Wrapping your can in the folded towel, use your hammer and nail to tap out small puncture marks for your design.
Once you’ve finished punching all the holes for your design, completely paint the outside of the can. I’d recommend two coats for the best results.
Once the initial paint layers are dry, seal in your paint with a layer of the clear top-coat acrylic paint.
Let the can dry for a few hours, and once you’re ready to put it on display, place an LED candle inside and turn it on.
Pumpkin Ball Yarn Wreath
My grandma was big into knitting back when I was a kid, so when I saw this fun and festive pumpkin ball yarn wreath, it immediately reminded me of her. This one looks far more complicated than it is to make, and while creating the pumpkins is a bit cumbersome, it’s an easy enough project for volunteers of all ages.
Materials:
Rolls of orange yarn (2 or 3 should work fine)
One 18-inch grapevine wreath
Large bag of cotton balls
Bunches of small twigs
Hot glue gun and hot glue
Directions:
Before assembling your wreath, you’ll need to construct all the little pumpkin adornments. To do that, wrap each cotton ball completely with a piece of orange yarn. Once you’ve made each pumpkin, cut off the end of the yarn and tuck it underneath the rest of the layers. Keep going until you run out of cotton balls to ensure you have enough for your wreath.
Next, you’ll want to affix your yarn pumpkins to the grapevine wreath using the hot glue gun. Because the wreath has all kinds of dimensions to it, you can really have some fun tucking your pumpkins into ridges or on branch tips, making for a really varied look depending on your wreath.
To finish off your pumpkins, add small pieces of the twigs to each pumpkin top after they’ve all been added to your wreath. I’d recommend waiting to do this step until all your pumpkins are in place, as it’ll be much easier to judge where the stems will go.
Let your wreath’s glue dry for an hour before displaying.
Paranormal Portraits Display
Want to give your Halloween decorations a bit of a personal twist this year? Then you’ll definitely want to try making this paranormal portraits display that takes your normal family photos and transforms them into ghoulish works of art.
Materials:
Black-and-white copies of your personal photos (or whichever photos you want to use)
Black picture frames (if you want to take the super affordable route, the dollar store usually has a decent selection)
Card stock
Black acrylic paint
X-Acto knife (or any other precise cutting tool)
Scissors
Craft glue
Small sponge
Small string of red lights (20–25 is perfect)
Fake cobwebs
Directions:
First, cut out your picture copies. To age the photos, mix a solution of water with a few drops of black paint, and then take a sponge and lightly brush each picture with the paint/water solution. Let the pictures dry.
After everything dries, you’ll want to cut out pieces of card stock that are the same size as the photos you are working with. Once you’ve cut out your pieces, affix them to the back of your photos using glue.
Once the glue has dried, use your X-Acto knife to cut out the eyes in each photo, making holes about one-fourth of an inch in diameter.
Next, open up each frame and remove the panes of glass. Place each photo in the frame, and, depending on where your eye-holes line up inside the frame, cut out similar small holes on the back of the frame so that they match up with your hollowed-out eyes.
Replace the back of the frame after you cut out the holes, insert one red light into each eye socket, and adjust accordingly as you establish your portrait display.
Once all of your lights are in and your pictures are in place, use the fake cobwebs to finish off the creepy look of your new decorations.
Picket Fence Countdown Sign
I saved the most ambitious project for last, readers! With the arrival of trick-or-treaters and other guests each October, creating an inviting and festive front porch can make a huge impression on visitors throughout the Halloween season. That’s why I fell in love with this picket fence countdown sign idea, simply because it looks a lot more involved than it is, and it could be a fun way to tick away the days until All Hallows’ Eve arrives.
Materials:
Five pieces of picket fencing
Two pieces of wood, cut to match the width of your fencing
Hammer and nails
White paint (from a hardware store)
Paint brushes
Black and orange acrylic paint
Clear top-coat acrylic paint
Mini chalkboard (can be found at major craft retailers)
Hot glue gun and hot glue
Various Halloween-themed decorations
Directions:
First, you’ll want to purchase your picket fence pieces and the wood you’ll need for your sign. If you go to a major retailer like Home Depot, they will often cut you the pieces of wood upon request, or they have an area where you can cut the wood that you need for your project.
Once you bring your wood materials home, use your hammer and nails to attach the two planks of wood to the back of your picket fence pieces, one towards the top of the fencing and one towards the bottom. Make sure your nails aren’t too long or you’ll have tips popping through your fencing pieces.
Next, paint your picket fence using white paint from the hardware store (in this instance, it’s more durable than your usual acrylic craft paint), and once the white paint has dried, determine what your decorating scheme will be.
Paint on any sayings that you may want onto your sign (Google is a great help if you need to find some clever sayings) using the black and orange acrylic paint.
Once the paint has dried on your text, affix the chalkboard to your sign using the hot glue (and if the chalkboard frame is plain wood, feel free to decorate that accordingly).
From here, use your hot glue to add on any decorations or adornments that you may want, such as Halloween-themed ribbon or small decorations purchased at a craft store.
Let your sign set and dry for a few hours before placing it outside, and once you’re ready, be sure to write your countdown using some chalk.
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