50 Creep-Tastic DIY Halloween Wreaths & Door Decor Ideas

Give your front door a welcoming (or not-so-welcoming) Halloween touch with one of our easy-to-craft wreaths and door decorating projects.

September 13, 2020

By: Chelsea Faulkner, H. Camille Smith, and Brian Patrick Flynn

Related To:

"Trick-or-Treat" Yo Self Plaque

Encourage trick-or-treaters to help themselves (to one treat a piece, of course) with this easy, upcycled DIY Halloween sign. Use our how-to, linked below, to create a custom plaque to display by your candy bowl on the porch, on your front door or by the mailbox.

GET THE HOW-TO: 5 Farmhouse Halloween Decorating DIYs

Stylish + Spooky Front Door Basket

For a twist, swap out your front door wreath for a slim basket or straw tote you can fill with a variety of spooky silk blooms, dried seed pods and grasses. For a free finishing touch, gather dead branches from your yard and tie it all together with black-and-white striped ribbon. Get our tips for creating a front door basket that'll take you from Halloween through Christmas, below.

GET THE HOW-TO: Skip the Wreath: Try a Holiday-Spanning Front Door Basket Instead

From: H. Camille Smith

Deck Out, Indoors

Wreaths aren't just for your front door; they're also an easy way to add just the right amount of spookiness to an interior wall. Using just craft-store materials, this budget-friendly wreath can be easily whipped up while watching your favorite Halloween flick. Craft your own with our step-by-step instructions.

GET THE HOW-TO: Spooky (and Easy) Woven Halloween Moon Wreath

All Eyes on 'Boo'

Create some googly curb appeal with a mischievous monster door. Simple cardstock, crepe paper and tape can make a creative funky face for your front door. Get our step-by-step instructions, below.

GET THE HOW-TO: DIY Halloween Door Decor That Will Have "All Eyes on Boo"

A Creepy Cauldron of Bats

You read that right — a group of bats is sometimes called a cauldron! Transform your plain front porch into a haunted Halloween haven by covering it in a cauldron of creepy paper bats. Get our step-by-step instructions and free printable bat template at the link below.

GET THE HOW-TO: Cover Your Front Door in a Spooky Swarm of Bats for Halloween

Get Your Witch On

Honestly, who doesn't have a little all-powerful sorceress within them? Honor your inner witchiness with this fun take on a wreath that starts with a costume hat.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Witch Hat Wreath

Rock a Skeletal Style

Give a plastic skeleton a fresh take on the afterlife as a minimalist wreath. Disassemble the skeleton by removing the thread, wire or string used to hold the pieces together. Next, attach bones to a wire wreath form using craft wire, overlapping and interlacing the bones. As a creepy finishing touch, wire the skull to the wreath's bottom so its sockets are approximately eye-level with trick-or-treaters.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Get Caught in the Web

Picture frames as wreaths? Sure, why not! Grab an old picture frame from a flea market or garage sale and update it with spray paint in a bold color. Next, remove the glass and artwork. Use string or yarn to create the spiraling look of a spider web then attach the web to the frame's back side with double-sided tape.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Where'd Ya Get Those Peepers?

Jeepers creepers — pair ink-black plumage with a pack of disembodied peepers to craft this ultra-easy and ultra-scary front door sight.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Wreath with Scary Googly Eyes

Marching Spiders

Amber Vanee, blogger and owner of Etsy shop, Dixie + Twine, gave her porch a festive facelift by arranging a parade of inky DIY spiders, from large to small, across her bright yellow front door. Paired with pale pink spider web and a statement-making balloon arch, this entry is sure to elicit plenty of boos and ahhs from trick-or-treaters of all ages. See more of Amber's work on Instagram at @DixieandTwine.

Spook-Up What You Have

Designer Kim Stoegbauer gave this basic grapevine wreath a Halloween-worthy makeover with some bone-white spray paint, inexpensive black rose garland and our free printable label. Get the full instructions and see the rest of this simple, spooky design at the link below.

