19 Creative DIY Trunk-or-Treat Ideas for Halloween

Dress your car to impress this Halloween with these scary-fun trunk-or-treat decorating themes and easy DIY ideas.

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By: Chelsea Faulkner

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Photo By: Brittney Gazaway, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Sarah Busby, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Sarah Busby, Styling by Jill Tennant Designs

Photo By: Sarah Busby, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Sarah Busby, Styling by Chelsea Faulkner

Photo By: Sarah Busby, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway, Styling by Chelsea Faulkner

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway, Styled by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Heather Baird, SprinkleBakes.com

Photo By: Sarah Busby, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Sarah Busby, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Heather Baird, SprinkleBakes.com

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway

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Photo By: Sarah Busby, Styling by Jill Tennant Design

Photo By: Heather Baird, SprinkleBakes.com

Creative Halloween Trunk-or-Treat Ideas Kids Will Love

Be the star of your trunk-or-treat event this Halloween and show off your DIY skills with an over-the-top car, SUV or truck display. Our list of 19 Halloween car decorations has something for everyone, whether your style is friendly, kooky or slightly scary. Are you a movie lover? Check out our Harry Potter-inspired trunk. Love unicorns? Our DIY balloon arch is a must. Are dinosaurs more your speed? We show how to turn your trunk into a mini bone excavating site (really!).

Don't have a trunk-or-treat event to attend this year? No problem! We love the idea of dressing up your trunk in the driveway to entertain neighborhood trick-or-treaters. And we've included tons of creative ways to package Halloween candy and even some non-candy treat ideas.

SEE MORE: 66 Frightfully Delicious Halloween Dessert Ideas

Pumpkin Patch Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Trick-or-treaters will be delighted when they arrive at this mini pumpkin patch. A cute sign invites little ones to pick a real pumpkin or a pumpkin-shaped bag filled with Halloween candy. Hay bales, a plaid blanket, a DIY picket fence, a roll of faux turf, wooden crates and a cardboard backdrop covered in faux wood paper create the look and feel of a fall day spent outdoors. All that's missing is a hayride!

Pick Your Own Pumpkin

Get your pumpkins here! A small, hand-lettered sandwich board sets the tone for this pumpkin patch-themed trunk. Go above and beyond by offering two types of pumpkins: Real, mini gourds or candy-filled pumpkin treat bags.

Pumpkin-Themed Candy Bags

These candy-filled pumpkins will delight trick-or-treaters of all ages. To make your own, fill orange cellophane treat bags with candy, then tie with wired twine and finish with a faux leaf. Arrange the treat bags inside old wooden crates and add a sign next to the set-up that encourages trick-or-treaters to pick their own pumpkin.

Seasonal Cotton Candy

Looking for another great treat idea kids will love? These fall-themed cotton candy containers from Fun Sweets are individually packaged and look adorable displayed in a rustic crate. With flavors like s'mores, candy corn and caramel apple, these grab-n-go treats are sure to delight. And the best part? They come in a pack of 6 for $5. Grab some at the link below.

BUY IT: Walmart.com, 5

DIY Pumpkin Patch

Two picket fence pieces were stained and nestled into 2x4 stands to create the illusion of a fenced-in pumpkin patch. Hay bales, multi-color pumpkins and a bed of faux turf finish the look. We filled the patch with faux pumpkins, but you could offer real mini pumpkins in lieu of or in addition to candy.

Dreamy Unicorn Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Calling all unicorn lovers! This unbelievably dreamy trunk is surprisingly easy to put together. Start by covering the trunk in a white plastic table cloth, then nestle a large white foam board just inside. Draw on eyelashes and pink heart cheeks with a permanent marker, then top it off with a quick pastel-hued balloon garland. Set up a unicorn-themed treat station and our free, printable "Pin the Horn on the Unicorn" game. Keep reading for more details and to get our free downloadable files. Pro Tip: We highly recommend using a balloon pump like this one to save time and energy when crafting the balloon garland.

