DIY Halloween decorations: 8 easy ideas for the whole family

TL;DR: the best DIY Halloween decorations take one evening with card, fabric and LED lights, plus a few solid plaster pieces you can keep for years. For pumpkins and ghosts, all you need is a silicone mould and Aqua Resin, a premium alpha plaster mixed with water only.

Introduction

DIY Halloween decorations solve a real problem: dressing up your home without filling it with single-use plastic that ends up in a drawer after one night. With simple, often recycled materials, you can make garlands, lanterns and small themed pieces together with your kids, and spend the time creating instead of shopping.

In this guide you will find 8 easy ideas, three step-by-step projects and tips for decorating the entrance, the table and the windows. If you are mainly looking for activities for little ones, you will find more inspiration in our creative activities for kids and families.

Want decorations that last longer than one night? Our Halloween silicone moulds let you create plaster pumpkins and ghosts to use again every year.

Contents

• Key points
• 8 DIY Halloween decoration ideas
• Materials and safety before you start
• Three step-by-step projects: lantern, garland and plaster pumpkin
• How to style the entrance, table and windows
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Recommended products
• Frequently asked questions

Key points

• The simplest Halloween decorations only need card, fabric, recycled materials and battery-powered LED lights.
• For safety, always use LED lights inside lanterns and centrepieces, never an open flame near paper and fabric.
• Aqua Resin pumpkins and ghosts can be demoulded after 30 minutes, dry in 24 hours and keep from one year to the next.
• Letting kids choose the colours and faces makes every decoration unique and the activity more engaging.

8 DIY Halloween decoration ideas

Each idea tells you what you need and how to adapt it when working with children. They are all designed to be ready in one evening, except the plaster pieces, which need a night to dry.

• Ghost garland: scraps of white fabric or gauze knotted onto a string, or small paper bags stuffed with cotton wool. Recycled version: old sheets or pillowcases.
• Jar lanterns with LEDs: cover a glass jar with black card silhouettes (ghosts, cats, moons) and put a battery light inside.
• Hanging paper bats: one template repeated on black card and thin thread so they sway in front of doors and windows.
• Pompom and pipe-cleaner spiders: a black pompom for the body and bent pipe cleaners for the legs, with no sharp scissors or hot glue.
• Lolly-stick monsters: painted sticks finished with felt become pumpkins, ghosts and funny monsters. Kids have more fun inventing faces than copying a perfect model.
• Plaster pumpkins: with the Pumpkin silicone mould with lid you get a small, solid decorative container to paint and reuse for years.
• Plaster or wax ghosts: the Ghost Candle mould works both with Aqua Resin for a white, porcelain-effect decoration and with wax for themed candles.
• Window clings and stencils: tissue paper or removable adhesive silhouettes to decorate glass without glue.

Pro tip: let kids choose colours and faces even if they come out "wrong": the end result matters less than the time spent making the decorations together.

Materials and safety before you start

Put together a small basic kit: scissors, a glue gun (for adults only), tape, card, fabric scraps, cotton wool and battery LED lights. With these materials you can make almost every idea on the list.

1. Recycle where you can: toilet roll tubes, glass jars and washed lolly sticks replace new materials perfectly well.
2. Set up a workstation with the pieces already cut out: with little ones it reduces risks and speeds up the work.
3. Use battery LED lights only: the effect is the same as candles, with no flame near fabric and paper.

For the plaster pieces there is just one material: Aqua Resin, non-toxic and water-based, with no solvents or odours. Mix 100 g of powder with 30 g of cold water, clean your tools with water only, and no release agent is needed in silicone moulds. It is suitable for children from 5 years old under adult supervision.

Three step-by-step projects: lantern, garland and plaster pumpkin

These three projects cover the three elements of a complete display: light, a soft decoration and a solid piece to keep for years.

1. Spooky lantern

You will need: a glass jar, black card, a glue stick and a battery LED light. Clean the jar, cut out the silhouettes and glue them to the outside; wrap a decorative band around it if you want to hide the joins. Put the LED inside and place the lantern away from curtains and paper.

