101 Cheap and Easy DIY Halloween Decorations (2024)
by: Chica
This page may contain affiliate links and we may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking them. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
; "Pinterest"){kind=small}
share it
Halloween is a fun and festive holiday, but going all out on decorations and costumes can be expensive. If you're on a budget this year, there are actually plenty of ways to decorate for Halloween without spending a lot of money. In fact, sometimes the best decorations are those that are cheap and easy!
We've come up with a list of our 101 favorite cheap and easy DIY Halloween decorations that are easy to make yourself, to help fill your home with budget Halloween decor.
101 Budget DIY Halloween decoration ideas
From easy paper crafts to transformations with paint to thrift store upcycles, we've found plenty of clever and cool decorating ideas to share. So get ready to get creative and have some fun with budget Halloween decorations!
Here's our list of 101 cheap and easy DIY Halloween decorations:
1 Halloween Decor from Dead Houseplants
The idea of spray-painting dead houseplants to create spooky decor is one of our favorites, and it's a hit every year. So simple, fast, and effective!
2 Halloween Spiders from Plastic Easter Eggs
This is the ultimate holiday upcycle! We turned leftover plastic Easter eggs into spiders using a little bit of paint and some pipe cleaners. This is a great one for the kids to help with.
3 Thrifted Ghost Painting
We love the trend of painting ghosts onto thrifted artwork, and this tiki hut, haunted by surfing ghosts, is our favorite.
4 Barnwood Ghost Rustic Porch Decor
It was a stroke of luck when we realized that we could quickly turn barnwood scraps into rustic ghosts for a quick and easy porch decoration.
5 "Witch Pitch" Halloween Party Game
A go-to game for us every year, this Witch Pitch candy corn toss game is great for kid's parties, classrooms, or even as a porch activity during trick-or treat.
6 Witch Cauldron Centerpiece
It was easy and fun to create this witch's leg cauldron centerpiece using some floral picks, Christmas ornaments, and a plastic cauldron.
7 Easy-Sew Candy Corn Treat Bags
It only takes a few minutes and some easy-sew fleece to make these candy corn drawstring bags that work great as party favors, classroom gifts, or trick-or-treat bags.
8 Halloween Wrappers for Movie Theater Candy
If you're having a Halloween movie night or want to take your trick-or-treating up a notch, why not cover classic candy wrappers with these Halloween pun candy wrappers?
9 Self-Serve Halloween Trick-or-Treat Station
If you can't be home at Halloween, or have trouble answering the door repeatedly, consider setting up a self-serve trick-or-treat station that even participates in the Teal Pumpkin Project.
10 Googly Eye Wreath
We couldn't resist making this googly-eye covered wreath to hang on the front door at Halloween.
11 Magic Potion Ingredient Labels
Some easy printable labels can turn any upcycled bottles and jars into a collection of magic potion ingredients perfect for a spooky Halloween display.
12 Zentangle Pumpkin
All it takes is a black Sharpie and some down time to create this fun Zentangle pumpkin. The patterns are up to your imagination and it makes a great addition to modern Halloween decor.
13 Mudcloth Pumpkin
Another fun faux pumpkin pattern is this mud cloth pattern pumpkin, easily done with a white paint pen or fine brush and a black faux pumpkin. What a bold statement!
14 Vintage Halloween Cake Topper Art
For a touch of nostalgia, create some art using our scans of vintage Halloween cake picks. Framed or pasted onto cards and decorations, they are sure to make you smile.
15 Tarot Card Pumpkins
Step up the mystical side of your Halloween decor by using decoupage to apply tarot card images on faux pumpkins. They fit right right in with black magic or Ouija Board inspired Halloween decorations.
16 Personalized Tombstone Favor Boxes
These personalizable tombstone boxes are perfect party favors or trick-or-treat packaging. And imagine one at each place setting at a Halloween wedding reception!
17 Rhinestone Sugar Skull Candy Jar
This rhinestone-covered sugar skull candy jar by Molly at Good Golly Gal is a gorgeous flip on a Dollar Tree basic. And it holds treats, too!
