Halloween is nearly upon us, Pandas! Whatever your favorite time of the year, you can’t deny that autumn is magical. The scent of pumpkin spice lattes is in the air, candy purchases are through the roof, and many of your neighbors are rushing about, buying supplies for this year’s deco.
Some folks go above and beyond the call of duty for Halloween, and we believe that they deserve to be celebrated. Our team here at Bored Panda has curated this list of the most awesome ways that people decided to decorate their home exteriors, and their creativity is out of this world! Scroll down to check them out and don’t forget to upvote your fave pics. They really deserve it.
We reached out to Eric, aka redditor u/Turknor, who created the fantastically spooky Arachnid Manor. He told us all about how much effort went into making the decor and how the neighbors have been reacting. You’ll find Bored Panda’s full interview with Eric below. Don’t miss it!
#1 Neighbor’s Halloween Decorations
Image credits: tragickingdom05
Eric, who goes by the handle u/Turknor on Reddit, was kind enough to answer our questions about the epic Arachnid Manor, a project that he’s been doing for Halloween for years now.
“Arachnid Manor has grown over the past 6 years, from a simple collection of little spiders and cobwebs, growing to two giant spiders, a man-eating plant, and various hand-built props,” he told Bored Panda.
“Several kids have shared that the spiders are their favorite part about Halloween. That sealed the deal for me. The ‘Arachnid Manor’ sign is a new addition this year, and I also have four new 4ft spiders in the works,” he told us about his upcoming plans.
#2 This House Always Has The Best Decorations In Town
Image credits: Bri-guy15
#3 Incredibly Decorated House I Saw Over The Weekend
Image credits: Costner_Facts
Eric explained that he focuses only on taking on one major addition to the Manor per year, to keep things in hand. Otherwise, everything would be very overwhelming.
“The hairy tarantula probably took the most work, about 4 weekends, or maybe 40 hours. I build them so that they’ll easily disassemble and store comfortably in my attic, which adds a few extra design challenges,” he shared.
Some parts of the project have been quicker and easier to make, however. “The sign came together much faster than I worried, about 10 hours.”
#4 Halloween Decoration
Image credits: phantom.projector
#5 One Of My Graveyard Spirit Props, Close-Up
Image credits: lilibat
#6 My Neighbors’ Use Of Their Halloween Decorations
Image credits: timmy6169
Bored Panda was extremely curious about how Eric’s local neighborhood had reacted to his Halloween project.
“The Halloween creatures have become a major draw for the street. Last year, I went through 4 giant bags of candy, maybe 200 kids!” he told us just how popular his place is. “We’re great friends will all of our neighbors and they love seeing it come together.”
However, u/Turknor noted that far from all of his Halloween creations have fared well over time. He suggested that anyone thinking of creating their own decorations ought to consider how they’re going to store everything until next year.
“Lastly, be prepared for the question, ‘Awesome, so what are you making next year?'”
#7 My Wife And I Are Working On An Uncle Fester Halloween Display. Just Finished His Head And Thing
Image credits: kvnorlly
#8 A Friend Of Mine Has A Weird Bush In Her Yard So She Incorporated It Into Her Halloween Decorations
Image credits: CatVideoFest
#9 Arachnid Manor
Image credits: Turknor
Halloween is an important time not just for candy and horror lovers, but for the economy as well. BBC Future notes that, according to the National Retail Foundation in the US, spending is bound to hit a jaw-dropping $12.2 billion (yup, with a ‘b,’ not an ‘m’) in 2023. To compare, last year, Americans spent $10.6 billion on Halloween-related purchases.
The average American spends around $108 each year on Halloween decor, costumes, candy, and other party supplies. This shows just how important the event is to people.
#10 A Neighbor’s 2022 Halloween Decoration
Image credits: throwawaybeauty777
#11 Banshee During The Day And The Night
Image credits: lilibat
#12 Recycling My Old Grill
Image credits: dhdave11
How you decorate your home for Halloween will depend on a lot of factors. If you live in an apartment, for instance, then you only really have your door, windows, and balcony to work with to wow your neighbors.
