20 Scariest DIY Halloween Decorations To Make!

It’s time to get spooky ya’ll! Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, and I love going all out on the decorations. Since you landed on this article, you must be the same! Here are the top 20 scariest DIY Halloween decorations I’ve found!

Scariest DIY Halloween Decorations

Cheesecloth Spirits

I’m sure you’ve seen the smaller version of these before. I wrote about some in our Halloween arts and crafts article, but this bigger version is super scary! Imagine seeing one of these things in a dark corner. If you’re looking to give a little scare to party go-ers or trick or treaters, this is a great and cost-effective pick. You’ll just need cheesecloth, starch, and a foam mannequin head (like they use for wigs). Here’s the tutorial.

Scarecrow Corpse Prop

This one takes a lot of effort, but that’s the price you pay if you want a really scary DIY prop! To make it you’ll need a skeleton prop, latex rubber, fabric, and wire. The process of applying the latex is a very lengthy one, the creator says it took him 3 months, but the result is worth it.

Plaster Hands

These plaster hands are super neat to make as part of a display. The ones in the above photo are for a “divination” theme, but I’m sure you can see how you could use these in a lot of decorating scenarios! You can use them outside or inside, but if you use them outside you may need to add a coat of linseed oil to keep the plaster from degrading in the humidity. Click here to learn how to make them!

PS. These would be the perfect addition to a Halloween dessert table display too!

Head In A Jar

You can put this one into your fridge to play a scary prank on someone, or set it up in your mad scientist lab for your haunted house. A very easy but clever decoration which is very creepy. Click here to make it.

Creepy Halloween Candle Holders

These spooky candle holders offer a creepy vibe when you use them to light the hallway of your haunted house! They’re easy to make and a good way to dress up tables when you want just the right amount of light. Click here fore the tutorial.

Scary DIY Plywood Coffin Decorations

Do you have some skills when it comes to power tools? If so, you can use this popular mechanics diagram to put together your own wooden coffin props. These looks really cool if you don’t mind wood working. It’s a great pick if you need some scary outdoor Halloween decoration ideas. Click here to see how to make it.

Budget Body Bags

Need some dirt cheap DIY Halloween scares? The creator of these cheap DIY Halloween decorations spent a grand total of 30 cents each on tape. He picked up free foam and plastic bags from a furniture store and used some paint he had laying around.

So, if you’re looking for some dead easy scary DIY Halloween decorations to make on the cheap – this is it! It’s a super cost-effective way to make some super scary Halloween decorations for a meat locker or other scene for a haunted house. Click here to see how to make them.

DIY Spooky Face Mirror

This decoration makes clever use of an LCD screen, a picture frame, and a pre-recorded video to create a decoration which could scare the pants of one of your visitors with good timing. It’s a more involved project than some of the others, but you can see how to do it here.

Creepy Specimen Boxes

Have you got plans for a creepy mad scientist lab in your haunted house? Some creepy specimen boxes could make for great wall decorations. These ones are made with shadow boxes, and you can pin whatever you want in them. Creepy crawlies like bats or spiders, or even some scary body parts like ears or teeth! Click here to get the tutorial.

Finger On The Doorbell

Give trick or treaters a fright when they go to ring your doorbell and find that it’s already occupied! It’s a super easy decoration which is sure to get a few scares for you this spooky season. Click here for more ideas from the creator.

Jack O’ Lantern TV

There’s something unsettling about a creepy face with static behind it. If you’ve got an old TV that you don’t know what to do with, you can upcycle it into this creepy decoration. If the pumpkin face isn’t scary enough for you, then you can take it to the next level and add a scary face, or hand silhouettes to scare your guests. Click here to see the tutorial.

DIY Plaster Bones

If you want some bones that are more realistic, or even to make something truly custom like in the photo – think plaster! It’s a surprisingly easy material to work with and you can create a lot of cool stuff with it. Learn how to do it here.

Life-size Michael Myers Prop

Need some scary DIY Halloween decorations for outside? Nothing says scary quite like a character from an instantly recognizable slasher movie. This life-size DIY Michael Myers prop can be made surprisingly cheaply using a foam head, a mask, and some PVC pipe.

Eyeball Pumpkin

Looking for a jack o’ lantern with a little more creep factor? How about this eyeball jack ‘o lantern! It’s made by inserting a smaller pumpkin inside a larger one and painting it up how you’d like. Click here to see the instructions.

Realistic Flayed Skeleton

This project will be cheap or pricey depending on what tools you already have. If you’ve already got a heat gun and paint, you can get it done much cheaper, but if not you might be able to borrow one from somebody. In any case, it’s a super scary DIY Halloween prop! The video tutorial tells you what you need to know.

Creepy Floating Candles

This decoration was meant to intimidate a scene from Harry Potter, but you can easily modify this idea to make a really creepy scene. Surprise even your older guests with these floating candles. Click here to see how to do it.

Chicken Wire Ghost

In the dark, people will get just a glimpse of those silhouette and have to do a double-take! It’s reasonably easy and cheap to make, and can give someone a fright from a distance. You can see how to make it at this old house.

Floating Ghosts

If you prefer your ghosts to have a little more substance, then you can try this DIY tutorial for floating, lighted spirits. They’re also made with mesh, but include cloth and lights. You can create a hanging version to put on a tree, or a standing one for near your door. Here’s the tutorial.

Zombie Hands

This one is pretty cheap to make, but you will have to dig a hole in your yard. If that doesn’t bother you, then you won’t need much to make this decoration if you can get your hands on a free pallet. All you need is a red light and some fake hands to scare some trick or treaters. You can up your game by including some sounds, particularly motion activated ones. Click here for more ideas from the source.

Trapped In The Mirror

This cool decoration allows you to make it look like a ghost is trapped in a mirror. Hanging it in a bathroom or hallway will be sure to give your guests a fright. Here’s the link for the tutorial.

Pipe Cleaner Tarantula

This creepy craft will certainly scare the pants off somebody with the right placement! Want to learn how to make this creepy Halloween craft? You can get the tutorial and materials list here.