Easy Halloween Crafts You Can Make This Weekend

Halloween decorating doesn’t have to mean a trip to the seasonal aisle and $80 in inflatable lawn decorations. Most of the best Halloween crafts use paper, cardstock, glue, and things you already have around the house — and they come together fast enough to do the whole batch in one weekend.

Here are ten that are genuinely quick, genuinely easy, and still look intentional once they’re up.

1. Paper Bat Garland

Cut simple bat silhouettes out of black cardstock (freehand or with a stencil), punch a small hole in the top of each, and string them along twine at varying heights. Hang across a mantel, window, or doorway. One of the fastest high-impact decorations on this list — a full garland takes under an hour.

You’ll need: black cardstock, scissors or a craft cutting tool, a hole punch, twine

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2. Mason Jar Mummies

Wrap a plain mason jar in strips of white gauze or cheesecloth, leaving a gap for two googly eyes glued on near the top. Drop a battery tea light inside for a soft glow. Works as a porch light, table centerpiece, or window display.

You’ll need: mason jars, gauze or cheesecloth strips, googly eyes, craft glue, battery tea lights

3. Black Cat Silhouette Decorations

Cut cat silhouettes from black cardstock, mount them on wooden dowels or skewers, and “plant” them in a flower pot or along a walkway. Simple, graphic, and reads as intentional decor rather than a craft project.

You’ll need: black cardstock, wooden dowels or skewers, craft glue

4. Spider Web Doily Craft

A paper doily cut into a spiral or fringe pattern makes a surprisingly convincing spiderweb. Add a plastic spider ring or a paper spider cutout in the center and tape it to a window or wall.

You’ll need: paper doilies, scissors, a plastic spider or black cardstock for a spider cutout

5. Painted Rock Pumpkins and Ghosts

Smooth stones painted orange with a face (or plain white for a ghost) make a low-effort, no-mess outdoor decoration that holds up in any weather. Great for a kids’ project since there’s no delicate cutting involved.

You’ll need: smooth rocks, acrylic paint, small paint brushes, a clear sealant for outdoor use

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6. Paper Plate Spiders

Paint a paper plate black, let it dry, then attach eight black pipe-cleaner legs bent into shape around the edge. Add googly eyes. A classic for a reason — fast, cheap, and genuinely fun for kids to assemble themselves.

You’ll need: paper plates, black paint, pipe cleaners, googly eyes

7. Candy Corn Garland

Cut simple triangle shapes from yellow, orange, and white felt or cardstock, layer them to look like a candy corn piece, and string along twine or ribbon the same way as the bat garland. Bright, cheerful, and less “spooky” if you want Halloween decor that still feels kid-friendly and fun rather than eerie.

You’ll need: yellow, orange, and white cardstock or felt, twine or ribbon, glue

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8. Toilet Paper Roll Mummy or Ghost Treat Holders

Fill an empty toilet paper roll with a bit of candy, fold the bottom closed like a wrapped gift, and wrap the outside in white gauze (mummy) or wrap in plain white paper with a drawn-on ghost face. Great for a small trick-or-treat party favor batch.

You’ll need: empty toilet paper rolls, gauze or white paper, a marker for the face

9. Handprint or Footprint Spider Craft (Kids)

Paint a child’s hand or foot and press it onto paper to create a “spider” shape once dried and finished with drawn-on eyes. A sentimental keepsake craft as much as a decoration — good for younger kids especially.

You’ll need: black washable paint, paper, googly eyes (optional)

10. DIY Spooky Wreath

Wrap a plain foam or grapevine wreath base in black ribbon, then hot-glue on a mix of small embellishments — paper bats, plastic spiders, mini pumpkins, or dried leaves. Fully customizable to however elaborate or minimal you want it.

You’ll need: a wreath base, ribbon, hot glue gun, assorted Halloween embellishments

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Step-by-Step: Paper Bat Garland (Full Instructions)

1. Fold black cardstock in half and sketch a simple bat shape (a rounded body with two swept wings) along the fold, so cutting once gives you a symmetrical bat.
2. Cut out several bats — 8 to 12 is usually enough for a garland across a mantel or window.
3. Punch a small hole near the top center of each bat.
4. Cut a length of twine long enough to span where you’re hanging it, with extra on each end for tying.
5. Thread each bat onto the twine, spacing them a few inches apart and varying the height slightly for a more natural, flying effect.
6. Tie off both ends and hang.

Tips for a Quick, Low-Mess Weekend

• Batch your cutting. Cut all your paper shapes for multiple crafts (bats, cats, ghosts) in one sitting rather than switching materials repeatedly.
• Keep a glue gun on hand for anything with dimension (the wreath, treat holders) — it dries faster than craft glue and holds heavier embellishments better.
• If you’re doing this with kids, split tasks by mess level: painting and hand/footprint crafts first while everyone’s fresh, cutting and assembly crafts after.
• Buy black, white, and orange cardstock in bulk packs rather than single sheets — nearly every craft on this list pulls from the same three colors.

FAQ

What’s the fastest craft on this list? The spider web doily craft — most people can finish several in well under 30 minutes total, since it only requires cutting and one embellishment.

What Halloween crafts work best for young kids? Painted rock pumpkins/ghosts, paper plate spiders, and the handprint spider craft — all forgiving of imperfect cutting or painting and don’t involve small fiddly pieces.

Can these be made without a hot glue gun? Yes, for most of them — regular craft glue or double-sided tape works, it just needs longer drying time. The wreath is the one project where hot glue makes a real difference, since regular glue struggles to hold heavier embellishments in place.

How far in advance should I make these? Anything paper-based (garlands, silhouettes, doilies) can be made weeks ahead and stored flat. Painted items should be made close enough to Halloween that they don’t gather dust, but a week or two ahead is fine.

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Save this for later 📌 and pick two or three to knock out this weekend.