Scary Outdoor Halloween Decorating Ideas

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There's nothing quite like decorating for Halloween. Whether you're hanging faux cobwebs above your dining room table, rigging creepy crawlers to jump out at unsuspecting passersby, or getting cutesy with candy corn cutouts, putting up Halloween decorations can be almost as fun as celebrating the holiday itself.

And of course, it's all about the stoop on Halloween. You want to make sure your front yard is oozing with the holiday spirit for your visitors. If you want to go beyond the expected Jack-o'-lantern, consider getting a bit more involved with these outdoor Halloween decorations. Put them on your front porch, along your driveway, or scattered around your lawn, and you'll be sure to give your visitors a fright. Remember that it's basically impossible to go too over the top on Halloween, so allow yourself to have fun and get creative. And if you don't feel like pumpkin carving, try these painted pumpkin ideas.

1 Bat Wreath

Step 1: Gather old book pages, a pencil, black card stock, black ribbon, and a wreath form. Wrap ribbon around entire form and secure ends with hot glue. Cut 3-inch round circles (flowered edges optional) by hand or use a handheld circle punch.

Step 2: Wrap each paper circle around the pencil's eraser end, dot the bottom with hot glue, and press into wreath form. Repeat until the front of the wreath is covered.

Step 3: Cut out bats (varying in size) from card stock. Hot-glue each onto wreath.

2 Bat Halloween Decoration

Bats are a great decor option for feeling festive but not tooscary on Halloween.A set includes 16 bats, and the product has over 1,000 5-star reviews, so you can be sure you'll love them, too.

3 Spiders and Bats

Make your guests carefully maneuver through the web of giant spiders to reach a bowl of prized treats. Made of foam balls and chenille stems, these creepy creatures try to catch candy thieves in their web!

5 Skull Lights

Christmas isn't the only holiday when you can string up lights outside your house. Opt for this spookier set to make your yard stand out from your neighbors'.

6 Rest In Pieces

Foam graves are a classic way to dress up your yard for the season.

7 Enter at Your Own Risk

Two rows of jovial jack-o-lanterns guide cautious guests toward the door. Soccer goal netting is draped halfway over the roof, offering a clever method to attach webs and giving one spider a fun way to greet newcomers.

8 Monster Mash

This adorable purple monster is the perfect way to welcome trick-or-treaters this Halloween.

1. To make eyes, paint black circles on two 8" foam half balls; let dry. Paint white highlight. Cut black foam eyelashes and eyebrows.

2. From 3 yards faux purple fur, cut two 16" squares and hot-glue each around a 12" foam wreath. Glue eyeballs in center and eyelashes across top. Add a horizontal string across back of each eye for hanging.

3. Frame door with strips of fur using tacks of hem tape. Use Command Hooks to hang eyes above. Tack or hem tape eyebrows in place.

4. For teeth, use foam cones, and then attach to top of door frame with hem tape.

5. Draw and cut tongue shape from floor mat. Spray-paint red; let dry.

9 Haunted Woods Front Door

Trick out your front porch with a layer of moss, spiderwebs and critters — plus a menacing tree trunk on the door. Use painter's tape to affix brown kraft paper onto your door, making slits for the handle and knocker. Cut eyes and a mouth out of black construction paper; tape or glue them onto the kraft paper. For the wood grain: Take white craft paint and draw curved lines first around the facial features, then vertically on the door. Place preserved green moss along the edges of your front steps or porch.

10 Eyes Everywhere Front Door

Your front door, potted plants, and more will peer at passersby. Cut pupils out of adhesive-backed felt and position them on assorted Styrofoam balls or half-spheres. Use double-stick tape to attach peepers to the door or skewers to stake them into greenery.

RELATED: Pumpkin Cake Recipes That'll Spice Up Your Fall

11 Front Porch Gravestones

1. If desired, hot-glue a 1"-square dowel to either side of black kickboard.

2. Adhere letter stickers to kickboard to spell out a phrase, like DEAD ZONE. Secure peeling edges with straight pins.

3. Apply stone spray paint to kickboard. While paint is wet, use pins to carefully help remove letter stickers, then use end of skewer to draw cracks in painted surface.