BUY IT: Pastel Balloon Garland Kit, $8.99

Unicorn-Themed Treat Bags

Aren't these treat bags magical? To make your own, download and print our free unicorn horn template onto cardstock, then cut them out. Glue or staple the horns onto mini, pastel-colored gift bags, then staple or glue some curling ribbon or premade curly bows on top for "hair." Fill with candy and bring on the "oohs" and "ahhs" from trick-or-treaters. Pro Tip: You may need to adjust the size of the horns to match the size of your gift bags. For these mini bags, we changed our printer settings to "print two pages per sheet," cutting the size of the horns in half.

Pin the Horn on the Unicorn

Candy isn't the only attraction in unicorn trunk-or-treat land. Set up a fun, interactive game of "Pin the Horn on the Unicorn." Simply download our free unicorn poster, then send it to your local drugstore to be printed as an 18x24 poster. Glue the poster to a foam board and display on an easel. Then, download our free unicorn horns, print onto cardstock and cut them out. Add small rolls of painter's tape or repositionable putty to the back of each horn. Arrange some bandanas on a table with the horns and let kids take turns attempting to pin their horn as close to the unicorn's head as possible while blindfolded. The child who gets the closest wins a prize!

Bubbling Witch's Cauldron Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Double, double toil and trouble! Transform your trunk into a magical witch's cauldron overflowing with enchanted balloon bubbles and paper bag "flames." A green plastic tablecloth acts as a ghoulish backdrop to purple and silver hanging stars while a pair of broomsticks awaits the return of their witchy owners. Learn how to make your own flying brooms at the link below.

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

DIY Spell Books

Put your favorite tomes to work this Halloween as DIY spell books. Simply wrap hardcover books in black construction paper, then write out some magical subjects on the spines in silver permanent marker. When Halloween is over, simply remove the construction paper.

Use Magnets Instead of Tape

Our number one trunk-or-treat must-have? Heavy-duty magnets. These tiny wonders hold decorations in place like a charm on your metal car without ruining the paint like tape can do. Plus, they are extremely easy to remove when the event is over. Pro tip: Check the material of your car's bumper or fender before buying a pack of magnets. Some vehicles are made from plastic instead of metal.

Craft Some Faux Fire

Set your cauldron to boiling with a base of logs and flames made from paper bags and tissue paper. Buy a pack of brown paper bags and cut the tops into an organic, wavy line, ensuring each bag is a slightly different height. Draw faux wood details on each bag with a black permanent marker, then fill the bags with a handful of rocks and red, orange and yellow tissue paper. Pro Tip: Use a hot glue gun to secure the tissue paper to the bags so the tissue won't blow away in the breeze.

Spider Ring Treat Bags

Shop your dollar store to find everything you need to craft these creepy-cute treat bags. To make a batch, fill colorful paper bags with Halloween treats, fold the top closed and punch a hole. Thread a piece of baker's twine through the hole, tie a bow and finish by hooking the open end of a plastic spider ring through the hole. Kids can wear the rings now and enjoy spooky-sweet treats later on.

SEE MORE: 45 DIY Halloween Gift Bags & Party Favor Ideas

Fun Fall Carnival Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Create the look and feel of a festive fairground with this colorful, interactive trunk inspired by a fall carnival. An inexpensive white pegboard fits perfectly inside the trunk of a large SUV or leans easily against an open car trunk, and is used to display carnival food like cotton candy and popcorn. Party decorations like red tablecloths (used as curtains), balloons, a red-and-white striped table skirt and paper fans come together to create an eye-catching display. And no day at the fair is complete without classic carnival games like ring-toss and disk-drop.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Ring-Toss Game

Pegboard Backdrop

We zip-tied two large pegboard sheets together to act as a background and a place to display snacks and treats. The sheets fit perfectly inside the trunk of a large SUV. You could also nestle it down inside the open trunk of a sedan.

Fair Food

To create an eye-catching food display, thick twine was draped across the pegboard sheets and clothespins were used to pin bags of cotton candy, chips and popcorn. Trick-or-treaters can easily grab their choice of treat by simply unpinning it from the display.

Classic Carnival Games

Keep kids of all ages entertained with the classic carnival game, disk-drop. Revelers can compete for prizes or simply enjoy a few minutes of fun at the fair. To score points, place a disc flat on the board and let it drop. Whoever wins the most points after 10 rounds wins. Display the game on a wooden crate and surround with fall decor like potted mums, hay bales and pumpkins.