18 Tomato Cage Halloween Ghost
We love the simplicity and huge impact of these easy tomato cage ghosts created by Alex at Gray Cedar Home. They're a great way to add big decor to the yard without breaking the bank.
19 Faux Vintage Papier Mache Pumpkins
Turn basic plastic into rustic decor with these amazing faux papier mache pumpkins from Jill at Bungalow 47. They look perfect filled with flowers or candy, or just arranged artfully on your porch.
20 Hanging Ghost Garland
Hit the Dollar Tree for the supplies you need to make this easy hanging ghost garland created by Rhegis at The Morris Mansion. So cute, and a great activity for the kids to help with.
21 Giant Spider Yard Decor
When it comes to yard decor, why not go big with these awesome giant spiders created by Alicia at Design of Your Life? With simple supplies from the dollar store and hardware store, you can create huge creepy crawlies for your yard.
22 Halloween Hand Embroidery
Add some Halloween flair to your kitchen with a delicate embroidered hand towel designed by Katy at Simply Gold Studio. She's even got a pattern for you to make it easy.
23 Thrifted Halloween Decor
Let your imagination go wild by sourcing thrift stores for Halloween decor, then use paint and extra touches to bring it into the spooky season vibe just like Mandi from Mandi's Market.
24 Painted Candles
Plain candles just won't do for Halloween, so try hand-painting candles with leftover wax just like Molly from Good Golly Gal did. Those little creepy eyes are so easy and so effective.
25 Concrete Pumpkins
If you need a jack-o-lantern that won't get kicked off the porch, why not make concrete pumpkins following the technique Jill at Bungalow 47 used? Plastic pumpkins make the perfect mold.
26 Faux Terracotta Pumpkins
In a great effort to replicate a Pottery Barn find, these faux terracotta pumpkins by Rhegis at The Morris Mansion are next level when it comes to pumpkin porch decor.
27 Mason Jar Mummy
We love the simplicity of these adorable Mason jar mummies by Michelle at Weekend Craft. They take mere minutes to make and are so cute.
28 Dollar Tree Crystal Balls
We can't get enough of these cool Dollar Tree crystal balls by Amy at Atta Girl Says. Who knew it would be so easy to create faux crystal balls from such ordinary supplies?
29 Batty Ghosts
If you need a quick kid-friendly decoration for your Halloween party, look no further than these batty ghosts from Amy at Kem>Atta Girl Says. You probably already have everything you need in your craft stash!
30 Skull-Filled Lanterns
For the ultimate creepy porch decor, just tuck plastic skulls in all your lanterns and light fixtures like Amy from Atta Girl Says did. You might want to remove the light bulbs so you can resist the temptation of turning them on and melting the plastic.
31 Til Death Do Us Part Skeleton Wreath
How long to married skeletons stay together? Hard to tell but this "Til Death do us Part" skeleton wreath by Amy at Atta Girl Says sure has us wondering.
32 Batty Pumpkin
A ton of tiny paper bats is all you need to create this batty pumpkin idea from Linda at It All Started with Paint. Such a simple technique with huge impact.
33 Black and White Striped Pumpkins
Ordinary white and black paint turns regular pumpkins into chic striped pumpkin when in the hands of Brit from Brit+Co.
34 Candy Corn Painted Bottles
Upcycled bottles, painted with white, orange, and yellow, become the perfect candy cane bottle decor, as illustrated by Brit at Brit+Co. Start saving those wine bottles now so you're ready for Halloween.
35 DIY Halloween Hand Soap
Another super simple but highly effective Halloween decor trick is to add a few faux bugs to your liquid hand soap bottle like Dawn at Cutefetti. We can't wait to do this and make everyone take a second look at the sink.
36 Cauliflower Brain in a Jar
We can't get over how perfectly creepy this cauliflower brain in a jar idea is, from Ricardo Cuisine. The best part is the ordinary kitchen ingredient used to slightly discolor the water!
37 Fang Napkin Holders
Using a simple pair of plastic vampire teeth as a napkin ring at a Halloween dinner party is a purely brilliant idea from The Food Network.
