Eco-Friendly Halloween Decorations: Natural, Reusable & DIY Ideas

If you love decorating for Halloween but not all the plastic, electricity, and single-use stuff that can come with it, there are plenty of ways to make your home festive with eco-friendly Halloween decorations.

Natural materials like pumpkins, gourds, and cornstalks make easy seasonal decor, while thrifted finds, homemade crafts, and reusable Halloween decorations can come back year after year.

“Mom, this is not very much decorating,” our youngest declared as we set out our Halloween decorations.

Compared to his favorite Halloween house with a lawn full of inflatable witches, pirate ghosts, Frankenstein, and a giant grim reaper… I suppose our little skeletons sitting in a fall-themed wreath and one string of orange spider web lights is less than “spooktacular” in his eyes.

But how do you explain to a 5-year-old that a conventional Halloween doesn’t align with your family’s sustainability goals?

Fortunately, a greener Halloween doesn’t have to be a boring one. A little creativity, some help from nature, and decorations you already own can make your home plenty festive without buying bins of plastic decor you’ll eventually throw away.

Why Choose Sustainable Halloween Decorations?

Out of curiosity, we asked our readers what they think of inflatable lawn decorations for Halloween. A few answers were…

“Wastes electricity. And all that PVC that goes to the landfill after a couple of years!” ~ Elizabeth P.

“I like them. Being cynical and unpleasant about something that many people enjoy is nasty, and the world doesn’t need more of that.” ~ Celeste K.

“Tacky and wasteful.” ~ Diane K.

“I’d rather see old-fashioned cornstalks and pumpkins.” ~ Grace F.

Nature-Inspired Halloween Decorations

So, what options do we have for keeping things green and still having a festive front walk on the big night? We always look for ways to use things we already have for decorating – like our oldest son’s idea of dressing up our homemade scarecrows as a dementor and Harry Potter.

Some of the easiest eco-friendly Halloween decorations come straight from nature. They bring in all the warm colors and textures of fall, and many can be composted when the season is over.

Try decorating with:

• Pumpkins and mini pumpkins
• Gourds in different shapes and colors
• Cornstalks or dried corn husks
• Straw or hay bales
• Colorful fall leaves
• Bare branches arranged in a vase
• Pinecones, acorns, and seed pods
• Dried flowers or grasses
• Dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks

You can keep these decorations more autumnal or add a few spiders, bats, ghosts, or skeletons to give them a Halloween feel. Once Halloween is over, remove the spooky elements and many of your natural decorations can stay up through Thanksgiving.

For anything you illuminate, choose solar-powered lights outdoors or energy-efficient LED lights. And before buying something new, see what you can repurpose from decorations you already own.

DIY Eco-Friendly Halloween Decorations

When it comes to eco-friendly Halloween decorations, the greenest option is to use what you have or things you can use again. Here are a few fun ideas.

Tin Can Luminaries

Use a variety of old tin cans to light a path to your porch or sidewalk on Halloween. Find the tutorial from Jolly Mom here.

Image via Jolly Mom

DIY Spider Web

Use yarn, pipe cleaners, and things you have on hand to make this spider web.

DIY Flying Ghosts

These DIY flying ghosts are whimsical enough for little kids to find fun rather than frightening.

Here’s what you’ll need to make DIY Halloween decorations like these flying ghosts:

Materials:

• Sheet
• Scissors
• Wire hanger
• Marker
• Heavy duty twine
• Artistic wire

Instructions:

• Cut sheets into squares the size that you want your ghosts to be. We made ours large, and we were able to get 3 out of a full size sheet.
• Take a piece of wire and punch one end through the top of the sheet (which will be the head), then twist it to make a loop to hang the ghost.
• Stuff the head with either leftover sheet pieces, scraps of fabric, or even a small ball.
• Tie underneath the head with twine before twisting it tight. Enter the hook for the cloth hanger at the neck, then tie the neck together super tight holding the hanger in place.
• Have someone hold the ghost by the wire hook while you use scissors to cut the bottom of the ghost.
• Finally, use a permanent marker to draw a ghost face (if you desire) on the head.
• Hang on your front porch, and you’ll have the greenest haunted house on the block.

Egg Carton Bats

Don’t recycle that cardboard egg carton. Use it for these adorable sustainable bats:

Decorate with Crafts

Kid craft projects can turn into fun DIY eco-friendly Halloween decorations. Try a themed craft like these mini ghosts and dried oranges.

Or a festive Halloween birdhouse like this.

More Ways to Choose Reusable Halloween Decorations

Before buying new Halloween decor, think about what you can reuse, repurpose, or find secondhand. A few simple shifts can make Halloween decorating more sustainable without taking away any of the fun.

Buy thoughtfully when you do buy new. Look for durable decorations you’ll genuinely reuse or items made from natural, recycled, recyclable, or compostable materials.

Shop secondhand. Check thrift stores for candles, baskets, lanterns, faux pumpkins, scarecrows, and other Halloween or fall decorations you can bring out year after year.

Choose decorations you can repurpose. Instead of buying something you’ll use for one night, look for fall decor that can stay out through Thanksgiving or items that can serve another purpose after the season.

Use reusable party supplies. For Halloween parties, skip single-use plates, cups, and utensils when you can. Neutral-colored reusable dishes and serving pieces can work for celebrations throughout the year.

Got more ideas to green your DIY Halloween decorations? Let us know in the comments.

This article was published in 2013 and updated in September 2026.