Looking to spook up your outdoor space this Halloween season? Look no further than these 22 outdoor decoration ideas that will take your trick-or-treating game to the next level. With a creative outdoor display, you can impress guests and trick-or-treaters and make the holiday extra memorable. From eerie lighting to creepy crawlies, we’ve got ideas for everyone.
Skeleton Scenes
Bring your outdoor Halloween decor to life with some creative skeleton scenes. These spooky setups will catch the attention of your guests and give you a chance to get creative.
1. Sitting on Patio Furniture
Transform your patio into a spooky outdoor scene with skeleton guests lounging on your furniture. If you want to make it goofy, pose your skeletons to make it seem like they're enjoying a fall evening. Put one on a porch chair, one sitting on the steps, and one celebrating the holiday wearing a witch hat.
2. Riding a Bicycle
For a DIY outdoor Halloween decoration, set up a skeleton riding a bicycle on your front lawn or in your driveway. Use an LED light to illuminate the figure and set up a black cat or pumpkin near the bike as the perfect companion.
3. Caught in a Giant Spider Web
Give your guests the creeps with a skeleton caught in a giant spider web. This outdoor Halloween decor idea is perfect for any wall, tree, or garage door. Use heavy-duty string or faux cobwebs to create the web and glue small spiders onto it, then hang your skeleton from the display.
Graveyard Setup
If you want to involve your whole yard, transform it into a graveyard setup with these ideas.
4. DIY Tombstones
Give your graveyard scene a creepy, personalized touch with homemade tombstones. Use foam, cardboard, or wood for your DIY outdoor Halloween decorations. Carve or paint your favorite spooky phrases onto the tombstones and place them across your lawn. Decorate the tombstones with moss or faux cobwebs to enhance the spooky atmosphere.
5. Zombie Hands Reaching Out of the Ground
Stir up terror in your yard with zombie hands reaching from beneath the earth. You can buy zombie hand decorations or make your own by crafting hand shapes from foam, cardboard, or wire and covering them in old gloves or cloth. Position the hands around your tombstones or in garden beds to make it appear as if the dead are rising!
6. Fog Machine and Eerie Lighting
Complete your graveyard using a fog machine and eerie lighting. Place the fog machine near the ground or use dry ice to create a low-lying fog effect. For haunted lighting, arrange LED lights around your tombstones. Choose colorful lights like purple, green, or orange to set a spooky mood.
Haunted House
If you prefer to create a haunted house in your yard to impress trick-or-treaters, check out these ideas.
7. Boarding Up Windows
One way to turn your home into a haunted house is by boarding your windows. To create the appearance of abandoned and boarded-up windows, cut out some cardboard and paint it to resemble wooden boards using acrylic paint. Attach the painted cardboard with removable adhesive strips to your windows and see how it transforms your house.
8. Cobwebs and Spiders
Fake cobwebs and spiders are another classic Halloween decor favorite. Purchase faux cobwebs and drape them over your porch, garage, or in bushes and trees. Don't forget to add plastic spiders and other creepy crawlers.
9. Hanging Ghosts or Ghouls
Hang ghosts, ghouls, or witches from trees, porches, and branches. As guests approach your house, they'll be greeted by ghastly figures. If you want to make it extra scary, invest in animatronics like hanging ghouls that light up when someone walks by.
Festive Porch and Entryway Decorations
Your porch and entryway are the main spots trick-or-treaters will see, so check out these ideas to transform your space for spooky season.
10. Pumpkin and Gourd Creations
Pumpkin displays are a staple of Halloween decorations. From creepy carved jack-o-lanterns to charming pumpkin-filled baskets, there are countless ways to showcase these festive gourds. You can use real pumpkins or faux pumpkins that can be reused year after year. Paint pumpkins with acrylic paint to add unique designs. Then, line them up along your porch or all over your porch steps for guests to see.
11. Halloween Balloon Arch
A Halloween balloon arch is the perfect accent over your door. Invest in a balloon arch kit to build this decoration, or create your own arch using orange, black, and purple balloons. Don't forget to add balloon garlands as an accent!
12. Jack-o-Lantern Lighting
Jack-o-lanterns are an essential part of any Halloween haunt. Carve pumpkins with family and friends and place real or fake candles inside each to light up your yard. Or, use fake pumpkins with LED candles that stay lit all night. For extra fun, turn your pumpkin carving night into a competition. The winner gets extra Halloween candy!
Wreaths and Door Hangings
Wreaths and door hangings are a great way to accent your porch decor. Here are some Halloween-themed ideas.
13. Spooky-Themed Wreaths
Spooky-themed wreaths are a great decoration that can be bought new or homemade. If you want to make your own wreath, try arranging a bunch of small witch hats in a circular pattern and attaching them with a hot glue gun or floral wire. If you prefer a more traditional pumpkin display, arrange faux pumpkins around a grapevine wreath base and paint faces on them with acrylic paint. Don't forget to add some fake spiders or cobwebs to complete the look.
14. Framed Silhouettes of Bats, Cats, or Witches
Create framed silhouettes of bats, cats, or witches to hang outside. Simply trace your desired shape onto black paper or cardboard, cut it out, then place it into a white frame. This spooky outdoor Halloween decor is perfect for hanging on your front door or displaying on a covered porch. You can even use white paint to create a faux pumpkin with a silhouette scene or create a garage door mural with bats, cats, and witches flying through the night.