GET THE HOW-TO: 5 DIY Decorations That Transition From Halloween to Thanksgiving

From: Kim Stoegbauer

Keep Out!

Create an (un)inviting entry and warn guests of the monsters that lie within by "boarding up" the front door. We covered the door in a bright green plastic tablecloth, then fashioned "wood" planks from upcycled cardboard shipping boxes. Black permanent marker circles mimic the look of nails and caution tape from the craft store adds an extra-spooky touch. We finished the look with spooky, oversized googly eyes, faux spider webs and the words "Keep Out" scrawled in dripping black paint.

SEE MORE: 73 Front Porch Decorating Ideas for Halloween

Branch Wreath

Skip the vibrant autumn blooms and set the tone for Halloween with a bare bones twig wreath and a bold, black-and-white ribbon. The minimalist twig wreath offers a subtly chic and spooky nod to the haunted holiday that lies ahead.

GET THE HOW-TO: 7 Fun and Spooky Front Yard Decorating Ideas for Halloween

Greet Guests With a Friendly Monster

Hit the craft store (or shop your craft stash) for everything you need to make this cuddly-looking critter that'll welcome trick-or-treaters and other Halloween guests with a playful one-eyed wink.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Halloween Yarn-Wrapped Monster Wreath

Witchy Welcome

Add a heavy dose of magical charm to your Halloween front door with this ornate, framed greeting. We found this oval picture frame at the thrift store, painted over the existing picture with black chalk paint, then scrawled the words "Come in for a Spell" in white chalk marker. See more of this witchy front porch, plus learn how to craft your very own witch's broom to match at the link below.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Witch's Broom or Besom

From: H. Camille Smith

Get The Kids' Help Magicking a Monster

Kids + googly eyes = a match made in crafting heaven. Enlist an assist from the kiddos to craft this green-eyed monster for the front door.

GET THE HOW-TO: 3 Spook-tastic Wreaths to Haunt Your Door

Just Add Spiderwebs

In a rush and on a budget? Give your existing front door wreath a very quick Halloween upgrade with some faux spider web and black plastic spiders from the dollar store.

SEE MORE: 56 Halloween Dollar Store Hacks That Give You More Boo For Your Buck

Tarot Cards

Pick a card, any card! Can’t decide which one to choose? That’s probably for the best because you’ll need the entire deck to recreate this mystical tarot card door hanger. To make, simply attach tarot cards to a flat wreath form in a circular arrangement. Tip: Use removable mounting putty or glue dots instead of glue or tape so you don't ruin the cards. When the holiday is over, simply disassemble and pack your deck away for later.

Mummify Your Door

Turn your door into a not-too-scary mummified monster this year with some non-damaging adhesive putty and a large roll of white crepe party streamers. Get the complete list of instructions at the link below.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Mummify Your Front Door for Halloween

Make Magnetic Spiders

Snag a bag of plastic spider rings from the dollar store to fashion a creepy cavalcade of spiders across your door, fridge, stove or any other metal surface.

GET THE HOW-TO: Easy-to-Make Magnetic Spiders

Pumpkin Greetings

Welcome guests from Halloween to the holidays with this simple, elegant DIY wreath made from mini faux pumpkins. Get the step-by-step instructions plus more fall front porch ideas from HGTV Magazine, below.

GET THE HOW-TO: 3 Unexpected Ways to Decorate Your Porch This Fall

From: HGTV Magazine

All Chained Up

Embrace a bit of the macabre with an iron shackle wreath. Search online or at local antique/thrift stores for authentic iron or steel shackles. Pick up a twig or grapevine wreath from the craft store, then wrap and drape the chain around it. Adorn the wreath with a faux black crow or raven for an added eerie touch.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Pumpkin Parade

Invoke the warm and fuzzy feelings of fall with this stylish front door design. Cover your door in brown craft paper, then cut store-bought white pumpkins in half. Attach the pumpkins with removable picture hanging hooks and accent with a waterfall of faux fall foliage and plaid ribbon.