4. Once completely dry, hot-glue a ¼"-round dowel to back of kickboard as a stake.

12 Fall Into Autumn

This pretty display sets the tone for a harvest-style holiday. Stenciled, halved Fun-Kins anchor a cascade of maple leaf garlands. Add potted mums in apple baskets and sugar pumpkins striped with dried corn husks for a front door that will last into Thanksgiving.

1. Use a utility knife to halve two Fun-Kins lengthwise.

2. Print and cut out stencils for the word BOO.

3. Trace each letter onto a halved Fun-Kin with a pencil.

4. Use small paintbrush to apply gold enamel paint inside lines; let dry.

5. Hang on door with Command wire hooks.

13 Enter If You Dare

Create a creepy graveyard gate out of a metal garden arbor flanked by foam-kickboard gravestones. A DIY friendly ghost plus a skulking store-bought skeleton cat, skeleton arms, and rubber bats complete the scene.

GHOST

1. Sketch lower portion of ghost body onto white foam-core (it should be about 2' to 3' tall); cut out with utility knife.

2. On back of foam-core, position 2 skewers as base of arms; duct-tape in place. Duct-tape loop of monofilament at top for hanging.

3. To create head, wrap 4" foam ball in polyester batting until about 6" in diameter; secure with hot glue. Pierce ball with 3 skewers to create tripod, then poke other end of skewers into top of foam-core body; secure with hot glue.

4. Wrap more batting around foam-core body and skewers. To hold in place, lightly wrap with monofilament. Then, wrap batting around neck skewers to fill out ghost's body. Continue adding and fluffing batting until it feels full.

5. Cut eyes, eyebrows and mouth from black felt; attach with hot glue.

MOON

1. Push end of paintbrush into front of 15" foam disk to create various-size craters.

2. Mix together ½ cup light orange acrylic craft paint and ¼ cup flour. Add water or more flour for a paste-like consistency.

3. Spread flour/paint mixture over surface and sides of disk, covering (but not filling) craters; let dry.

4. Tie monofilament to thumbtack and press into back for hanging.

CEMETERY SIGN

1. Lay top piece of a 7' x 4' metal garden arch on top of 40" x 60" piece of black foam-core. Use ruler to measure 5" above and 5" below arbor arch, marking foam-core with a pencil every few inches to replicate arch shape. (To check size, place 6" wooden craft letters to spell CEMETERY on foam-core arch.) Connect marks, then cut out arch with utility knife; smooth ragged edges with sandpaper.

2. Apply purple spray paint to foam-core arch and stone spray paint to letters; let dry. Hot-glue letters in place on arch.

3. Duct-tape back of foam-core to metal arch in several places to keep it secure, then assemble rest of arch.

14 Painted Pinecones

1. Use a paintbrush to dab acrylic paint onto the quills of 6 to 9 pinecones; let dry.

2. For each pinecone, cut 14" length of twine-covered wire with wire cutters. Twist one end into small swirl with pliers, then hot-glue to top of pinecone.

3. Gather wire strands together, varying lengths to create a full, upside-down bouquet; secure with a twist tie. Tie burlap bow around twist tie and hang.

15 Ding-Dong

Flank your front door with apple barrels, then push in pool noodles that are outfitted in striped stockings and pointy heels for a bewitching outdoor decoration.

1. Cut two pool noodles to leg size (about 30" tall).

2. To make knees, draw a 3" half-circle in middle of each leg and cut the shape out. Pull edges together and secure with duct tape.

3. Tape quilt batting around pool noodles, adding extra layers to hip and thigh areas and an almond shape where it bends to complete knee. Use more tape to smooth out form.

4. Pull tights over legs. Stuff witch boots with batting and secure to legs by tying laces tightly.

5. To make sign, hot-glue six paint stirrers together to form a jagged rectangle, then hot-glue another stirrer to the back as a signpost. Paint on a phrase like "Poison Apples for Sale."