15. Vertical Banners or Signs
Vertical banners and signs are easy DIY outdoor Halloween decorations that make a bold statement. You can choose a phrase from your favorite Halloween movie and use stencils or vinyl letters to create the design. Add glitter, ribbon, or rhinestones for extra flair. If you don't want to make your sign, you can always purchase a banner or customize a sign to hang on your front door or porch.
Outdoor Furniture and Accessories
Outdoor furniture and accessories are the perfect opportunity to transform your space into a haunted haven.
16. Spooky Cushions and Pillows
Decorate your patio furniture with spooky cushions and pillows for extra comfort and a touch of Halloween spirit. Select fabric patterns featuring spiders, pumpkins, or ghosts, and sew your cushion covers. Or, purchase ready-made Halloween-themed cushions and scatter them across your outdoor seating area. Don't forget to include a throw blanket for chilly October nights!
17. Hay Bales and Corn Stalks
Hay bales and corn stalks are classic outdoor Halloween decorations that create a rustic atmosphere. Arrange these items on your porch and stairs, and add extra elements like pumpkins, scarecrows, or even a friendly witch. Hay bales also double as an excellent seating option for an outdoor Halloween party.
Lighting and Atmosphere
The lighting around your outdoor decor is a key part of creating a haunting scene. From flickering lanterns and hanging string lights to ghostly projections, we’ve dug up some ideas to illuminate your decor.
18. Flickering Lights and Lanterns
Flickering lights are a great way to set the mood for spooky season. When it's nighttime and trick-or-treaters are out, flickering lights make your yard look extra haunted. To set up flickering lights, you can swap out traditional bulbs with flicker flame light bulbs or place battery-operated flickering candles inside lanterns. You can also use aged or antique lanterns for a touch of old-world spookiness.
19. Hanging Lanterns and String Lights
Hanging lanterns and string lights can be draped across your porch, along a fence, or intertwined with a Halloween wreath. Look for string lights that are orange, purple, or green to fit the holiday. If you're using lanterns, add fake cobwebs around them to elevate this decoration.
20. Special Effects Lighting
For those enthusiasts who want to take Halloween to the next level, special effects lighting is the way to go. Whether you’re projecting ghastly figures against a wall or using strobe lights to imitate lightning, special effects lighting has tons of possibilities. Look for waterproof special effects projectors designed for outdoor use, and remember to be mindful of your neighbors when setting up any intense lighting effects.
21. Colored Flood Lights
Colored flood lights can easily be used to illuminate specific decorations or cast eerie shadows on your lawn. Play with various colors, such as red, blue, green, or purple, to set a haunting mood. Try setting up a floodlight to illuminate a witch decoration, or swap out a bulb in your garage light for a red or green bulb to shower your whole yard in color.
22. Ghostly Figures Displayed Against House Walls
If you want a DIY lighting decoration perfect for Halloween, consider using ghostly figures displayed against your house. You'll need a bright light source, a white sheet, and a terrifying prop, such as a skeleton or a creepy crawler, to create this display. Hang the white sheet against the wall of your home to create a makeshift screen. Next, position your scary prop in front of the sheet, and allow the light source to cast its shadow onto the sheet. For an extra eerie effect, use a rotating fan to make the figures appear to move and dance.
Create the Best Outdoor Decoration with Party City
If you're ready to get spooky and creative this Halloween season, look to Party City. We've got tons of scary Halloween yard decorations to take your setup to the next level. From animatronics to graveyard props and skeletons, our decor is sure to spook and delight your guests. Don't forget to shop for our Halloween costumes and candy, too!
Get started planning your epic outdoor setup, and shop our Halloween selection today or visit us at a store near you.
Outdoor Halloween Decoration Ideas FAQs
What are some easy DIY outdoor Halloween decorations?
Creating your own outdoor Halloween decor can be fun and budget-friendly. Here are a few easy DIY outdoor Halloween decorations that you can make with simple household items:
Floating Witch Hats: Using clear fishing line to create the illusion of floating in mid-air, hang witch hats from tree branches or porch railings.
Ghostly Milk Jugs: Draw spooky faces on empty milk jugs with a black marker, and place a battery-operated tea light inside each jug for a chilling effect.
Spiderweb Doormat: Use white paint to draw a web pattern on a black doormat.
Cheesecloth Ghosts: Drape cheesecloth over inflated balloons and use fabric stiffener to create ghostly shapes.
How can I create an outdoor Halloween pumpkin display?
A Halloween pumpkin display can instantly transform your front yard, porch, or garden into a festive Halloween celebration. Here are a few ideas for creating a captivating outdoor Halloween decoration:
Stack faux pumpkins or real ones in various sizes and shapes to create an eye-catching tower.
Place a variety of pumpkins and gourds along your front porch steps.
Fill window boxes or flower pots with autumn leaves and pumpkins.
Arrange jack-o'-lanterns with different carved designs along a pathway.
How can I make my Halloween decoration ideas outdoor-friendly?
To ensure your outdoor Halloween decorations can withstand the elements, consider these tips:
Choose weather-resistant materials like metal, plastic, or treated wood for your decorations.
Secure all outdoor decorations to the ground or other sturdy surfaces to prevent them from blowing away in the wind.
Protect any electrical components, like lighting or animatronics, with outdoor-rated extension cords and covers.