23 DIY Halloween Crafts
Get ready to fill your home with spine-tingling charm! These DIY Halloween crafts bring all the spooky fun without breaking the bank. From eerie glowing decorations to adorable kid-friendly projects, there’s something here for every Halloween enthusiast.
The best part? Most use simple materials you probably already have around the house. These crafts capture that perfect mix of creepy and cute that makes Halloween so magical.
1. Paper Bag Luminaries with Spooky Cut-outs
These glowing beauties create the most enchanting Halloween atmosphere when darkness falls. The warm light filtering through cut-out shapes like bats, cats, or jack-o’-lantern faces casts mysterious shadows that dance across your walkway.
The simple brown paper gives them a rustic, vintage feel that’s both spooky and welcoming. Line your sidewalk or porch with these flickering sentinels, and watch as trick-or-treaters are drawn to their magical glow like moths to a flame.
2. Painted Pumpkin Jack-o’-lanterns with Acrylic Paint
Who says jack-o’-lanterns need carving? Painted pumpkins offer endless creativity without the mess or hassle of scooping out seeds. Bold orange bases with black painted faces create classic looks, while purple, green, or white pumpkins with metallic accents feel more sophisticated.
The smooth painted surface catches light beautifully, and intricate details like eyelashes, stitches, or geometric patterns transform ordinary pumpkins into stunning Halloween art pieces that last all season long.
3. Ghost Garland Made from Cheesecloth
Flowing, ethereal spirits seem to float through your space when you drape this ghostly garland around doorways and mantels. The translucent cheesecloth creates that perfect wispy, otherworldly effect as it catches every little breeze and sways mysteriously.
Each ghost has its own personality with simple black dot eyes and mouths. The fabric’s natural texture and movement make these spirits look like they’re genuinely haunting your home in the most delightful way.
4. Mason Jar Snow Globes with Halloween Scenes
These miniature spooky worlds capture Halloween magic in glass containers that shimmer and sparkle when shaken. Tiny plastic skeletons, witches, or haunted houses float in glittery “snow” that swirls around like autumn leaves in a supernatural storm.
The clear glass jars let you peek into these enchanted scenes from every angle, while the vintage mason jar style adds rustic charm. They’re like having little Halloween wonderlands sitting on your shelves.
5. Toilet Paper Roll Mummies with Googly Eyes
These adorable little mummies bring giggles instead of scares with their wonky googly eyes and uneven wrappings. The white strips create authentic mummy texture while leaving gaps that show the cardboard underneath, giving them a perfectly imperfect handmade charm.
Their googly eyes seem to follow you around the room with goofy expressions that make everyone smile. They’re the kind of cute-spooky decoration that kids absolutely love and adults find endearing.
6. Paper Bag Scarecrow Puppets
These rustic farm friends bring harvest charm with their burlap-brown coloring and simple, folksy features. The paper bag shape naturally suggests a scarecrow’s head, and adding construction paper hats, yarn hair, and drawn faces creates loveable characters.
Each puppet has its own personality – some might be smiling peacefully, others looking surprised by all the Halloween excitement. They bring that wholesome, autumn farm feeling that balances out spookier Halloween elements.
7. Spider Web Doilies Using Yarn and Glue
These delicate, lacy webs catch the light beautifully while adding an elegant gothic touch to your Halloween decor. The intricate patterns look surprisingly sophisticated, like something you’d find in a Victorian haunted mansion.
When you hang them in corners or doorways, they create realistic shadows that make your space feel genuinely haunted. The white or silver yarn gives them an antique quality that’s both beautiful and slightly eerie at the same time.
8. Witch Hat Treat Cones from Construction Paper
These pointy little containers are both decoration and function rolled into one magical package. The classic black cone shape instantly says “witch,” while orange or purple accents add festive flair.
They look fantastic lined up on party tables or hanging from branches like mysterious ornaments. When filled with candy, they become part of your Halloween display and serve treats at the same time, making them perfect for parties or trick-or-treat night.
9. Foam Tombstones for Yard Decorations
Your yard transforms into a spooky graveyard with these weathered-looking monuments to Halloween fun. The gray foam takes paint beautifully to create that aged stone appearance, complete with moss stains and worn edges.
Funny epitaphs like “Here Lies My Diet” or classic “RIP” messages add personality to each headstone. When scattered across your lawn with some strategic lighting, they create an impressively creepy cemetery scene that neighbors will talk about all year.
10. Orange and Black Paper Chain Garland
This classic craft brings back childhood memories while creating bold Halloween impact throughout your home. The alternating orange and black links create a graphic pattern that’s both retro and timeless.
Draped around doorways, wrapped around stair railings, or hung from the ceiling, these garlands instantly transform any space into a Halloween party zone. The handmade quality gives them charm that store-bought decorations just can’t match.
11. Painted Rock Monsters and Creatures
Your garden or porch becomes home to the most adorable monster family when you scatter these painted rock creatures around. Each stone’s natural shape suggests its own personality – round rocks become one-eyed monsters, flat stones turn into sleeping bats, and long rocks transform into friendly snakes.
The painted faces and details bring them to life with expressions ranging from silly to slightly scary, creating a whimsical Halloween village.