2. Ghost garland

You will need: white gauze or fabric, string, scissors and a black marker. Cut squares of fabric, knot each one onto the string so it hangs loosely, draw the eyes and space the ghosts out along the string. For outdoors, choose a fabric that can handle damp.

3. Plaster Halloween pumpkin

1. Mix: mix 100 g of Aqua Resin with 30 g of cold water until smooth. For a pumpkin that is already orange, add a few drops of Aqua Pigment.
2. Pour: pour into the Pumpkin mould and tap it gently on the table to release air bubbles.
3. Demould: after 30 minutes, remove the pumpkin and its lid.
4. Dry: leave to dry completely for 24 hours.
5. Finish: paint the details (eyes, stalk) and, for a metallic touch, use Aqua Metal with a brush. Finally, protect the piece with Aqua Shield, by brush or by dipping.

Pro tip: lightly sand the edges once dry, before applying Aqua Shield, for a smoother surface. Bear in mind that Aqua Shield leaves a glossy finish and may slightly deepen the colour.

The same method works for the ghost. If you would rather make a candle, the technique is the one in our guide to DIY autumn candles.

How to style the entrance, table and windows

Decorations look best when they are planned as a small display rather than scattered around the house.

• Entrance: a ghost garland on the door and an LED lantern to one side create atmosphere without feeling too gloomy.
• Table: a centrepiece with LED lights, plaster pumpkins and ghosts, and a dark tablecloth to make the pale shapes stand out.
• Windows: cut-out window clings and hanging bats.
• Colours: black, orange and white with touches of purple for a gothic look; orange and warm yellow for a friendlier mood that suits little ones.

For a more dramatic effect, add a plaster witch's hand: you will find it explained in the tutorial Creative Halloween: plaster witch's hand with a hand cast.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Real candles inside paper lanterns: always use battery LEDs.
• Lukewarm water in the mix: Aqua Resin is mixed with cold water, at the ratio of 100 g : 30 g.
• Demoulding too early: wait 30 minutes, then leave to dry for 24 hours before painting.
• Aqua Metal in the mix: it is applied only with a brush on the dry piece.
• Storing decorations somewhere damp: keep them in a dry box, ideally treated with Aqua Shield.

Recommended products

• Aqua Resin: the premium alpha plaster for every piece in this guide.
• Pumpkin silicone mould with lid: an autumn decorative container.
• Ghost Candle mould: for plaster ghosts or Halloween candles.
• Aqua Pigment: to colour the mix orange, black or purple.
• Aqua Shield: to protect your decorations and make them last.

Frequently asked questions

How can I decorate my home for Halloween the easy way?

Start with three things: a ghost garland on the door, an LED lantern at the entrance and a few small themed pieces (pumpkins, spiders, bats) on the table and windows. Scissors, card and battery lights are all you need for a coordinated look in one evening.

Which DIY Halloween decorations can I make with kids?

Paper bats, pompom and pipe-cleaner spiders, lolly-stick monsters and small plaster pieces to paint. With Aqua Resin, children from 5 years old can make pumpkins and ghosts under adult supervision, with the adult also handling scissors and the glue gun.

How do you make a plaster Halloween pumpkin?

Mix 100 g of Aqua Resin with 30 g of cold water, pour into a pumpkin-shaped silicone mould, demould after 30 minutes and leave to dry for 24 hours. You can then paint it and protect it with Aqua Shield.

Can plaster decorations be reused year after year?

Yes. Aqua Resin pieces are solid and stand up to everyday use: stored in a dry box, they come out again every Halloween. To protect them from damp and dirt, you can treat them with Aqua Shield by brush or by dipping.

Is Aqua Resin suitable for beginners?

Yes: it is mixed with cold water only, has no odours or solvents and needs no professional equipment. Aqua Resin is not an epoxy resin: it is a premium alpha plaster, non-toxic and water-based.

Start your Halloween decorations

Pick a shape from our Halloween moulds, mix up a batch and within a day you will have decorations ready to display and keep for years to come. For more ideas for family afternoons, see our crafts to do at home.
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