Halloween is one of the single best holidays for crafters, especially for beginners and families. The nature of Halloween DIY projects means that irregularities and imperfections simply add to the spookiness, and many of these projects are designed to be seen at night anyway.
If you are new to crafting, and want to explore your creative side, and love all things autumn, these DIY Halloween crafts are the perfect place to begin.
DIY Halloween Pumpkin Decorating Crafts
1. DIY Tattooed Pumpkin
For a pumpkin that is as unique as you are, consider tattoos. You can paint the pumpkin, and then apply temporary tattoos the same way you would apply them to skin. If you will place them outdoors, you should use a clear spray sealer to protect them.
2. DIY Dipped Pumpkins
This is a stylish and modern approach to decorating pumpkins, and creates great visual impact. You will begin by spray painting your pumpkins a solid color, with light even coats for a smooth finish.
Then fill a shallow dish or paper plate with liquid paint (use glow in the dark paint for a dramatic effect). Dip the bottom of the pumpkin in the liquid paint, and immediately turn it upside down to let the paint drip down the sides of the pumpkin.
You may want to re-dip or dab extra paint to encourage the paint to run down the pumpkin. When you are happy with your drips, set the pumpkin upside down in a bowl to dry. You may want to finish them with sealer for outside use.
3. DIY Pumpkin Pillars
This craft is an incredible way to decorate for the holidays, making a dramatic statement with your pumpkins. To make these pumpkin pillars, hollow out 2-3 pumpkins per pillar, in progressively smaller sizes that will stack easily.
Cut a circle out of the top of the bottom pumpkin, and the bottom of the top pumpkin, and stack them. If you want, you can add a central pumpkin with holes cut in the top and bottom, to create a hollow central tube in your pillar.
You may need to secure the stacked pumpkins with toothpicks or bamboo skewers to stabilize them. Paint a spooky tree or flock of bats design on the front of your pumpkin pillar, choosing a design that includes all the pumpkins in the stack.
Drill holes in the pumpkins to create a starry sky effect, and place a strand of battery-powered string lights inside, cascading the length of your pillar.
4. DIY Lace Stenciled Pumpkin
Using lace as a stencil gives you a beautiful, ornate design in no time at all. This craft is designed for fabric lace, but you could also use paper doilies in the same way.
If using fabric lace, spray both sides with spray starch to stiffen it, and allow it to dry. Then stretch your lace or doily over the surface of your pumpkin, using painter’s tape to hold it tightly in place.
Working carefully with a foam stencil brush, dab acrylic paint onto the surface of your pumpkin. Allow it to dry completely before lifting off the lace to reveal your painted pattern.
5. DIY Halloween Wreath Crafts
Wreaths are a wonderful and festive aspect of home decorating for any holiday, and are so fun for Halloween.
To make any of these wreaths, you will either need a foam wreath form and T-pins, or a wire wreath form and floral wire. You may also want a wreath hanger. With those basics, you can make all kinds of DIY Halloween wreaths, and here are some ideas.
6. DIY Spiderweb Halloween Wreath
For this wreath, you will need white or black yarn, matching fabric strips or ribbon, and plastic spiders.
Begin by tying a length of yarn straight across the center of the wreath, and then another strand across that to make an X in the center. Then add more yarn straight across, dividing the wreath into 8 segments like a pizza.
Then tie a long length of yarn to the center point, and begin weaving it outward in a circular pattern, wrapping it around the straight strings to make a spiderweb shape.
Then wrap the wreath form in matching strips of fabric or ribbon, leaving a long piece at the top center for hanging. Add spiders with hot glue to complete the wreath.
7. DIY Spooky Eyeball Halloween Wreath
For this wreath, you will need black artificial flowers and fake eyeballs. You can make your own eyeballs from ping-pong balls and paint, or purchase realistic or even glow-in-the-dark eyeballs.
Begin by covering the entire wreath in black flowers, securing them in place with pins or wire. Then add an eyeball to the center of each flower, securing them with hot glue.
8. DIY Autumnal Pumpkin Wreath
This wreath celebrates Halloween in a more minimalist style, and can be hung throughout the fall season. It’s a great choice for lovers of pumpkin and pumpkin spice.
Begin by wrapping your wreath form neatly in satin black ribbon for a stylish foundation. Then, in the bottom left or right of the wreath, create a cluster of fall foliage, making orange the dominant color.
Then accent it with artificial pumpkins or gourds and other fall elements. This set is a great choice because it includes all those natural fall elements in one package.
9. DIY Halloween Raven Wreath
For this wreath, you could make a twig wreath by weaving twigs and sticks together, purchase a premade twig wreath, or decorate your existing wreath form with a twig garland.