BUY IT: Carnival Disc Drop Game, $25.99

Bagged Treats + More Fair Games

Keep extra bags of popcorn, chips and cotton candy displayed nearby so you can continue to refill the treat display throughout the course of the event. The bagged fair food also acts as extra decoration and a festive backdrop to a DIY ring-bottle toss game.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Ring-Toss Game

Space Adventure Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Blast off! Take trick-or-treaters on a journey through the solar system with this space-themed trunk-or-treat idea. Giant inflatable planets hang from fishing wire that looks invisible against a backdrop of night sky wrapping paper. A DIY space shuttle made from a cardboard trifold is all you need to finish the out-of-this-world design.

BUY IT: Inflatable Solar System, $35.49

Inflatable Planets

Save yourself the time and stress of crafting each planet by hand and buy this cute inflatable set, instead. Suspend these 3-D globes from your open trunk using clear fishing line and repositionable adhesive hooks. Pro Tip: Fishing line is best secured with a sewing knot, rather than a standard double knot.

BUY IT: Inflatable Solar System, $35.49

DIY Cardboard Spaceship

To craft your own oversized rocketship, trace the nose of the ship on the center panel of a heavy duty tri-fold presentation board, and draw wings on the two outer panels. Cut out the cardboard ship, then us permanent markers to color in some silver, red, blue and black details. Cut a hole in the center and tape a piece of parchment paper to the back to act as a window. Pieces of red, yellow and orange streamers were cut to size and taped to the back of the center section to create the illusion of fire coming out of the rocket boosters.

Magical Harry Potter-Themed Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Cast a spell with this magical setup inspired by J.K. Rowling's classic Harry Potter book series. A faux brick backdrop sets the stage for DIY floating candles, a snowy white Hedwig in a cage, a school trunk, DIY flying broom, sorting hat, stacked school books and DIY platform nine and three-quarters sign. Go one step further and hand out chocolate frogs and every-flavor jelly beans in lieu of traditional Halloween candy.

DIY Floating Candles

Create the illusion of magical floating candles with this easy DIY. Add rivulets of hot glue to cardboard tubes to mimic the look of melting candle wax. Let dry, then spray with ghostly white paint until completely covered. Once dry, thread clear fishing line onto a sewing needle and use the sharp end of the needle to thread the line through one side of the tube and out the other. Repeat once more on the opposite side of the tube, creating an "x" of fishing line inside. Tie the four strands of fishing line hanging out of the tube together in a sewing knot at the top, then hang from your trunk using adhesive hooks. The "x" of fishing line inside the tube will act as a sling to hold a small faux flame candle. Turn on the candles, place them inside the tops of the tubes and enjoy the magical ambiance.

Harry's Trunk

No great wizard can head off to Hogwarts without his trunk! If you don't have a vintage-looking trunk at home, you can usually find one at your local antique mall or flea market. Or if you're feeling ambitious, make your own from a large cardboard box. Arrange a tie or scarf in the colors of your favorite Hogwarts house to spill out of the lid and set the sorting hat (or any old witch's hat) on top.

Treats Little Witches & Wizards Will Love

Round out your Harry Potter-themed display with some quintessential treats from the wizarding world. Trick-or-treaters will love receiving chocolate frogs or small bags of every-flavor jelly beans to add to their candy stash.

Cozy Campsite Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Break out the (faux) campfire and take trick-or-treaters on a journey into the woods with this camping-themed trunk-or-treat idea. A cardboard trifold mountain range makes a beautiful, rustic backdrop for a DIY Great Smoky Mountains National Park sign. A cozy tent, faux campfire, lanterns and blankets set the scene while an oversized picnic basket offers up a bounty of Halloween candy.

Dreamy Tent & Campfire

A star-covered, A-frame tent filled with a soft blanket and red lantern sets the scene and offers a cozy place for kids to take a break, relax and enjoy a piece of candy or two before heading to the next trunk. Finish the look with a cozy faux campfire and a bed of soft artificial grass underfoot.

