Spooktacular Quick & Easy Halloween Decor

EEEEEKKKKK!!!! How is it possible we are already approaching the end of October!? This month has flown and Halloween is just 12 days away!!!!

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday of the year (though you will come to find there really isn’t a Holiday that I don’t like). I usually will pull out all the Halloween decor by the end of September, but this year, with a new baby coming soon and our house under renovation, I haven’t done anything to decorate! So I’ve thrown together some easy and fun last minute DIY Halloween decoration ideas that even your kids can help with.

Tomato Vine Ghosts

I absolutely LOVE the way these ghosts look! They make a fantastic impression at night all lit up. Simply wrap a tomato cage (you can find these in the garden section of most home improvement stores) with white Christmas lights. Secure a large styrofoam ball to the top to form the rounded head shape and drape a large sheet or white plastic table cloth over the top to make the ghost’s body. A sharpie can be used to draw on a face or they look just as good with no face at all.

Halloween Tree

Talk about a fantastic focal point! This one is an activity the whole family can join in on. Dead branches from the yard or curly willow bought at the local craft store and painted black will make perfect tree. I usually use rocks to weight the bottom of whatever vase or planter I put the branches in. Then let your imagination soar! The kids can make Halloween ornaments or help with black and orange construction paper chain links and more. This is the perfect place for lots of spider webs and spiders, orange and black streamers or little ghosts made out of napkin covered lollipops. Such a fun project that looks GREAT!

Vases with Candy Corn and Candles

This one is a quick and easy decoration that doesn’t cost a lot and really adds a pretty fallish glow to your decor. Use any glass vases or jars you have lying around, fill about 1/4 or 1/3 full of candy corn and pop in a votive or pillar candle. Easy, cheap and high impact decoration! Doesn’t get much better than that!

Mason Jar Monsters

I love a mason jar. In fact, two years ago, we invested in a hundred or so and I have never regretted it. We use them for SO many things. Luminaries with “snow” for Christmas and vases for informal dinners. Last year I used a whole bunch of them with glow sticks and dry ice for a mad science set up in a haunted house. They are so versatile and reusable! I love the idea of making Halloween luminaries for the front porch. One coat of acrylic craft paint will do the trick in giving your luminaries their base coat. Make sure to let the first coat completely dry! A sharpie can be used to draw the faces of your monsters, ghosts and ghouls. Drop a votive in the bottom and Voila!

Also, don’t forget! If you use any type of glass container for a candle, put a quick coat of cooking spray inside for EASY clean up after the candle melts. The wax slides right out!

 Halloween Paper Lanterns

Who doesn’t love paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling? These are great for indoor or covered outdoor decorations. Plain paper lanterns can be found for pretty inexpensive prices at party stores, craft stores and even at Target or Walmart. Go online and decide what silhouettes you want on your lanterns. For example, if you google “bat silhouettes” and click on images, a ton of great options should appear. These can be printed, cut out and traced onto the lanterns. Then just paint in your tracing with black paint. There are so many options with these. Bats, spiders, monsters, witches flying on brooms,  and jack-o-lanterns. The possibilities are endless!

Halloween is a great time to get creative! Do you have any Halloween decoration projects that you love to do? I’d love to hear from you! I find tons of inspiration on Pinterest (I also find I spend countless hours on Pinterest finding said inspiration…it’s soooo addictive). You can follow me on my Pinterest Page and you can also follow Jacksonville Moms Blog on the JMB Pinterest Page too!  Lots of great pins and many more to come!