Impress the Neighbors with These DIY Outdoor Halloween Decorations (2024)

Impress the Neighbors with These DIY Outdoor Halloween Decorations (1)

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It's everyone's favorite time of year! The weather is cooling down, the kids have gone back to school, and Halloween is just around the corner. And we are sure that you are going to want to make your house look super spook-tacular to greet the gaggles of friendly ghosts and goblins that will soon be ringing your front doorbell looking for candy and treats! To that end we have rounded up these boo-tiful DIY outdoor Halloween decorations so that you can get your porch, door, and yard looking its best.

Maybe you prefer a jack-o'-lantern or two for a classic look. Or you're thinking of stepping it up a notch in terms of both originality and spookiness. So whether you opt for something more traditional (think: a few painted pumpkins, pots of fresh fall flowers, and a fall wreath or two) or aim for something a little more advanced (a DIY array of festive lanterns could be nice, or a pair of scary-looking "floating hats"), we guarantee there's something on our list for you. Wanna go big? There are also several fun ideas for large outdoor Halloween decorations—like an oversize balloon spider or ideas that cover your entire front door!

Not super confident in your crafting skills? Don't worry, we've made sure to include ideas that are suitable for crafting beginners and pros alike. Even if the holiday's just around the corner, you still have time to whip up a few of our very favorite outdoor Halloween DIYs and get your fall porch into tip-top shape!

1

Witch's Boots

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You've stolen the Wicked Witch of the West's boots now it's time to proudly display her demise by hanging them on your front door.

To make: Hammer a nail into your door. Hang vintage or new Victorian era 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.

2

Yard Ghosts

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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.

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3

Cat Wreath

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A cat with a bow tie! Silly and sweet and perfect for decorating your front door this season.

To make: Wrap 14-inch foam wreath form with wide black ribbon, securing with floral pins as you go, until completely covered. Cut two 10-inch lengths of 18-gauge craft wire. Poke holes in top of wreath for ears. Bend wire to make ear shapes, and insert into wreath form. Wrap wire ears with ribbon, using hot glue to secure. Add orange burlap bow.

Related: DIY Halloween Wreath Ideas

4

Grainsack Porch Display

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Show your stripes! Lengths of striped ribbon (similar available at Hobby Lobby) adhered with Mod Podge give white Lumina pumpkins the farmhouse flair of the dependable nubby fabric.

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5

Crock, Pumpkin, and Mum Display

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Step it up. Display flat and wide pumpkins (lMusquee de Provence, Jarrahdale, and Cindarella are ideal varieties) on top an assortment of crocks places on a stoop or front stairs. Add texture and color by mixing in potted mums.

RELATED: 100+ Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

6

Gnome House Pumpkin

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Little hands will love helping create and keeping and eye out for the gnomes that are surely going to move into this sweet little gourd cottage. To display, try setting on a table on a soft bed of moss.

Get the tutorial.

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7

Leaf Motif Pumpkins

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Great trick-treaters and well-wishers with a wheelbarrow stuffed full of painted on and decoupaged leaf motif pumpkins. Bulk up the display with no extra work by including loads of varying size and color pumpkins

To make:

Decoupage Leaves: Cut out leaves and flowers from new or vintage wallpaper or wrapping paper. Decoupage to pumpkins using Mod Podge.

Outlined Painted Leaves: Use a leaf shaped stencil to paint fall colored leaves on green, blue or white pumpkins. Once dry use a white paint pen to outline the leaves, add veining, and decorative details.

8

Natural Leaf Pumpkins

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Nestled in the crook of a covered front porch, these simple and elegant gourds are decorated with leaves and a few easy-to-find craft supplies.

To make:

Fall Lettering: Attach leaves, in a wreath shape, to a pumpkin with flat head push pins. Use a pencil to lightly draw the word "fall" on a small wood round. Attach thin leather cording or twine over the drawing with hot glue. Hot glue wood round to the pumpkin over the center of the leaves.

Leaf Covered: For one-season pumpkins, attach leaves from the yard with spray adhesive in a loose pattern. If you want to keep the pumpkin from year to year, attach preserved leaves to a fake pumpkin.

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9

Painted Faux Bois Pumpkin

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Adding paint to an etched faux bois (the artistic imitation of wood) pumpkin helps the colors pop adding fun flair to this sophisticated pumpkin. Display on a covered porch next to the door or on a table.

To make: Lightly sketch a faux bois pattern on a pumpkin with a pencil. Use a linoleum carving tool to etch out the pattern. Once complete paint unetched part of the pumpkin with acrylic paint. If you get any paint in the etched grain you can remove it up with the carving tool once dry.

RELATED: Painted Pumpkin Ideas

10

Etched Vine Topiary Pumpkin

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The perfect sophisticated decor for greeting guests to your front door. Place directly on the porch or layer on a vintage ladderback chair with different color plaid blankets.