16 Stained Glass Black C

If you want a subtle way to celebrate the holiday, this tiny cat on a moon stained glass is just the thing. It whispers "Halloween" without having to scream it.

17 Life Size Outdoor Grave

For the hardcore Halloween decorators, go big with this life-sized grave and skeleton. Just don't be surprised when its presence elicits screams.

18 Keep Out Front Door

1. Stretch cobwebs to somewhat cover door; secure with masking tape.

2. Cut cardboard to resemble various-size wood slats.

3. Paint a "Keep Out" sign on 2 slats; let dry.

4. Glue bolts to each piece of cardboard; let set.

5. Tape slats to the door.

6. Arrange the fencing around the perimeter of the front step or steps.

7. Make an X with duct tape on the bottom stakes to keep them upright; cover tape with leaves from your yard or green moss.

8. Set gravestones on and around steps.

9. String the plastic chain from one light to the other.

10. Tap in nails over the door; loop a chain link over each to secure.

11. For ghost, cross 2 wooden dowels in a T-shape and duct-tape together.

12. Spear a Styrofoam ball onto the upright dowel for the head; drape the sheet over the top.

13. Trim 2 eyes from black felt and glue to face, or draw on with permanent marker.

14. Push the bottom dowel into the block of floral foam.

15. Position the ghost near the doorknob and place 2 rocks on top of the foam (under the sheet) to secure.

16. Cut sheets of vinyl to look like dripping green slime.

17. Tape to stair fronts.

19 Classic Halloween Front Door

1. Trim orange wrapping paper to the height of the door; secure with masking tape.

2. Overlap another sheet to cover the rest of the door; tape down.

3. Lay gold glitter paper facedown and use a ruler to draw an eye (a triangle with 12" sides), nose (a triangle with 10" sides) and lopsided smile.

4. Cut out, arrange and tape to the door as shown.

5. Cut a small hole in the top of each large pumpkin with a craft knife.

6. Insert the leaf branches; push down until secure.

7. To keep the branches upright, tap a picture nail into either side of the door frame; secure each branch with fishing line.

8. Spray-glue small pumpkins; dust with glitter; let dry.

9. Arrange cabbages and pumpkins in planters on the steps.

10. Add faux crows, if desired; secure with fishing line as needed.

20 Large Metal Ghost

These ghost stakes are easy to display in the yard, they can stand up to whatever the weather decides to be on Halloween, and they're the perfect mix of cute and spooky.

21 Mask Ghost

This ghost display serves as a friendly reminder to wear a mask and an adorable garden decoration. Plus, have you seen anyone look cuter in a mask? We didn't think so.

22 'Sorry No Treats This Year' Lawn Sign

Halloween 2020 will definitely look different than past years, but a sign like this allows you to celebrate the holiday while acknowledging how things are different.

23 Tea Light Garden Lantern

Take your decorations to the next level by creating some spooky shadows in your yard with this fun wooden cutout.

24 Personalized Halloween Garden Flag

Welcome visitors to your home with a festive customized sign. Complete with pumpkins and bats and all things spooky, this sign will be something you pull out of the decorations closet to display year after year.

25 'Game of Thrones' Iron Throne Swords Metal Sign

If you're having aGame of Thrones-themed Halloween, this Westeros-approved Iron Throne will be the perfect piece of decor.

26 Headless Horseman Silhouettes

This spooky silhouette will take your Halloween decor to the next level. It's not over the top scary, but it has an understated element of whimsy.

27 Light-Up Jack-O'-Lanterns

Who says Jack-o'-lanterns have to be made of real pumpkins?

28 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Pose-able Characters

Take some decoration inspiration from your favorite Halloween movies, likeThe Nightmare Before Christmas.

29 Halloween Ghosts

Trying to make your trees a bit more spooky this Halloween? Add some ghosts.

30 'Peanuts' Yard Art

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!"

Sophia Caraballo Freelance Assistant Editor Sophia is currently an assistant editor at Womans Day.com with experience in writing everything from fashion and beauty to health, fitness, and wellness.

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