These Eerily Easy Halloween Craft Ideas Will Get You Pumped for Fall
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These Eerily Easy Halloween Craft Ideas Will Get You Pumped for Fall
It's time to turn your home into Halloweentown with easy and fun DIYs that will impress every trick-or-treater and party guest that comes to your door. Our list of Halloween crafts for adults includes plenty of decorations, including indoor and outdoor ideas featuring pumpkins, goblins, monsters and more. Wreaths, wall decor and dinner table designs are just the beginning. We have modern color schemes (hello, pastels!) and classic orange and black options, as well as scary and cute projects, so no matter what your Halloween aesthetic is for 2021, there's something for you.
A lot of what you see here will require common household items you probably already have in stock, but even if you don't, all the crafts are inexpensive to create and Amazon has almost everything you need, so a last-minute Halloween party is totally doable thanks to these ideas (now what's left to do is figure out the snacks ...).
Want to get your little monsters involved? Try one (or all) of these kid-friendly Halloween crafts geared toward children. And don't miss our favorite DIY costume ideas if you want to win your Halloween costume contest.
Mike Garten - 2/76
Crescent Flower Wreath
Hang on your front door or inside your house, either way this easy DIY wreath will be an instant hit. To create, start with long skinny grass on the two ends of the crescent shape you are forming to mark the end. Hot glue them into place. Fill in the middle with a mix of all the dried flowers you have collected, making sure to mix in more grass and long skinny shapes between the flowers to keep it balanced. Hot glue each thing you add to ensure it is secure. Finish the wreath off by attaching a ribbon around the top.
Mike Garten - 3/76
Macrame Ghosts
Take your macrama skills to the next level with these adorable little spirits. Begin by painting embroidery hoops with black paint and let dry. Cut equal lengths of macrame cord about 50” long (you will need 12 - 14 pieces of cord per hoop). Then, begin to form your knots (we used the Lark's Head knot). To create that, hold 2 pieces of cord together and fold in half. Wrap the folded half around the embroidery hoop and pull all 4 tails through the loop. Pull tight to secure. Repeat around the top of the hoop.
Mike Garten - 4/76
Tombstone Chair Covers
Your guests will be afraid to sit down at their seat once they see these creepy chair covers. To make, print out the tombstone templates and cut out designs with scissors or a craft knife so you can use them as stencils. Place your template centered on your pillow case in the position that feels right and tape or pin the corners down to keep in place. Dip a foam craft brush in a small amount of black fabric paint and dab it gently onto the fabric where you have placed the stencils (less is more!). Let dry completely. Optional: Add some extra dabs of gray fabric paint on top of the dried black designs to give it a distressed look. Slip pillowcases over the back of your dining chairs.
Mike Garten - 5/76
Blood Drip Candles
Fill your hot glue gun with a red glue stick and carefully run it around the edges of your candlesticks to create dripping "blood." You can do this with any non-porous surfaces, like metal serving utensils.
Mike Garten - 6/76
Painted Baby’s Breath
Forget expensive flowers! Grab bunches of dried baby's breath or other small flowers, and paint them with 2 coats of black spray paint, allowing each coat to thoroughly dry and rotating the branches as you go. Once dry, cut into smaller branches and arrange in various sized vases and bottles for a long-lasting spooky centerpiece! Just make sure your space is well ventilated!
Mike Garten - 7/76
Skeleton Face Candy Packaging
Each guest can go home with one of these boxes. Fill 'em with candy or another treat to create decor as well as a party favor. To make, spray paint all of the egg boxes white inside and out and let dry completely. Cut out the skeleton face templates out of black craft paper with scissors or a craft knife or make your own! Glue on the paper face pieces using a light layer of tacky glue and make sure you securely press down the pieces since the egg is round.
Mike Garten - 8/76
Spider String Lights
These little spiders help create the ultimate photo-op. You'll need plastic shot glasses to make 'em, so be sure to add a few more to party cart.
Make and Tell - 9/76
Skeleton Hand Wall Decor
We're obsessed with these hands, which can hold flowers, coats and more. They are so cute and super easy to make.
CTLR + Curate - 10/76
3D Pumpkins
Allow these pumpkins to sit together on a table or tie a string around them and hang around the house, either way, they will look great.
