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13 Super Scary Ways to Decorate Your House for Halloween

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Scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween with outdoor zombie woman, front yard graveyard

Ghastly ghosts, front yard graveyards & haunted mansion vibes? Yes please! Uncover these super scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween.

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Scary Ways to Decorate Your House for Halloween

Are you looking to be that house on the block that all the trick-or-treaters are scared to walk up to?

Throwing a Halloween party and want to go all out with creepy decorations? Or maybe you’re just really into Halloween and are always looking for ways to up your Halloween decor game.

halloween skeleton with lifeguard outfit waving
via Flickr

Regardless of your reasons, scary Halloween decorations are totally doable and are always in style for Halloween.

Keep scrolling through for how to use scary, spooky and creepy Halloween decorations throughout your home this year to get that haunted house kind of vibe.

Spooky Front Yard Graveyard

Scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween with a front yard graveyard display
Image via Flickr

A great, scary way to decorate your house for Halloween involves turning your front yard into a creepy graveyard setting. Graveyards are spooky looking even during the day – image how spooky your front yard graveyard is going to look at night with some strategic lighting!

To get the look, consider making your own tombstones out of supplies like foam, wood, cardboard, etc. There’s lots of ideas on how to do this on Pinterest.

Halloween Tombstones

Alternatively, you can buy tombstone decor online. You can find Halloween tombstones made from different kinds of materials such as foam board, plastic and resin.

Some companies even make animatronic tombstones that move around and make noise. It can be fun to add each to your tombstone collection each year.

Halloween Graveyard Fences
creepy ghosts with lanterns in front yard hanging from tree

For your front yard Halloween graveyard, don’t forget to include other creepy touches like ghost & monster figurines, skulls & bones, cobwebs and black metal fencing. Leaves covering the ground and a fog machine will really give your Halloween cemetery a haunted Victorian kind of vibe.

Scary Coffin & Hearse Halloween Decorations

skeleton in wooden hearse wagon in front yard
via Flickr

Another prop that would look great in your front yard graveyard is a coffin or hearse. You can have a coffin standing up against a wall or a railing on your front porch. Hearses look great “driving” into the cemetery.

If you have the space, a coffin on a table or sideboard is definitely a scary way to decorate for Halloween indoors (especially if something pops out of it!).

Halloween Coffins

There’s a few cardboard and foam Halloween coffins on the market that might work for you display, although they aren’t the sturdiest option.

If you want a Halloween coffin prop that will last for years and years, consider making one out of wood. I saw a cool looking Halloween coffin plan on Etsy for someone who is handy at woodworking.

Creepy Cobweb Halloween Decor

Scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween with a front yard graveyard display
Image via Flickr

How to make your house look scary for Halloween? Use cobwebs over pretty much anything and everything! There’s something creepy and gross about cobwebs & spider webs. The fake ones are no exception.

Most fake spider webs are made from either mesh material, cheesecloth style materials or ropes. These are all great materials for decorating both indoors and outdoors. If you use them outdoors, be sure to shine some spooky lighting on your cobwebs so you can see them at night.

Halloween Cobwebs & Spiders

Now the cobwebs stretched over everything certainly looks scary. But don’t forget about the spiders! A lot of Halloween spiderwebs on the market will contain plastic spiders or other bugs. You can also add things like rats, mice, skulls and bones to your webs for an extra creepy vibe.

Finally, keep an eye out for cool animatronic spiders. A lot of these will “jump” and can really be scary for your Halloween guests!

Creepy Critters For Halloween Decorations

halloween glass jars with creepy crawlies, spiders, snakes

I mentioned using cobwebs and spiders for spooky Halloween decorations. Another one of my favorite scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween involves using small creatures such as bats, rats, mice and crows. Bones, fossils, dried leaves and other “witchy” items can make for spooky Halloween displays as well.

Halloween Creepy Critters & Bones

I love the idea of filling a shelf with jars full of creepy crawlies like worms and centipedes. A few doll heads, bones and bottles complete the look. This would be a creepy thing to view during the day, but simple backlighting on the shelf really brings the look to life at night.

Scary Skeletons & Skulls For Halloween Decor

Scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween with skulls & Spanish moss in a vase

Some scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween involve the use of skeletons and skulls. Halloween skulls and skeletons on the market today basically either look cute & whimsical or scary & creepy. When shopping, consider if the skeleton seems to be smiling or grimacing – a meaner looking skeleton will give more of a scary vibe.

You’ll find lots of Halloween skull props on the market that are the perfect touch for Halloween centerpieces or on a spooky mantel.

