13 Scariest Halloween Frights You Can Make From Trash
Halloween will be here before we know it, so here's a bunch of awesome ideas for decor that will cost you only pennies. Better yet, a lot of the supplies you'll need for these projects can be found in your trash and recycling bins. (See also: 12 Cool Ways to Make Treasure Out of Trash)
1. Milk Jug Ghosts
Talk about easy! These milk jug ghosts take only minutes to make. Clean out your jugs, draw on a spook-tacular face with Sharpie marker, place several mini LED lights in each one, and line them up outside your home. Don't forget to weigh each one down with a few pebbles.
2. Milk Jug Skeleton
Apparently milk jugs are made for Halloween crafting. Check out these DIY skeletons made using seven old milk jugs, string, and patience. The tutorial walks you through the specific bones to cut from each jug. After you have them all ready, just punch holes in each so you can connect with your string. You can even coat your skeleton with glow-in-the-dark spray paint for extra fun.
3. Acid Bath
Are you lucky enough to have access to an old oil drum? Creep out your neighbors with this acid bath decoration. Slip yourself (or a dummy) into the drum with a scary mask on. Then use spray foam to create that skin-bubbling look.
4. Monster Yard Lights
Clean out a few plastic jugs and make these monster yard lights. You'll decorate them however you want before placing a tap light inside to illuminate. To finish, insert a broom handle or another sturdy stick into the spout. Then place them wherever you need a little fright outdoors.
5. Poison Bottles
Use recycled jars, bottles, and boxes to make freaky apothecary poison bottles. You'll create your designs and words on the recycled bottle of choice and then paint over it with several layers of chalk paint. You can leave them plain or coat with another color to cultivate a more distressed look.
6. Paper Jack O'Lanterns
If carving standard pumpkins isn't enough for you, try using your discarded newspaper in this giant papier mache jack o'lantern project. The author uses a vintage plastic pumpkin as a form, but you can build one from chicken wire or another object. Rip paper into 10 inch lengths, slather in a glue mixture, apply to your form, and let dry. Then get creative with cutting or painting your faces.
7. Specimen Jars
Okay. These specimen jars are beyond disturbing. Disassemble an old baby doll and distribute its body parts into recycled pickle jars. (I warned you, right?) Fill with water and a drop of red and green food coloring.
8. Bottle Lanterns
Or give your wine-loving friends a boozy spook with these wine bottle jack o' lanterns. Drink a bunch of cheap wine, then clean out the empty bottles. Spray paint the widest section (under the neck) orange. Draw their faces on with a Sharpie marker.
9. Bulb Spiders
Recycle all those burned out Christmas lights by making these bulb spiders. You'll wrap metal wire around the bulbs to create the legs. The author of this project left them colorful. I'll give them a coating of matte black spray paint.
10. Spooky Eyes
Use a couple used toilet paper rolls to make these spooky eyes. You'll draw eyes onto each roll and then cut them out using a hobby knife. To finish, place an LED light into each roll and position them in a dark area.
11. Living Dead Dolls
I don't know about you, but my daughter has tons of half broken Barbie dolls laying around the playroom. I might collect them up, spray paint them white, and make these Dolls of the Living Dead. After they've dried, accentuate their eyes using a fine tip Sharpie marker. I've seen similar projects using vintage dolls that are even more frightening.
12. Trash Corpse
While you're taking out the trash, snag an extra black bag to make this trash bag corpse. Fill the bag with crumpled newspapers and tie off different areas with rope to form the shape of a body. Bonus points for adding caution tape to section off your creepy crime scene.
13. Trash Ghosts
Only have white or clear bags? No problem. Try assembling these incredibly convincing trash bag ghosts. You'll use a dress form or friend volunteer to frame out the body using packing tape. Then carefully remove your form by slicing it down the back. Do the same with the head before attaching the pieces with more tape. Distress and decorate however you like and hang with fishing wire.
What are you decorating your home with for Halloween?
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