36 Spooky & Simple DIY Halloween Decorations Kids Can Help With

Halloween is a season of magical transformation, and one of the best ways to get into the spooky spirit is by decorating your home as a family.

Crafting together is not just about making your house look festive; it is about creating lasting memories. Here is the summary table for the 36 spooky and simple DIY Halloween decorations for kids.

Visuals	Decoration Name	Brief Description	Estimated Cost (USD)
	1. The Classic Ghost	A simple and iconic ghost costume made from a trimmed white sheet.	$0 – $10
	2. Spooky Spider Web Doormat	Using black paint to create a spooky spider web design on a plain doormat.	$10 – $15
	3. Ghostly Lawn Dancers	A circle of ghosts made from trash bags and garden stakes to place in the yard.	$10 – $15
	4. Painted Monster Rocks	A fun craft where kids find and paint rocks to look like silly or spooky monsters.	$5 – $10
	5. Swarm of Paper Bats	Cutting out and sticking a group of paper bats to a wall or door in a flying formation.	$2 – $5
	6. Tomato Cage Ghosts	A life-sized, glowing ghost made from a tomato cage, a sheet, and a string of lights.	$15 – $25
	7. Paper Plate Spiders	A classic craft using a paper plate and pipe cleaners to create a creepy spider.	$5 – $8
	8. Mason Jar Mummies	Wrapping a mason jar in gauze or cheesecloth to look like a mummy luminary.	$5 – $10
	9. K-Cup Ghosts	Tiny, lightweight hanging ghosts made from used coffee pods and tissue paper.	$1 – $3
	10. Toilet Paper Roll Bats	A simple bat craft using an empty toilet paper roll, paint, and paper wings.	$3 – $5
	11. Handprint Spiders	Using two black handprints to create a cute, eight-legged spider on paper.	$2 – $5
	12. Monster Doors	Using paper and streamers to decorate an entire door to look like a monster face.	$5 – $8
	13. Apothecary Potion Bottles	Filling glass jars with colored water, glitter, and plastic toys to look like spooky potions.	$8 – $15
	14. Dripping “Blood” Candles	A simple trick of dripping red wax onto white candles for a gruesome, bloody effect.	$5 – $8
	15. Spider Ice Cubes	A creepy surprise for drinks made by freezing plastic spiders inside ice cubes.	$2 – $5
	16. Glowing Specimen Jars	Creating glowing jars by using highlighter ink in water, which illuminates under a blacklight.	$15 – $25
	17. Handprint Ghosts	A cute and personal craft made by pressing a white handprint onto black paper.	$2 – $5
	18. Q-Tip Skeletons	A fun craft that helps with fine motor skills by arranging Q-tips on paper to form a skeleton.	$3 – $5
	19. Paper Plate Monsters	An open-ended craft where kids use various supplies to create a unique monster face on a paper plate.	$5 – $10
	20. Coffee Filter Ghosts	Lightweight hanging ghosts made from coffee filters, cotton balls, and a black marker.	$3 – $5
	21. Cotton Ball Ghosts	A simple and textural craft for toddlers, created by covering a ghost shape with fluffy cotton balls.	$3 – $5
	22. Stamped Pumpkin Art	Using a halved apple as a stamp with orange paint to create pumpkin shapes on paper.	$2 – $5
	23. Window Silhouettes	Taping black paper cutouts of spooky shapes to the inside of windows for a nighttime effect.	$5 – $10
	24. Spider Web Window Clings	A DIY window cling made by creating a spider web shape with white school glue on wax paper.	$2 – $4
	25. Ghostly Mirror Message	Writing a hidden, spooky message on a mirror with soap that is only revealed by steam.	$1 – $2
	26. Paper Chain Garland	A classic craft of looping orange and black paper strips together to create a long, festive chain.	$3 – $5
	27. Zombie Hands Reaching from the Grave	Sticking plastic skeleton hands in the yard or a garden bed to look like they’re emerging.	$5 – $10
	28. Glowing Eyeballs in the Bushes	An eerie effect made by placing activated glow sticks inside cut toilet paper tubes hidden in bushes.	$5 – $10
	29. A Witch’s Broom	A rustic, decorative broom made from a large stick and a bundle of smaller twigs found in the yard.	$0 – $2
	30. Ghost Face on a Tree	A simple way to personify a tree by attaching paper plate eyes and a paper mouth to the trunk.	$3 – $5
	31. Painted Pumpkin Patch	A no-carve alternative where kids paint faces and fun designs on small pumpkins and gourds.	$10 – $20
	32. Tin Can Monsters	Upcycling empty tin cans by having kids paint them and add googly eyes and pipe cleaner hair.	$5 – $10
	33. Spooky Wind Socks	A ghostly wind sock made from a paper cup or toilet paper roll with long, white streamers attached.	$3 – $5
	34. Puffy Paint Spider Webs	A 3D spider web craft made from a mixture of white school glue and shaving cream.	$5 – $8
	35. Masking Tape Mummies	A simple craft that is great for fine motor skills, made by wrapping masking tape around a paper cutout.	$3 – $5
	36. Leaf Ghosts	A simple craft that combines a nature walk with a spooky project, made by painting collected leaves white.	$2 – $5

