Even though COVID-19 has restricted our normal Halloween socializing, the real spirit of Halloween is in being fearless and expressive. What better way to celebrate than by decorating and making crafts?

Read on for a list of fun, affordable ways to get spooky while maintaining social distancing.

Creepy Living Room

Supplies:

• White sheets

Instructions:

1. For an instantly eerie, horror-movie look for your living room, all you need are white sheets. Drape your chairs, sofas and tables with these white sheets to give the room a vacant, ghostly appearance. 

2. For an extra oomph, stretch some ‘cobwebs’ around the room and light a few candles.

Bleeding Candles

Supplies:

• Black tacks (nails or dark pins work, too)

• White candles (or any light colored candle)

• Torch lighter or matches

• Red candle

Instructions:

1. Stick tacks about half way into the white candle.

2. Light a red candle and let the wax start to melt.

3. Drip the red wax onto the sides of the white candle, making sure it resembles blood dripping down.

Festive Jars

Supplies:

• Clear jars 

• Mod Podge (super affordable)

• Brushes 

• Halloween-colored tissue paper

• Paint, paint pens, or non-smudge markers

• LED tea lights

Instructions:

1. Tear small pieces of the tissue paper and begin decoupaging. All this means is take a brush and put careful amounts of Mod Podge on the tissue paper, pressing it onto the outside of the jar. Don’t put too much, less is more. Also, don’t put too many layers of tissue paper – the light needs to come through, later.

2. Once covered, let your jars dry.

3. Using your paint pens or markers, decorate the jars however you want! You could put pumpkins, spiderwebs, ghosts, witches, etc. You can always use Pinterest if you need more ideas.

4. Place LED lights in each jar. Put your jars outside on the porch, on a mantelpiece – or wherever you’re trying to spookify.

Spooky Animals

Supplies:

• Plastic or ceramic animals

• Black spray paint (or any paint)

• Extra – red glitter, glow in the dark paint

Instructions:

1. Super simple – just paint the animal figurines you have!

2. If you have any red glitter or glow in the dark paint, use it on the eyes to make them really pop out at night.

Monster Party Cups

Supplies:

• Stick-on googly eyes

• Black plastic cups

Instructions:

1. This might be the easiest craft ever. Press the googly eyes onto the black plastic cups and have fun!

Dress Up Your Front Door

This might be the easiest way to give off Halloween vibes for the neighborhood without being able to interact with other people. There are so many different themes you could choose for your door, but here are just a few:

Horror Novel Door

This is the classic:

Supplies:

• Cardboard/paperboard

• Scissors 

• Paint or thick pens

• Tape 

Instructions:

1. Cut long, thin, differently colored rectangular pieces of cardboard or paperboard – long enough to span the length of your front door. 

2. Go crazy and illustrate them with titles of horror books using paint or thick pens – think Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Shining. 

3. Attach to your front door with tape, preferably double-sided.

Harvest Door

A less scary option entails: 

Supplies:

• Printer

• Cream-colored paper

• Tape 

Instructions: 

1. Download fall-themed vintage seed packets and print on 8.5 x 11 inch cream-colored paper. 

2. Attach to your front door with tape, preferably double-sided.

Candy Corn Door

This is a yummy one: 

Supplies:

• Thick artist’s paper or printer paper

• Paint

• Scissors

• Tape

Instructions:

1. On thick artist’s paper, or printer paper if you need to, paint wide stripes across – use orange, yellow, red, and a little gray too. 

2. When it’s dry, cut each paper into candy corn shaped triangles. 

3. Attach to your front door with tape, preferably double-sided.