Halloween is one of the best times of the year to decorate your porch. The good news is, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make your home look festive and spooky. With a little creativity, you can use simple items like pumpkins, paper, old jars, and string lights to create decorations that are both scary and fun. These porch decorations will welcome trick-or-treaters, impress your neighbors, and give your home that haunted charm—without breaking the bank. Here are 15 budget-friendly DIY Halloween porch ideas you can try this season.
Table of Contents
- 1. Pumpkin Tower with a Twist
- 2. DIY Ghost Lanterns
- 3. Trash Bag Spider Webs
- 4. Hay Bale Pumpkin Display
- 5. Hanging Ghost Balloons
- 6. Dollar Store Garland Glow
- 7. Painted Rock Pumpkins
- 8. Creepy Doormat
- 9. Tin Can Lanterns
- 10. Creepy Window Silhouettes
- 11. DIY Broom Parking
- 12. Skeleton Welcome Greeter
- 13. Spider Balloon Web
- 14. Glow-in-the-Dark Eyes
- 15. Recycled Pallet Sign
1. Pumpkin Tower with a Twist
Instead of buying expensive carved pumpkins, stack three plastic or foam pumpkins on top of each other to make a pumpkin tower. You can paint them black, white, or even metallic for a stylish look. Add a witch hat to the top pumpkin for extra fun. Place the tower by your front door with fairy lights wrapped around it. This gives your porch a festive touch at a low cost.
2. DIY Ghost Lanterns
Old mason jars can turn into glowing ghosts. Paint the jars white, then draw spooky faces with a black marker. Drop a small LED candle or fairy lights inside each jar. Line them along the porch steps for a glowing haunted pathway. This project is simple, safe, and very affordable.
3. Trash Bag Spider Webs
You can make giant spider webs using black trash bags. Cut the bags into web shapes and hang them across your porch railing or door. Add a big toy spider in the middle for a creepy touch. This idea costs almost nothing but makes a big Halloween statement.
4. Hay Bale Pumpkin Display
Buy or borrow a small hay bale and stack a few pumpkins on top. Add a scarecrow or crow decoration for a farmhouse Halloween look. You can reuse the hay bale later for fall décor, so it’s a smart budget choice.
5. Hanging Ghost Balloons
White balloons can become floating porch ghosts. Cover them with white cloth or tissue paper and draw spooky faces. Hang them from your porch ceiling with string so they move in the breeze. They look cute during the day and extra spooky at night.
6. Dollar Store Garland Glow
Pick up black and orange garlands from the dollar store and wrap them around your porch railing. Add battery-powered string lights for a glowing effect. It’s a quick, cheap, and festive way to dress up your porch.
7. Painted Rock Pumpkins
Instead of buying lots of pumpkins, paint round rocks orange and draw jack-o’-lantern faces. Place them around your porch steps or in flower pots. They are cute, reusable, and nearly free.
8. Creepy Doormat
Take an old doormat and give it a Halloween twist. Paint “Enter If You Dare” or “Boo!” in black or orange letters. Add handprint stencils or dripping paint for a spooky vibe. This is a fun way to welcome trick-or-treaters.
9. Tin Can Lanterns
Save empty tin cans, punch holes in them with a hammer and nail to form shapes like bats, cats, or stars. Paint them black or orange, then place candles inside. These lanterns create a haunted glow on your porch.
10. Creepy Window Silhouettes
Use black cardboard to cut out witch, bat, or ghost shapes. Tape them to your porch windows so they glow at night with a lamp inside. This makes your porch look haunted without costing much.
11. DIY Broom Parking
Line a few cheap straw brooms by your door with a sign that says “Witch Parking Only.” It’s funny, creative, and easy to make. Add a few pumpkins nearby for extra charm.
12. Skeleton Welcome Greeter
Use a plastic skeleton and sit it in a chair on your porch. Dress it with an old hat, scarf, or even sunglasses. It looks funny but still creepy, and kids will love it.
13. Spider Balloon Web
Blow up black balloons and tape them to your porch corner to form a giant “spider web” cluster. Add one large toy spider on top. This decoration is cheap but makes a huge statement.
14. Glow-in-the-Dark Eyes
Cut eye shapes out of toilet paper rolls and place glow sticks inside. Hide them in bushes or around the porch for a glowing “creature watching” effect. This DIY trick is cheap but very spooky.
15. Recycled Pallet Sign
If you have an old wooden pallet, paint it with Halloween sayings like “Happy Haunting” or “Trick or Treat.” Lean it against your porch wall with a pumpkin next to it. This rustic sign is budget-friendly and festive.