These 36 simple and fun DIY projects are designed with little hands in mind. They are easy, budget friendly, and perfect for letting your kids’ creativity shine, ensuring your home is filled with handmade haunts and a whole lot of pride.

Ghoulish Greetings: Porch & Entryway

Your front door is the first thing trick or treaters will see. Let your kids help make a grand, spooky entrance.

1. The Classic Ghost

This is the ultimate kid friendly craft. It is iconic, simple, and they can do almost all of it themselves.

DIY Tips:

• Drape an old white sheet over your child to measure, then trim it so it does not drag on the ground.
• Let them draw a spooky or silly face with a black permanent marker.
• Hang your family of ghosts from a tree branch or your porch ceiling.

2. Spooky Spider Web Doormat

Let your kids give your plain doormat a creepy crawly makeover.

DIY Tips:

• Give them some black acrylic paint and a paintbrush and let them paint a simple spider web design on a plain coir doormat.
• The messier and more abstract the web, the spookier it can look.
• Let them finish by adding a big, black handprint spider in the corner.

3. Ghostly Lawn Dancers

Create a whole yard full of ghosts that look like they are dancing in a circle.

DIY Tips:

• Have the kids help stuff crumpled up newspaper into the corner of white kitchen trash bags to form the heads.
• Let them draw the faces on with a black marker.
• They can help you stick the garden stakes in the yard and place the ghost heads on top.

4. Painted Monster Rocks

This craft starts with a fun nature hunt in your own backyard.

DIY Tips:

• Send the kids out to find smooth, flat rocks.
• Wash and dry the rocks, then let them paint them with acrylic paints to create silly or spooky monster faces.
• The final, most fun step is letting them glue on googly eyes to bring their monsters to life.

5. Swarm of Paper Bats

A colony of black paper bats creates a dramatic, high impact look that kids love to help create.

DIY Tips:

• Print out a simple bat silhouette to use as a template.
• Have the kids trace the template onto black construction paper and practice their scissor skills by cutting them out.
• Let them stick the bats to the front door or an entryway wall with double sided tape.

6. Tomato Cage Ghosts

Create life sized, glowing ghosts using simple garden and craft supplies.

DIY Tips:

• Let the kids place a foam ball on top of an upside down tomato cage to create the head shape.
• They can help you drape an old white sheet over the top and draw on the spooky eyes.
• The best part is letting them help stuff a string of battery operated white lights inside to make it glow.

Creepy Crawlies & Adorable Monsters

These classic Halloween creatures are fun to make and perfect for placing around the house.

7. Paper Plate Spiders

A classic craft that is perfect for little hands and uses supplies you probably already have.

DIY Tips:

• Give your child a black paper plate and four black pipe cleaners.
• Have them fold the pipe cleaners in half and help you staple them to the back of the plate to create eight dangly legs.
• Let them glue on a bunch of googly eyes to the front to create their creepy crawly.

8. Mason Jar Mummies

These little luminaries are adorable, slightly spooky, and incredibly easy for kids of all ages to make.

DIY Tips:

• Let the kids wrap a clean, empty mason jar with strips of cheesecloth or white medical gauze.
• Let them decide where to leave a small gap for the two googly eyes.
• They can place a battery operated tealight candle inside for a safe, glowing mummy face.

9. K Cup Ghosts

Do not throw away your used coffee pods! They make perfect, tiny hanging ghosts.

DIY Tips:

• Once cleaned, let the kids drape a single square of tissue or a paper napkin over the pod.
• They can help you tie a small piece of string or thread around the “neck.”
• The final step is letting them draw on a spooky face with a black marker.

10. Toilet Paper Roll Bats

A simple and fun craft that makes use of your recycling and is perfect for a whole colony of bats.

DIY Tips:

• Have the kids paint an empty toilet paper roll black.
• Let them glue on googly eyes and wings that you have pre cut from black construction paper.
• Fold the top of the roll down to create two pointed “ears.”

11. Handprint Spiders

A cute and personal decoration that captures a moment in time and makes a great keepsake.

DIY Tips:

• Paint your child’s palm and four fingers (not the thumb) with black, non toxic paint.
• Have them press their hand down on a piece of white paper, then do the same with the other hand, overlapping the palms to create an eight legged spider.
• Once dry, let them add googly eyes to the palm part of the handprint.

