A festive and spooky Halloween home does not have to come with a scary price tag. The dollar store is a treasure trove of affordable materials just waiting to be transformed into amazing, high impact decorations. With a little bit of creativity and a touch of DIY magic, you can turn simple, inexpensive items into decor that looks surprisingly chic and spooky.
Here is the summary table for the 25 Dollar Store DIY Halloween Decorations.
This collection of 25 projects proves that a can of spray paint, a glue gun, and a trip to the dollar store are all you need to haunt your house in style.
Eerie Entryway & Porch Decor
Your front porch is the first thing trick or treaters see. Make a killer first impression with these shockingly simple and cheap ideas.
1. Floating Witch Hat Luminaries
This is a high impact decoration that looks incredibly magical and expensive but is made from the simplest supplies.
DIY Tips:
- Grab a few simple black witch hats from the dollar store’s costume aisle.
- Use a needle and fishing line to thread through the point of each hat.
- Hang battery operated LED tealight candles from the inside of each hat with another piece of fishing line for a safe, glowing effect.
2. Spooky Skeleton Hands Wreath
Create a creepy, modern wreath that is sure to grab everyone’s attention.\
DIY Tips:
- Start with a simple foam or grapevine wreath form.
- Spray paint the wreath form and a handful of plastic skeleton hands matte black.
- Use a hot glue gun to arrange and attach the skeleton hands all around the wreath form.
3. Tomato Cage Ghosts
Create life sized, ethereal ghosts to stand guard in your yard using simple garden and party supplies.
DIY Tips:
- Place a dollar store tomato cage upside down. Place a styrofoam head or a small white plastic bowl on top.
- Drape a cheap white tablecloth or a white plastic table cover over the top.
- Use a black permanent marker to draw on two large, spooky eyes. For a glowing effect, stuff the inside with a string of battery operated lights.
4. A “Murder” of Crows
A group of crows is called a murder, and you can create your own ominous flock for just a few dollars.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a handful of inexpensive black crow decorations.
- Use floral wire to perch them in unexpected places on your porch, like on a wreath, in a bare tree branch, or on your porch railing.
- The more you have grouped together, the more dramatic and spooky the effect.
5. Glow in the Dark Eyeballs
A spooky and fun surprise for trick or treaters that is incredibly easy to make.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a bag of white ping pong balls or styrofoam balls.
- Paint them with a coat of glow in the dark craft paint.
- Once dry, use a black permanent marker to draw a simple pupil on each one. Scatter them in your bushes or in a large bowl.
Creepy & Chic Indoor Decor
Bring the spooky spirit inside with these simple projects that look surprisingly stylish.
6. “Poison” Apothecary Bottles
Collect interesting glass bottles and jars and turn them into a sophisticated and creepy potion display.
DIY Tips:
- Soak the labels off of any glass food jars. Spray paint them matte black.
- Print out spooky, vintage style labels online with names like “Poison,” “Wolfsbane,” or “Spider Venom.”
- Use Mod Podge to decoupage the labels onto the bottles for a sealed, finished look.
7. Dripping “Blood” Candles
This is a super simple way to make your regular white candles look extra gruesome and elegant.
DIY Tips:
- Use simple white pillar or taper candles from the dollar store.
- Light a red candle and hold it over the white candles, allowing the red wax to drip down the sides.
- The more drips, the more dramatic the effect. Group them on a black charger plate for a perfect centerpiece.
8. Spooky Skull Vase
Transform a simple plastic skull into a chic and spooky floral arrangement holder.
DIY Tips:
- Carefully cut off the top of a hollow plastic skull.
- Spray paint the skull a single, uniform color like matte black, glossy white, or metallic gold.
- Place a small glass or plastic cup inside to hold water, and fill it with deep red roses or dried, black branches.
9. A Swarm of 3D Bats
A colony of black paper bats creates a dramatic, high impact look, especially against a light colored wall or climbing out of a fireplace.
DIY Tips:
- Find a simple bat silhouette online and print it out to use as a template.
- Trace and cut out dozens of bats from black cardstock or construction paper.
- Fold the wings slightly to give them a 3D effect and use a small piece of double sided tape or poster putty to attach them.
10. Ghostly Mirror
Create the illusion of a ghost trapped inside a mirror with this simple and clever trick.
DIY Tips:
- Find a creepy, vintage looking photo of a person online and print it in black and white.
- Buy an inexpensive picture frame. Remove the glass.
- Spray the glass with a very light, uneven coat of “looking glass” spray paint. Place the photo behind the semi transparent glass for a ghostly effect.
11. Spider Web Doilies
Use black paper doilies to create the look of intricate spider webs.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a pack of black paper doilies (often found in the party or baking aisle).
- Use a small piece of removable tape to attach them to your windows, mirrors, or walls.
- You can also use them as coasters or as a base for a spooky table centerpiece.
12. Gilded Bugs and Spiders
Give cheap plastic bugs and spiders a chic and creepy makeover with a can of spray paint.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a bag of plastic spiders, snakes, or other creepy crawlies.
- Lay them out on a piece of newspaper and spray paint them all a uniform metallic gold or silver.
- Scatter them on your coffee table, bookshelves, or use a hot glue gun to attach them to picture frames.
