Halloween is right around the corner so I want to share some outdoor Halloween decoration ideas with you. I used to do a decorating job in the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years to celebrate this wacky holiday. I no longer work on this project now that I live in Tucson, but it sure is fun to look back at all these delightfully scary Halloween yard decorations.
The lady of the house was crazy for Halloween, which is putting it mildly! The outdoor decorations in her front yard slowly expanded over time and had dedicated storage space in her garage and attic. Ghosts, zombies, skeletons, black cats, purple trees with limbs that move, fog machines, the grim reaper, rats, spiders, lots of pumpkins and gourds, mums, butlers, maids, and skeletons that scream out frightening cries in the night – you name it – it’s all here in all the best ways.
The front porch and yard outdoor decorations that you see here have been collected and re-used for years. They come from wholesale display houses, retail catalogs, the San Francisco Flower Market, the Los Angeles Mart, and even K-Mart, Sears, and Orchard Supply Hardware. Each year the displays are slightly different so the current year outshines the last year.
This whole yard display is reuse at its finest. Some of these Halloween yard decorations were expensive but many were not. You don’t need to break the bank to have a welcoming and delightful front yard display.
Many years ago some of the decor took flight over the Pacific Ocean when a fierce storm rolled in the day before Halloween. Those Halloween props that remained look all the more authentic tattered and dirt-stained. How’s ever heard of a clean ghoul?!
Here are some scary outdoor Halloween decorations that I hope inspire you for your own yard, porch, and front door. These are the best and most unique Halloween decorations I’ve ever worked with, and they’re perfect to put on display all month long to greet trick-or-treaters and Halloween party guests.
Find your witches’ hat and broom and get ready to take off!
Halloween Yard Decorations Ideas
Halloween Front Porch Decorations
Kids and adults love this decorated front porch. There’s so much to see and hear as many of the figures move and talk. A mixture of fall garlands adorn the porch railings and pumpkins and squashes line each step staying up right through to Thanksgiving.
Wondering how to reuse Halloween decor for a new look every year? This post on How To Reuse Halloween Front Porch Decor will help you out.
TIP: The ghoulish figures and zombie decorations spanning the length of the front porch are tied together and to the porch posts (but with some slack) using fishing line. They have movement and flutter in the wind but stay facing the street and walkway. Otherwise, they spin around like crazy and the effect just isn’t the same.
TIP: This house got a new paint job at one point. We protected the railing going up and around the front porch from wire marks by first covering it with saran wrap and then with soft rubber open-cell material (used for drawer and shelf lining) on top of that. It also helped the heavily decorated garland to grip on and stay in place.
“WHEN BLACK CATS PROWL AND PUMPKINS GLEAM, MAY LUCK BE YOURS ON HALLOWEEN.” – UNKNOWN
Halloween Graveyard Decorations
Halloween decorated yards are so much fun and this cemetery scene steals the show every year. There are many photos taken of it on Halloween night soon after people enter through the gate.
Because the lawn is artificial, all the decor is attached with fishing line and wire to posts and screws on painted plywood platforms. The headstones are made of various materials including styrofoam, fiberglass, resin, and plastic. Even the foam tombstones have held up fairly well over time and all it takes is a little paint to touch up any missing chunks.
Some of the figures didn’t weather that storm too well. They’re a bit battered and look much better on the ground coming out from beyond the gravestones. I would always in some faded hydrangea flowers from the garden for that “Morticia Addams” touch.
A Halloween cemetery is a fitting addition to any front yard. Get lots more info & ideas on How To Create A Spooky Graveyard.
TIP: Position some of your tombstones at an angle – it makes the graveyard look older and gives a spooky effect.
TIP: Tatter and slit the ghosts and ghouls more than they already are. That way they’ll really flutter in the wind and look all the more eery!
TIP: The ghoulish figures spanning the length of the front porch are tied together and to the porch posts with fishing line. They have movement and flutter in the wind but stay facing the street and walkway. Otherwise, they spin like crazy and the effect just isn’t the same.