38 Glowing Eyes in a Cardboard Tube
Another easy kid craft, these toilet paper rolls with glowing eyes from Duck Brand are quick and easy to add to any dark scene.
39 Cross Stitch Canvases
We love the care and craftiness that went into these creepy cross-stitch canvases created by Amy at DIY Candy. What a fun idea to adapt to other holidays as well.
40 Carved Pineapple Jack-O-Lanterns
Who said you can only carve pumpkins on Halloween? These carved pineapple jack-o-lanterns from Michelle and Steph at Sunny Side Design are a refreshing new take on the tradition, and those spiky leaves look just like wild hairdos.
41 Easy Mummy Pillow
It doesn't get easier — or more perfect — than these quick mummy wrapped pillows from Kris at Driven by Decor. And the decoration is just as easy to remove after Halloween.
42 Giant Fuzzy Spiders
The giant fuzzy spiders from the BHG Team are wonderfully cute and creepy at the same time, and make such a huge impact.
43 Glowing Specimen Jars
Waterproof lights turn ordinary jars into glowing, bug-filled specimen jars when in the hands of Laura and Warren at Little Yellow Wheelbarrow. Better start saving those pickle jars now!
44 Pumpkin Candy Bowl
We love the idea of carving a pumpkin into a candy bowl for Halloween, and we especially love how Diane at In My Own Style painted it with chalkboard paint so you can draw on it too.
45 Skull Sunflowers
Somehow these skull sunflowers from beejay.oslon_art make us both happy and scared at the same time. What a fun twist to your garden decor.
46 Toilet Paper Tube Cats
These preciously cute toilet paper roll cats from Ananda at A Piece of Rainbow are delightful and fun and the hand-drawn faces give them such personality.
47 Trash Bag Spider Webs
The huge trash bag spiderwebs created by Lilly at Fast Forward Fun are super resourceful and the technique reminds us a lot of making paper snowflakes at Christmastime.
48 Bat Silhouette Lamp
A few paper bats inside a lampshade result in this bat silhouette lamp from the Glue Dots team that has us almost afraid to turn out the lights.
49 Bug Specimen Cloches
Dollar Tree bugs and inexpensive cloches from IKEA transformed into creepy DIY bug specimen displays from Oscar Bravo and we couldn't be more creeped out by — and in love with — the results
50 Carnivorous Plants
It might seem hard to create a faux carnivorous plant but Bethany from Whistle & Lively makes it totally doable with her techniques. Just don't prick your finger on those teeth, or they'll smell blood!
51 Black Cat-O-Lanterns
We love the pumpkin carving twist that resulted in these black cat jack-o-lanterns from Sheila at Sunset. Can you guess what the tails are made from?
52 Climbing Halloween Skeletons
Simple plastic skeletons take on a whole new life when you hang them from your house, and these house-climbing skeletons from mckeephoto on Instructables elicit just the right amount of terror when you see them. We're not sure we could sleep at night knowing there's a skeleton on its way to our windows.
53 Crystal Ball Candlesticks
Clear Christmas ornaments turned into spooky crystal ball candlesticks when Bev from Flamingo Toes added just the right tint and images. So clever!
54 Creepy Crawly Snake Wreath
In another case of "everything is spookier when it's black", this creepy crawly snake wreath from Nancy at Craft Your Happiness owes most of its charm to black paint that transformed dollar store items into Halloween decor that makes us shiver.
55 Keep Out Front Door
Big slabs of cardboard look just like wood in this boarded up front door design from the team at Woman's Day. And that drippy paint warning surely makes us not want to enter.
56 Skeleton Silhouette Portraits
Silhouette portraits on their own can be creepy, but these skeleton silhouette family portraits from Michelle and Steph at Sunny Side Design are adorably creepy.
57 Skull String Art
We think old-school string art will never go out of style, and this string art skull from Elsie at A Beautiful Mess is a perfect example. It's so satisfying to keep adding string to fill in the shape.
58 Spider Egg Sacs
We almost ran screaming when we saw the DIY spider egg sacs created by Kayla from Kayla Kreates. They are so perfectly gross!