12. Monster Doors

Turn any door in your house into a silly or spooky monster face.

DIY Tips:

• Use streamers for hair, two large paper plates for eyes, and cut a jagged mouth out of black construction paper.
• Let your kids design the monster face and help you tape the pieces to the door.
• This is a great, high impact decoration for a child’s bedroom door.

Spooky Science & Potion Labs

Transform a simple shelf into a mad scientist’s lab or a witch’s apothecary with these creative and fun projects.

13. Apothecary Potion Bottles

Collect interesting glass bottles and jars and let the kids turn them into creepy potion ingredients.

DIY Tips:

• Let the kids fill the bottles with water and choose the food coloring. They love mixing the colors.
• Let them add glitter for a “magical” effect.
• The best part is letting them drop in small plastic toys like spiders, snakes, or eyeballs to create creepy specimens.

14. Dripping “Blood” Candles

This is a super simple way to make regular candles look extra gruesome, and it is a safe activity with supervision.

DIY Tips:

• Use simple white pillar or taper candles.
• Light a red candle and, while holding your hand over theirs, help them tilt the red candle to let the wax drip down the sides of the white ones.
• They will be fascinated by the process and proud of the spooky result.

15. Spider Ice Cubes

A fun and creepy surprise for your party drinks that kids can easily help prepare.

DIY Tips:

• Let the kids place a small plastic spider in each section of an ice cube tray.
• They can then help you fill the tray with water.
• They will love being the one to plop the spooky ice cubes into everyone’s drinks.

16. Glowing Specimen Jars

Create an eerie, glowing display that looks like a mad scientist’s experiment.

DIY Tips:

• Let the kids drop a non toxic highlighter stick (the felt part) into a jar of water. They will love watching the water change color.
• Let them choose a creepy plastic toy or a cauliflower floret to add to the jar.
• Shine a blacklight on the jars to reveal the magic and make them glow.

Eerie Arts & Crafts

These projects are all about letting your child’s creativity run wild with paint, paper, and glue.

17. Handprint Ghosts

A classic for a reason. It is a cute and personal decoration that is so easy to make.

DIY Tips:

• Paint your child’s hand with white, non toxic paint.
• Have them press their hand, fingers down, onto a piece of black paper.
• Once the paint is dry, let them use a black marker to add two eyes and a mouth to the “head” of the ghost.

18. Q Tip Skeletons

A fun and easy craft that also helps with fine motor skills and learning about the human body.

DIY Tips:

• Give your child a piece of black construction paper, some Q tips, and a bottle of school glue.
• They can arrange the Q tips to form a skeleton, using a cotton ball for the head.
• Let them be creative with the pose of their skeleton.

19. Paper Plate Monsters

This craft allows for endless creativity and uses the simplest supplies.

DIY Tips:

• Give your child a paper plate and let them paint it any color they want.
• Provide them with a variety of craft supplies like googly eyes, pipe cleaners for hair, and pom poms for noses.
• There are no rules, the sillier and more mismatched the monster, the better.

20. Coffee Filter Ghosts

These little ghosts are light as air and look fantastic hanging from the ceiling.

DIY Tips:

• Let your child draw a face on a round coffee filter with a black marker.
• Have them place a cotton ball or a crumpled piece of paper towel in the center of the filter.
• Gather the filter around the ball to form the head and tie a piece of string around the “neck.”

21. Cotton Ball Ghosts

A simple, textural craft that is great for toddlers.

DIY Tips:

• Cut a simple ghost shape out of a piece of white or black paper.
• Have your child spread glue all over the shape and stick on cotton balls until it is completely covered.
• Let them add two googly eyes to finish their fluffy ghost.

22. Stamped Pumpkin Art

A fun and slightly messy project that creates beautiful, frame worthy art.

DIY Tips:

• Cut an apple in half. This will be your pumpkin stamp.
• Let your child dip the cut side of the apple into orange paint and press it onto a piece of paper.
• Once the paint is dry, they can use a green marker to draw a stem and a black marker to draw a jack o lantern face.

Spooky Window & Wall Decor

These simple projects will make your home look festive from both the inside and the outside.

23. Window Silhouettes

Turn your windows into scenes from a horror movie with some black paper and a little bit of teamwork.

DIY Tips:

• Find spooky silhouette templates online.
• Let your child help you trace the shapes onto black poster board or cardstock.
• They can help you tape the finished silhouettes to the inside of your windows for a chilling effect at night.

24. Spider Web Window Clings

Create your own custom window clings with a simple bottle of school glue.

