No eye of newt or toe of frog on hand for Halloween? No worries! With these five ghastly ideas for last-minute decorations, you’ll have lots of fun!

Spooky, groovy pumpkins – no carving!

Skip the carving knives and decorate your jack-o-lantern with glow-in-the- dark paint. Shine a black light on your project to get the full effect. Get the tutorial.

Slithery and scary

Visitors will squirm and scream with delight when they realize that the snakes slithering up from under your welcome mat are fake. The more realistic your toy snakes, the more fun you’ll have!

Go batty

Nothing gets attention like bats, and it’s easy to create a whole colony. All you need are scissors, black construction paper, and tape. Cut out your bats freehand or use a template. Create bats of various sizes, then tape them to the walls and ceiling. See how it’s done here.

Light up the shadows

Luminaries lining the walk or randomly placed in your yard create just the right kind of haunting welcome. Start with an empty milk jug. Cut a hole in the back where the handle is. On the front, draw a spooky face with permanent marker. Make your luminary glow with battery-powered tea lights. See how it’s done in multiples here.

Who dunnit?

Your driveway, sidewalk or porch is the perfect place for chalk outlines of less fortunate guests. Enlist family members to pose on the ground while you draw their outlines. (You don’t have to tell where the bodies are buried!)

Happy haunting!

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