If you want, you can spray paint your twigs black, for a more Halloween-like look. Wire a crow to the center of your wreath, so it is framed by the twigs. You may want to embellish the wreath with ribbons, feathers, fall foliage, or other elements to complete the design.
DIY Halloween Decorating Crafts
10. DIY Spiderweb Placemats
This project adds a spooky touch to your holiday table, and is incredibly fast and easy. All you need is wax or parchment paper, and black puff paint.
Simply use the puff paint to draw a spider web onto the parchment paper. If you want a more refined look, you can print out a template and trace it. Allow the paint to dry overnight, then peel your webs carefully from the paper. Use them to replace place mats or doilies, and add spooky décor to your home.
11. DIY Pumpkin Centerpiece Floral Display
This is a great project for people who like to paint and decorate pumpkins, but you can turn even a plain pumpkin into a beautiful centerpiece. For this project, carve a hole in the top of your pumpkin and hollow it out. For smaller pumpkins, place a disposable cup in the opening.
For larger pumpkins, you may want to cut the top off of a water bottle and use that instead. Make a crisscross grid of floral tape across the opening, to stabilize your flower arrangement. Add water to the internal container, and then fill with flowers, fall greenery, and anything that makes your centerpiece more beautiful.
12. DIY Spooky Globe Lights
If you have a string of frosted globe lights, all it takes is a Sharpie and a little time to turn them into grinning skeleton or ghost faces.
13. DIY Pumpkin Jar Luminaries
This is a simple and fun Halloween craft project for the whole family. All you need are some clean jars with no labels, orange tissue paper, black construction paper, and glue. Tear or cut orange tissue paper into strips, and glue them smoothly to the outside of the jar.
Allowing the strips to overlap vertically helps to create the stripes you see in a pumpkin. Then cut pumpkin face elements, like eyes, nose, and a mouth, out of black construction paper and glue them to the outside of the jar on top of the tissue paper.
You could also add a message with vinyl letters. Then place a tealight or LED lights inside the jar and enjoy the glow. If you will be placing the jars outside, you will want to seal the surface with an outdoor sealer.
14. DIY Spooky Spider Hoops
This project uses embroidery hoops to make fast and fun Halloween wall art. For this project, you will need embroidery hoops of various sizes, and black yarn or string.
First, paint the hoops with a matte black paint. Then use tape to secure lengths of string straight across the hoop, making sections like a pizza. Then tie an end of the string near the center of your “web” and begin to weave it around the threads, creating the inner circles that will finish the web.
Place the larger hoop over it and tighten it in place. You may want to add spiders made of craft paper or pipe cleaner to complete the look.
15. DIY Witch Hat Pendant Lights
This project works best when you have a lot of hats, so you may want to just buy a set of witch hats instead of buying your own. You will also need fishing line, and a light source.
You can do this project with glow sticks, battery-powered candles, or even puck lights. Whatever kind of light you choose, you will need to secure it inside the hat in some way.
Then use fishing line to hang the hats at different heights. You might also attach the fishing line to a door or gate, so the hats move when guests arrive.
16. DIY Glow-in-the-dark Treat Tote Bags
Since you’ll need a bag to carry all those Halloween treats anyway, why not make it festive with glow in the dark paint? This is a great project for trick or treating, or party goody bags.
For this project, you will need black canvas bags, or you can dye natural canvas black.
Then you need glow-in-the-dark fabric paint. If you aren’t a natural artist, you may also want some Halloween stencils.
The glowing design makes your treat bags unique, and also improves visibility on dark autumn nights.
17. DIY Spooky Branches Craft
This project is a fast and easy way to create some fun Halloween table décor. Collect some fallen branches, and allow them to dry for a day or two. Scrub them with some steel wool to remove any loose debris, and then spray paint them black.
Drill or carve holes in the top of a pumpkin or gourd, and stick the branches in the holes, creating a display.
Cut out paper bats and hang them from the branches with small ribbon, or decorate the branches with artificial spiderweb.
18. DIY Halloween Tea Light holders
This is a great craft that lets you use small pumpkins and add light anywhere you want it. Simply hollow out the top of a small pumpkin to create a space that will hold a tea light, votive candle, or LED tealight.
Then attach eight black pipe cleaners or black wires, bent into the shape of spider legs. You can also add a pair of googly eyes in the front for a fun look.
Conclusion
These DIY Halloween crafts appeal to every taste, whether you prefer vintage Halloween, scary Halloween, or favor a more modern and minimalist approach.
They are fun, affordable, and many of them are great craft projects to enjoy as a family. These crafts are a wonderful way to celebrate the season, and express your own style and creativity.