Halloween is just around the corner, and we have gathered some fantastic decoration ideas that are not only budget-friendly but also utilize items you might already have at home. Many materials needed for these crafts can be sourced right from your waste bins. (Also check out: 12 Inventive Ways to Repurpose Household Waste)
1. Ghosts from Milk Jugs
These milk jug ghosts are incredibly simple to create! First, clean your jugs and use a Sharpie to draw eerie faces on them. Place mini LED lights inside each jug and arrange them along your walkway. Don’t forget to weigh them down with some pebbles.
2. Skeleton from Milk Jugs
Milk jugs are perfect for Halloween crafts! You can make DIY skeletons using seven old milk jugs, some string, and a bit of patience. Follow the tutorial to cut out specific bone shapes from each jug. After preparing the pieces, punch holes to connect them with string. For an added spooky effect, consider using glow-in-the-dark spray paint.
3. Creepy Acid Bath
If you happen to have an old oil drum lying around, you can create a chilling acid bath display. Put yourself (or a dummy) inside the drum wearing a scary mask, and use spray foam to mimic the look of bubbling skin.
4. Monster Lights for Your Yard
Transform some plastic jugs into monster yard lights! Customize them as you like and place a tap light inside to illuminate them. To finish, insert a broomstick or a sturdy stick into the jug’s spout. Set them up in your yard to add a spooky glow.
5. Creepy Poison Bottles
Create chilling apothecary poison bottles using recycled jars, bottles, and other vessels. Design spooky labels and paint over them with several coats of chalk paint. You can opt for a distressed effect by adding another color as a topcoat.
6. Papier Mâché Jack O’Lanterns
If traditional pumpkin carving isn’t enough to satisfy your Halloween spirit, try this giant papier mâché jack o’lantern project using discarded newspapers. A vintage plastic pumpkin can serve as a mold, or you can shape one from chicken wire. Tear paper into 10-inch strips, cover them with a glue mixture, apply them to your mold, and let dry. Get creative with your jack o’lantern faces by cutting or painting them afterward.
7. Sinister Specimen Jars
These specimen jars are truly unsettling. Take an old baby doll, disassemble it, and place its parts into recycled pickle jars. Fill the jars with water and a drop of red and green food coloring for an extra fright.
8. Wine Bottle Lanterns
Give your wine-drinking friends a fright with these wine bottle jack o’lanterns. Enjoy some inexpensive wine, then clean the empty bottles. Spray paint them orange around the widest part and draw faces on them with a Sharpie.
9. Spider Decorations from Bulbs
Put those burnt-out Christmas lights to good use by crafting bulb spiders. Wrap metal wire around the bulbs to form legs. The original project kept the colors vibrant, but a coat of matte black spray paint can enhance their eerie appearance.
10. Haunted Eyes
Use a couple of empty toilet paper rolls to create spooky eyes. Draw eyes on each roll, cut them out with a hobby knife, and place an LED light inside. Position them in a dark spot for a startling effect.
11. Zombie Dolls
If you have broken Barbie dolls collecting dust in your playroom, gather them up, spray paint them white, and transform them into Dolls of the Living Dead. Once dry, emphasize their eyes with a fine-tipped Sharpie marker. Vintage dolls can work for a more chilling effect.
12. Trash Bag Corpse
While taking out the trash, grab an additional black bag to craft this trash bag corpse. Fill the bag with crumpled newspapers and tie it off at intervals to create the shape of a body. For an added creepy touch, use caution tape to mark off a spooky crime scene.
13. Ghosts from Trash Bags
If you have white or clear bags available, make these convincing trash bag ghosts. Use a dress form or a volunteer to construct the body with packing tape. Carefully slice it off the form, cut out a head, and attach the sections with more tape. Distress and decorate as you please, then suspend them using fishing line.
What will you be using to decorate your home this Halloween?
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