10 Easy Halloween Ideas
It’s my favorite time of year; Halloween! I love making special treats for the kids or doing fun crafts. But it has to be easy, not time consuming and fun! Here is a round up of 10 Easy Halloween Ideas for you to try with your family.
1. DIY Ghost Candles
These were SO fun to make, I might go back and make 25 more! They’re such a cute and inexpensive Halloween decoration. Here’s the Link for the black taper candle holders.
Important: This is an adult activity because we’re working with hot water. The kids can definitely help with the fun part and paint spooky or silly faces on the candles! 
Here’s how to make them:
Fill a baking dish with the hottest tap water you have.
Add your candles and let them soak for 5–10 minutes, until they become easily pliable. Taper candles work best!
Start gently bending the candles into your desired ghost shapes. It’s easiest to bend them while they’re in the water. If they aren’t bending easily, replace the water with fresh hot tap water.
Go slowly and don’t bend too hard or the candles can break.
Once you’re happy with the shapes, remove the candles and place them on paper towels to dry completely.
For the faces, use black acrylic paint and the back of a paintbrush to dot on spooky or silly eyes and mouths. Let the paint dry.
And yes, you CAN light them! But if your candle is bent downward or off-center, put a heat-safe mat or tray underneath it to catch any dripping wax.
A few important tips:
Keep kids away from the hot water and pliable candles. Be careful with dripping or hot wax. Never leave a burning candle unattended. If the candle eventually burns through the painted face, just paint a new one!
2. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Just 4 easy ingredient to these moist and fluffy muffins. The chocolate chips are optional; but are they really optional? Not in my house. 😉 Tap here to grab the full recipe!
3. Ghost Cake
How to Make a Ghost Cake
- Prepare the cake batter.
Prepare one box of your favorite cake mix according to the package directions. Grease and flour one square cake pan and one round cake pan. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Important: Use pans that are the same size—either two 8-inch pans or two 9-inch pans.
- Bake the cakes.
Bake according to the cake mix package directions, checking each cake for doneness with a toothpick. Remove from the oven and let both cakes cool completely before assembling.
- Cut the round cake.
Once the round cake is completely cool, cut it in half. Set one half aside for the top of the ghost. Take the other half and cut it into three smaller curved pieces. These pieces will create the wavy bottom of the ghost.
- Assemble the ghost.
Place the square cake in the center of your serving board or platter. Position the half-round cake piece along the top of the square to create the ghost’s head and shoulders. Arrange the three smaller curved cake pieces along the bottom of the square cake to create the ghost’s wavy, flowing bottom. You may need to shave or trim the tops of the cake pieces with a serrated knife so the pieces fit together nicely and create an even surface for frosting. - Frost the cake.
Cover the entire cake with white frosting, smoothing it over the top and sides to create one large ghost.
- Add the face.
Use black frosting to pipe on two spooky eyes and a mouth.
And that’s it! 👻 This ghost cake makes such a fun centerpiece for a Halloween party and is much easier to make than it looks!
4. Ghost Jars
This is the easiest and most inexpensive DIY Halloween decor idea because you can use jars or vases you already have around the house!
Grab some empty jars, mason jars or vases from around the house or a thrift store. Fill them with the spider web stuffing you can find at the dollar store.
Cut out eyes and a mouth from black construction paper and tape on to the jars. That it!
Add fairy lights inside for extra twinkle. You could fill the jars with candy or marshmallows instead of the spider webbing for easy treat jars!
5. Witch’s Hats
Breakout the crescent rolls for this easy snack.
Video How To Make Crescent Roll Witch Hats
Crescent Roll Witch Hats for Halloween
Equipment
- Star & Moon Cookie Cutters optional
Materials
- Crescent Roll Dough 8 count
- 4 mozzarella cheese sticks
- Pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Roll out the crescent triangles.
- Cut each cheese stick in half.
- Add a cheese stick to the bottom wide part of the crescent roll triangle. Roll once or twice so the cheesestick is covered in dough. Pinch the sides so the cheese doesn’t melt out while baking. Repeat with all crescent rolls and cheesesticks. Add to a baking sheet.
- Next use a tiny star and moon cookie cutter and star cut out shapes in the pepperoni (optional). Add to the top of the crescent roll triangles.
- Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
- Dip in marinara sauce.
