---
title: "13 Insanely Easy Halloween Projects You Can DIY"
date: "2015-10-06"
modified: "2023-08-11"
authors:
  - name: "BobVila.com Staff"
    link: "https://www.bobvila.com/authors/bob-vila-staff/"
url: "https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/13-insanely-easy-halloween-projects-you-can-diy-49371/"
categories:
  - "DIY"
  - "Furniture & Design"
  - "Holidays & Celebrations"
tags:
  - "decor"
  - "kids"
  - "seasonal"
---

# 13 Insanely Easy Halloween Projects You Can DIY

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/halloween_cover.jpg>)

### Get a Little Batty

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/diy-halloween-bats.jpg>)
*danamadeit.com*

Of all the countless creatures in the animal kingdom, the bat comes probably closest to embodying the dark, hair-raising spirit of Halloween. Lucky for you, their unmistakable, web-winged silhouettes are a cinch (and highly affordable) to recreate with construction paper. Start by making a cardstock template, then use it to guide your scissoring. With nothing more than [Scotch tape](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-label-maker/>), mount your paper bats in a trailing, flight-like grouping on the wall.

### Creepy Candy Dish

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Spiderweb_Candy_Dish_MadiganMade.jpg>)
*madiganmade.com*

Sure, you can use any old ordinary mixing bowl to hand out fistfuls of candy to costumed trick-or-treaters—or you can get into the spirit of the holiday with a glass bowl patterned with painted-on spiderwebs. The DIYer behind [Madigan Made](<https://www.madiganmade.com/2012/08/diy-frosted-glass-spider-web-vase.html>) chose a [frosted glass enamel paint](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-frost-glass/>) with (a fine tip for application) to capture the translucent intricacies of real-life spider spinnings. Create a dish of your own for the perfect complement to store-bought fake cobwebs.

### Paint a Skull

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/halloween_skull_decorations.jpg>)
*abeautifulmess.com*

If you favor bright, [playful colors](<https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/the-10-best-accent-colors-for-your-home-exterior-66856/>) rather than ghoulish, ghastly decorations, consider this take on the Mexican sugar skull. Purchase a plastic craft skull at any hobby store, then trace along the eyes, nose, mouth, and add a few flowers using a Sharpie or paint marker. After that, all that remains is to fill in with colorful acrylic paints.

### Dinner to Die For

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/halloween_serving_tray.jpg>)
*designlovefest.com*

Planning a holiday party is enough to drive anyone mad. But spooky doesn't have to be complicated—and this serving tray proves it! If you have a steady hand, [chalkboard paint](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-use-chalk-paint/>), and a chalk pen, you're already ahead of the game. Head over to Design Love Fest for the [full instructions](<https://www.designlovefest.com/2013/10/chic-halloween-entertaining/>).

### Spirited Away

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ghost_garland.jpg>)
*designdininganddiapers.com*

Are you deadly serious about Halloween decor? These DIY ghosts are a perfect way to deck out your porch, and they'll [light the way](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/backyard-lighting-ideas/>) for tiny trick-or-treaters, too! Grab some string lights, a marker, scissors, and some spare fabric to make them yourself—and head over to Design, Dining, and Diapers for the [full how-to](<https://designdininganddiapers.com/2012/10/illuminated-ghost-garland/>).

### Go Out of Your Skill

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/diy-halloween-skull-planter.jpg>)
*themerrythought.com*

You can make a tongue-in-cheek, festive DIY planter like this one even faster than it takes to shout, 'Boo!' Ideal for small spaces, the decoration easily fits on a desk, windowsill, or mantel—wherever you want to add a mischievous note of Halloween flair. To make yours, shop online or at your local crafts store for a decorative, preferably grinning skull, made of styrofoam, cardboard, or plastic resin. Next, simply lop off the top and place in your plant of choice.

### Out of the Closet

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/skulls_garland.jpg>)
*dreamalittlebigger.com*

You don't have to scare up any extra cash to have a great Halloween. Get the kids to help make this simple skull garland, made from old cereal boxes and leftover wrapping paper. Print out the stencil from [Dream a Little Bigger](<https://www.dreamalittlebigger.com/post/halloween-skull-garland.html>), glue the wrapping paper to the box, and cut out the design. Use a hole-punch to string them together, and you're done!

### A Real Live Wire

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/wire_chicken_ghost.jpg>)
*shabulouscreations.blogspot.com*

Here's a DIY Halloween decoration that's sure to give trick-or-treaters and passersby a case of the creeps. This eerily see-through ghost comes together by molding [chicken wire](<https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/16-insanely-clever-ways-to-reuse-household-junk-51388/>) to a dress form. When building your own, make sure to wear protective gloves, and to build a sturdy base that will support the weight of your creation.

### Pumpkin Keg

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/pumpkin_keg.jpg>)
*celebrations.com*

It doesn't get simpler—or more genius—than this. Wow your party guests with the ultimate in pumpkin decorations—a clever drink dispenser. First scoop out the pumpkin innards, then fit with a spigot to serve up your favorite cider, beer, or autumn-spiced punch. Read on for more details.

### Mummy’s the Word

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/mummy_front_door.jpg>)
*eastcoastcreativeblog.com*

Give your guests a ghoulish welcome by decking out the front door with a famous Halloween character. Although there are plenty of variations on this fun and festive project, this friendly mummy theme is so quick to re-create: Simply wrap some leftover white [fabric](<https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-paint-fabric/>) around the door and secure it on the back. Cut out a few circles from felt or fabric for the eyes, and you’re done!

### Double, Double

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/halloween_haunted_house_decorations.jpg>)
*magiamia.blogspot.com*

You would never believe that these spooky apothecary jars were plastic medicine bottles in a former life. This clever blogger used a glue gun, a few coats of paint, and some imaginative add-ons to transform her household extras into decorative Halloween DIYs. See her [full tutorial](<https://magiamia.blogspot.com/2013/08/it-glue-gun-plastic-time-again.html>) to learn how you can craft these creepy creations to display on your own mantel or tablescape.

### Someone's Watching...

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/halloween_glowing_eyes.jpg>)
*eclecticallyvintage.com*

Freak out the kids or neighbors with these super-easy glowing eyes that come together with a cardboard toilet paper roll, a glow stick, and some duct tape. Display the fun final products in the bushes, the basement, or any other dark area to spook and delight trick-or-treating visitors. Visit [Eclectically Vintage](<https://eclecticallyvintage.com/2013/10/i-always-feel-like-somebodys-watching-me-glowing-eyes/>) for the full instructions.

### An Eerie Glow

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/halloween_mason_jars.jpg>)
*adventure-in-a-box.com*

Turn nearly [any jar](<https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/trash-to-treasure-14-creative-ways-to-make-good-use-of-old-stuff-45831/>) or glass into a spooky luminary with the DIY treatment that [Adventure-in-a-Box](<https://adventure-in-a-box.com/enchanting-halloween-lanterns/>) bloggers concocted last year: A light mist of purple spray paint provides color without a total opacity that keeps light from shining through. Then, this crafty mom layered on a shadowy scene sketched in Sharpie, which really comes to life when you insert a candle.

### Frightfully Good

![](<https://www.bobvila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/13_Insanely_Easy_Halloween_Projects_You_Can_DIY_.jpg>)
*bobvila.com*

Crafting Halloween fun is easier than you think.