12. Halloween Window Clings with Glue
Your windows become canvases for spooky scenes that glow when backlit by indoor lighting. The translucent gel creates vibrant, jewel-toned effects that look like stained glass windows in a haunted castle.
Ghosts, bats, and jack-o’-lanterns seem to float in your windows, visible from both inside and outside your home. During the day, they add colorful Halloween cheer, and at night, they create an eerie glow that’s pure Halloween magic.
13. Pipe Cleaner Spiders with Pom-Pom Bodies
These fuzzy little arachnids are more cute than creepy with their soft, fluffy bodies and bendy legs that you can pose in different positions. The pipe cleaner legs create realistic movement and can be shaped to make each spider look like it’s crawling, resting, or dangling from its web.
Their googly eyes give them personality, and the pom-pom texture makes them approachable enough for even spider-phobic family members to enjoy as Halloween decorations.
14. Felt Bat Wall Hangings
A colony of soft, silent bats takes flight across your walls with these charming felt creatures. The matte black material creates perfect silhouettes that look dramatic against lighter walls, while the felt texture adds a cozy, handmade quality.
Their outstretched wings seem ready for flight, and when arranged in scattered formations, they create the illusion of bats emerging from some hidden cave. They’re sophisticated enough for adult spaces but friendly enough for kids’ rooms.
15. Tin Can Lanterns with Punched Designs
These industrial-meets-rustic lanterns cast the most beautiful patterned shadows when candlelight flickers inside. The punched holes create intricate designs that could be spooky jack-o’-lantern faces or elegant geometric patterns.
The aged metal look adds authentic vintage charm, while the warm glow streaming through hundreds of tiny holes creates a magical starlight effect. They’re perfect for lining walkways or clustering on porches for atmospheric Halloween lighting.
16. Paper Plate Witch Faces
These friendly witches bring smiles instead of scares with their crooked hats and goofy grins. The round paper plate shape naturally suggests a face, and adding construction paper hats, yarn hair, and drawn features creates delightfully imperfect characters.
Each witch has her own personality – some might be cackling, others winking, and a few looking downright surprised. They’re perfect for kid-friendly Halloween decorating with that homemade charm that says “made with love.”
17. Handprint Ghost Art on Canvas
These personal poltergeists capture precious memories while adding spooky charm to your walls. The white handprint shapes naturally suggest flowing ghost forms, and simple black dot eyes and mouths bring them to life.
Each ghost is unique because every handprint is different, making them especially meaningful when made by family members. The canvas background can be painted in spooky scenes or left simple to let the ghostly handprints be the stars of the show.
18. Popsicle Stick Skeleton Decorations
These jointed wooden skeletons have a charming folk-art quality that’s more whimsical than frightening. The natural wood color and simple construction give them a rustic, handmade appeal that fits perfectly with farmhouse Halloween decor.
Their moveable joints let you pose them in different positions – dancing, waving, or just hanging out. The imperfect alignment and visible craftsmanship make each skeleton unique and full of personality rather than scary.
19. Coffee Filter Spider Webs
These delicate, lacy webs look amazingly realistic when they catch the light just right. The white coffee filters create that perfect translucent quality that real spider webs have, especially when they’re covered in morning dew.
Scattered in corners, draped over furniture, or hanging in doorways, they add subtle spooky atmosphere without being overwhelming. The ethereal quality makes your home feel like it’s been gently taken over by friendly neighborhood spiders.
20. Glow Stick Skeleton Costumes
When darkness falls, these walking skeletons create an absolutely magical effect as they move through the night. The bright neon glow against dark clothing creates perfect bone structure that’s visible from blocks away.
The green, blue, or classic yellow light gives them an otherworldly quality that’s both spooky and spectacular. As the wearer moves, the glowing bones shift and dance, creating a mesmerizing light show that makes trick-or-treating extra special and keeps kids safely visible.
21. Egg Carton Bat Crafts
These textured little creatures have an endearing, almost prehistoric quality thanks to the bumpy egg carton material. The gray or black painted surface gives them a weathered, cave-dwelling appearance that’s authentic but not scary.
Their individual cup shapes create perfect little bat bodies, and when you add wings and hang them in clusters, they look like a colony emerging from their roost. The recycled material adds an eco-friendly element to your Halloween decorating.
22. Halloween Slime in Spooky Colors
This gooey, stretchy creation brings tactile Halloween fun that’s as mesmerizing as it is gross. Bright orange slime looks like pumpkin guts, while green versions suggest witch’s brew or alien ooze.
The glossy, shifting surface catches light in fascinating ways, and the way it moves and stretches is hypnotically entertaining. Add glitter for extra sparkle or small plastic spiders for surprise elements. It’s the perfect combination of science experiment and Halloween decoration.
23. Yarn-Wrapped Styrofoam Ball Pumpkins
These soft, textured orbs capture the essence of pumpkins with a cozy, handmade twist. The wound yarn creates beautiful ridged patterns that mimic natural pumpkin segments, while the soft texture invites touching.
Orange yarn gives you classic pumpkin vibes, but try deep purples, burgundy, or even black for more sophisticated Halloween looks. They’re lightweight enough to hang or scatter anywhere, and their plush appearance adds warmth to spooky decorating schemes.