However, if you have a house and a yard, well then, you have a lot more space to play around with. That means that you can amaze your neighbors with the size and scale of your decor if you want to.
#13 Here Are Some Of The Pictures From Last Year
Image credits: undergroundlasersllc
#14 An Abandoned Shop Decorated For Halloween
Image credits: Crutey
#15 Halloween Decor. I Did These Windows With A Bedroom Sheet, 2 Lights, And A Fan
Image credits: mvxngg
Aside from that, the only other things limiting you are your imagination and your budget! If you’re patient and creative enough, however, you can turn even a financially tight Halloween decor budget into something that goes a very long way. For example, if you’re skilled at DIY, you can make a lot of the props, costumes, and installations by hand.
If you’re a Halloween veteran, then you know where to start. If you’re not, then there are plenty of free resources on the internet to guide your way. And if you’re ever in need of inspiration, well… this list should spark a few bright ideas that you can change, combine, and borrow for this or next year.
#16 Phase 1 Of Our Halloween Display
Image credits: maggiggity
#17 The Reaper Is Finished
Image credits: King_Prawn_shrimp
#18 Neighbors Are Providing Free Outdoor Family Movies As Part Of Their Halloween Decorations
Image credits: Planet_Coco
On the flip side, if you’ve got the cash to spare but little time and energy after your double shift down in the popcorn mines, you can focus on setting up and positioning all of your elaborate decor for the biggest effect! But if you’ve got the time, the skills, the space, and the finances? Well, the odds are that you’re going to make such a massive splash on the internet that people will still be talking about your project years later.
Before you head down to your local Halloween shop and/or building supplies store, it really helps if you sit down and think about what it is you’re trying to achieve. Brainstorm some ideas. Do a few quick sketches of what you’d like the decor and the exterior of your home to look like. Think about the colors and the designs and whether they play well together or clash.
In short, choose a theme and focus on it so your yard doesn’t look like a mish-mash of a dozen different ideas. Unless that’s exactly the look you’re going for! The point is to have fun, whatever path you choose.
#19 The Kraken House
Image credits: krakenhousenola
#20 More Hilarious Halloween Decorations
Image credits: AllHisFault21
#21 Neighbors Had A House Fire And Got Creative With Their Halloween Decorations
Image credits: Khalerzhas
If you really want to stand out from the crowd and really make everyone’s eyes pop, then you’ve got to get your noggin jogging. You can’t just rely on the tired old staples of pumpkins, skeletons, cobwebs, and witches’ hats. You might want to consider thematic twists on these items. Or steering clear of them altogether for a more nuanced, surprising take on Halloween. After all, if it’s unexpected, then it fits well with horror…
Even if you’ve made the best decor in the world, it won’t matter much if you forget about the tiny details that bring the decor together thematically. For instance, think about the lighting around your home during the day and at night. Perhaps you could place a few strategic lights to make your installations look even spookier and grander? Or you could set up a small microphone or two to entertain passersby with some haunting ambient music or subtle noises.
#22 An Ethereal Visitor
Image credits: lilibat
#23 Finally, The Skeleton Screen Is Completed
Image credits: tubajames07
#24 I Put Up My Pillars, Arch, Fence, And Mausoleum Today. Not My House (I Just Work There)
Image credits: UptonDide
To tie all of the mood lighting and sound effects, you could set up some motion detectors so that different parts of your installation activate only when someone’s walking by. Though, keep in mind that you shouldn’t be scaring the living heck out of your neighbors.
Jumpscares might work, but they’re cheap. Horror—true horror—is subtle, creeps up on you, and won’t leave you alone even in your nightmares.