DIY National Park Sign

Welcome kiddos to the great outdoors by creating a backdrop of inviting green mountains and your very own national park sign. Download our free Great Smoky Mountains National Park sign and have it printed onto a 24x36 poster at your local drugstore or photo printing shop. Cut out the sign, glue it onto a foam board, then use a sharp craft knife to carefully cut away the foam board along the outline of the sign. Display against a background of mountains made from green poster paper and a tri-fold presentation board.

Picnic Basket Full of Candy

Hey, hey, hey! This picnic basket filled with Halloween candy is definitely Yogi Bear-approved. Display yours on a small camping table or folding chair for a fun, rustic way to hand out treats.

Dinosaur Dig Trunk-or-Treat Idea

For a trunk-or-treat theme kids will really dig (get it?), this prehistoric scene can’t be beat. Mini paleontologists can uncover dinosaur bones buried in your trunk, while dinosaur footprints will lead them to an excavation bucket filled with a take-home treat of dinosaur eggs (chocolate rocks).

Trunk Full of Fossils

Paleontologists-in-training will love this hands-on fossil-finding activity. Fill a boot tray or shallow storage container with black aquarium gravel and place it in the trunk of your car. Nestle toy dinosaur bones into the gravel until they're mostly covered. Add little excavating tools and small brushes around the dinosaur bones and allow trick-or-treaters to take turns excavating the bones using the brushes. Cover the bones back up in between turns.

Fill in the empty trunk space around the excavating tray with sprays of large artificial ferns.

A Tasty Prehistoric Treat

Place an "excavation bucket" nearby with treat bags filled with chocolate rocks. For an extra-fun touch, add a specimen tag to each bag labeling them as "dinosaur eggs" and place dinosaur footprint party decorations on the ground around the trunk area leading to the treat bucket.

Circus Trunk-or-Treat Idea

It's a circus around here! Delight little ones with a trunk filled with tricks — including a tiger who jumps through hoops and an elegant posing elephant. Set the scene with a store-bought red and white-striped table skirt that's easily attached to the bottom of the car with heavy-duty magnets and painter's tape. To create "curtains," tie red and white table cloths to either side of the open trunk and hide the string with fun paper fans. Fill the trunk with bags of popcorn and grab-n-go animal crackers and craft a faux barbell from foam spheres and a dowel rod. Learn how to make the quintessential strong-man costume to accompany your circus-themed trunk, below.

GET THE HOW-TO: Easy Halloween Costume: Carnival Strong Man

DIY Circus Pedestals

Create your own classic circus pedestals by gluing triangles of construction paper to a plain hat box from the craft store. Add some pizzazz by topping each triangle with a gold star sticker. Use the pedestals to prop a stuffed elephant or display tasty treats.

Jumping Through Hoops

The centerpiece of this fun-filled trunk display is a stuffed tiger "jumping" through a hoop of faux flames. To recreate this look, cut out flames of red, orange and yellow construction paper and wrap them around a hula hoop. Suspend the hoop and the tiger from the roof of your trunk using fishing line. Pro tip: Use a sewing knot to secure fishing line. Regular knots will slip or break.

Tasty Themed Treats

In addition to candy, stock your treat station with circus-themed snacks like bags of popcorn and boxes of animal crackers.

Candy Monster Trunk-or-Treat Idea

This quick and easy trunk-or-treat idea is great for first-time DIYers or last-minute shoppers. A handful of lime green feather boas serve as the monster's "fur" while purple paper fans and white bunting from the party supply store act as eyes and teeth. Simply add a tongue made from red butcher paper, fill your trunk with Halloween candy and you've got a monstrously fun setup any trick-or-treater will love.

BUY IT: Amazon, $5.29

Make a Giant Monster Tongue

Cut a length of red butcher paper long enough to extend from the trunk of your car to the ground. Shape one end into a tongue-like oval and use a permanent marker to draw on a tongue fissure. Use adhesive strips to secure the paper to both the trunk and the ground so wind won't blow it away.

Fill the Monster's Mouth With Candy

Dump a few bags of Halloween candy in the trunk of your car (aka the monster's mouth) and allow trick-or-treaters to reach in for a treat, if they dare.

