When Halloween season rolls around, the front yard becomes the main stage for all your spooky creativity. It is your chance to delight and fright trick or treaters and neighbors alike.
But you do not need to invest in expensive, store bought animatronics to make a big impact. Here is the summary table for the 22 easy outdoor DIY Halloween decorations.
These 22 easy, do it yourself outdoor decorations are designed to be simple to create, budget friendly, and weather resistant, ensuring your yard is the most haunted and talked about on the block.
Ghoulish Greetings: Ghosts & Ghouls
These classic ghostly figures are surprisingly simple to create and make a huge impact, especially when grouped together.
1. The Tomato Cage Ghost
Create a life sized, ethereal ghost to greet your guests using just a few simple garden and craft supplies.
DIY Tips:
- Place a tomato cage upside down. Place a styrofoam head or a small white plastic bowl on top of the prongs to create the head shape.
- Drape an old white sheet or a cheap white plastic tablecloth over the top. Use a black permanent marker or black felt to create two large, spooky eyes.
- For a glowing effect at night, stuff a string of battery operated white lights inside the tomato cage.
2. Ghostly Lawn Dancers
Create a spooky circle of ghosts that look like they are dancing in your front yard. This is a high impact decoration for very little effort.
DIY Tips:
- You will need several white styrofoam heads from a craft store and some garden stakes or rebar.
- Place the stakes in a circle in your yard and put a foam head on each one.
- Drape a piece of cheesecloth or an old, tattered white sheet over each head. For extra creepiness, have them “hold hands” by connecting the sheets.
3. Hanging Trash Bag Ghosts
A classic for a reason, these simple ghosts are perfect for hanging from tree branches where they will dance and billow in the wind.
DIY Tips:
- Stuff a crumpled up piece of newspaper or a few plastic grocery bags into the corner of a white kitchen trash bag to form a head.
- Tie a string around the neck to secure it.
- Use a black permanent marker to draw on a spooky, screaming face.
4. Chicken Wire Ghosts
For a slightly more advanced but incredibly spooky and ethereal look, a ghost made of chicken wire is a true showstopper.
DIY Tips:
- Shape a roll of chicken wire around a mannequin or have someone model a pose to create a ghostly, human like form.
- Use wire cutters to trim the excess and twist the ends together to hold the shape.
- Spray the entire form with a coat of glow in the dark spray paint for a truly haunting effect at night.
Creepy Crawlies & Creatures
No haunted yard is complete without some spiders, crows, and other unsettling creatures lurking in the shadows.
5. The Giant Spider Web
Create a massive, impressive spider web that can span from your roof to your lawn.
DIY Tips:
- Use thick, white clothesline rope for this project.
- Start by creating the “spokes” of the web, attaching them to a tree, a gutter, and staking them to the ground.
- Weave the circular parts of the web by tying smaller pieces of rope between the spokes.
6. Climbing Wall Spiders
Create the illusion of a spider infestation crawling up the side of your house with simple party supplies.
DIY Tips:
- You will need small black plastic plates for the body and black pipe cleaners for the legs.
- Punch four holes on each side of the plate. Thread a pipe cleaner through each pair of holes and bend them to create jointed legs.
- Use strong, outdoor removable adhesive strips to attach the lightweight spiders to your siding or front door.
7. 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 from a craft or dollar store.
- Use floral wire to perch them in unexpected places, like on your fence, in a bare tree, or on your porch railing.
- The more you have grouped together, the more dramatic and spooky the effect.
8. Spooky Snake Wreath
Give your front door a slithering, creepy welcome with this simple wreath.
DIY Tips:
- Start with a simple grapevine wreath.
- Spray paint the wreath and a handful of plastic toy snakes matte black.
- Use a hot glue gun to arrange and attach the snakes so they look like they are slithering in and out of the branches.
Spooky Scenes & Settings
Turn a section of your yard into a creepy vignette that tells a spooky story.
9. A Witch’s Cauldron Crash
Create a funny and spooky scene that looks like a witch has crashed head first into a tree or the side of your house.
DIY Tips:
- Stuff a pair of striped tights with newspaper and attach a pair of black pointy shoes to the feet.
- Position the legs so they are sticking out from behind a tree or a large bush.
- Scatter a few plastic pumpkins, a witch’s hat, and a broom around the “crash site.”
10. Zombie Hands Reaching from the Grave
A simple and classic yard decoration that is always a little unsettling and so easy to set up.
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.
