25 Halloween Decorating Ideas

Spirited Entrance

This combination of easy-to-make decorations (such as black-and-white painted pumpkins) and crafts store finds (like the black leaf garland) creates a cheerful entrance that welcomes visitors with the classic colors of the season.

In a Pinch

Need a quick and easy decorating idea? This clothespin wreath in candy corn colors goes together quickly.

Use spray paint to color 15 clothespins orange, 15 yellow and 15 white. (Clip clothespins to a scrap piece of cardboard; spray paint one side, let dry, turn the cardboard over and repeat.) Cut a 12-inch-diameter circle from sturdy cardboard and cut a smaller circle out of the middle so you have a half-inch-wide ring. Clip on painted clothespins, adding a drop of hot glue to secure each one. Spray finished wreath with two coasts of clear polyurethane spray paint, letting dry between coats.

Candy Corn Fun

This candy corn-inspired porch promises fun for kids of all ages.

For the pumpkins, add a glossy finish to matte or satin paint by spraying clear polyurethane over dry paint.

For the wreaths, wrap thick synthetic-blend yarns around durable foam wreath forms. We used 20-inch tubular forms, but flat forms would work, too.

Orange-and-Black Beauties

A pom-pom wreath and pumpkins created with cardstock strips make a clever and stylish display.

For the wreath, make or buy yarn pom-poms in a variety of colors and shapes and attach to a foam wreath with U-shape floral greening pins.

For the pumpkins, cut 12x12 cardstock into strips 1 inch wide and 9 to 12 inches long, depending on the size of the pumpkin. Punch a hole in the top and bottom of strip 1/4 inch from the edge. Place a brad fastener through the top holes and another fastener through the bottom holes. Bend strips so they form a backward C. Knot a piece of string around a brad, pull taut and tie around the other brad. Separate strips into a sphere. You can make tendrils and stems with floral wire, crepe paper and glue.

Candy Fun

To create a fun candy display, use a variety of clear and black containers and fill with candies of your choice. (For big vases, place a drinking glass upside-down in the container first so you don't need an excessive amount of candy.) Cut out faces using colored cardstock (pinking shears and circle punches will come in handy) and attach to the front. Decorate small pumpkins with googly eyes.

Spooky Mantel

This vintage-inspired mantel will make your home feel haunted! Hang or lean a collection of flea-market vintage silver trays on the wall—the more tarnished the better. Gather pewter and black candlestick holders and fill them with black taper candles. If some of the candles lean a little, even better; it creates a spooky feel. Use old books from second-hand stores to vary the height of the candlesticks.

Eye Candy

What says "Halloween" more than candy corn? This wreath is made with painted foam cones. We used nine 2-7/8-inch x 5-7/8-inch Styrofoam cones, cut in half from top to bottom to make 18 halves. With craft paint, we first painted each cone white, then painted the bottom third yellow and the middle part orange. Make sure the cones dry in between each paint coat. Glue to a sturdy cardboard circle to form a wreath. (For a smoother finish, cover the front of each cone with lightweight spackling compound, let dry and sand before painting.)

Spooky String

Jazz up painted pumpkins using crafts nails and string for a spooky spiderweb effect.

Stylish Halloween Wreath

Embroidery hoops, fun striped fabric and faux succulents form the basis of this stylish wreath.

Use decoupage to adhere striped fabric to a sheet of cork. Then, on top of the cork, center the inner ring of a 12-inch-diameter embroidery hoop inside the inner ring of a 14-inch-diameter hoop. Trace around the outsides of both hoops and cut out ring. Reassemble hoops, hot-glue both hoops to the cork ring, then hot-glue faux succulents as your wreath accent.

Spooky Mantel

Use books to create different levels for decorating on long surfaces such as mantels. Look for inexpensive books at secondhand stores, and if you like, remove the jackets for a more vintage feel. Add pumpkins, skulls and cobwebs to suit your Halloween decorating goals.

Festive Framing

Turn an artificial pumpkin into works of art with a creative spray paint job and inexpensive framing.

Easy Raven Wreath

Your inner Edgar Allen Poe takes flight with this easy wreath.

Spray-paint an oval or round frame orange and let it dry. Hot-glue a forked branch to the frame for a perch, then glue a faux raven to two branches of the perch (you may need to clip the legs from the faux bird for better support).

Webby Welcome

Itsy-bitsy spiders and and sparkly webs add easy, spooky style to an entry way or party buffet.

Quick netting To give containers a weblike covering, crisscross strips of black yarn. Adhere with hot glue or glue dots.

Creepy crawlers Spray-paint plastic spiders so they show up against dark surfaces; affix with temporary adhesive.

Decals Crafts store spider and web decals stuck to mirrors or draped over pumpkins scare with flair.

Stylish Stripes

This playful wreath combines a little DIY with crafts store finds. First, wrap a 14-inch foam wreath form with black and white yarn. Then, embellish the center with crafts store Halloween decorations.

Spirited Display

A touch of black paint transforms pumpkins into an eerie display of trees, a moon, crow and witch. Freehand the shapes, or if you need some artistic inspiration, search online for "pumpkin stencils" or "pumpkin templates."

Lace Works

Doilies used as stencils give a lacy look to orange pumpkins in the entry.

Black on Black

Black place settings displayed on the mantel under a black wreath sets an appropriately somber tone.

Shining Stars

Embellish pumpkins with silver and black items: stickers, fake birds and spiders, pins, paint pens ... . Let your imagination whirl across these living canvases.

Orange-and-White Centerpiece

White pumpkins encircled by bittersweet vine and set along an orange table runner create a striking table arrangement for a fall centerpiece.

Set the Stage

As master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe makes a natural Halloween muse. Books feature the celebrated author's tales, setting the tone of our party. A vintage typewriter puts an exclamation point on the literary theme.

Get a Little Corny

White foam painted the colors of candy corn holds dried naturals and artifical crows for a door hanging.

Mummy-Look

Fashion a spooky tabletop display that starts with easy-to-make plaster-cloth spheres.Wrap plaster-cloth strips (from a crafts store) around a balloon, following the directions on the plaster-cloth package. Leave open spaces as you wrap. When dry, remove the balloon and use a crafts knife to cut an opening for inserting the light. Place sphere over an orange or white battery-operated votive. Set your spheres on clear glass cake stands or similar displays.

Spin a Web

Wrapping a foam wreath in orange yarn then black rickrack makes a web for a spider.

Candlelit Scene

Candles cast diffused light from lanterns with cutouts or stickers on the glass.

Clear Message

Black and orange whisper Halloween. The message on the lettered cards spells it out. Black feathers and dried leaves adorn the wreaths. Print out letters on cardstock, then string them together with black ribbon.