DIY Tips:

• Let your child draw a spider web shape with white school glue on a piece of wax paper. Let it dry completely.
• Once dry, the glue will peel off the wax paper as a single, flexible piece.
• Let them stick their homemade “cling” to any glass surface. It peels off easily.

25. Ghostly Mirror Message

Leave a spooky, hidden message on your bathroom or hallway mirror.

DIY Tips:

• Let your child write a secret, spooky message on the mirror with a bar of soap or a wax candle.
• The message will be nearly invisible until someone takes a hot shower, and the steam will reveal the ghostly writing.
• This is a perfect, harmless prank that they will be so excited about.

26. Paper Chain Garland

A classic craft that is perfect for decorating a mantel or doorway.

DIY Tips:

• Give your kids strips of orange, black, and purple construction paper.
• Show them how to loop the strips and glue or staple them to create a long, festive chain.
• This is a great activity for practicing patterns and fine motor skills.

Ghoulish Garden & Yard Fun

You do not need expensive animatronics to have a spooky yard. These simple ideas make a big impact.

27. Zombie Hands Reaching from the Grave

A simple and classic yard decoration that is always a little unsettling and fun to set up.

DIY Tips:

• Buy a few plastic skeleton hands from the dollar store.
• Let your kids choose where to stick them in the ground in your garden or front lawn.
• They can help you pile a little bit of dirt around the base of each hand to make it look like they are really reaching up from the earth.

28. Glowing Eyeballs in the Bushes

A spooky and fun surprise for trick or treaters that is incredibly easy and fun for kids to make.

DIY Tips:

• Let the kids use scissors to cut spooky eye shapes into the side of cardboard paper towel or toilet paper tubes.
• Let them choose the color of the glow stick to activate and place inside each tube.
• They will love helping you hide the glowing eyes in your bushes before it gets dark.

29. A Witch’s Broom

A perfect, rustic decoration to lean by your front door that your child can help you make.

DIY Tips:

• Go on a nature walk together to find a sturdy, straight stick for the handle.
• Have them help you gather a bundle of smaller, thinner twigs or even tall ornamental grasses.
• Let them help you wrap twine tightly around the bundle of twigs to attach it to the large stick.

30. Ghost Face on a Tree

Turn any tree in your yard into a spooky creature with this simple idea.

DIY Tips:

• Let your child draw a large black pupil in the center of two white paper plates for the eyes.
• Have them help you cut a large, spooky mouth shape out of black poster board.
• They can help you staple or tape the face to a large tree trunk.

31. Painted Pumpkin Patch

A no carve solution that is perfect for kids of all ages.

DIY Tips:

• Give your kids small pumpkins or gourds and let them go to town with washable paints.
• They can paint faces, patterns, or just abstract designs.
• A final coat of glitter paint makes them extra magical.

32. Tin Can Monsters

Upcycle your tin cans into a family of silly or spooky monsters.

DIY Tips:

• Wash and dry your empty tin cans and let the kids paint them in bright colors.
• Once dry, they can add googly eyes, pipe cleaner hair, and felt mouths.
• These are great for lining your porch steps.

33. Spooky Wind Socks

These ghostly wind socks look fantastic blowing in the autumn breeze.

DIY Tips:

• Use a white paper cup or a toilet paper roll as the base. Let the kids draw a ghost face on it.
• Have them help you tape long, white streamers or strips of a white trash bag to the inside of the cup.
• Punch a hole on either side of the top and tie on a string for hanging.

34. Puffy Paint Spider Webs

A fun, textural craft that creates a 3D spider web.

DIY Tips:

• Mix equal parts white school glue and shaving cream, with a drop of black paint.
• Let the kids use a paintbrush to create a spider web shape on a piece of paper or a paper plate.
• The paint will dry puffy and have a wonderful, squishy texture.

35. Masking Tape Mummies

A simple craft that is great for developing fine motor skills.

DIY Tips:

• Cut a simple person shape or a gingerbread man shape out of black paper.
• Give your child strips of masking tape and let them wrap their “mummy” until it is almost completely covered.
• Let them add two googly eyes to finish their creation.

36. Leaf Ghosts

A simple craft that combines a nature walk with a spooky project.

DIY Tips:

• Go on a walk and collect large, fallen leaves.
• Let the kids paint the leaves white.
• Once the paint is dry, they can use a black marker to draw on a simple ghost face.

Conclusion

Decorating for Halloween is all about the fun of the season, and there is nothing more fun than creating something together as a family. These simple, kid friendly DIY projects prove that you do not need to be a crafting expert to fill your home with unique, festive, and slightly spooky decorations. The real magic of a handmade Halloween is in the process, the laughter, and the proud smiles on your little monsters’ faces as they show off their amazing creations.