Maritza Lisa - 11/76
Petrified Portraits
Replace a collection of family photos with a creepy crawly gallery wall. Print out bugs and bats clip art onto card stock, then cut them out with scissors or a craft knife and display in shadow box frames.
Mike Garten - 12/76
Black Magic Wall Display
Spray-paint a vintage frame black, and let dry. Print out butterfly clip art images and "Beware!" calligraphy on card stock then cut out and attached to empty frame. Use hot glue to secure ribbon to the back to hang.
Mike Garten - 13/76
Eerie Halloween Lanterns
Hang a display of crafty DIY paper lanterns on your covered front porch to light up the night.
Mike Garten - 14/76
Dark Arts Wreath
Take a simple feather wreath to the dark side by attaching a black artificial bird and sprinkling with glitter.
Mike Garten - 15/76
Spider Web Drink Umbrellas
Use a Cricut machine and 12x12 black craft paper to cut out a spider web umbrella template. Using a bone folder, score the straight lines that lead to the center to make it easier for you to fold them to make the web more 3-D. Lightly fold the straight lines to make an umbrella shape. Hot glue the center of the web to a skewer stick. Cheers!
Mike Garten - 16/76
Crepe Paper Garlands
Brush a light layer of dark RIT liquid dye on the edges of an orange party streamer roll. After it's dry, cut off a piece of thread about one yard long, thread a needle, double it up and knot it off. Sew a basic running stitch down the center of the streamer. Before you run out of thread, stitch through the top of the paper a few times and knot it off. To continue the garland, get a length of thread ready and stitch through a few layers of the paper. Keep going until you have enough length to drape over your mantel.
Mike Garten - 17/76
Spider Web Placemats
You can make your own fun placemats using nothing but puff paint and parchment paper. Just make a web shape onto the paper with the puff paint, then let it set overnight so you can peel the paper off the back. Place underneath a clear plate to show off the design!
RELATED: 60+ Easy Halloween Decor Ideas to Give Your Home a Spooky Makeover
Mike Garten - 18/76
Witch's Brew Drinks
Turn regular bottles into festive drinks for a Halloween get-together with this simple idea. Just download and print the label template PDF, then cut out the labels and tape them onto beer or soda bottles. To create the straws, cut two 3" circles out of black paper and punch a hole in the center of one. Slide a straw through the hole. Cut the other circle in half and roll to create a cone around the straw, gluing or taping in place. Glue or tape the cone to the paper circle to create a witch hat.
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Paper Bat Garland
To make this garland, download this bat stencil, then trace the shape onto a piece of black craft paper. Cut out the shape with scissors to create as many bats as you want. Then, place the stencil back on top of each bat and use a bone folder to make creases along the dotted lines on the stencil. Fold the creases opposite ways on each wing to make the wings 3D. Attach each bat to a long piece of string with tiny black clothespins.
RELATED: Spooky Window Decorations for the Best Halloween Ever
Mike Garten - 20/76
Puff Paint Spider Web Glasses
Dress up a simple set of dollar store glasses with puff paint. Draw a decorative web, starting from the bottom of the glass.
Mike Garten - 21/76
Mini Lawn Flamingo Pumpkins
Who knew plastic lawn decorations could look so chic (and seasonal)? Greet trick-or-treaters with Halloween-inspired lawn flamingos by sticking these into your front yard or porch planters.
Aww Sam - 22/76
Bleach Pen Napkins
Customize your tabletop decor with this super-easy DIY! Use a bleach pen to draw a spiderweb design right onto a colorful napkin. Let the bleach sit for at least two hours until it turns completely white, and then rinse and dry the napkins before using.
Mike Garten - 23/76
Mason Jar Luminaries
You can place these adorable mason jar lanterns all over your home or entryway to give it a spooky glow.
Get the tutorial at Jennifer Maker »
RELATED: Outdoor Halloween Decorations That'll Spook Your Neighbors
Jennifer Maker - 24/76
Spider Web Hoops
These spooky webs are made using embroidery hoops and yarn (and a pipe-cleaner spider, of course). They'd make the perfect addition to a Halloween-inspired gallery wall or mantel display.
Hey Let's Make Stuff - 25/76
Colorful Gourd Wreath
Just because it's Halloween doesn't mean you're restricted to a color palette of orange and black. Give the entire rainbow a go with a statement wreath like this one.
