88 Easy DIY Halloween Decorations that Will Get Your Neighbors Talking

Nothing to see here. Just gingham, plaid, and a pair of yellow mummy eyes to greet guests as they pass by an entryway bench.

To make: Wrap lengths of gauze around a white or cream pillow, overlapping it as you go, until the pillow is completely covered. Cut out eyes from black and yellow felt, attaching the pieces together with hot-glue. Tuck the eyes beneath the top layer of gauze to hold them in place.

After all, sometimes witches need to make a quick exit. Set up their outfit, including a hat, boots, broom, cape, and loads of bats and creepy crawlies right by the front door!

Give the mantel a little seasonal decor with a garland made from vintage book pages.

To make: Start by tearing three pages from a vintage book. Use a glue stick to attach the pages to three sheets of black construction paper. Trim construction paper, using a craft knife and graph ruler, so that it is about 1/2-inch larger on all sides than the book paper. Trace a letter, using a set of letter stencils, in the center of each book page using a black fine tip pen. Fill in the outline with a black permanent marker, being careful to stay within the lines. Use a small hole punch to make two holes in the top of each page. Thread a long length of black rickrack through the holes, spacing letter evenly. Hang using tape or small nails.

The cook is certainly going to get a fright when they reach for a wooden spoon and get a skeleton hand instead! Simply stick fake skeleton hands into a crock. Decor, done!

Grasses come in all colors, shapes, and textures, creating infinite opportunities for embellishment.

To make: Craft a wreath from dried millet and hare’s-tail grass to circle the stem of a larger pumpkin, such as a blue Jarrahdale (middle), or use a wispy grass such as stipa to crown a small white pumpkin (bottom center). Glue stems of puffy hare’s-tail grass (far left) at differing heights around a white pumpkin.

Related: Get more Halloween wreath ideas.

This super simple to execute ghostly décor will have a big visual impact because of its limited and sophisticated color pallet. Vary the frame shapes and sizes and the eye placement on the ghosts for added interest.

To make: Cut a piece of black paper that is the same size as the backing of a gold frame. Freehand cut a ghost from white paper and draw on eyes using a thick black marker. Tape or glue the ghost to the black paper and insert into the frame.

These soft floating ghosts scattered around the house will add ambience to this year’s Halloween party.

To make: Cut out squares of polyester batting. Place a ball of polyester stuffing in the center of each square. Bring the corners of the batting down toward each other, gathering the batting around the stuffing. Tie a piece of white twine or thread just below the stuffing to create each head. Insert map tack or sewing pins with black heads into the heads of the ghosts to create the eyes. Hang with a piece of twine or thread.

Set a festive, seasonal table by turning an orange linen or cotton napkin into a perfectly formed pumpkin.

Get the instructions.

Straight-as-an-arrow candles give way to ghoulish ghosts!

To make: Fill a casserole dish or rimmed baking sheet with very hot tap water. Place thin white candles in the water, making sure they are fully submerged. Allow the candles to sit in the water for 30 seconds to a few minutes. Once candles start to soften and become pliable, shape them into wavy ghosts. (You can do this in the water or remove them from the water if it’s too hot.) Once the desired shape has been achieved, dry the candle fully with a dish towel. Use an acrylic paint pen to add eyes to the candles.

Need to decorate for Halloween in less than 10 minutes? Then this is the craft for you! All you have to do is tie store-bought mini brooms and hats to lengths of black-and-white bakers’ twine. Hang above a festive buffet featuring a load of Halloween treats or across the front door to add to your fall porch decor.

The kids will love this sweet, homespun craft.

To make: Cut a 4- to 5-inch circle of fall-colored fabric. (For added flair, use pinking shears.) Place a lollipop in the center of the fabric and wrap the fabric down and over it. Gather the fabric around the lollipop stick and secure in place with a piece of jute twine.

Don't let the bats out!! Glass domes will help keep fluttering paper bats contained. If you don't mind a few critters flying around the house you can also attach them to bed posts, stair railings, or door knobs.

To make: Draw or trace bats of varying sizes on black paper with a white pencil; cut out. Attach one end of a piece of 18-gauge black wire to the back of each bat with black gaffers tape. Attach the other end of the wire to a black plate, cake stand, or cloche base, trimming the wire as necessary to ensure it fits under the cloche. Top with a glass dome.

Leaves and vines made from twine add a layered natural element to pumpkins. Opt for monochromatic colors for a sophisticated look.

To make: Start by drawing your desired shape on the pumpkin. Use hot glue to attach lengths of twine, following the outline of your drawing.

Related: More No-Carve Pumpkin Crafts

Toto and Dorothy will thank you for stealing the Wicked Witch of the West's boots! Proudly display her demise by hanging them on your front door.

To make: Hammer a nail into your door. Hang vintage or new Victorian-style boots from their laces. Hang a bow (ours is made from jute upholstery tape) just above the nail with heavy duty double-sided tape.

Related: Get more Halloween wreath ideas.

Artfully arrange cleaned and dried pumpkin seeds with an acorn top center on a classic orange pumpkin.

To make: Start by cutting small circles of craft paper (about a 1/2-inch diameter). Hot-glue the pointy ends of the seeds around each circle to create the petals, then cover the exposed center with a small acorn top. Use craft or hot-glue to attach the flowers to the pumpkin in a haphazard fashion.

Create a textural wreath by incorporating different types of moss, such as Spanish moss, preserved forest moss, and dried tree lichen.

To make: Cover a 12- to 16-inch foam wreath form with clumps of moss and lichen, attaching with hot-glue. Glue tiny bits of moss and lichen around the stems of mini white pumpkins, then secure to the wreath with floral pins and wire.

Related: Get more Halloween wreath ideas.

Flowers and soft feathers transform pumpkins into ideal table centerpieces.

To make: Hollow out a tall gourd such as a Hubbard squash, and slice a sliver off the bottom to help it stand. Place a piece of damp floral foam inside and fill with feathers, foliage, and flowers (here, roses and ranunculus). For the festooned pumpkins, use hot-glue to cover with long turkey (large) or pheasant (small) feathers. For the larger pumpkin, finish with wispy green chicken feathers around the crown.

Related: More Fall Centerpiece Ideas

Spooky but sweet, these ghosts are made from easy-to-access craft materials.

To make: Place 6-inch craft foam or styrofoam balls on long wooden dowels. Cover balls with metallic mesh ribbon, layering if necessary to cover completely. Secure mesh with thin ribbon or string. Tie black-and-white striped ribbon into a bow around the ghost "neck," covering thin ribbon.

Or ghost houses..either, way this easy DIY can be used year after year on the mantel or Halloween treat buffet.

To make: Paint wooden bird houses with black acrylic paint. Once dry fill with paper ghosts or fake birds. Set on the mantel and stretch fake spider webs over the houses. Hang paper bats above the houses, if desired.

Keep the blood suckers away with a wreath fashioned from fresh garlic cloves (you can use artificial garlic if you want to keep the wreath from year to year).

To make: Start by hot gluing moss to a wooden wreath form. Next glue garlic cloves, root side out, on top of the moss. Hang using a piece of natural jute ribbon.