Frighteningly Fun Lights & Luminaries
Harness the power of light and shadow to create an eerie atmosphere that is both simple and incredibly effective.
13. Mason Jar Mummies
These little luminaries are adorable, slightly spooky, and incredibly easy to make.
DIY Tips:
- Wrap a dollar store glass jar with strips of cheesecloth or white medical gauze, securing the ends with a dab of hot glue.
- Leave a small gap in the wrapping and glue on two googly eyes.
- Place a battery operated LED tealight candle inside for a safe, glowing mummy face.
14. Spooky Eyeball Lights
Give a string of plain white party lights a creepy, all seeing makeover.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a string of white “globe” or “orb” style party lights.
- Use a red permanent marker to draw thin, bloodshot lines radiating from the center of each light.
- Use a black permanent marker to draw a simple pupil in the center.
15. Ghost Jugs
A classic, cheap, and easy way to line your walkway with friendly or spooky ghosts.
DIY Tips:
- Rinse out and dry several gallon milk jugs.
- Use a black permanent marker to draw ghost faces on the front of the jugs.
- Cut a small hole in the back of each jug and stuff a string of white Christmas lights inside to make them glow.
16. Spider Web Ping Pong Ball Lights
Another fun and easy way to upgrade a simple string of lights.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a string of lights and a bag of ping pong balls.
- Use a craft knife to carefully cut a small “X” into each ping pong ball.
- Push a light from the string into each ball. Draw a spider web design on the balls with a black sharpie.
17. Floating Head Illusion
A spooky and fun illusion for a dark corner of a room that will definitely make your guests look twice.
DIY Tips:
- Print a life sized, black and white photo of a creepy face.
- Place the photo inside a large, clear glass jar from the dollar store.
- Fill the jar with water. The water will magnify the face and create a distorted, “floating head” look. Add a few drops of green food coloring for extra creepiness.
Ghoulish Garden & Outdoor Scares
You do not need expensive animatronics to have a spooky yard. These simple, cheap ideas make a big impact.
18. Zombie Hands Reaching from the Grave
A simple and classic yard decoration that is always a little unsettling.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a few plastic skeleton hands from the dollar store.
- Stick them in the ground in your garden or front lawn so they look like they are reaching up from the earth.
- For an extra touch, pile a little bit of dirt and some fake moss around the base of each hand.
19. Ghostly Ring Around the Rosie
Create a spooky circle of ghosts that look like they are dancing in your front yard.
DIY Tips:
- You will need several white styrofoam heads from the craft section and some garden stakes.
- Place the stakes in a circle in your yard and put a foam head on each one.
- Drape a cheap, thin white plastic tablecloth or a piece of cheesecloth over each head to create a circle of ghostly figures.
20. Glowing Eyeballs in the Bushes
A spooky and fun surprise for trick or treaters that is incredibly easy to make from your recycling bin.
DIY Tips:
- Take a few cardboard paper towel or toilet paper tubes.
- Use scissors to cut spooky eye shapes into the side of the tubes.
- Activate a few glow sticks, place them inside the tubes, and hide them in your bushes for an eerie, glowing stare.
21. Cemetery Fence from Plastic Fencing
Create a spooky cemetery in your front yard with some simple garden supplies.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a few sections of the short, black plastic garden fencing.
- Use a silver or white paint pen to write “RIP” on a few of the pickets.
- You can also add some creepy, wispy spider web material to the fence for an aged look.
22. Skeleton Flamingos
Give a classic, kitschy lawn ornament a spooky Halloween twist.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a pair of classic pink plastic flamingos.
- Use black and white acrylic paint to paint a simple skeleton design on the flamingos.
- This is a fun, unexpected, and humorous addition to your yard.
Devilish Dining & Party Details
These tiny touches can be done in the final moments before your party guests or trick or treaters arrive, instantly setting a spooky mood.
23. Spider Web Serving Platter
Give a clear glass plate a quick and spooky makeover.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a simple, clear glass plate from the dollar store.
- Use a hot glue gun to create a spider web design on the bottom of the plate.
- Spray paint the bottom of the plate black. The hot glue will create a raised, 3D web design that is visible from the top and is completely food safe.
24. A Witch’s Broom
A perfect, rustic decoration to lean by your front door or fireplace.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a simple cinnamon broom from the dollar store (it will also make your house smell amazing).
- Find a sturdy, gnarled looking stick or branch in your yard.
- Use twine to tie the cinnamon broom to the bottom of the stick for a more substantial, rustic witch’s broom.
25. Specimen Jars with Candy
A fun and edible version of the apothecary jars.
DIY Tips:
- Find a few small, interesting glass jars.
- Fill them with Halloween themed candies that look like specimens, like gummy worms (“Earthworms”), candy corn (“Witch’s Teeth”), or red hots (“Dragon’s Eyes”).
- Create simple, handwritten labels and tie them to the jars with twine.
Conclusion
Creating a spooky and festive home for Halloween does not have to be a chore, and it certainly does not have to be expensive. With a little creativity and a single trip to the dollar store, you can whip up an amazing array of decorations that look surprisingly high end. These cheap and easy ideas prove that the best part of Halloween is the fun of making it your own. So put on a spooky movie, grab your glue gun, and get ready to transform your home into the most haunted house on the block.