Lovely Indeed - 26/76
Frankenstein Sharpie Mug
There's no better way to count down until October 31 than by starting each day with a Frankenstein mug. This simple craft can be made using a Sharpie and an oven.
Made in a Day - 27/76
Punny Halloween Dish Towels
If you own a Cricut machine, this quick DIY will take you less than 30 minutes. Just print the free designs onto iron-on vinyl and then apply to plain dish towels. They'll come in handy when you start whipping up pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread... you get the idea.
Club Crafted - 28/76
Halloween Gradient Treat Jar
Apply a sticker with a spooky or sweet saying to a glass jar before spray painting with a rainbow of colors. Or use orange, white, and yellow for a candy corn-inspired combo.
Club Crafted - 29/76
Emoji Ghost Balloons
Recreate Halloween emoji in party decoration form by sticking adhesive vinyl onto white balloons. Don't stop there — dressing up as your favorite emoji (cat with heart eyes!) is the easiest way to pull together a DIY costume this year.
Aww Sam - 30/76
Rainbow Spider Web Wreath
Pick out your favorite paint colors, apply them to a seasonal shape, and boom — you've got pretty and festive decor. Once painted, a wooden spider web hooks right onto a wreath hanger for an instant front door makeover.
A Kailo Chic Life - 31/76
Felt Candy Corn Garland
The world may never agree on the best Halloween candy, but everyone can get behind this cute felt garland. String it across your mantel or weave it around your buffet table for added sweetness.
Hey Let's Make Stuff - 32/76
Neon Paint Dipped Pumpkins
Spray painting gourds stark white will make a bold color palette pop even more. These '80s-inspired pumpkins would look perfect alongside Back to the Future or Saved By the Bell costumes.
A Night Owl - 33/76
Ghost Paper Lantern
We've officially found the easiest Halloween DIY project ever. Glue black felt ovals onto a jumbo paper lantern and you've got yourself a friendly ghost (just like Casper!).
Kristi Murphy - 34/76
Halloween Haunted House Lantern
Whip up a few of these paper cut-outs and line 'em up along your entryway table for whole haunted neighborhood. Flameless tea lights inside each paper mansion give off a spooky glow.
Hey Let's Make Stuff - 35/76
Floating Witch Hat Luminaries
If you think these whimsical porch decorations look perfectly eerie during the day, just wait until you see them lit up at night. (It's not magic — just LED light or glow sticks.)
Polkadot Chair - 36/76
Halloween Spider Garland
We love everything about this spooky fireplace display, but the creepy-crawly spiders require just three supplies: baker's twine, pipe cleaners, and a darning needle.
Design Improvised - 37/76
Pumpkin Vase
To make this centerpiece, carve a deep hole in the top of a pumpkin, then slide in a plastic cup. Make a grid across the vase opening with thin floral tape first to keep arranged flowers from falling over. Fill with water and a medley of bright blossoms. Keep your bouquet fresh by stripping away leaves and removing everything below the bloom to ensure that the stem reaches the water. Snip the stems on a 45-degree angle so they’ll suck up more water. Recut them and replace the water daily.
Mike Garten - 38/76
Skeleton Lights
Break out the Mod Podge to decoupage a spooky strand of skulls. Eyes and grins trimmed out of black paper turn basic party lights into custom decor.
Danielle Occhiogrosso - 39/76
Vampy Jack-o'-Lantern
Use an awl to create eyeholes in a painted pumpkin, then push in the stems of two large blooms. To finish, carve a square for fake fangs.
Mike Garten - 40/76
Skull Planters
Re-pot your succulents for a skeletal decoration you can tuck in any bare corner. Mix it up with mini cacti, spiky grass, or even trailing ivy.
Country Living Staff - 41/76
Tied-Up Gourd
For a quick dash of color, simply wrap strands of embroidery thread around a mini gourd in rainbow order and glue to secure.
Mike Garten - 42/76
Gold Wreath
Make hanging this door decoration a breeze by using faux mini pumpkins, which weigh less than the real deal. After spraying 'em gold, attach dry pumpkins to a wreath form using hot glue.
John Kernick - 43/76
Cheery Pom-Poms
It doesn’t get more fun than fuzzy balls of color! Attach them in rows or clusters with hot glue — and consider starting with a brightly painted pumpkin to make your handiwork pop.
