DIY Halloween Village

Transform your mantel into a spooky miniature town with this easy project using black spray paint and LED lights.

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This guide walks you through building a monochromatic Halloween display by assembling wooden structures on a custom board, securing them with chopstick supports, planting plastic trees, and finishing with a black coat and hidden lighting for atmosphere.

You'll need

set of wood houses

black LED tealights

mini plastic trees

a few sets of wood chopsticks

hot glue & glue gun

drill and drill bits

black spray paint

Directions

Select a wooden board measuring between three and six feet long, with dimensions of half an inch by three inches, to serve as the foundation for your display. Position the miniature structures on top, ensuring you leave gaps where the foliage will go.

Snap the wooden sticks into smaller segments to act as supports for the rear of the buildings. Secure these supports to the foundation using a heated adhesive gun, then bond the structures to the board so they remain upright. Make sure to reserve space behind each building for the lighting.

Punch a half-inch opening in the base for every small tree. Fill each opening with heated adhesive to keep the foliage standing vertically.

Coat the whole scene with black aerosol paint, choosing either a flat or shiny finish. Let the coating cure for a full day.

Place the battery-powered black lights behind every building. For a warmer glow, you can swap in real candles.