Proceed With Caution

Danger ahead! Put caution tape to decorative use as a yellow-and-black crime scene wreath. Pick up a roll of caution tape from your local hardware store and a foam wreath form at the craft store. Wrap the caution tape around the form, ensuring the letters face out. Use strong tape or straight pins to secure the end of the tape to the wreath's back. Complete the look with a caution tape bow.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Fake Shattered Windows

Create the look of a shattered window with a clever use of frosted contact paper. Just attach contact paper directly to the window then use a craft knife or razor blade to cut away jagged areas until the window or door looks like it's been shattered.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Macrame Halloween Hoops

No needles or hooks are required for this spooky-chic Halloween yarn project. These macrame Halloween hoops are so easy to make, you'll be able to haunt and hang on your walls or front door in just an afternoon.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Macrame Halloween Wall Hanging

You're Being Watched

Keep an eye on trick-or-treaters with a googly-eyed wreath. To make it, pick up two to three bags of white Ping-Pong balls online or at a sports store. Use hot glue to attach them, in layers, to a foam wreath form with hot glue. Once all visible parts of the wreath form have been covered, attach small and large googly eyes. Tip: It's best to hang the wreath with a door hanger, rather than wrapping ribbon around it, so the layers of Ping-Pong balls remain undisturbed.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

It's Fall Y'all

Add some harvest hospitality to your entry by covering the front door in rustic, brown craft paper, faux fall leaves and hand-lettered words of welcome.

GET THE HOW-TO: Make Your Front Door Say "It's Fall Y'all" With DIY Decor

Mini "Pumpkin" Wreath

Although the tiny orange shapes covering this wreath look like diminutive pumpkins, they're actually putka pods. A great stand-in for mini pumpkins, the dried organic seed pods don't deteriorate, so your wreath can be displayed year after year.

Make a Mini Pumpkin Wreath for Fall

From: Marian Parsons

Witchy Mudroom

Turn your front porch into a drop-zone for all manner of witchy paraphernalia. Sweeping cloaks and pointy hats hanging on the door appear as if the magical residents within simply hopped off their brooms, kicked off their shoes and stepped inside for the evening.

Get a Little Batty

Add a little battitude to your front door with this wreath. To craft it, you'll need a foam wreath form, charcoal-gray yarn, black craft foam, black ribbon, floral wire and a hot glue gun. First, wrap the foam wreath form with yarn, ensuring that none of the foam shows through. Next, print this bat template in various sizes and trace the pattern onto black foam, cutting out the shapes with scissors. Poke a small hole through the top of each bat with floral wire then wire bats onto wreath, positioning them so they look like they're in flight. Finally, wrap black ribbon around the top of the wreath for hanging.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Teal Welcome

Did you know that teal pumpkins symbolize you're giving away allergy-friendly treats? Let the neighborhood know with these easy, embroidery hoop wreaths fashioned to look like a friendly pack of pumpkins. To make, stretch teal blue and orange fabric through embroidery hoops in three different sizes. Download our free jack-o'-lantern face templates, then cut out and trace onto black felt. Cut out the felt faces and glue to the fabric. Glue the three pumpkins together in the arrangement seen here, then add some green ribbon "stems" to the top of each hoop.

SEE MORE: Halloween Teal Pumpkin Jack-o-Lantern Ideas

Craft a Monstrous Welcome

Welcome Halloween guests with a friendly, furry monster wreath. To craft it, you'll need one yard of black faux fur, small balls in assorted colors and 8-10 sets of plastic vampire teeth. Cover a foam wreath form with the faux fur, securing the ends with strong tape or T-pins. Attach the balls and vampire teeth to the fur with hot glue. Finally, use black and white paint pens to add a slit pupil to each of the eyes.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Dia de los Muertos

The Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos is a beautiful Mexican holiday that comes just days after Halloween. The holiday is full of rich traditions and symbolism and is about remembering loved ones who have passed. Acknowledge this special celebration with a colorful, flower-decked sugar skull wreath.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Day of The Dead Halloween Wreath

Give Them the Shutters

The possibilities for this easy wood shutter craft are endless. Dress it up for Halloween, then easily swap out the letters for fall and other holidays. It’s even perfect as everyday decor, displaying words like “home” or “love”. But for Halloween, the obvious choice is "Boo"!