11. A Front Yard Cemetery
Create a classic haunted cemetery with a few simple and cheap materials.
DIY Tips:
- Cut tombstone shapes out of large pieces of styrofoam insulation or cardboard.
- Spray paint them a textured grey or stone color and use a black marker to write funny or spooky epitaphs.
- Stick them in your yard at crooked angles and add some stretchy spider web material for an aged look.
12. Floating Witch Hat Luminaries
Create a magical entryway that looks like it is straight out of a wizarding world. This is a high impact decoration that is perfect for a covered porch.
DIY Tips:
- You will need inexpensive black witch hats, fishing line, and battery operated LED tealight candles.
- Use a needle to thread the fishing line through the point of each hat.
- Hang them from your porch ceiling at varying heights and place a lit LED candle inside each one.
Eerie Lights & Glowing Ghouls
Harness the power of light and shadow to create a truly spooky atmosphere after the sun goes down.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. Spooky Window Silhouettes
Turn your front windows into scenes from a horror movie with some black paper and a little bit of imagination.
DIY Tips:
- Find spooky silhouette templates online for things like zombies, monsters, or a creepy cat.
- Trace and cut the shapes out of black poster board or cardstock.
- Use a small amount of clear tape to attach the silhouettes to the inside of your windows. At night, when the house lights are on, they will create a chilling effect.
16. A “Biohazard” Quarantine Zone
A modern and slightly unsettling theme that is very easy to create.
DIY Tips:
- Use yellow “caution” or “danger” tape to section off your front door or a part of your yard.
- Print out a few large biohazard symbols and tape them to your door and windows.
- For a spooky lighting effect, swap your regular porch light bulb for a red or green one.
Pumpkins & Porch Decor
No Halloween yard is complete without some festive pumpkins and porch decorations.
17. A Tower of Terrifying Pumpkins
Create a spooky pumpkin topiary to greet your guests.
DIY Tips:
- Buy three plastic trick or treat pumpkins in graduating sizes.
- Drill a hole through the center of the bottom of each pumpkin.
- Stack them on a garden stake or a piece of rebar stuck in a planter, and fill the planter with dirt or sand to keep it stable.
18. The Cannibal Pumpkin
A gruesome and funny vignette that is easy to create.
DIY Tips:
- Carve a large pumpkin with a wide, screaming mouth.
- Carve a smaller pumpkin or gourd with a terrified face.
- Position the smaller gourd so it looks like it is being eaten by the larger pumpkin. Add some of the pumpkin “guts” around the mouth for a gory effect.
19. “Beware” Boarded Up Windows
Make your house look like an abandoned, haunted cottage with this simple illusion using cardboard.
DIY Tips:
- Cut long, plank like shapes from old cardboard boxes.
- Use brown and black paint to create a faux wood grain effect. The messier the better.
- Use strong, outdoor removable adhesive tape to attach the “planks” in a crisscross pattern over your windows or door.
20. A Witch’s Broom Parking Area
A simple and charming sign that adds a touch of humor to your porch.
DIY Tips:
- Create a simple, rustic sign from a piece of scrap wood and a black marker that says “Broom Parking Only.”
- Lean a few rustic looking brooms next to the sign. You can make your own by tying a bundle of twigs to a large stick with twine.
- This is a perfect, simple decoration to place next to your front door.
21. A Skeleton Crew
Pose a few plastic skeletons in funny or spooky ways around your yard.
DIY Tips:
- Buy a few posable plastic skeletons.
- You can have them climbing up the side of your house, sitting on a porch swing, or even doing yard work.
- This is a fun way to add a bit of humor and personality to your outdoor decor.
22. The “Spider Egg Sac”
A truly creepy and crawly decoration to hang from a tree branch or your porch ceiling.
DIY Tips:
- Stuff a white styrofoam ball into a pair of old white tights.
- Buy a bag of small plastic spiders and use a hot glue gun to attach them all over the ball, making it look like they are hatching and crawling out.
- Hang the “egg sac” with a piece of fishing line.
Conclusion
Creating a spooky and festive yard for Halloween does not have to be a complicated or expensive endeavor. With a little bit of creativity and a few simple, weather resistant materials, you can craft an amazing outdoor display that will delight your neighbors and have trick or treaters buzzing with excitement. These easy DIY ideas prove that the best part of Halloween is the fun of making it your own. So get outside, embrace the spooky spirit, and get ready to transform your yard into the most haunted and fun house on the block.