Pirate Ship Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Ahoy, trick-or-treaters! Set sail with this DIY pirate ship that puts hardware store staples to use as sea-worthy decorations. PVC pipe and a drop cloth make up the mast while cardboard and wrapping paper create a realistic-looking bow. Finish the look with a skeleton crew and a treasure chest full of pirate's booty.

GET THE HOW-TO: Trunk-or-Treat Idea: Turn Your Car Into a Pirate Ship

Make the Mast

PVC pipe is cut and painted to resemble wood, then shaped into a frame to hold a drop cloth "sail." Get the step-by-step instruction below.

GET THE HOW-TO: Trunk-or-Treat Idea: Turn Your Car Into a Pirate Ship

Craft a Pirate-Worthy Prop

Create a steering wheel worthy of a true pirate ship with a floral wreath form and craft sticks. To do so, just push the craft sticks into the wreath form's outer edge in the style of a ship's wheel and coat all parts with brown spray paint. Add as many coats as desired, leaving ample drying time between coats.

GET THE HOW-TO: Trunk-or-Treat Idea: Turn Your Car Into a Pirate Ship

Skeleton Crew

Take the theme up a notch by bringing along some pirate-themed decor, including a toy skeleton sporting a bandana and an eye patch.

GET THE HOW-TO: Trunk-or-Treat Idea: Turn Your Car Into a Pirate Ship

Treasure Chest Filled With Treats

Don your best pirate outfit and steer trick-or-treaters to your trunk by offering up pirate's booty (aka Halloween candy) in a treasure chest.

"On the Farm" Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Round up the (inflatable) animals, grab your best pair of overalls and put your favorite fall produce on display in this fun farm-themed trunk-or-treat setup. Cute balloon animals peek out from behind a picket fence and welcome trick-or-treaters to grab a handful of candy from the galvanized bucket below. Inside the trunk, white duct tape and black construction paper were added to a red tri-fold presentation board to resemble the look of a classic barn door.

Barnyard Balloon Friends

Add some barnyard charm to your trunk or treat with these adorable farm animal balloons. Balloon sticks were attached to the bottom of the balloons and taped to the back of the fence panel to keep the animals in place. To make your own picket fence, nail a premade fence panel to a base of 2 x 4s cut to size.

BUY IT: Amazon, $6.95

Seasonal Decor

Round out your barnyard decor with fall-themed vignettes of hay bales, fall mums and heirloom pumpkins.

Dress the Part

This farm-themed trunk is the perfect excuse to don your favorite pair of denim overalls.

Aquarium Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Make a splash with this fin-tastic aquarium trunk decoration this Halloween. Set the scene with easy-to-craft giant aquatic plants and real aquarium gravel. Invite trick-or-treaters to swim over to the treasure chest inside your trunk for treat bags of "fish food" (candy). Top with a blue balloon arch and hanging strands of bubble garland to the complete the underwater look.

Fill With Aquarium Gravel

Cover your entire trunk in aqua blue plastic table cloths, using painter's tape to secure it to your car. Lay a large boot tray or shallow storage tray in the floor the trunk and set a treasure chest inside. Fill the area around the treasure chest with aquarium gravel and small faux aquatic plants. The boot tray keeps the gravel contained for easy clean-up.

DIY "No Fishing" Sign

To make this kitschy sign, use a craft knife to cut jagged edges into the ends of a few pieces of balsa wood. Add a light layer of brown craft paint to the wood and let dry. Glue the wood pieces together and use white paint and a fine-tipped brush to paint the words "NO FISHING" on the front.

Mad Scientist Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Go mad this Halloween with a trunk-or-treat setup that's bubbling over with fun things to see and do. Create a creepy laboratory in your car's trunk by filling it with apothecary jars, glass beakers, slimy creatures and more. And don't bother handing out candy! Jars of glow-in-the-dark slime are much more fun.

Step Into the Laboratory

Every mad scientist needs a blackboard on which to notate his grand ideas. To make your own, cover a foam board in black kraft paper, then use a white chalk marker to draw various "scientific" scribbles like mathematic equations, periodic elements, DNA strands and more. Nestle this board into the back of your trunk, then fill the space in front with a lime green tablecloth covered in beakers of colorful liquids, fake bugs, specimen jars and more.