Nutrition
6. Candy Corn Layered Pudding Cups
Need an easy Halloween dessert?! These adorable candy corn pudding cups are made with just a few simple ingredients and look SO cute for a Halloween party. Even if you aren’t a fan of candy corn, you’ll love these pudding cups!
Here’s how to make them:
- Prepare a 5.9-ounce box of instant vanilla pudding according to the package directions. Or use 2 smaller boxes and substitute banana or lemon flavored pudding for the yellow pudding layer.
- Take half of the pudding and stir in a couple drops of orange food coloring.
- Chill both puddings completely.
- Add a scoop of the yellow pudding to the bottom of each clear cup and smooth it out with a spoon.
- Add a layer of the orange pudding and smooth the top.
- Add a dollop of Cool Whip or whipped cream.
- Finish with a few pieces of candy corn!
🎃 Optional: Draw a Jack-o’-lantern face on the outside of each cup for an extra spooky touch!
Serve immediately and enjoy!
This recipe makes about 6 pudding cups, but you can easily double or triple it if you’re making them for a party.
Such a fun little Halloween treat for kids AND adults!
Candy Corn Pudding Cups
Materials
Instructions
- Prepare the vanilla pudding according to the box directions. Take half of the pudding and add a couple drops of orange food coloring and stir.
- Let the pudding chill completely
- To the cups add a scoop of regular yellow vanilla pudding to the bottom. Smooth layer with a spoon.
- Then layer the orange colored pudding. Smooth with a spoon.
- Add a dollop of cool whip to the top and add candy corn.
- Serve immediately
- Optional- draw Jack-o’-lantern faces on the cups.
Notes
7. Graveyard Poke Cake
This Halloween Graveyard Chocolate Poke Cake is the perfect addition to any Halloween party!
If you are not a chocolate lover- this recipe is NOT for you, I’m afraid. This cake is loaded with decadent chocolate deliciousness! It begins with a devil’s food cake base (for Halloween, of course), then it’s studded with gooey chocolate fudge, with a layer of homemade chocolate whipped cream and topped of with crushed Oreos.
Grab the full recipe for Graveyard Poke Cake Here!
8. Eyeball Spaghetti
A fun twist on Halloween dinner! Make a big pot of spaghetti and meatballs. I use a soup ladle and fork to twirl the spaghetti into nests and add to a large serving bowl.
Cut out circles of white cheese and slice green olives in half. Place both onto the meatballs to look like eyes and snuggle the meatballs into the spaghetti nests.
Don’t forget the mummy garlic bread! Would your kids find this spooky Halloween dinner fun or creepy?
9. Butter “Scream” Treat Board
This Butter “Scream” Board is perfect for any Halloween party! You can take care of the desserts on one board!
You’ll need buttercream frosting in any color you choose. I took a shortcut and bought white buttercream at Publix in the bakery section. Publix makes THE BEST buttercream. It’s not too sweet or taste like straight sugar like some buttercreams. It’s velvety smooth and they sell all colors! You can, of course, make it at home though.
Pipe your buttercream into any Halloween character you choose. This board can be large with many different buttercream characters, or smaller. I went with a ghost, but you could pipe out a pumpkin or jack-o’-lantern, a black cat, bat, witch, etc. Get creative!
I added parchment paper on my board first for easy clean up.
Once your buttercream is on your board add cookies, candies, and salty snack all around for dipping. Anything goes here! This butter “scream” board will be a huge hit and it’s so fun to make.
10. Halloween Snack Mix
This sweet and salty Monster Mix, made with pretzels, Chex cereals, peanuts, candy corn, and M&Ms is the perfect snack mix for the Halloween season.
Get the full recipe for Monster Mix HERE!
Bonus! Witch Hat Cookies
These cute witch hats are so easy! You’ll need:
- Chocolate cookies- I’m using the Keebler Fudge Striped Cookies, you could also use homemade chocolate cookies, Oreos or even brownie bites
- Various colors of icing
- Hershey Kisses
- Sanding sugar or Halloween sprinkles
Pipe a little icing in the middle of the cookie, top with a Hershey Kiss and add a touch of Halloween sprinkles. So easy! Great for a party.
I hope you found some ideas to use for your spooky season! If you like some more Halloween recipes, check out this post.