#25 I Made One Of Those Skeleton Fountains For Halloween
Image credits: ToProvideContext
#26 The Official Count For This Year Is 105 Headstones. I Still Have A Little Time Left To Make A Few More
Image credits: UptonDide
#27 My Halloween Yard Decor
I saw someone do something similar years ago, and it got stuck in my brain. I’m a standard poodle lover, so I couldn’t just use a regular dog skeleton. Hope it makes you laugh.
Image credits: Blooreader
You could even make yourself, your family, and your friends a part of the decor. You could all dress up in your zombie costumes and slowly shamble out from behind an impressive mausoleum. Or you could all roleplay as witches around a dozen cauldrons in the yard. It really falls to you to find the perfect combination of fun and amazement here.
#28 Anyone Ever Get An Anonymous Letter From Someone In Their Neighborhood Saying That They Dislike Your Halloween Decorations? Here Was My Response
Image credits: UptonDide
#29 Creative Halloween Decoration
Image credits: endofthehold
#30 Halloween Lawn Ghosts
Image credits: professorcrayola
So, Pandas, tell us what you think of the awesome photos in this list. Which decor and designs did you enjoy the most? Were there any that you’d love to replicate this year? What are your Halloween plans in 2023? Do you have any spooky traditions? We’d love for you to tell us all about it, so scroll down to the comment section and spill the beans! Meanwhile, for some more spooky inspiration, be sure to take a look through Bored Panda’s previous features.
#31 Hope Everyone Will Have A Fun And Scary Halloween
Image credits: Pajc810
#32 Decorated House Over The Weekend
Went with an arachnophobia theme this year.
Image credits: ZATSTACH
#33 My Homemade Plant Monster
Image credits: pull_the_curtains
#34 Taylor Swift “Eras Tour” Spooky Display
Posting pictures from my Sc-ERAS tour Halloween display in Sun Prairie, WI. The news came by to interview me today.
Image credits: Responsible-Phase-10
#35 I Live Out In The Country And My Front Door Is At The Back Of My House, So I Was Getting Missed At Halloween. So I Made Myself A Sign
Image credits: pineappleforrent
#36 Monster House
Image credits: RAWRthur
#37 Here Comes The Skeletons
Image credits: sayhelloeng
#38 Super Happy How This Turned Out
Image credits: pabloescobarbecue
#39 My Pumpkin Arch This Year
Image credits: echoes9999
#40 Don’t Blame A Clown For Acting Like A Clown. Ask Yourself Why You Keep Going To The Circus
Image credits: adayinthebrunnerlife
#41 Don’t Drink And Fly. The Queen Anne Neighborhood Does Not Mess Around With Its Halloween Decor
Image credits: equalmotion
#42 Halloween Is A Dark Time Around My House
Image credits: jillikinz
#43 12-Feet Hatbox Ghost
Image credits: Kind-Hour6064
#44 I Tried Making A New Kind Of Ghosts This Year. In Addition To My Annual Circle Of Ghostly Dancers
Image credits: professorcrayola
#45 Silly Garden Halloween Decoration
Image credits: AllHisFault21
#46 My Neighbors Constructed A Massive Mind Flayer Decoration In Front Of Their House For Halloween
Image credits: S_moT
#47 Halloween Australia Edition
Image credits: avidreader28
#48 Nothing More Terrifying Than Looking Out Your Window And Seeing A Rubber Ducky
Image credits: Abraa-Cadaver
#49 Why Spiders? Why Couldn’t It Have Been Follow The Butterflies?
Image credits: districtbymeg
#50 Halloween 2023
Image credits: Ok_Jaguar_5678
#51 2023 Display
Image credits: davids163
#52 The Battle Has Escalated, A Telekinetic Alien And A Small Climber Have Entered The Fray
Image credits: PumpkinGuy19
#53 “The Last Of Us” Inspired Decorations For Halloween
I was bummed about not going to Halloween Horror Nights and the Last of Us haunted houses, so I decided to make my own. It was heavily inspired by the games, specifically, with lots of nods to the environment in the games. Some details include a skeleton of a FEDRA agent with an artifact note, a firefly tag, rolls of tape and cloth laying around for crafting, a workbench, a foam brick I made for smashing windows along with some fake broken glass, a bottle with pills (Tic Tac), and of course, a clicker. I also hid some outdoor speakers to play clicker noises on. It’s no professional haunted house, but I had a ton of fun making all the stuff.
