15 Halloween-Inspired Crafts for the Spooky Season

It’s time for Halloween once again and we couldn’t be more excited! Whether it’s costume parties, trick-or-treating or haunted houses, we can’t get enough of the scary and spooky. Today, we’ve rounded up some fun craft projects that capture the spirit of the spooky season. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

1. Spooky Origami

If you’ve ever folded an origami crane, you know just how fun origami can be! Why not try out some spooky patterns? We love patterns for origami ravens, bats, and more! Choose black paper or maybe a haunting pattern for your paper like skulls or ghosts. You can also use your origami pieces to decorate your house for the season!

Three origami pieces -- a bat, a raven, and a pumpkin -- made with black paper.

2. Pumpkin & Gourd Vases

Want to take your decorative pumpkins and gourds to the next level? When you hollow out the center of these fun vegetables, they create the perfect vases. This is a great way to display your favorite floral arrangements during the fall season. Or, maybe it’s time to create your own spooky floral arrangement with added scary decorations! We also like adding succulents and air plants for a fun touch.

Three pumpkins, two with floral arrangements on top

3. Halloween Watercolor Painting

Watercolor is a fun and meditative art form with lots of fun (and spooky!) potential. If you’re looking to try out watercolor painting for the first time, we have some fun ideas for spooky watercolor for beginners. Why not try a fun autumn leaves painting? Or, a simple pumpkin painting? There are lots of Halloween motifs to try out!

A watercolor painting of a pumpkin, next to tubes of paint, a palette, and a paintbrush

4. Haunted Gingerbread House

Do you enjoy a good gingerbread house? We do, too! We think it’s a shame that gingerbread houses are only for the Christmas season. Well, not anymore! Introducing the haunted gingerbread house. We use black gingerbread and spooky icing decorations to get our desired effect. Adding classic Halloween candies like candy corn is the perfect finishing touch!

A gingerbread house made out of black gingerbread with bright candies

5. Chunky Knit Pumpkin

We always love a cuddly pillow or plush -- especially for chilly fall weather. Why not try out this beginner-friendly chunky knit pumpkin? It's surprisingly easy, and you'll get a nice, soft knit pumpkin to cuddle with during the cold season! And for added fun, you can even embroider a jack-o-lantern pattern on top! The possibilities are endless.

A person holding a yellow knitted pumpkin

6. Pumpkin Painting

Don’t enjoy the mess of traditional pumpkin carving? Why not try painting your pumpkin instead? We also like buying fake pumpkins to paint that will last much longer than just the fall season. If you don't enjoy painting, you can also try out decoupage or collage on your pumpkin instead!

One multi-colored painted pumpkin in the middle of several other decorated pumpkins

7. Crochet Candy Corn

Amigurumi is the art of creating crochet stuffed toys! Want to try it out for the first time? We love this candy corn pattern that is super beginner friendly! It’s small enough to be able to complete in a day or two and is super cute to boot. If you make one with soft yarn it would make a great pillow as well! Talk about fun decor for the Halloween season.

A crocheted candy corn plush on a gray background

8. Halloween Glass Painting

Are you hoping to grab some glassware that captures the Halloween spirit? Why not create your own! Glass painting is a great DIY craft for beginner painters. You can use stencils to create shapes and patterns if you’re just starting out, which can take a lot of the pressure off!

Four glasses with fall-themed patterns painted on them

9. Spooky Embroidery and Cross Stitch

Embroidery and cross stitch are fun and relaxing crafts. Basically, it’s painting with string! These mini cross stitch kits with spooky imagery like cats and bats are extra fun, and a great introduction to this versatile craft. The fact that they're so small let's you finish them fast and feel that spark of accomplishment! And, it gives you the chance to find out if it's the right craft for you.

A person holding a black cloth with an embroidery pattern of a cat. Some threads and a box are in the background

10. Needle Felted Ghost in a Bottle

If you’re new to needle felting, this is the perfect project for you! Ghosts can be a very simple shape for beginners, or you can add a little more detail if you’re more experienced. Plus they’re super cute! If you’re not into ghosts, you can also look into needle felting a pumpkin, spider, or black cat. We like putting our finished ghosts in a mini bottle for some extra whimsy!

Two bottles with cotton or resin ghost figures inside

11. Raven String Art

String art is the process of wrapping string around pegs to create images or words. We personally love this art form, and we’ve decided to put a spooky twist on it by creating shapes like ravens and cats out of string. You can also paint the cork board your string art is on to add an extra spooky background image to your art.

A red canvas with string art that resembles the silhouette of a raven standing on a rock

12. Haunted Bird Houses

Do you have any wooden bird houses that could use some sprucing up? This could be a fun project to make a useable bird house or a fun piece for your mantel. Using black acrylic paint, black out the entire bird house. Then add decorative elements on top – paint a spider web, some ghosts, and more. You can also use some fake spider webs or pieces of cloth and drape them over top your haunted bird house.

A black bird house with white cloth wrapped around it hanging from a tree outside during winter

13. Mini Halloween Fairy Garden

Have you made a fairy garden before? We love putting together these miniature scenes filled with magic and whimsy. You can even add live plants to your garden to add to the fun effect. But, what if we bring fairy gardens into the Halloween season? We love a creepy twist!

A miniature Halloween scene with pumpkins, a witch, a spooky house, bats, and a tree with no leaves. The figures sit on a bed of moss.

Photo credit to Gnome Decor's blog. Check out their blog on Halloween-themed mini gardens!

14. Halloween Tote Bag

Need a bag to carry all your candy in? Why not enjoy the relaxing activity of coloring, but this time on fabric. These Halloween-themed tote bags meant to be colored are a great way to relax and celebrate the spooky season. Coloring is great for kids and adults alike -- we love how meditative it can be!

A tote bag with a drawing on it of a pumpkin, witch's hat, and spiderweb on a black background

15. Creepy (or Festive) Candles

Candles are often the best tools for creating ambience. Turn the lights down low and light the candle – instant spookiness, especially when paired with a jack-o-lantern. Why not up your candle game by making your own? Using black wax and creepy molds you can create fun sculptural candles with a spooky twist. Or, you can go the Fall-Inspired route and focus on fall scents and colors!

Three candles with oranges and marigold flowers next to them

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Are you feeling inspired? We sure are! If you’re looking for more inspiration or want some in-person help with your creations, we offer open studio crafts at our studio. We’d love to host you for your next crafting session!

We also offer workshops led by experienced instructors that will lead you through different arts and crafts projects from beginning to end. We hope to see you sometime!

Until then, keep craftin’!