59 Mice-Infested Pumpkins
Another creepy and cute decor idea is this mouse-infested carved pumpkin from Martha Stewart. We will be picking up some toy mice at the store ASAP to recreate this fun idea.
60 Fabric Candy Garland
Sewers will love this fabric candy garland from Swoodson Says because it's a great way to use up fabric scraps and it's adorable too.
61 Tin Can Pumpkins
We love these easy tin can pumpkin treat holders from Kelly at Typically Simple because they are easy to make and a great way to upcycle. Why buy new treat boxes when you can create your own so easily?
62 Upcycled Potion Bottles
There's definitely some magic happening behind the upcycled potion bottles created by Kristin at My Uncommon Slide of Suburbia because these old wine bottles look perfect dressed up with new labels and ratty burlap.
63 Pumpkin-Filled Fireplace
If you're lucky enough to see pumpkins on clearance after Halloween, grab a bunch so that next year you can fill your fireplace with pumpkins like the team at HGTV did. Such a chic and fun take on Halloween decor.
64 Skull Wreath
A dozen or so foam skulls lined right up to create this skull wreath when Vanessa at Tried & True Creative wielded her hot glue gun and some wire.
65 Spider Garland
We love the gangly legs of the pipe cleaner spider garland that Haeley from Design Improvised made to decorate her mantle. The pom-pom centers make this a great kid's craft too.
66 Trick or Treat Yo-Self Pillow
We couldn't help but chuckle at the Trick or Treat Yo Self pillow Rebecca at The Crafted Sparrow created with heat transfer vinyl. We might have to treat ourselves to some pillows of our own.
67 Punny Pumpkins
We love a good pun, so these punny pun-kins from Kelly at Studio DIY drew us right in. And those fun pastel colors are such a refreshingtake on Halloween colors!
68 Haunted House Village
Simple toy doll houses from the Dollar Tree can turn into a haunted house village when painted black, just like Emily from Hunny I'm Home did. She even added lights for an eerie glow.
69 Bat Doormat
A freezer paper stencil makes it so easy to add a bat silhoutte to an ordinary doormat with paint, just like Sara and Melissa from Alice & Lois did. So cute and simple, and we love it to pieces.
70 Monster Face Archway
Go big in your large entryway by adding a giant monster face to the arch above your door like Jen from Nifty Thrifty & Thriving. The trick-or-treating kids are sure to love it.
71 Red Dripping Candles
Classic drip-covered candle holders can take time to create, but these red dripping candles from Caroline at Taste of Home use a technique that speeds it up considerably.
72 Skeleton Bathtub
For a touch of whimsy on your buffet table, add a skeleton in a bubble bath like Kelly from Smart School House did. We can't help but giggle at the clear ornament bubbles and goofy look on the skeleton's face.
73 Spider Web Placemat
For a bold, graphic touch on your dinner table, contrast the white tablecloth with these spider web placemats from Delia at Delia Creates. These unique webs are hand-drawn with puff paint and look especially great under a clear glass plate.
74 Yarn Spider Web
You can use yarn to create a custom-sized giant spider web in any corner of your home, just like Dana from Made Everyday. This would also be a super clever way to block party guests from going into areas of your home that are off limits!
75 DIY Witch Legs
Witches are no stranger to Halloween decor, and these upside down witch legs look perfectly at home on the porch, thanks to the handy work of Handan and Greg at The Navage Patch.
76 Lighted Pumpkin Topiary
Pumpkins are everywhere on Halloween, and we especially like this lighted stacked pumpkin topiary from Amy at DIY Candy because of the jaunty arrangement and warm glowing lights.
77 Image Transfer Candles
You can turn ordinary wide taper candles into custom image transfer candles for Halloween using the techniques shared by Kim at Today's Creative Life. The candle design possibilities are endless.
78 Monster Candy Jars
For the perfectly fun and spooky-cute candy serving idea, try these monster face candy jars from Sara and Melissa at Alice & Lois. These jars would be great for a party buffet or for around the house.
79 Colorful Mummy Pumpkins
If you've got faux pumpkins that aren't quite show-worthy, why not give them new life by turning them into mummy wrapped pumpkins like Allison from Dream a Little Bigger did? And these fun colors make them extra cute and unique.
