23 Cheap Halloween Crafts That Double as Spooky Decorations

Conjure up a spooktacular Halloween display on a budget that doesn’t make you want to scream. These easy Halloween crafts all ring in under $5! They rely on common craft supplies, and the final projects will last from year-to-year. Our inexpensive craft ideas include eye-popping paper printables, Halloween wreaths, and DIY outdoor decorations that are perfect for the eeriest season of the year. Forget the witching hour—this Halloween, we are all about the cheap crafting hour.

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Wood Bead Spider for a Halloween Wreath

Dana Gallagher

Get your entry ready for Halloween makeover with a collection of snakes cut from patterned cardstock. To make, cut snake shapes from the paper in assorted sizes. Attach the snakes to the wall or steps with removable adhesive.

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Splatter Paint Pumpkins

Carson Downing

If you’re looking for something easy (with more sweetness than spookiness), painted pumpkins are the move. You can purchase fake pumpkins for cheap, or you can use real ones, too! All you need is acrylic paints, brushes, and newspaper or another protective surface.

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DIY Pumpkin Door Cover

Sometimes all you need is something simple to make a big statement. If you’re looking to decorate on a budget, one of the best (and easiest) cheap Halloween decorations is a paper door cover. Hit the dollar store for a plain white tablecloth and cut it to the size of your door. Then, paint or draw a festive jack-o’-lantern face for an easy door sign. Don’t forget to cut out a space for the doorknob!

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No-Carve Pumpkins Decorated with Yarn

Blaine Moats

If crafters have a skeleton in the closet, it’s probably the massive amounts of scrap yarn that’s leftover from their other DIY projects. Thankfully, Halloween is the perfect time to spin through your extra yarn skeins. Grab a few mini gourds for less than a dollar (get artificial if you want them to last), and wrap them with colorful yarn for the coziest Halloween craft. The full tutorial offers clever hints and design ideas for this inexpensive fall project.

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Halloween Pinecone Spiders

Adam Albright

Let Mother Nature inspire your Halloween decorations with DIY spiders crafted with pinecones or sweet gum pods from the backyard. Just spray-paint your outdoor accents black, and hot-glue black wire along the sides to create crawly spider legs. Add a small black pom-pom atop the pinecone to give your spider a head. These easy critters can be scattered throughout your home as a spooky Halloween accessory.

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Pumpkin Planter

Turn a dollar store plastic pumpkin bucket into one of three festive DIY planters for Halloween. Add a plant and display your Halloween craft for the neighborhood to admire.

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Halloween Twig Wreath

Marty Baldwin

Make a DIY Halloween wreath with twigs gathered from your yard. Glue the sticks onto a cut piece of cardboard to create the wreath form, then embellish with faux spiderweb material and a few plastic spiders.

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Front Porch Braided Spiderweb

Carson Downing

Halloween crafters will get caught up in how much they adore this massive braided spiderweb. This outdoor Halloween decoration calls for braiding thick white yarn and gluing the strands together to form a giant web. This quick-and-easy decoration is the perfect spooky accessory to every Halloween porch or home entrance. Bonus: This simple project is easy to store after the holiday season.

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Paper Bag Lantern

Matthew Clark

Turn ordinary paper bags into a glowing lantern for your front porch. Use paint or black tape to create a spider design on the front of a bag (and don’t forget to add a plastic spider!) then add a battery-powered candle and set the lantern out. To make a whole set, try using all of our paper bag Halloween lantern designs.

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Halloween Paper Origami Bats

Greg Scheidemann

Get the template!

This adorable Halloween wreath will have trick-or-treaters sprinting to your door like a bat out of—well, you get the idea. Use our free template to make swarms of origami bats from square art paper, then attach them to your traditional door wreath. This Halloween bat craft is easy for kids to make, so be sure to let them help you craft the one-sheet critters.

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Skeleton Fridge Magnet

Scott Little

Get the free pattern

Add fun Halloween flair to your kitchen with our easy skeleton magnet. To make, simply download our free skeleton pattern onto white paper; cut out. Glue the bones onto black cardstock and trim as shown. Self-adhesive magnet strips allow this printable Halloween craft to dance along your fridge throughout the season.

