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Simple and Spooky Dollar Store Halloween Decorating Ideas

You’ll love these simple, budget-friendly ideas to help you get a spooky look in your home with dollar store Halloween finds.

There was a time when my house was that house at Halloween.

You know the one.

With tombstones all over the front yard.

And cobwebs.

Everywhere!

Giant spiders and ghouls on the front porch.

And the entire first floor decorated to the gills.

You can take a peek at how we used to do things plus see one of my easiest and cheapest Halloween crafts here.

My husband and I hosted an annual Halloween party that was pretty legendary!

Some day I’ll have to share some of those ideas with you!

But over the past few years things have changed.

I’ve been scaling back.

Keeping it more simple.

Only pulling out one or two of the Halloween bins…

And year after year, some of my favorite items to decorate with at Halloween are some dollar store finds.

This year I added in something new, and you’re not gonna believe where I found it!

But let’s start by looking at my favorite dollar store steals.

Gas fireplace with painted mantel decorated for Halloween with dollar store skulls and crows. Large candle lanterns sit on the mantel with a large round paned mirror hanging over the fireplace.

Dollar Store Halloween Finds

My number one tip for getting the best dollar store finds is to shop there at least two months before the holiday.

That’s how I found these fantastic crows.

Traditional fireplace mantel with candle lanterns, dollar store skulls, creepy Halloween tree, and dollar store crows with large round mirror over the fireplace.

And these fun plastic skulls.

Plus a bag of Spanish moss that I’ve reused for over a decade!

These three elements, crows, skulls, and Spanish moss are often the foundation for my Halloween decorating.

Vintage painted bird cage filled with Spanish moss on the bottom. A faux skull sits on the moss with a dollar store crow sitting on top of the skull and on top of the cage.

I love taking a few creepy items and adding them to pieces I use to decorate my home throughout the year.

This styrofoam skull came from our party store.

I love how creepy it looks in this antique bird cage!

Two faux crows on top of a vintage lantern.

A few more crows perch atop this rustic candle lantern.

Isn’t the big guy saucy?

I love the expression on his face!

Painted fireplace mantel with a large candle lantern filled with lit battery powered candles. A dollar store skull sits on a stack of vintage books. A large round mirror hangs over the mantel.

Some more Spanish moss in the base of the lantern gives it instant Halloween cred.

This large skull was a dollar store score from Five Below.

Vintage candle lantern with a dollar store crow on top of the handle stands next to a skull and wooden sign with 31 on it.

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Add Some Craft Store Finds

I love adding botanicals into my decorating.

Even at Halloween.

These ferns have a fuzzy texture so they feel perfectly creepy to me!

I bought the burlap 31 sign at Hobby Lobby, but it would be so easy to make one of these with a block of wood, a piece of burlap, a few nail heads, and some black paint!

Traditional fireplace mantel with erosion control cloth and Halloween decor with large round mirror

My new favorite spooky-looking Halloween decor is this piece of jute erosion fabric.

I actually bought a roll of it from the Walmart garden center for my photography business.

I washed it a few times to get it soft and distressed looking.

You would not believe how much fuzz it left in my washing machine!

And lint in the dryer.

But the mess was totally worth it.

I love how it adds so much organic texture to the mantel.

Safety Tip: definitely stick with battery candles with all this Spanish moss and that jute cloth.

Gas fireplace with chalk painted marble surround decorated for Halloween with a large round mirror with panes of beveled gas.

And can we talk about that mirror?

We were selected by Wayfair for their Fireplace Upgrade campaign and that one piece has transformed my family room!

You’ve got to see what used to hang over my fireplace to see what a big difference it makes.

Family room with a gas fireplace decorated for Halloween with a mix of vintage and dollar store finds. A large window is next to the fireplace with a leather recliner.

What’s your favorite budget-friendly way to decorate for Halloween? Tell me in an email or leave a comment below!

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