On the hunt for last-minute Halloween decorations? Sure, you could be a basic witch and head to the nearest pop-up party store and impulse-buy overpriced ornaments that will only last a season. Or, you could get crafty and make your own, right at home. With a few up-cycled household goods and some everyday items you can pick up anywhere, you'll be the ghost(ess) with the most(ess) this Halloween. Your DIY decorations will be so boo-tiful, nobody will be able to tell just how cheap and easy they were to make.
Candy corn bunting
Halloween is creeping up on us, and that can only mean one thing -- candy corn is back on the shelves. Whether you love it or love to hate it, this adorable decoration is too sweet to pass up. Even better, candy corn-inspired decor ridiculously fun and easy to make for kids (and adults) all ages. Simply paint a yellow border around the edge of a white paper plate, and an orange one below, making sure to leave the center of the plate white. Once the paint is dry, cut the plate into triangles, punch a couple holes, and thread them along some twine.
Floating Jack o' Paper Lanterns
Sure, pumpkin carving is fun, but cleaning up the mess afterwards isn’t. Skip the goop altogether, and grab a few orange paper lanterns from your nearest craft store, instead. Cut some facial features out of black construction paper, and affix them to the globe to make a jack-o'-lantern face with white glue or glue dots. (Or, if you’re feeling bold, draw them on yourself with a thick black permanent marker.) For the finishing touch, hide some battery-powered LED string lights inside for a haunting glow, and string them up high.
Dripping blood candles
This gory sight gag is deceptively simple to make. All you need are several thick white pillar candles and one red candle. Light the red candle, and allow the melted wax to drip liberally over the unlit white candles. Let the red wax cool and harden before finally lighting the white candles. The result is a blood spattered effect that would make Dracula proud.
"Eye See You" Hand Soap
Who says you can’t bring Halloween thrills into the throne? This eye-popping hand soap will keep an eye on your guests as they practice good hand hygiene. Simply float a bunch of googly eyes in a small, clear soap dispenser, or go for a larger mason jar with "life-sized" ping pong ball eyes.
Ice-cold hands
This hand-shaped ice cube will keep your punch chilled and your guests thrilled all night long. Fill a sterile rubber glove with fresh water or juice of your choice, tie it off, then pop it in the freezer until it's frozen solid. When you're ready to throw it in the bowl, carefully cut the glove away.
Creepy candle holders
Salvage a few bottles in unique shapes and sizes from your recycling bin, and spray paint them matte black. Then, stick white taper candles in each one. Light the candles before the party to allow wax to drip down over the blackened bottles for an effect that looks straight out of a haunted Victorian mansion. Bonus points if you print out fake antique apothecary labels and poison signs for the bottles.
Ghastly ghosts
Those faceless styrofoam mannequin heads you see in craft stores are spooky enough on their own. But when you drape a few layers of seven foot cheesecloth over them and suspend them from the ceiling, that's a whole new level of eerie. A little fabric stiffener will shape the cheesecloth to make your ghosts look as lifelike — or should we say, deathlike — as possible. Finally, tatter the edges with scissors for the finishing touch. Bonus: cheesecloth makes great cobwebs, too!
Glowing ghoul eyes
Make passersby feel like somebody’s watching them by hiding ghoulishly glowing eyes in your hedges. Cut eerie eye shapes out of old cardboard paper towel tubes, and insert activated glow sticks in each one. Seal the ends with tape and tuck the tubes between the branches and leaves. Once the sun sets, the effect will be spook-tacular.
Spooky specimens
Gather some rubber or plastic animals — such as snakes, frogs, reptiles, and insects — and put each type in a separate empty jar. Fill the jars with water and add a blend of orange and green food coloring to make it look icky. Seal the lids on your “specimens” and label them. Pro tip: If you have an extra large clear container, squeeze in a rubber mask with mouth agape for a dreadful display.
Hilarious headstones
With just some acrylic paint, you can transform a piece of scrap wood or cardboard into a tombstone. First, paint it light gray, then use a painter’s sponge to dapple on the darker shades for texture. Green can also be added for moss. Once the paint has dried, take a permanent marker and add a punny inscription, such as:
- Ima Goner
- Ben Better
- Theo Lader
- Pastor Prime
- Pearl E. Gates
- Hugh B. Next
- Gladys Nottmee
- Frank N. Stein
- Moe D. Lawn
- I Told You I Was Sick
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