Candy Alternative: Scary Slime

Send kids home with a slimy, glow-in-the-dark favor they can play with instead of eat. Turn up the scare factor by displaying jars of slime on a specimen tray with beakers and creepy-crawly creatures.

SEE MORE: 45 DIY Halloween Gift Bags & Party Favor Ideas

Giant Spider Web Trunk-or-Treat Idea

A gigantic spider web made of ropes is the centerpiece of this simple-yet-spooky Halloween car decoration. A black and white rug draws the eye and makes a graphic base for oversized spiders, pumpkins and a display stand full of cotton candy spider web treats.

DIY Rope Spider Web

To craft your own giant spider web, attach a removable adhesive hook to the top of your open trunk door. Tie five long pieces of white rope together in a knot at one end, and loop that knot around the hook. Nail the opposite ends of each piece of rope to a long piece of wood, spacing the strands about a foot apart. Weave shorter pieces of rope horizontally through the strands (pictured), tying at each end. Starting at the top, weave these pieces at gradually wider intervals until you reach the bottom.

Kooky Crawly Decorations

Camouflage the wooden weight with stretchy faux spiderwebs and kooky, oversized DIY spiders made from foam balls and pipe cleaners. Get the step-by-step instructions below.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make DIY Oversized Spooky Spiders

Spider Web Cotton Candy Treat Bags

This sticky treat is almost too spooky to eat ... almost. To make, fill clear cellophane treat bags with white cotton candy (we found ours at the grocery store) and plastic spider rings from the dollar store. Tie with black and white baker's twine and arrange in a large black bowl or plastic cauldron for an extra-creepy display.

SEE MORE: 45 DIY Halloween Gift Bags & Party Favor Ideas

Shark Attack Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Dominate Halloween with your very own set of Jaws! Make this foam core shark for your next trunk-or-treat event and fill its mouth with all your favorite sweets. Grab the step-by-step instructions below.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make Your Own Shark-Style Trunk-or-Treat Halloween Decoration

Set the Scene

Drape a red sheet over the open trunk to create a backdrop for the shark’s mouth, then follow the step-by-step instructions below to learn how to craft a set of terrifying teeth.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make Your Own Shark-Style Trunk-or-Treat Halloween Decoration

Swim With the Sharks

Soften the scariness with some fun tropical decorations and pool toys, then arrange buckets full of treats inside the trunk, so kids have to reach inside the shark’s mouth ... if they dare.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make Your Own Shark-Style Trunk-or-Treat Halloween Decoration

Tailgate Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Go team! This trunk-or-treat tailgate is packed with everything we love about football parties: yummy snacks, fun games and some healthy competition. Swap out colors and decor to match your favorite team's theme, then set up game stations around the trunk to encourage trick-or-treaters to stop and play for prizes. If you're feeling ambitious, set up a snack station full of traditional tailgate food, including hot dogs, sausage balls or even a nacho bar. Find the full instructions for this trendy tailgate setup below, then keep reading to grab some free, printable decorations and DIY game ideas.

GET THE FULL INSTRUCTIONS: Freshman Guide to Tailgating

Mini Football Toss

Everyone will love this football tossing game that challenges players to throw mini foam footballs through the holes in the game board to earn points. The first player to score 100 yards wins!

GET THE HOW-TO: Make a Mini Football Toss Game to Add Some Fun to Any Tailgate

DIY Letter Board

Add a little team spirit to your tailgate with this quick and cute DIY letter board. Premade embroidered varsity letters give the board a sporty feel and allow you to spell out any message you'd like. Grab the step-by-step instruction at the link below.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Sporty Tailgating Letter Board

DIY Felt Pennant Banner

Show your team spirit with this easy-to-make felt pennant banner. With a few basic supplies, you can create a colorful garland to cheer on your favorite team.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Simple and Easy Felt Pennant Banner

"A Day at the Beach" Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Put your metaphorical toes in the sand with this sunny scene that recreates the look and feel of a day at the beach. A grass skirt lines the bottom of the trunk while a blue plastic tablecloth and foam board covered in blue paper create the illusion of a bright blue sky inside. To keep your car clean and contain the mess, lay down a sheet of plastic below a tan drop cloth before adding sand to your trunk. Now all that's left is to decorate with faux palm trees, beach toys, an umbrella and a cozy beach chair. And don't forget to don your breeziest beach attire and favorite pair of shades before greeting trick-or-treaters.