GET THE HOW-TO: 5 DIY Decorations That Transition From Halloween to Thanksgiving

From: Kim Stoegbauer

Embrace Your Inner Party Monster

Crushed beer can and bottle-top wreaths don't fit every situation, but they're right at home in a bachelor pad or man cave — especially if your home is Halloween Party Central. To create, crush the cans into interesting shapes then use pliers or metal-cutting shears to create a hole in the back of each can. Poke picture wire through the holes, then fasten the cans tightly to a grapevine wreath form.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Stylish Serpents

Create a soft and swirly serpent wreath with yarn and bendable toy snakes. First, cover a foam wreath form entirely with black yarn. Next, gather three to five bendable, cloth-covered toy snakes (plastic and rubber snakes work too), wrapping them tightly around the form. Be sure to position their heads in different directions to give the wreath a sense of motion.

GET THE HOW-TO: Make a Rubber Snake Wreath

Candy Corn Cutie

Some people love it, some despise it, but everyone recognizes candy corn as a Halloween staple. Put your love of this polarizing Halloween candy on display by decking your door in a banner of handcrafted candy corn pennants. All you need is a store-bought cardboard pennant banner, some craft paint and wood beads to pull off this yellow, orange and white display.

Lucky Black Cat

This cute, fuzzy black cat wreath could not possibly be bad luck. Craft your own from pipe cleaner, fun faux fur and a ready-made gift bag "bowtie."

Pretty in Pink

Design blogger Michele Strauts proves pink is always in season with this gourd-geous DIY pumpkin wreath. The wreath forgoes fall foliage and florals to make a seasonal statement with miniature pumpkins in a punchy, bubblegum hue. Recreate the lively design with a store-bought wreath and pink spray paint or give your gourds a personal twist with your own unexpected paint color.

Upcycle Hardware Essentials

Bright orange tow rope makes it a snap to craft a cheery orange wreath you can display from Halloween through Thanksgiving. Just swap out the saying on the mini pumpkins for an easy holiday update. Learn how to make your own with our step-by-step instructions below.

GET THE HOW-TO: Tow Rope Halloween Wreath

Arachnophobia

Give arachnophobes the heebie-jeebies with a spider's nest wreath made with bunched gauze, ribbon and plastic spiders. First, loosely wrap a spool of pure white medical gauze (or cheesecloth) around a foam wreath form until completely covered. Next, attach a few plastic spiders to one side of the wreath with craft or hot glue. Hang the wreath with a black velvet bow looped through the top. For an added gruesome touch, glue on a pair of skeletal hands.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Dollar Store Mitt Monster

Shop your local dollar store to craft this silly-scary wreath made from car washing mitts and ping pong balls. Get the step-by-step instructions, plus more dollar store Halloween decorating ideas below.

GET THE HOW-TO: 5 DIY Dollar Store Halloween Decor Ideas

Lord of the Flies

Keep the creepy crawly bugs away with this flyswatter-adorned wreath. Spray paint a faux evergreen Christmas wreath black, then decorate with orange garland, flyswatters and oversized toy flies.

Rustic Trick-or-Treat Sign

Transform a wood board and old book pages into this charming, distressed Halloween sign. Hang it on the front door or incorporate it into your rustic, fall front porch decorations.

GET THE HOW-TO: DIY Distressed Trick-or-Treat Sign

Medusa

According to the Greek myth, if you stare into the eyes of Medusa, you will turn into stone. Think about incorporating the slithery Gorgon into your Halloween decor to spook trick-or-treaters when they come knocking.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Medusa Halloween Wreath

Floral Skull

Round up some shipping Styrofoam to craft this spooky, larger-than-life decor for your front door this Halloween.

