See How The Home Depot Topped Last Year’s 12-Foot Skeleton Halloween Decoration

In 2020, The Home Depot debuted their 12-foot skeleton decoration—affectionately known as Skelly—and it became a viral hit, inspiring hashtags like #giantskeleton on Instagram and #12ftskeleton on TikTok. How did the bag of bones get to be such a big deal? Lance Allen, ​decorative holiday merchant at The Home Depot, shares some insight into Skelly’s social media success and gives us a sneak peek at some of the retailer’s Halloween 2021 offerings. Read on for 10 of the most exciting new products in The Home Depot’s Halloween lineup. (You might have to be patient to score a Skelly of your own, though: The oversized skeleton usually sells out as soon as it is restocked. Keep checking the retailer’s site for your chance to score one!)

The Home Depot’s viral Halloween success began with their 12-Foot Giant Skeleton, and it’s back for 2021. Allen explains why he thought the $299 molded plastic-and-steel product was such a hit: “We knew we designed one of the greatest Halloween items of all time. We just had no idea we were doing it for when people would need it the most.” He adds, “It brought a huge smile to everyone’s face whether it was in their yard, their neighbor’s, or they were seeing it in a meme. It was a way for everybody to just say, ‘Take that, COVID, one way or another we are going to celebrate Halloween this year…and then every other holiday.’” This year’s skeleton even has an adapter that allows homeowners to plug it directly into an outlet (available at The Home Depot).

There’s a new 12-foot skeleton in this year’s holiday lineup. Allen describes the inspiration for the new addition, saying, “This year’s 12-foot Inferno Pumpkin Skeleton is the king of our Rotten Patch collection. This collection was influenced by Midwest farms and orchards with a haunted twist.” If you already have the original version of Skelly, this one makes a great partner for him (available at The Home Depot).

Fans of the 12-foot skeleton will appreciate this costume kit that’s perfectly sized to fit Skelly. Allen said, “We realized that after Skelly went viral, people started dressing it up for various holidays, including Christmas and Easter, and we knew we had to help our customers so they don’t have to worry about finding large enough clothing for their giant skeleton.” The kit includes a witch’s hat as well as a purple cape, both of which are lightweight so they’re easy to put on (available at The Home Depot).

Made from molded plastic with a bronze finish, the Bone Throne is an excellent addition to any indoor or outdoor Halloween decor. It’s 5 feet tall and designed to withstand the elements, but it can also be used indoors for a creepy haunted house. A plush seat cushion with a blood-red cover is included, making this spooky seat comfortable as well as bone-chillingly realistic (available at The Home Depot).

The Home Depot’s Animated Halloween Skeleton Wolf has LED eyes that glow red and are animated to move and make noise. Its head tilts up, and it emits a blood-curdling howl that’s sure to scare trick-or-treaters. It’s best used indoors, and with a height of 2.5 feet, it makes a perfect tabletop decoration (available at The Home Depot).

Not all Halloween decorations have to be scary. This 6.5-foot inflatable features Miguel from Disney’s Coco holding his guitar and accompanied by his dog, Dante. It has a self-inflating design and deflates for easy storage. The decoration plugs into a power outlet and lights up to guide the way for trick-or-treaters (available at The Home Depot).

Grab a one-way ticket to the underworld with the creepy, 8-foot-long Ferry of the Dead. The Grim Reaper slowly rows his boat, bringing his skeleton passengers into the afterlife. The animatronic features a sound sensor that triggers motion and spooky sounds, ensuring your guests will be terrified when they walk by (available at The Home Depot).

This larger-than-life-size Queen of the Underworld looms as an intimidating presence as part of your outdoor Halloween decor. The 6-foot-high inflatable features IR motion-sensing capabilities and can detect passersby from a distance, turning its head and shouting demands their way. Its glowing eyes and scepter only add to the frightening effect (available at The Home Depot).

If your Halloween aesthetic is more subtly eerie than straight-up terrifying, this 7-foot LED Willow Tree makes an excellent pick. Featuring 600 purple-hued lights, it’s completely weatherproof and features a sturdy metal frame, meaning it can be used indoors or outdoors and can even transition into the colder winter months (available at The Home Depot).

Equal parts silly and scary, this 4-foot Animated Spider makes for a not-too-scary, kid-friendly decoration. Featuring LED lights and giant glowing eyeballs that rotate and follow you wherever you go, this furry arachnid adds a fun element to your lawn or garden. It’s weather resistant and has a durable metal frame (available at The Home Depot).