17 DIY Halloween Decorations You Can Make at Home

Homemade Halloween decorations are often more fun than the packaged ones, especially when you can change the colors to suit your rooms. You do not need specialist tools to make something that looks thoughtfully finished.

The projects here use paper, cardboard, fabric, paint, and a few low-cost basics. Each has a clear place to display it and a small detail that makes it feel less like a rushed craft.

1. Pleated Paper Fan Pumpkins

Flat paper pumpkins look ordinary until you give them folds. Pleated fans add deep shadows and a charming handmade texture.

Accordion-fold two sheets of burnt-orange cardstock into half circles, glue their straight edges together, and attach a brown paper stem. Hang three sizes from ribbon against a cream wall.

Score the fold lines with a ruler before folding. Use double-sided tape for a cleaner finish than visible glue.

2. Floating Cheesecloth Ghosts

Soft floating ghosts can make a dining corner festive without looking cluttered. Their uneven hems move gently when someone walks past.

Drape squares of white cheesecloth over inflated balloons set on cups, then brush with diluted white craft glue. Let dry, remove the balloons, and hang the forms with clear thread.

Make each ghost light enough for its hanger. Avoid attaching anything to sprinkler heads or light fixtures.

3. Black Cardstock Bat Swarm

A burst of bats on one wall adds more drama than little decorations everywhere. The shadows around the wings make them look almost three-dimensional.

Cut fifteen bats in three widths from 200 gsm black cardstock and fold the wings slightly forward. Attach them to a wall in a rising diagonal using removable adhesive.

Test one adhesive dot overnight on your paint. Keep the bats clustered rather than spacing them perfectly.

4. Painted Mason Jar Lanterns

Old jars can become low-glow lanterns with a little paint. They look especially nice along a wide kitchen windowsill.

Coat the outside of three clean jars with translucent orange glass paint and add black paper jack-o’-lantern faces. Place one battery-operated LED votive in each jar.

Never use real flames in painted or decorated jars. Wipe off fingerprints before displaying them.

5. Cardboard Haunted Village

Small handmade buildings turn an empty shelf into a Halloween street. Crooked rooftops make the skyline much more interesting.

Cut four house fronts from corrugated cardboard and paint them charcoal, plum, and rust. Add gold paper windows and stand the houses in slotted cardboard bases.

Use one building as a template before making the others. Keep the village away from damp windows.

6. Yarn-Wrapped Spiderweb Hoops

A circular web looks striking without covering furniture in fake cobwebs. White yarn against black wood keeps the design crisp.

Paint an embroidery hoop matte black and stretch white cotton yarn between points around the rim to form a web. Glue a felt spider off-center and hang it over a sideboard.

Start with eight anchor strands before weaving circles. Keep loose yarn ends short so they do not snag.

7. Salt-Dough Ghost Trinket Dish

A tiny ghost-shaped dish is a useful little Halloween accent. It can hold keys or wrapped candy long after the crafting is done.

Mix a basic salt-dough recipe, shape a shallow white ghost dish, and dry it according to the recipe. Paint a small black face and seal only after the piece is fully dry.

Salt dough is decorative, not food-safe, and should stay away from pets. Use it for dry objects rather than wet items.

8. Scrap-Fabric Pumpkin Garland

Leftover fabric can make a warm Halloween banner in an afternoon. Mixed gingham and linen give it a collected, homemade character.

Cut twelve pumpkin silhouettes from rust, tan, and cream fabric and back them with felt for body. Stitch or glue them along a thick cotton ribbon.

Alternate patterns so similar prints do not sit together. Hang the garland away from open flames.

9. DIY Spooky Silhouette Frames

Tiny silhouettes look like art pieces rather than disposable party supplies. A matching set is easy to change with the seasons.

Cut black paper witches, cats, and moons and mount each on cream card inside three 5-by-7-inch thrifted frames. Paint the frames one muted brass shade.

Leave wide margins around the silhouettes. The extra white space makes their shapes easier to read.

10. Paper-Mache Crescent Moon

A large moon adds Halloween mood without using a single jack-o’-lantern face. Its textured surface looks good above a console.

Cut a crescent from thick cardboard and cover both sides with layered paper and paste for a lightweight paper-mache finish. Paint it warm ivory with a little grey dry brushing.

Let every layer dry completely before painting. Hang it from two points to prevent spinning.

11. Felt Witch Hat Napkin Rings

A few tiny witch hats can make a dinner table feel playful. The scale keeps the setting festive without taking room away from plates.

Cut cone and brim shapes from black felt and glue them into six miniature hats. Attach each hat to a wide black ribbon ring for rolled cloth napkins.

Use glue sparingly so it stays hidden. Keep the hats off dishes and away from hot food.

12. Toilet-Roll Castle Towers

Reused cardboard tubes make convincing miniature castle turrets. Their uneven tops give a shelf display a charming crooked outline.

Paint eight clean tubes grey and purple and cut battlements into the tops with craft scissors. Glue them around a cardboard gate and add orange paper windows.

Vary tower heights for a better silhouette. Store the lightweight castle in a shallow box so it does not crush.

13. Tissue-Paper Stained Glass Bats

Colored window panels make daylight part of the decoration. The black outlines look like stained glass when the sun comes through.

Cut bat and moon window shapes from black cardstock and fill the openings with purple, amber, and red tissue paper. Attach them to glass with removable tape.

Keep pieces away from handles and window locks. Tissue paper fades in strong sun, so save this project for shorter display periods.

14. Clay Potion Bottle Labels

Plain empty bottles look convincing with a few sculpted accents. Texture and hand-lettering do most of the storytelling.

Shape small air-dry clay seals and attach them to empty amber bottles once dry using removable adhesive. Add tea-stained-looking printed labels and cork stoppers.

Mark all bottles as props and keep them empty. Use an old tray to contain any fragile pieces.

15. Knotted Macrame Ghost Wall Hanging

A white ghost made from cotton cord feels more like textile art than novelty decor. It suits a hallway with warm wood and simple walls.

Knot lengths of thick ivory macrame cord onto a 12-inch dowel and trim the lower strands into a rounded ghost shape. Add two black felt eyes near the top.

Comb the fibers for a softer outline before trimming. Keep the lower ends out of reach of curious pets.

16. Painted Faux Pumpkin Topiaries

A vertical stack of pumpkins looks finished without needing much floor space. Muted orange and grey tones feel especially good on a covered porch.

Paint three foam pumpkins rust, charcoal, and cream, then stack them on a weighted dowel fixed inside a wide pot. Add dried faux vines around the joins.

Keep the pot broad and heavy so it cannot topple. Protect the display from strong wind.

17. Bottle-Cap Mini Spider Garland

Tiny spiders on a string add a funny detail to a bookcase. Recycled caps give them a nice rounded shape.

Paint ten cleaned bottle caps matte black and glue four bent black pipe-cleaner legs to each side. Add white painted eyes and attach them along a twine garland.

Keep this project away from toddlers because of small parts. Hang it high, where the little silhouettes can be seen against a pale wall.

Start with one project that suits a spot you already want to decorate. Good finishing, secure hanging, and a limited palette will do more than an expensive supply list.