GET THE HOW-TO: Up Your Halloween Game With This Upcycled Floral Skull Wreath

Give 'Em the Creepy Crawlies

Pick up an oval grapevine wreath and a bag of assorted plastic bugs at your local craft store. Use the bugs to add color and shape to the wreath, attaching them with hot glue.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Spooky Spiders

We're crawling with excitement over this cute, creepy wreath that costs less than $10. To make your own, paint a 14-inch foam wreath form with orange craft paint. Let dry, then stick a dozen T-pins into the back of the wreath so they’re evenly spaced. Tie black twine to one pin, then wrap the twine around the wreath, looping it around the front and the pins in the back to create a web. Snip excess twine and tie the end to a pin. Paint small wood circles with black craft paint. Hot-glue eight short pieces of black twine to each circle for legs, then stick two round yellow stickers on for eyes. Hot-glue a longer piece of twine to the back of each spider, then hot-glue the other end to the web.

From: HGTV Magazine

All Dolled Up

For a look that is a little kitschy and a lot creepy, try covering a wreath with random doll parts and glitzy, orange and black Halloween garland.

Shop This Look

Photo By: Karen Kavett

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Photo By: Jennifer Perkins

Photo By: Pop Fizz

Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styled by Jill Tennant Designs

Photo By: Stephanie Studer, LifeCreated

Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styling by Chelsea Faulkner

Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styling by H. Camille Smith

Photo By: Jaylnn Baker

Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styling by Jill Tennant Anderson

Photo By: Pop Fizz

Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styling by Chelsea Faulkner

Photo By: Vickie Howell

Photo By: PopFizz

Photo By: Cassidy Garcia

Photo By: Stephanie Studer, LifeCreated

Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styling by Jill Tennant Anderson

Photo By: Sarah Busby

Photo By: Caitlin Dabbs

Photo By: J. Muckle

Photo By: Jennifer Perkins

HGTV Ultimate House Hunt

Battle on the Beach

Top Kitchen Paint Colors

Party-Ready Swimming Pools

Easy DIY Planters

Back-to-School Hacks

50 Creep-Tastic DIY Halloween Wreaths & Door Decor Ideas

Related To:

"Trick-or-Treat" Yo Self Plaque

Stylish + Spooky Front Door Basket

Deck Out, Indoors

All Eyes on 'Boo'

A Creepy Cauldron of Bats

Get Your Witch On

Rock a Skeletal Style

Get Caught in the Web

Where'd Ya Get Those Peepers?

Marching Spiders

Spook-Up What You Have

Keep Out!

Branch Wreath

Greet Guests With a Friendly Monster

Witchy Welcome

Get The Kids' Help Magicking a Monster

Just Add Spiderwebs

Tarot Cards

Mummify Your Door

Make Magnetic Spiders

Pumpkin Greetings

All Chained Up

Pumpkin Parade

Proceed With Caution

Fake Shattered Windows

Macrame Halloween Hoops

You're Being Watched

It's Fall Y'all

Mini "Pumpkin" Wreath

Witchy Mudroom

Get a Little Batty

Teal Welcome

Craft a Monstrous Welcome

Dia de los Muertos

Give Them the Shutters

Embrace Your Inner Party Monster

Stylish Serpents

Candy Corn Cutie

Lucky Black Cat

Pretty in Pink

Upcycle Hardware Essentials

Arachnophobia

Dollar Store Mitt Monster

Lord of the Flies

Rustic Trick-or-Treat Sign

Medusa

Floral Skull

Give 'Em the Creepy Crawlies

Spooky Spiders

All Dolled Up

Shop This Look

Halloween Ideas

Cover Your Front Door in a Spooky Swarm of Bats for Halloween 12 Photos

Skip the Wreath: Try a Holiday-Spanning Front Door Basket Instead 15 Photos

A Year of DIY Wreaths

3 Spook-tastic Wreaths to Haunt Your Door

Spring It On: 17 DIY Wreaths to Freshen Up Your Front Door for Spring 17 Photos

Make Your Front Door Say "It's Fall Y'all" With DIY Decor

Related Pages