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Monster Party Decoration

Jay Wilde

Get the free pattern

Our friendly Halloween monster adds shrieks and eeks to your holiday decorations. To make this too-cute craft, simply download the free monster pattern and cut it out from pretty paper. You can tape this budget-friendly project inside of a glass-paned door or along an outdoor-facing window, or use it as a decoration at your next monster madness Halloween party.

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Ghostly Book Pop-Ups

Scott Little

This easy craft puts the “boo” in books! A stack of old books, a roll of tape, and a pair of scissors are all you’ll need to make this spooky Halloween centerpiece. Simply cut two basic ghost shapes from pages in the middle of a book, leaving the bottoms attached. Prop the ghosts up with a touch of tape, and use a hole punch or marker to make eyes for each ghost. Halloween crafts tip: Find basic ghost shapes easily by searching for free clip art online and using it as a pattern.

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Halloween Paper Pumpkins

Jason Donnelly

Carving Halloween pumpkins is a great traditional activity, but for a craft that will last all season, try our colorful paper pumpkins instead. Cut 1-inch strips of construction paper, form the strips into a circle, and attach using a brad at both the top and the bottom. Embellish as desired, and you’re done! This project is perfect for kiddos who aren’t ready for carving—or to tide over their Halloween excitement before October.

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Sophisticated Swarm Wreath

Jay Wilde

A hoard of creepy, crawly bugs are sure to spook any trick-or-treaters at your front door. To make this cheap Halloween wreath, simply hot-glue plastic insects to the front and sides of a 12-inch wreath form. Tie the wreath with a colorful Halloween ribbon to hang from your fall porch.

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Paper Bat Sconce

Cameron Sadeghpour

Add a batty friend to your Halloween decorations with this effortless nocturnal craft for kids. A simple bat cut from poster board makes an extra spooky Halloween addition when you tape it near light sources for an eerie glow.

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Halloween Banner on Mantel

Marty Baldwin

Get the free patterns

Halloween doesn’t have to be all spooky-scary! Our adorable (and kid-friendly!) pennant-style paper is a great option for any Halloween party decorations. Simply download the free patterns, print, trim, and add to a length of ribbon.

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Witch at the Window Silhouette

Cameron Sadeghpour

Get the free pattern

Give the impression of a sinister gathering in your home with a witch silhouette in your front window. To copy this free Halloween craft, simply download our pattern, enlarge to desired size, and trace onto heavy black crafts paper, then cut out. Adhere the bewitching design to your window using double-stick tape.

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Webbed Window Covering

Kathryn Gamble Lozier

A skittering spider and sticky web transform your front door into a haunting Halloween decoration. Start with three long strips of black crafts tape, creating an off-center X shape with two and cutting across the middle of the X with the third (your window should be divided into six sections). Starting at the center, add shorter tape strips to create the web shape.

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Melted Crayon Pumpkin

Jason Donnelly

Basic dollar store crayons and a faux pumpkin are all you need to create this easy Halloween craft. Simply arrange the crayons around the top of the pumpkin and use a hairdryer to melt them. Once dry, remove any excess crayons and display your finished melted crayon pumpkin.

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Eerie Ghost Doorknob Hanger

Andy Lyons

DIY Halloween decorations aren’t only for experienced crafters! Let our adorable “boo” ghost welcome guests into your home. Trace a ghost shape onto white cardstock; cut out. Cut a hole in the center for a doorknob, and add eyes and a message with black marker.

Editor’s Tip: To keep the ghost from getting stuck in the door, adhere the ghost to the door with a small piece of tape.

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Hanging Paper Bats

Monica Buck

Get the free pattern

Fill your home with a creepy colony of flying paper bats. Print the Halloween bats in various sizes onto black construction paper; cut out. Painter’s tape easily adheres the bats to your wall without any damage—now that’s magical.

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Halloween Treat Bags

Courtesy of Alice & Lois Design Studios

Get the free tags

These fun goodie bags are perfect for kids’ Halloween celebrations or for handing out allergy-free trick-or-treat candies. Download our free printable tags and use double-sided tape to attach them to individual snack bags.