Beach Snacks

Nestle buckets and beach toys into the sand for a fun way to display Halloween candy.

Craft a Beachy Scene

Tap into your elementary school craft skills to make this giant sandcastle. Cut a tri-fold presentation board to resemble a medieval castle, then cover in it school glue and a layer of sand. Repeat as necessary until the whole board is covered in sand. Nestle the finished castle into the sandy trunk, leaning it back a little to keep it from tipping over.

Sit Back & Relax

A cozy beach chair, eye-catching nautical towel and other beach-going necessities make a vacation-worthy vignette.

UFO Encounter Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Little green men come bearing intergalactic sweets in this fun martian themed trunk-or-treat display. A flying UFO hovers overhead to beam down treats for all their human visitors. This scene can easily be recreated with inexpensive supplies from the dollar store. Inflatable aliens can be found at party stores or purchased online.

DIY UFO Spaceship

Create a DIY alien spaceship by covering a dollar store umbrella in a layer of shiny silver paint.

Out-of-This World Treat Box

To make this spaceship candy box, cut the top off of a medium cardboard box. Cut one long side of the box lower and cut the right and left sides at an angle to create a bin-like shape, then cover the whole thing in silver foil wrapping paper. Embellish the outside of the box with scrapbooking dots, jewels and square favor boxes, to create a "control panel." Pro Tip: We used dollar store favor boxes sold in packs of four that look like toy building blocks, cut in two and attached with hot glue.

19 Creative DIY Trunk-or-Treat Ideas for Halloween

Related To:

Shop This Look

Creative Halloween Trunk-or-Treat Ideas Kids Will Love

Pumpkin Patch Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Pick Your Own Pumpkin

Pumpkin-Themed Candy Bags

Seasonal Cotton Candy

DIY Pumpkin Patch

Dreamy Unicorn Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Unicorn-Themed Treat Bags

Pin the Horn on the Unicorn

Bubbling Witch's Cauldron Trunk-or-Treat Idea

DIY Spell Books

Use Magnets Instead of Tape

Craft Some Faux Fire

Spider Ring Treat Bags

Fun Fall Carnival Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Pegboard Backdrop

Fair Food

Classic Carnival Games

Bagged Treats + More Fair Games

Space Adventure Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Inflatable Planets

DIY Cardboard Spaceship

Magical Harry Potter-Themed Trunk-or-Treat Idea

DIY Floating Candles

Harry's Trunk

Treats Little Witches & Wizards Will Love

Cozy Campsite Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Dreamy Tent & Campfire

DIY National Park Sign

Picnic Basket Full of Candy

Dinosaur Dig Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Trunk Full of Fossils

A Tasty Prehistoric Treat

Circus Trunk-or-Treat Idea

DIY Circus Pedestals

Jumping Through Hoops

Tasty Themed Treats

Candy Monster Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Make a Giant Monster Tongue

Fill the Monster's Mouth With Candy

Pirate Ship Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Make the Mast

Craft a Pirate-Worthy Prop

Skeleton Crew

Treasure Chest Filled With Treats

"On the Farm" Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Barnyard Balloon Friends

Seasonal Decor

Dress the Part

Aquarium Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Fill With Aquarium Gravel

DIY "No Fishing" Sign

Mad Scientist Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Step Into the Laboratory

Candy Alternative: Scary Slime

Giant Spider Web Trunk-or-Treat Idea

DIY Rope Spider Web

Kooky Crawly Decorations

Spider Web Cotton Candy Treat Bags

Shark Attack Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Set the Scene

Swim With the Sharks

Tailgate Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Mini Football Toss

DIY Letter Board

DIY Felt Pennant Banner

"A Day at the Beach" Trunk-or-Treat Idea

Beach Snacks

Craft a Beachy Scene

Sit Back & Relax

UFO Encounter Trunk-or-Treat Idea

DIY UFO Spaceship

Out-of-This World Treat Box

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