TIP: This house got a new paint job at one point in time. We protected the railing from wire marks by first covering it with saran wrap and then with soft rubber open-cell material to line drawers over that. It also helped the garland to grip on and stay in place.
Where to Buy Halloween Decorations:
Tools & Supplies
1- Fishing Line // 2. Wire // 3. Wire Cutters // 4. Scissors // 5. Stake // 6. Extension Cord // 7. Spotlight // 8. Hammer // 9. Steel Pegs // 10. Timer
Front Yard Decor
1 Halloween Bats // 2. Lifesize ghoul // 3. Black Cat Yard Signs // 4. Hanging Skeleton // 5. Skeleton Stakes // 6. Creepy Cloth // 7. Spiders // 8. Lit Broomstick // 9. Reaper // 10. Enter If Your Dare // 11. Jack O Lantern // 12. Black Cat
More Front Yard Decor
1 Spider Web // 2. Skeleton // 3. Black Cauldron // 4. Witch // 5. Spider // 6. Set of 3 Spiders // 7. Ghost // 8. Plastic Chains
Graveyard Decor
1. RIP Tombstones // 2. Welcome Tombstone // 3. Totem // 4. Cross Tombstone // 5. Skeleton Bones // 6. Skull // 7. Demon Tombstone // 8. Tombstone Set // 9. Bloody Arms // 10. Skeleton Arms // 11. Creepy Cloth // 12. Cemetery Fence
“WHEN BLACK CATS PROWL AND PUMPKINS GLEAM, MAY LUCK BE YOURS ON HALLOWEEN.” – UNKNOWN
Halloween Decorating Tips
Because the lawn is artificial, all the decor is attached with fishing line and wire to posts on painted plywood platforms. The headstones are made out of a variety of materials including styrofoam, fiberglass, resin, and plastic.
Some of the figures are ones that did not weather that storm too well so on the ground they lie. I would always in some faded hydrangea flowers from the garden for that “Morticia Addams” touch.
I have a more in-depth blog post about how to Create A Spooky Graveyard here.
TIP: Position some of your tombstones at an angle – it makes the graveyard look older and gives a spooky effect.
TIP: Tatter and slit the ghosts and ghouls more than they already are. That way they’ll really flutter in the wind and look all the more eery!
Here are a more few tips which should make your decorating endeavors a lot easier:
1. Fishing line is essential to a job like this – we usually go through 3 rolls of it.
2. Have plenty of covered wire and green wire on hand also.
3. Map the electrical before you start connecting the Halloween lights. This job has a lot plugged in which needs to be figured out in advance. There is only so much that can be plugged into an outlet.
4. Put all your things electric on exterior timers. It saves you from having to plug and unplug them every evening. Plus, it conserves energy.
5. A fog machine or 2 along with strobe lights will take your displays to the next level on Halloween night.
6. Pack all your ghouls, goblins, headstones, foliages, rats, bats, and other Halloween decorating accouterment away as carefully as possible. The best thing is to make sure they are completely dry before doing so. You’ve made an investment and want them to look just as good (and mildew-free) next year.
Halloween Decorating Video Guide
I’ll leave you with one last quote:
“I’LL BET LIVING IN A NUDIST COLONY TAKES ALL THE FUN OUT OF HALLOWEEN. ” – CHARLES SWARTZ
Note: This post was originally published in 10/2016 & was updated in 9/2020. We’ve updated the products in August 2022 to give you the opportunity to shop for the latest Halloween decor!
Wishing you a festive fall season. We always thought these were the best Halloween yard decorations and so did many who saw them. I hope this inspires and gives you a few delightfully scary ideas to create your own spooky decor!
Happy Halloween!
Want More Fall Decorating Tips? Check These Out!
- Autumn Decorating Ideas For A Festive Fall Season
- The Best Plants That Will Make Your Home Festive For Fall
- 5 Porches That’ll Welcome Fall To Your Home
- Fall Readymade Natural Wreaths
- Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas With Natural Elements
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