Mike Garten - 44/76
Hanging Paper Spider Web
Make this clever wall decoration to hang anywhere your house needs a little extra holiday spirit. To create it, fold 2 sheets of black paper accordion-style (about 1.5" inch folds), and then fold each accordion in half lengthwise so you have two segments. Cut the top of the fold diagonally so you'll have a pointed end when it's unfolded. Then, cut three rectangles out of the paper, about half an inch apart, on each part of the segment. Once you have folded and cut both sheets of paper, tie them together tightly at their center folds. Take each loose edge of folded paper and, using a glue stick, attach it to the end next to it. The paper will start to open up like a web. Use binder clips or paper clips to keep the ends in place as the glue dries. Once it's dry, attach a faux spider and hang with string.
Mike Garten - 45/76
Color-Blocked Candles
These dip-dyed tapers look pretty enough for year-round use, but orange crayon shavings stirred into melted candle wax can give candles a special Halloween glow. Just dip and let dry.
Danielle Occhiogrosso - 46/76
Boo-tiful Pumpkin
Lush lashes have never been hotter — even our pumpkins are getting in on the fringe benefits! Hot-glue tassels for eyes and pom-poms for a pucker. For the bat, use a sturdy 1-inch ribbon so the wings stand up on their own.
Mike Garten - 47/76
Tote for Treats
Potatoes are the secret to this stamped canvas bag, which kids will be proud to show off door-to-door. Use chalkboard paint instead of acrylic to make a tote you can mark up with fun details, like fangs.
Johnny Miller - 48/76
Ghostly Greeting
Outline a punny phrase in pen, then paint inside the lines. Tie on a smiling tassel ghost from the stem and save to use again next year.
RELATED: 30+ Pumpkin Painting Ideas for a Colorful Halloween
Mike Garten - 49/76
Floral Gourd
Pretty up your squash with a bunch of bouquets. Just adhere flash tattoos the same way as you would to skin.
Mike Garten - 50/76
Pumpkin Jar Lights
Start saving a few glass jars from the recycling bin to craft these cute luminaries. Thanks to some tissue paper and decoupage glue, little "pumpkins" can light the way along your front walk or up the porch steps.
Mark Lund - 51/76
Torched Plants
You've probably killed a few house plants unintentionally, but add some purposeful decay by spray painting plastic greenery jet-black. Top with a little black sand and don't worry about watering!
Danielle Occhiogrosso - 52/76
Sequin Web
Heat up the hot glue gun and get trimming, first adhering vertical strings of sequins about halfway down the pumpkin. Then add a series of scalloped lines around the circumference. It's no Charlotte's Web but it's pretty darn cute.
Mike Garten - 53/76
Bat Mat
Cut a bat shape out of a large piece of black felt and lay it over the place setting. For the ghost leaves, paint real or fake leaves with two coats of white acrylic paint. Let dry and draw on faces with black permanent marker. (Even better, try making these adorable roasted chicken pot pies.)
RELATED: 40+ Scary-Good Halloween Appetizers for This Year's Costume Party
Danielle Occhiogrosso - 54/76
Flower Crown
This hot pink gourd earns centerpiece status thanks to a sash of fresh blooms. Snip stems about one to two inches from buds, drill small holes in the painted rind, then stick in the buds. Keep flowers looking perky by periodically spritzing with water.
Mike Garten - 55/76
Candy Haunted House
Chocolate cookie walls and cereal shingles are just the start. All of your sugary favorites go into this icing-covered cottage that's literally good enough to eat.
Emily Kate Roemer/Studio D - 56/76
Black Bunting
DIY a festive banner by cutting pennants out of thick construction paper, spelling out your message, and tucking ribbon ends under heavy gourds or bouquets.
Danielle Occhiogrosso - 57/76
Leafy Lanterns
Deck out the front porch with a pair of festive planters. Plus, the printable fall foliage template takes the guesswork out of carving.
Michael Partenio - 58/76
Potion Bottles
Plop dried blooms in vintage glassware for a poisonous display. Better yet, add labels for witches' brew ingredients.