80 Spooky Apothecary Jars
Apothecary jars are classic and simple, but you can turn them into spooky apothecary jars with paint and a few creepy crawlies, as done by Amy at DIY Candy. That satin sheen is everything.
81 Monster Wreath
Feather boas and googly eyes quickly turned into a fuzzy monster wreath for Kara from Kara Creates and we think it's absolutely adorable.
82 Windsock Ghost
Another great upcycling project, this ghost windsock by Alecia from Chicken Scratch NY is made from a large tin can and basic craft supplies. We love how it looks hanging in the tree... imagine a whole bunch of them together!
83 Pool Noodle Candles
The Dollar Tree provided just about everything needed to make these giant candles from pool noodles and we think Kaytlen from Kaytlen Young really nailed it with this clever decoration.
84 Ping Pong Eyeball Wreath
It took a whole bunch of hot glue to make this ping pong ball eyeball wreath but Maggie at The Love Nerds totally pulled it off. We love the look and think it was well worth the effort.
85 Floating Witch Hat Luminarias
The whole porch was transformed with these hanging witch luminarias that Melissa from Polkadot Chair hung from the ceiling, and when it got dark and the lights came on, it was even more magical.
86 Ghost Jugs
In the kind of all upcycling projects, these glowing ghost milk jugs from Jamie at Eighteen 25 get their glow from Christmas lights and make a huge statement on the walkway up to your house.
87 Hanging Cages
The use of laundry baskets to make these hanging cage props from Handan and Greg at The Navage Patch is super clever, and the overall look very effective, especially with some skeletons inside.
88 Painted Basketball Eyeball
A basketball with a slow leak would be a great candidate for this painted basketball eyeball idea from Amanda at Crafts by Amanda. It's easy to do with craft paint.
89 Bat Chandelier
Embroidery hoops form the structure for this paper bat chandelier from A Diamond in the Stuff. You can purchase pre-cut foam or paper bats, or cut your own if you have lots of cardstock on hand.
90 Beach Ball Eyes in a Tree
A tree can suddenly come to life with giant beachball eyes like the ones Anna from Princess and the Frog created for her yard. We can see this being so charming along a whole treeline!
91 Candy Corn Banner
Cardstock cut into triangles made a quick and easy candy corn banner from Liz at Hoosier Homemade. String them up on twine and you've got a fast decoration for your party.
92 Faux Spider Web
For an inexpensive decoration with maximum impact, string some faux spiderweb over everything in sight.
93 Skeleton Bones
The easiest way to add fun decor to almost area of your home and yard is with plenty of plastic skeleton bones, which can be used in a multitude of ways.
94 Haunted House Shower Curtain
Did you know you can get shower curtains that depict haunted houses? They work great in the bathroom, but also make amazing backdrops for your porch, window, or party table!
95 Paper Bats
We absolutely love scores of paper bats spread out in a swarm along the wall, across your front door, or scattered anywhere in your home.
96 Halloween Creepy Cloth
Gauzy, shredded creepy cloth is a great way to add texture and dimension to your decor. Just drape it over furniture, in plants, or over doorways and windows.
97 Fake Bugs
Nothing is creepier than fake bugs, and you can incorporate them into almost every aspect of your decor. Keep extras on hand in case a fun idea strikes you!
98 Hanging Ghosts
When you want a lot of decor quickly, buying inexpensive hanging ghosts might be faster than DIYing them yourself. There are lots of options to help you fill the background of your outdoor scene quickly.
99 Caution Tape
Such a simple idea, but stretching caution tape at strategic areas around your home and yard is a super effective way to impart an icky, crime scene vibe to your decor.
100 Purple and Orange Lights
Whenever your decor is too dark or needs a little oomph, consider adding some purple and orange string lights to backlight large pieces or add a warm glow to the area.
101 Flameless Flickering Candles
The quickest way to add some spooky lighting to your decor is with flameless LED flickering candles that run on batteries and can be placed anywhere safely. Get a bunch now, and you can use them for other occasions as well.
share it
info@chicaandjo.com