Halloween Scary Skulls & Skeletons

Having skeletons coming out of the ground is another scary way to decorate for Halloween. These props are called “ground breakers” and they work well as part of a graveyard setting or in a flower bed.

Finally, consider having your skeleton sit or hang from your front porch. This can really give creepy vibes to your trick-or-treaters! Whichever way you use them, be sure to use some spooky lighting on the skeleton at night for the full effect.

Extra Large Halloween Props

extra large skeleton, phantom in front yard

Speaking of skeletons, have you seen these extra large Halloween figurines & props that have become a thing lately? Home Depot features a 12 foot tall skeleton named “Skelly” that’s been a big hit in recent years.

There’s something about the size of extra large Halloween props that can really give you the creeps! Maybe it’s because we always expect monsters and zombies to be a bit more human sized if you will.

Halloween Extra Tall Props
extra tall zombie decoration in front yard

One of the cool things about extra large Halloween decorations is that you can often make your own. Tubes, pipes, 2×4’s that are creatively covered can help give a normal sized prop some extra height.

The zombie pictured above looks like he could be made of some metal rods covered with white cloth.

Not handy? There are lots of extra large Halloween props hitting the market these days, so be sure to check you’re favorite Halloween shops. Many Halloween props are in the 5ft to 7ft tall range. I’d say any Halloween prop over 8ft is considered “extra large” or “extra tall”.

Spooky Witches For Halloween Decorations

Deluxe Animated Brewing Witch Duo

A lot of the Halloween witch decor on the market these days revolves around cute or whimsical witch figurines. But witches can be used for a scary vibe as well. Generally, the uglier the witch, the scarier looking she’ll seem!

phantom witch with glowing orb, crystal ball

You can find a lot of life-sized scary witch figurines on the market – some will move, talk and make sounds. Other witch figurines available to buy are hanging witches. I like these for a porch because they move around with the wind and appear to be flying.

Halloween Scary Witches

Or consider making your own. Pretty much any scary looking face mask or prop can be used along with a witch’s hat, fake hair and dark, long robes.

Scary Monsters & Zombies For Halloween Decor

Scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween with outdoor zombie woman figurines
Image via Flickr

Pretty much all scary Halloween decor ideas involve using some sort of monster or zombie figurines. These creepy creatures really bump up the fear factor in your Halloween decor.

If you’re crafty, there are tons of different Halloween monster figurines that you can make using things like pool noodles, PVC pipes, masks, fabric, etc. There are lots of scary ways to decorate for Halloween using monsters on Pinterest.

Scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween with monster figurines
Image via Flickr

Alternatively, consider purchasing a few animatronic Halloween figurines from stores like Spirit Halloween. Life size Halloween monster figurines can be a bit expensive. But if you’re going for scary, then the movement and sounds that the animatronic figurines make can be well worth the cost.

Halloween Monsters & Zombies

Don’t forget about spooky lighting for your Halloween monster and zombie display. There’s lots of good color changing outdoor flood lights that you can use to light up the Halloween creatures on your front yard.

Ghastly Ghosts for Halloween Decor

Scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween with outdoor ghost figurines
Image via Flickr

Ghosts are a classic Halloween decor prop to use when decorating your house for Halloween. However, don’t think your ghost has to look cute or whimsical. Scary looking ghosts are fun to use and look really spooky at night with the proper lighting. A little bit of wind helps give the ghost some movement and makes your house feel haunted.

Scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween with outdoor ghost figurines
Image via Flickr

How do you make a ghost figurine look scary? Consider using skeleton, monster, zombie, witch or doll face props or masks for the ghost’s head. You can use skeleton hands or have the ghost carrying a sickle for a creepy look.

Halloween Ghosts & Phantoms

Alternatively, consider using no face at all. A hooded ghost figure with a black void where the face would appear is definitely going to creep out your visitors during the Halloween season.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Halloween Decor

woman with ghost figure in mirror

Speaking of ghosts & phantoms, the idea of seeing a ghost figure in a mirror, window or picture frame is really scary for a lot of people. Consider putting up a haunted mirror in your house for a fun way to spook people.

There are lots of different styles to choose from on the market. Some light up and present scary images when you walk past them. Others are more three dimensional with a figurine sticking out of the mirror.

Halloween Scary Mirrors & Pictures

Another take on this concept is the changing picture in a frame. These pictures looks like a normal vintage image of a person. But when you glance at it from the side, the person turns into a creepy zombie! These would be fun to use in a scary Halloween gallery wall.

Scary Scarecrows For Halloween Decorations

jack o lantern head scarecrow on front porch

These aren’t your grandma’s cute scarecrow figurines! There’s something about putting a scary looking head on a scarecrow body that really makes it look really gruesome.