Image credits: tippytoesnmonkeyjoes
#54 Skelly Seance & Mermaid Psychic
I am building up the layers to achieve a whole energy. I’ll keep at it all month – the neighborhood kids come to keep me company while I spend an hour each day puttering and adding details. It’s my favorite time of the year.
Image credits: 18mather66
#55 Here Are Some Additional Pics Of Last Year’s Handmade Setup
Image credits: makingspooky
#56 Homemade Spider Decorations
Image credits: PeteyPoo4631
#57 This Halloween Decoration I Made Out Of A 55 Gallon Drum And Some Spray Foam
Image credits: Efficient_Image_203
#58 This Halloween Decoration Put Up By My Neighbors
Image credits: Alfred456654
#59 Really Missing Halloween So I’m Going Through Old Pics. This Is Me And The Display From 2017, What A Great Year
Image credits: dirtypoololdman
#60 I Didn’t Realize How Big Of A Deal Halloween Decor Was For Our Neighborhood Last Year, So At The Last Minute I Hung Some String Lights And Witch Hats For A Little Moodiness In Our Courtyard
Image credits: tarynwhiteaker_designs
#61 It’s Time For A Sophisticated Halloween
Image credits: formandtheoryai
#62 Sharing A Still Shot Of My Halloween Porch
I used a few geometric patterns with a pop of pink and purple. My daughters, who are in their twenties, both love Jack Skellington. I myself am a Beetlejuice fan, so this is a nod to both characters.
Image credits: decorateswithbourbon
#63 I Made A UFO
Image credits: antiboysuper
#64 2023 Halloween Yard
Image credits: andromeda2049
#65 I Was Told I Should Share My Newest Creation
Image credits: valannjo
#66 Who Else Loves Spooky Season, Especially In Charleston? Downtown Charleston Is The Perfect Place To Spend Halloween
Image credits: thecharlestonlens
#67 A Western Campfire Circle-Themed Halloween Decorations
Image credits: poestal
#68 The Blow Mold Graveyard Is Almost Complete. One Pirate Groundbreaker Needs Minor Repairs
Image credits: alaskan_Pyrex
#69 Spider Attack On My House
Image credits: gofthejungle123
#70 We Turned Our House Into A Monster For Halloween
Image credits: veeringwhim
#71 My Halloween Decorations Pay Homage To “The Walking Dead”
Image credits: AnokaPeeWee
#72 My Neighbor Spared No Expense This Halloween
Image credits: smugman246
#73 My Neighbor’s Halloween Decoration Took A Surprising Turn After Gust Of Wind
Image credits: quirked
#74 I Forgot To Share My Outdoor Halloween Decorations. I Made The Floating Heads And All The Eyeballs. Last Year’s Theme Was Eyeballs
Image credits: Mom102020
#75 Wreath And Plants DIY Halloween Porch Decorations
Image credits: Crafting_with_Kyky
#76 Fluorescent Glowing Spiders
Image credits: Ahold233
#77 Money Is A Bit Tight Right Now So I Made Some Homemade Halloween Decorations. Turned Out Pretty Good, I Think
Image credits: WilliamHarry
#78 DIY Cardboard Iron Giant Roof Topper
Image credits: _gingrsnaps
#79 Ready For Spooky Season
Image credits: that_guy_that_likes_cars
#80 My Bat
Image credits: ms_butters
#81 A Jurassic Halloween
Image credits: ColeJS
#82 Halloween Decorations
Image credits: Appropriate_Ad_8769
#83 First Halloween Porch Reveal
Image credits: rachaelburnett_
#84 These Cute Little Ghosts Are A Hit Around Town
Image credits: covermeinivy
#85 Last Year Was The First Time I Had A Home To Decorate, So I Made This Guy. Though You All Might Appreciate It Here
Image credits: gourdhorder
#86 I Just Finished My Spooky House
Image credits: WinFar4030
#87 The Theme For My Halloween Display This Year Is Spiders
Image credits: mostly_misanthropic
#88 My Homemade Halloween Skull Candles. It’s My First Year In A House, So I Got Really Excited To Decorate. I Was Going For A Temple Of Doom-Type Theme
A few things I did differently:
Because adhering the candles to the skulls was quite a task, I opted for flameless candles to avoid burning real ones. I replaced the batteries in the bottom of an LED tea light with a hollowed-out real candle for an authentic look. I used hot glue for better stability and covered the connection to the skulls with melted wax. To create a dripping effect, I used a heat gun and burnt candles on the sides. The skulls, purchased from Home Depot, had their jaws removed, and I colored the eyes black with a Sharpie.
