The fall season brings one of the most fun holidays of the year: Halloween! If you want to decorate the outside of your home like a pro, come with us as we share some of the best outdoor halloween decor ideas around!
From cutesy little ghosts to spooky skeletons, the spectrum of Halloween decor is huge. Although there is a big emphasis on other parts of your home, the outside deserves some attention when it comes to getting it ready for the Halloween season.
Regardless of your style, I’m sure you can find a few things on our list that you would fit perfectly in your outdoor space. From your front door to your backyard, we have a comprehensive list of some of the best!
If you enjoy this list, then you should take a look at this blog post, which is all about Halloween kitchen decor.
This blog post is all about outdoor Halloween decor.
Genius Outdoor Halloween Decor
1. Carved pumpkins
Starting with a classic, carved pumpkins will always be the ultimate piece for outdoor Halloween decor. It’s a very common tradition for those who grew up celebrating Halloween, and it’s something fun you can pass on to the next generation.
It can clearly get pretty messy, so you clearly need to make sure that whatever area you’re using to carve pumpkins should be covered with something, like newspapers or a plastic tablecloth. If you like them, be sure to save all the pumpkin seeds so you can throw them in the oven for a later snack!
2. Skeletons
Another classic Halloween decoration is, of course, skeletons. Skeletons can actually be pretty versatile depending on what kind of vibe you want. You could set up little scenes with them, acting out funny situations. For example, you could sit them outside in all your furniture with your own clothes.
Or if you’re feeling like you want to go for a spookier situation, you could have them positioned as if they’re crawling out of the grounds from their graves. One of the most popular options, if you have the space for it, is the giant 12-foot skeleton that you’ve most likely seen at the Home Depot.
3. Spiders
Another great option for decor for your outside space are spiders. Clearly, we’re not big fans of the real thing, but there are a lot of different options for the Halloween decor piece. Most of these options tend to be a little on the cutesy side, so if you’re looking for an overall tamer Halloween decor vibe, then a few of these fake spiders might be right up your alley.
A popular option is to get a decently sized fuzzy spider with some clearly fake cobwebs and position them near the front door. You could go even further with it and add a few smaller spiders crawling up the door as well.
4. Cobwebs
If we have spiders, we can’t forget cobwebs, can we? This goes perfect with any spider decor that you might buy, but you can also use cobwebs by yourself. Fake cobwebs are perfect for getting that spooky feeling for your outside decor.
If you have the space to do so, one really fun option is to roll up the cobwebs like you have bodies or other things stuck in the web. Feel free to also add different lights throughout the cobwebs, such as orange or purple to show them off during the nighttime as well.
5. Black cats
If you’re someone who’s looking for a more family-friendly Halloween decor, then adding some black cats might be a great addition for your outdoor space. Black cats are cute, but they still have that Halloween vibe to them.
There are a few different ways to incorporate them, such as inflatables and little signs that you can easily stick into the ground. Just be careful if you have a real black cat! You might lose them amongst all the decor.
6. Witch’s hats
Another option for outside Halloween decor are witch’s hats. These are another great piece that’s pretty family-friendly as well. There are a few different ways to add these to your space. You could go with one singular one closer to your door, or the very popular option is where you have a bunch of hanging witch’s hats so they appear to be floating.
7. Glow-in-the-dark decor
Although you might not be able to see this until nighttime, glow-in-the-dark decor is so much fun and adds a little extra something. This is especially great if you’re planning on hosting trick-or-treaters at your house.
There are all kinds of decor that you could get in glow-in-the-dark, from skeletons to bats to ghosts, anything you want, you could most likely find. There are stakes, signs, stickers, and more to choose from. A popular option is if you have any kind of pathway, you can light the pathway that way.
8. Cauldrons
Another great Halloween decor piece are cauldrons. They’re a perfect addition if you have any witch-related decor sitting out. This is another family-friendly Halloween decor option as well. These are a fun piece because they’re a lot more versatile than you think with what you can add to them.
You could use them as standalone objects or you could fill them with something, like another item such as bones or pumpkins. It all depends on how spooky you want them to be. If you want the typical bubbling cauldron, you can either opt for dry ice or go for a safer option with a small fog machine.
9. Chains
If you want to add a little bit of decor to your outside space without too much work, adding some plastic chains is something quick and easy. Or you could add it to another decor piece to up the spooky factor a little bit.
For example, you could easily add some skeletons to your porch furniture with chains wrapped around them, or you could just add chains to an outside furniture piece such as a table or the railing of your stairs.
10. Decorative lights
Just because it’s not Christmas yet doesn’t mean you can’t bring out the decorative lights! A great way to add some Halloween decor to your outdoor space are some lights. There are so many different kinds to choose from, but purple and orange tend to be the most popular.
You can decorate them exactly how you decorate for Christmas: add them to your house, surrounding trees and plants, and more. If you want to be a little extra with your lights, you can choose items like candy corn string lights or pumpkin string lights.
11. Signs
If you’re looking for another simple way to add some Halloween decor to your outside space, then signs are a super easy way to do that. The most popular areas to place signs are right in front of any doors or along pathways. Some favorites include the long, slender signs that lean up against your doorway.
There are some absolutely adorable ones available on Etsy, especially if you want a personalized one. Or you could always go with some old reliable signage, such as “Enter at your own risk” or “It’s all just a bunch of Hocus Pocus“.
12. Strobe lights
Strobe lights can be a really fun special effect, especially if you’re going for that extra spooky vibe. Just be extra careful about where you use these. These are often used in haunted houses because they’re used to disorient people to cause a little bit of disorientation and fear.
I would advise you not to use them in your front yard, but instead save them for a space where you know exactly who might be exposed to them. These can be harmful to people that are affected by them.
13. Inflatables
If you want the ultimate kid-friendly Halloween decor, inflatables are where it’s at. These tend to be a cuter less frightening option in comparison to a lot of outside Halloween decor and they’re typically very hard to damage.
Most of them have cutesy cartoon-like faces that take away any of the scare factor. There are so many adorable options to pick from, such as ghosts, pumpkins, and “scary” monsters like Frankenstein.
14. Projectors
If you’re feeling a little lazy or want a last-minute option that really packs a punch, then grab a projector for your decor! Although a lot tend to be on the expensive side, you might end up saving if this is your only piece of outdoor Halloween decor.
You can go the spooky route with ghostly apparitions or lean into the cutesy, fun side of Halloween with friendly ghosts and pumpkins.
15. Pick a theme
We saved one of the best ideas for the last. If you’re unsure about how all your decor will fit nicely together and aren’t much of a decorator, the easiest thing to do would be to pick a theme! When it comes to Halloween, there are plenty of really common themes.
Halloween is such a popular holiday that you can easily Google them and find one that would fit your vibe. Popular options include Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, and any of the popular scary movies like Scream. Of course, there are much more kid-friendly options if needed, like Mickey Mouse! Pick whatever works for you and have fun!