Add in the right lighting, some chains and maybe some fake blood and you’ve got a great Halloween prop for the front yard or front porch.

Halloween Scary Scarecrows
scarecrow with jack-o-lantern head in front of mansion for halloween

Scary scarecrows are another fun Halloween decoration that you can make for yourself. We used to make scarecrows as kids by stuffing a bunch of straw into an old pair of jeans and a button down shirt. Creepy hand and head props will complete the look.

For those that aren’t crafty or don’t have the time, there are lots of great scarecrow props on the market including animatronic versions that will move and making noise.

Creepy Jack-o-Lantern Halloween Decor

creepy jack-o-lantern eating another jack-o-lantern

A lot of us think of Jack-o-Lanterns as having a basic smiley face with either a friendly or scary expression. But some creative types out there can really take Jack-o-Lanterns to the next level of scary.

If you’re good at pumpkin carving, consider doing something really creepy this year with your Jack-o-Lantern to scare your trick-or-treaters.

For those that aren’t that creative or don’t have the time, you’re in luck. There are sellers on Etsy that will carve a custom pumpkin for you. Consider working with a seller to have an extra creepy Jack-o-Lantern made.

Spooky Candles For Halloween Decorations

scary halloween decorations with candles, skeleton, cobwebs
via Flickr

If you’re going for a scary look at Halloween, you have to consider the lighting you’re going to use around your house. Most decorations will look spookier at night with the appropriate lighting.

For some reason, candlelight can give off a creepy vibe. You can use real wax candles or flameless candles paired with skulls, bones, bats, etc. Candles that have wax dripping down the sides look even more creepy than a smooth edge. Or consider buying candles that drip “blood” or look like “bones”. Creepy!

Halloween Creepy Candles

Creepy Clown Halloween Decorations

creepy clown in front yard for halloween with pink lighting
via Flickr

Does it get any more scary than clowns at Halloween? What is it about clowns that make them seem so terrifying? I’m not sure, but I do know that Halloween clown decorations always give me the creeps.

You can have a clown here or there within your scary Halloween decor. Or consider going all out and creating a scary Halloween “fun house” theme with lots of different clowns, dolls and creepy circus type props. This would be a great idea for a Halloween theme party.

Halloween Scary Clowns

Creepy Doll Halloween Decorations

zombie staring down at fake doll in front yard

In addition to clowns there’s something about dolls around Halloween that also gives me the creeps! You can use scary dolls heads in your decor the same as you would with skulls or bones. Place them in vases, hurricanes, on your coffee table, etc.

Halloween Creepy Dolls
creepy halloween dolls

You can also use doll figurines. There’s a bunch of creepy dolls on the market that make sounds and movements. Or consider finding old dolls at a thrift store and turning them into a spooky Halloween prop. Making the eyes “dark” or “blank” and adding scars and blood to the doll will make it scary looking.

Scary Cages & Chains For Halloween Decor

zombie head behind wire cage

What’s scarier than a Halloween monster figurine? A monster in a cage! Having a crazed monster figurine being held back back by a cage, fencing or bars can make for a super scary Halloween decor look.

I mean, do you want the guy in the picture above getting out from behind that wire? No sir!

skeleton in cage in front walkway
via Flickr

This cage is a little bit more tame looking, but I bet you could really make this prop come alive at night with the right lighting and some fog effects.

This is another Halloween decor idea that you can make on your own using basic supplies. I love this scary Halloween decor idea from The Navage Patch using skeleton figurines in Dollar Store laundry baskets and chains.

skeleton hanging from wall with chains

A similar take on using cages for Halloween decor is to use chains around your Halloween props. This skeleton was misbehaving and somehow found himself chained to the wall. The rusty bars, red lighting and bloody hand prop add to the scene.

Blood & Guts Halloween Decor

zombie man standing near house with bloody arm, gravestone
via Flickr

How can I make my house creepy for Halloween? Simple – use a bit of blood and guts for a gruesome look. Any scary Halloween prop or figurine can be taken to the next level with a little bit of fake blood. You can get fake blood in sprays containers or use a kind that drips down and congeals.

Halloween Blood & Guts

Fake blood pairs well with fake guts. Organs and intestines on their own or hanging out of a Halloween zombie or monster figurine is sure to give your guests the creeps.

But don’t forget about the body parts! Hands reaching out of walls, fake legs used to support a table, etc. are all scary ways to decorate your house for Halloween for those that like a bit of gore (and have strong stomachs!).

What’s your favorite scary Halloween decoration? What are some Halloween decorations that give you the creeps?

Scary & creepy style Halloween decor isn’t your thing? Or maybe you want to incorporate it with other Halloween decorating styles? If so, check out these articles:

More Halloween Decorating Ideas

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