To make: Purchase one large, one medium, and one small pumpkin (any color combo works) that stack nicely. Remove the stems from the large and medium pumpkin. Lightly sketch a vine pattern on a pumpkin with a pencil. Use a linoleum carving tool to etch out the pattern. Once complete attach red berries or beads with hot glue.

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11

Silvered Leaves Pumpkin

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These DIY shimmering leaves look great on blue-hued or green pumpkins such as Jarrahdale, Blue Doll, Blue Moon, and Fairytale.

To make: Attach silver leaf with sizing to one side of fake or real leaves (alternatively, you can spray paint leaves silver). Once dry, spray adhesive spray on the back of the leaves and attach to pumpkins.

RELATED: No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas

12

Bittersweet Vine-Wrapped Pumpkins

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This simple craft, which is perfect for decorating your fall table or front porch, only takes three supplies and just a few minutes to make. If you can’t find bittersweet vine, try using grapevine and attaching berries with hot glue.

To make: Wrap white pumpkins with bittersweet vine, holding it in place with t-pins and hot glue.

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13

Spiderweb Wreath

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Creepy crawly spiders make a home on this white burlap covered wreath.

Make the wreath: Tie six pieces of white string across a 14-inch foam wreath form, making sure to loop each one at the midway point of the first piece attached to create a central point. (This is the base of the web and should have 12 “spokes.”) Tie a long piece of
string to the center point; weave and loop from the center out to create the web. If you run out of string, tie another piece to the end and continue weaving. When you reach the wreath form, tie off at
your ending point. Move the twine up and down to create uneven gaps in the web. Wrap the wreath form with white burlap ribbon and attach faux spiders with hot-glue. Loop a piece of white burlap
ribbon around the form to hang.

14

Butter Churn Pumpkin

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Based on a ceramic butter churn, this pumpkin with add lots of country charm to your porch.

Make the pumpkin:
Remove the stem from a large white pumpkin.
Draw a vintage-looking number and an oval around it on the front of the pumpkin with a pencil. Attach blue twine over drawing with hot-glue. Create two stripes on the top of the pumpkin with blue
washi tape. Glue a 1" dowel where the stem was.

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15

Vintage Halloween Mask Wreath

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It will only take a few minutes to craft this friendly Halloween focused wreath.

Source colorful vintage paper masks from websites like Etsy and eBay—you will need 10 to 15 total. Attach to an 18-inch craft
ring with a dab of hot-glue, layering and overlapping them as you go.

16

Pumpkin Basket

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Fill these cutie pumpkin baskets with mini pumpkins or candy for kiddos.

Cut off the top quarter of a flat pumpkin (this is a Musquee de Provence variety); scoop out pulp and seeds. Attach lengths of grapevine just below the opening with T-pins. Attach a grapevine handle just inside the opening with T-pins. Nestle mini pumpkins in the basket.

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17

Balloon Spider

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Make a cluster of these creepy-crawlies in different sizes to hang outside.

Make the body: Blow up one large black balloon for the body and one smaller black balloon for the head. Tie the two balloon knots together to form the spider.

Make the legs: Wrap eight lengths of unfurled wire hanger or 12-gauge craft wire with black faux fur, holding in place with hot-glue. Twist ends of four lengths together, creating bundles of legs. Repeat with remaining four lengths.

Assemble the spider: Wrap a black pipe cleaner around twisted ends of leg bundles. Wrap pipe cleaner around “neck” of spider where balloons are tied together. Wrap fishing wire around leg to hang.

18

Candy Wreath

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Hang on the door for decoration or let trick-or-treaters help themselves to a sweet treat.

Gather an assortmentof old-fashioned candies in autumnal shades such as yellow, orange, and magenta. Wrap a 14-inch foam wreath form in white ribbon. Attach candy with hot-glue, layering and overlapping as you go. Finish with a yellow burlap bow.

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19

Bookish Outdoor Halloween Decorations

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Haunting book jackets make for a spine-chilling entrance. You can easily make these yourself using construction paper, some letter stencils, and a bit of gold craft paint.

Make the Books: Cut long, thin rectangular pieces of differing colored kraft paper or construction paper (we used red, gray, and black). Draw titles of books on the paper. Outline letters with gold paint pens. Fill in outline with paint pen or gold acrylic paint. Attach to door with double- sided tape.

20

Pumpkin Checkers

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Invite people to sit and stay for a friendly game of checkers with pumpkin game pieces of course!

Make Pumpkin Checkers: Paint 32 squares on a large (roughly 30-inch) wood board with burnt orange craft paint. Use mini white and orange pumpkins as game pieces.

Impress the Neighbors with These DIY Outdoor Halloween Decorations (23)

Charlyne Mattox

Food and Crafts Director

Charlyne Mattox is Food and Crafts Director for Country Living.

Impress the Neighbors with These DIY Outdoor Halloween Decorations (2024)
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