How To Create Killer Outdoor Halloween Decorations At Very Little Cost

Halloween time has always been one of my favorite times of year. As a little kid I always loved trick or treating, not only for that sweet, sugary reward, but also for the sight seeing to be done in all of the neighborhood yards. Those spooky and whimsical decorations were always a delight to see.

Creating your own outdoor Halloween splendor allows those creative juices to flow and lets your imagination run wild! Be warned though, that if you plan to purchase all of your decorations it can be quite pricey. As much as I love decoration for Halloween, I just can’t justify spending a ton of money for decorating for a short term occasion. So, I decided to poke around in my basement, garage and shed to see what I had that could be somehow reused, rejuvenated or complete rearranged into decorations. My findings were amazing and worked out well. Here’s what I did and what you could do as well:

Use scrap plywood or cardboard (cardboard only if you will be decorating right before Halloween, not suggested for long term exposure to the rain!) and cut out tombstone shapes.

Paint the cut outs gray to match tombstone color. ( I also used black spray paint to give them that aged effect)

For a more realistic look, spread joint compound over the cut outs leaving to achieve a stone look. Allow to dry before painting. (I mixed my paint right in with the joint compound so this way I didn’t have to paint over it.)

Nail a wood slat behind your tombstone leaving at least 10-12” at the bottom to use to stake the tombstone into the ground.

Paint names and dates on the stones to add to the realistic look. Use your imagination and be creative adding names like Jack O. Lantern. or some other such clever name.

I then spread out a few of these in the flower bed in front of my house.

I then gathered old clothes and stuffed them with leaves (you can also used crumpled newspapers or grocery store bags) and added an old Halloween mask for the head. My monster was then propped in a chair in my “cemetery”.

I had recently replaced the fencing in my backyard and had a couple of old pickets lying around which I used to make a wooden cross head stone. (any old scrap wood will work)

I painted RIP on it and used an old dog collar that I had and hung it around the cross to look like a pet cemetery stone.

For added touches, I went to the dollar store and purchased a few rubber bats, and spider webs which I spread the entire scene. I also purchased some fake moss, which I hot glued to the tombstones for that creepy effect.

My yard was a hit and people were taking pictures of their kids in front of this ghoulish scene. You too can be the hit of your neighborhood. All it takes is your imagination, some scraps and a few dollars!