Image credits: Hannigraham38
#89 Halloween Decorations So Far
The skeleton’s name is Pablo. I made the “Go Away” sign, Jack’s head, eyeball light, and the black bone border.
Image credits: ChaosKnowsNoSides
#90 Neighbors Said Screw It. Halloween Skeleton Is Now A Pilgrim
Image credits: SouthernJeb
#91 Any Ideas For What To Add To My Display This Year? The Kids Are Young, So I’m Going For “Spooky Not Scary”
Image credits: Baragon9112
#92 Zombie Cellar I Made To Hide A Fog Machine
Image credits: Ennard_Fz
#93 Our Spider Is Ready For This Halloween
Image credits: Schippsahoy
#94 My Ghost Girl From A Few Years Ago. She’s Still My Favorite DIY Prop
Image credits: beachcover
#95 One Pumpkin A Day Keeps The Witches Away
Image credits: instagram.com
#96 Halloween Conspiracies
Image credits: Username_Kevin_
#97 All Of Our Halloween Decorations Blew Away Last Night Except For One Set Of Zombie Hands
Image credits: milehighandy
#98 I See You Like Man Eating Plants. Here Is Last Year’s Halloween Decor
Image credits: JustDocian
#99 Bunker Hill, Boston
Image credits: PearlsAndRunning
#100 Fall Decoration
Image credits: OurGardenIsHaunted
#101 Halloween So Far
Image credits: jensgatheringnest
#102 Skeleton Arch
I used some of my maimed, broken, and unstable skeletons, as well as some spare parts to make this skeleton arch. The neighborhood is loving it so far. I need to finish getting the 12-footer and another 20+ life-size skeletons up tomorrow.
Image credits: reddit.com
#103 Local Store Has Partial Collapse Of Some Stairs, And They Are Making The Best Of It
Image credits: jormono
#104 Pete, The Pumpkin-Head Scarecrow, Planned On Having A Nice, Quiet Evening
Image credits: What_is_next_for_me
#105 Halloween Front Porch Views
Image credits: mydiyhappyhome
#106 My 2022 Halloween Dollar Tree Window Display
Image credits: LezTalkz
#107 Warning Do Not Feed After Midnight
Image credits: evilseedcreations
#108 First Year House Decorating. What Do You Think?
Image credits: hairy_scarecrow
#109 First Night This Year With Some Outdoor Decor. Makes Me So Happy
Image credits: emilyactual
#110 Happy October 1st
Image credits: Equivalent-Fox-6054
#111 Candy Corn Lane
Image credits: piercedoff
#112 Finally Scored Pumpkin Stacks. These Things Are Awesome
Image credits: fatherunit72
#113 First Halloween In Our New Home. We Went With A “Trick ‘R Treat” Movie Theme Outside This Year
Image credits: Vo1dem0rt
#114 My Halloween Decoration Of Spider And Wrapped Prey I Just Made Up
Image credits: ofieldh
#115 I’ve Created An Outdoor Spooky Halloween Display
Image credits: houseofmoseley