Decor · YardNo. 9828 · The 2026 edition
Halloween yard decorations to make, from graveyards to a lawn spider.
Nineteen DIY builds for the yard, from a Stranger Things haunt and a massive spider to foam tombstones, life-size ghosts, a tomato-cage witch and a skull topiary.
Halloween yard decorations are easiest to choose by what they ask of you, so each blurb below says what the build takes, whether that’s foam board, cheesecloth, PVC pipe, a tomato cage or a stack of trash bags. The nineteen guides come from creators and range from graveyards and tombstones to life-size ghosts, a witch, skeleton scenes, a massive spider and a Stranger Things haunt.
We’ve ordered the list best first. Where ideas overlap (four graveyard builds, three ghosts, two tomato-cage projects), each blurb names what makes that version different. One entry, a body-bag prop, is meant for a scarier yard. Each guide belongs to its creator, so the links lead to the complete instructions and supply lists.
Nineteen yard builds, best first
- Stranger Things Halloween Yard Haunt Adds More Characters — Stranger Things fans get an expanded haunt that brings the Upside Down to the yard: Vecna, Max and the Mind Flayer, plus Billy and Hopper if you want them. Twelve steps cover hanging props, cracks in the ground and vines made several ways. The guide
- How to Create a Funny Skeleton Yard Display — Posable skeletons zip-tied to staked stands, each lit by a solar spotlight a few feet in front, then dressed in funny costumes and props held on with clear elastic and tape. Grins, not screams, and it glows after dark with no wiring. The guide
- Halloween Tombstones: Easy DIY Decorations — Start here if you’ve never made a tombstone: base shapes are cut from foam board, painted, personalized with a marker and fitted with cardboard crosses. It runs on basic craft supplies, so it’s a budget-friendly first graveyard for anyone. The guide
- Halloween Stacked Pumpkin Display — Pumpkins in assorted sizes are hot-glued tier on tier into a tower that stays put, and a coat of paint makes it yours. It’s an easy way to add height and a centerpiece, so choose it if you’d rather charm than frighten. The guide
- Easy Halloween Graveyard Decoration Ideas — Kids get real jobs here: they help set out the tombstones and choose how a bag of bones can make the scene creepier. It’s a simple, whole-family way to build a graveyard out front, and a good one for households with young helpers. The guide
- DIY Graveyard Outdoor Tombstone Display — The crafty graveyard: designs are printed onto fabric, glued to painted wood with Outdoor Mod Podge for a weather-resistant display, and joined by a bow made from stiffened crochet lace. One for crafters who enjoy fine detail. The guide
- Easy Halloween Yard Decor — Five easy projects in one, among them a giant spiderweb, a glowing ghost and a mummy door done in toilet paper, all from everyday objects. Most supplies are inexpensive and simple to find, which makes it handy if you want variety on a budget. The guide
- How to Make a Life-Size Halloween Ghost — One tall ghost: a paint roller pole and yardsticks make the frame, cheesecloth goes over it, and liquid starch firms up the top while the bottom stays loose to sway. Add a felt face and it’s a good pick for one standout figure. The guide
- How to Make Human-Size Chicken Wire Ghosts for Halloween — Chicken wire, not a pole frame, gives this human-size ghost its shape: a torso, arms and flowing skirt, plus a foam mannequin head, all lit by color-changing spotlights. Cheesecloth is an optional extra drape; it suits builders who don’t mind cutting wire. The guide
- How To Make An Easy Halloween Witch — Layers of trash bags, pumpkin buckets and a tomato cage add up to a witch, finished with LED lights and a hat. It’s a quick build from household items, and the look is festive and charming, so it works for a family yard. The guide
- Giant Raven Outdoor Halloween Decoration — A raven cut from a two-foot square of plywood with a jigsaw, traced from a template you have printed large at a copy shop, then mounted on a landscaping stake. One bold silhouette that reads from the street, and a natural partner for a graveyard. The guide
- How to Make Halloween Tombstones From Upcycled Styrofoam — Leftover packaging foam gets a second life as aged-looking headstones: cut and glued, dressed with wooden appliqués, then sponge-painted for a weathered finish, with rebar and pool noodles handling the mounting. A thrifty pick for anyone with foam to spare. The guide
- Black Cat Outdoor Halloween Decoration — The raven's sibling: a two-foot plywood black cat cut out with a jigsaw from a printed template, with drilled eye holes and a stake to plant it in the lawn. Simple power-tool work, and a classic shape at the edge of a walkway. The guide
- How to Make Spooky Halloween Cheesecloth Ghosts (Easy DIY Tutorial) — Each ghost forms over a jar, a balloon head and pipe-cleaner arms, then gets draped in cheesecloth and set until it holds its shape, so you can make a whole cluster. Floaty, faceless figures that look best in a group. The guide
- Outdoor Halloween Decorations — Two displays in one: a big skull cut from foam board, painted and fixed to the house, plus a ground-level scene in a wheelbarrow filled with skeleton props, soil and leaves. Good for a yard that wants something high and something low. The guide
- How to Make a Halloween Skull Topiary — The second tomato-cage build is a tidy pyramid of plastic skulls, wired to upright supports and rings, steadied with filler and crowned by one big skull. It calls for a mix of skulls plus basic hardware, and makes a sculptural centerpiece. The guide
- Tanya Memme's DIY Giant Halloween Lawn Spider — Eight PVC-pipe legs with elbow joints, painted glossy black, support a 12-inch foam ball body and a 10-inch ball head, with pipe-cleaner bristles and red gem eyes. A showpiece for anyone who wants one big creature on the lawn. The guide
- Halloween Tree! — A cheap, skinny tree gets fuller with dollar-store vines and a coat of black paint, then is dressed with black ribbon, purple fairy lights and ornament balls that chalk paint turns into jack-o’-lanterns. A thrifty centerpiece for a purple-and-black look. The guide
- DIY Body-Bag Prop — Grim by design: a body-bag prop, a realistic corpse made from old clothes, newspaper and a pair of large trash bags, with a plastic jug for a head and packing tape to secure it. It suits a scarier yard, not one for young kids. The guide
From the street, a yard is mostly silhouette; the details are for whoever walks up.
New to building? The foam board tombstones and the stacked pumpkins are two easy places to start. To fill a whole yard, mix heights and moods: tombstones or the wheelbarrow scene low to the ground, a life-size ghost for height, and one showpiece such as the spider or the Stranger Things haunt. For more, browse the whole yard decorating shelf, where every idea points back to its creator’s own guide.