Kate Mathis - 59/76
Falling Leaves
Before you rake them all away, pick up the prettiest leaves for a fluttering mobile. Collect foliage with intact stems and press in a heavy book for a few days. Wrap twine around an embroidery hoop; secure ends with hot glue. Tie eight 3-foot-long waxed strings at even intervals around it, attaching pinecones at the bottom as weights. Knot the string around each stem, spacing randomly. Secure hoop to a ceiling hook using twine.
Michael Partenio - 60/76
Creepy Crawlers
Showcase mini pumpkins instead of giant gourds for a change. Just bend pipe cleaners for spidery legs and scoop out a spot for a flickering tealight.
Gemma Comas - 61/76
Leafy Pumpkin
Skip carving and decoupage a white pumpkin with fall foliage. The key to realistic paper cut-outs? Tracing the real-deal straight from the backyard.
Michael Partenio - 62/76
Candelabra Centerpiece
Put away the candlesticks and scoop out a squat pumpkin for a little mood lighting. Tuck a hurricane filled with tapers inside, and then decorate the rim with a bough of ivy.
Michael Partenio - 63/76
Pumpkin Pillars
After choosing pumpkins that'll fit your planters, cut off the tops of the pumpkins and clean out the insides before stacking as shown. After arranging them, paint your design with black craft paint t.
To create stars, drill 1/4-inch holes into the pumpkins. For the three-tiered look, draw and carve out a crescent moon on the smallest pumpkin. Finally, place candles inside the pumpkins to bring the scary scene to life.
Michael Partenio - 64/76
Batty Branches
Use a pumpkin to dangle some teeny, tiny bats. First, cut the stem flat across the top of the pumpkin. Carve out a small hole in the top that will hold several branches to create a treetop. Use patterned Halloween papers to cut out bat shapes. Tape a thin ribbon from the back of each bat and tie to secure to branches.
Michael Partenio - 65/76
Bat Toppers
Bewitching decorations take flight on a chocolate cake. Knot black satin ribbon, glue to floral wire, and dot on eyes with puff paint.
Johnny Miller - 66/76
"Boo" Pumpkins
Channel greetings from beyond the grave by displaying the message "BOO" on three white pumpkins that will happily fit on the width of your mantel.
Michael Partenio - 67/76
Batty Door Decor
Sure, you can get started at the front door, but place these flyers all over the house for a seriously spooky swarm.
Mikkel Vang - 68/76
Spooky Sippers
Soda (spiked or not) is much more fun to drink from a personalized milk-bottle glass.
Johnny Miller - 69/76
Glowing Totes
The only thing better than a trick-or-treat bag full of candy is a trick-or-treat bag full of candy that illuminates at night. All you need is a stencil and glow-in-the-dark paint.
Andrew McCaul - 70/76
Gourd Critters
Transform gourds with a little bit of paint (and wings, and eyes) to make them that much spookier.
Johnny Miller - 71/76
Pumpkin Poppers
Who knew a party store find (orange tissue paper balls) could be turned into a batch of colorful jack-o-lanterns? Simply cut facial features and stems from construction paper and glue them to the tissue paper.
John Kernick - 72/76
Framed Webs
Dressed-up doilies look sharp enough for a year-round display, but the crochet definitely echoes a spider's handiwork come Halloween. Simply use tape or tacks to fix the doilies to the back of a black frame.
Quentin Bacon - 73/76
Bug Bars
The kids won't forget to wash their hands when there's special soap on the sink — or slip these homemade toiletries into the guest bathroom for a sudsy surprise.
Make the soap: Following package instructions and using a candy thermometer, melt the soap base in a large pot on the stove until it reaches 140°F. Place one plastic bug belly-up in each mold. Slowly pour the melted soap into the molds until it reaches the very top. Wait for bubbles to rise, then use a knife to scrape them off. Let the molds sit on a flat surface overnight; remove the soaps and you're ready to lather up.
Seth Smoot - 74/76
Witchy Door
Take out any guesswork and trace the perfect silhouette using our free template. Glittery stars and a bewitching moon add to the airborne effect.
Michael Partenio - 75/76
Phony Portrait
Swap out family photos for a haunted depiction of ghostly ancestors. And there's no need to splurge on a fancy frame, either. A plastic ceiling medallion will do the trick without costing a bundle.
Kate Mathis - 76/76
Tombstone Trio
Glitter paint, for the win! This shimmery graveyard uses metallics to the max with embellished tombstones and painted pumpkins.
Michael Partenio
