It’s that time of year again! While some people may be looking forward to pumpkin spice everything, apple cider donuts, and apple picking, many of us are excited for Halloween. We’ve compiled some of our very favorite spooky Halloween decorations for you to begin giving your neighbors the creeps! Let’s go!
A ghost in your window… Or anywhere else!
One of the most widely used and easily reproducible effects since the 1800s is a technique called the Pepper’s Ghost. This effect can be seen in use in haunted houses, Disney World, or even for popular musical performances like Hatsune Miku or the Gorillaz. This practical effect is done by using the reflected light on an object to be reflected on a pane of glass, plexiglas, or a tightly stretched piece of plastic.
While this simple effect can produce great results, lots of people may have a projector lying around their home that they could take it a step further by putting ghostly apparitions in their yards or doorways. One company, AtmosFX has a huge catalogue of ghostly videos you can project onto any appropriate material. They even sell a special material you can use to really sell the effect!
Creepy ghouls for your front steps
This DIY tutorial shows you how to make a very convincing front step ghoul made of concrete that you can light up on the inside. While the tutorial shows you how to make a small one, you can make one more adult-sized. Concrete makes a great way to commit the sculpture for multiple uses. Don’t be fooled by the realistic product of this DIY! It really is simple to make.
Yard Flamingos?
This might sound funny, but you can convert any yard flamingo into a spooky bird or even a vulture! This clever DIYers transformed some yard flamingos into vultures with a little bit of paint and white feather boas:
Or, paint them entirely black and hand paint some bones on them to give them a creepy skeleton look. Make sure to add some glow in the dark paint on top for the extra creep factor!
Ghostly yard apparitions with plastic wrap or chicken wire
Need something a little more… Physical? Rather than projecting a ghostly image onto a screen, you can make some ghostly forms with chicken wire or even plastic wrap. It takes a little bit of time, but it can have a really great effect for a short amount of money!
We love these chicken wire dresses that are just there enough to be creepy! Add pallet wrap for an extra spooky effect.
Underlit steps glow like Hell itself
We LOVE this idea! All you need is a bit of wood and some proper lighting and you can add an underglow to any steps. It can be as simple as throwing some planks down on some wood pallets. This great effect can really light up your walkway and bring trick or treaters straight to your door.
Head in a Jar
This effect is actually super simple to produce! All you need is a jar, a little food coloring, and a color print (edited a little). Really! That’s it. Imagine the look on your guest’s faces when they see a head in a jar when going for a fresh drink in the refrigerator!
Creepy Doll Head Lamp
Cut out the eyes in a doll head, throw it on a base, and put a light inside of it… A quick and easy surefire scare!
Creepy floating candles
Of course, these aren’t real floating candles, but they really sell the intended effect! Simply make some fake candle sticks using paper towel or toilet paper tubes, put some fake tea lights at the top, and attach through a small hole at the top with fishing line. Easy enough!
Have a creepy piece of Halloween decor to add? Let us know in the comments below!
