Must see cute, clever Halloween yard decorations after scouring three thrift stores, we came home with tons of budget-friendly ideas you won’t want to miss!
Steph and I challenged ourselves to find cute, fun, and clever Halloween decor for our yards—in just ONE day!
So we spent a very fun day scouring three of our favorite thrift stores, hunting for those unexpected finds that could be turned into fabulous outdoor Halloween decorations.
And let me tell you…
we came home with TONS of ideas for updating our front yards without spending a fortune!
The best part?
You don’t need a big Halloween decorating budget to make your yard look festive and fun.
A little creativity (and a good thrift store!) can go a long way.
So keep scrolling to see what we found…
and don’t skip this one because there are a few ideas you’re going to wish you had thought of first!
- Think Outside the Halloween Aisle
- Thrifted Clothing Makes Skeletons So Much More Fun!
- Turn Thrifted Frames into Spooky Outdoor Decor
- Clever Repurposed Finds You’d Never Guess Are Halloween Decor
- The Ghosts Nobody Saw Coming
- How to Shop for Halloween Decor at the Thrift Store
- Shop Cute Outdoor Halloween Decor
- More Clever Decorating Ideas for Halloween
- Ready to Go Thrifting for Halloween?
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Think Outside the Halloween Aisle
One of the best things about decorating for Halloween is that your decorations don’t actually have to come from the Halloween aisle!
Some of our favorite ideas started with ordinary thrift store finds that we simply looked at a little differently.
From clothing that gives our skeletons some serious personality, to frames, everyday household items, and even a few unexpected things we turned into ghosts, this thrift-store treasure hunt gave us plenty of inspiration.
The trick is to repurpose, rearrange, and rethink what you find and we can’t wait to show you what we came up with!
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Thrifted Clothing Makes Skeletons So Much More Fun!
One of our favorite ways to give our Halloween skeletons a whole new personality is with thrifted clothing.
We found that larger children’s clothing and small women’s clothing worked best for our 5-foot skeletons, but a few pins and adjustments can make almost anything work.
Our best tip?
Don’t shop for a “skeleton costume”—shop for an outfit with personality.
Look for unusual textures, flowing fabrics, jackets, dresses, hats, and pieces that fit the character you have in mind.
The right outfit can make old skeleton Halloween decorations feel brand new and give people a reason to stop and take a second look!
This year, Steph and I each had a different vision for our outdoor Halloween decor.
My theme is all about witches, so I created a fun scene with three skeletons beneath my maple tree.
I was thrilled to find a flowing white dress for my flying witch!
We had so much fun hanging her and her broom from fishing line.
We even added a strand of fairy lights that make her look downright magical after dark.
One of our young neighbors was even fascinated watching us arrange the skeletons and get everything just right.
Steph went in a completely different direction with an old-time monster mash theme.
She found the perfect gown for her skellie and scored a boys’ suit coat for just $3 for her Frankie.
Put the two together and don’t they make the cutest spooky couple?!
For Count Dracula, she was thrilled to thrift the perfect cape and the remainder of his clothes came from her sons closet.
And these small ghost tricker treaters started out as thrifted rain boots and Halloween leggings.
To see the full tutorial, head on over to our YouTube channel.
It’s amazing what a few inexpensive thrift store finds can do to completely reinvent decorations you already have.
If you’re new here, welcome! We’re so glad you’re here.
Let us introduce ourselves, we’re Michelle and Steph, a mom and daughter team who love to DIY and decorate our homes.
Not only are we passionate about making our homes warm, comfortable and unique, but it’s our mission to help you create that same feeling in your own home.
You’ll find ideas for repurposing, creating, decorating and making your home truly yours, while always mindful of a tight budget.
Undoubtedly we love finding ways to make your home look high-end on a small budget.
Plus you’ll also find a recipe or two as we share our family favorites with you.
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Turn Thrifted Frames into Spooky Outdoor Decor
Never underestimate a thrifted frame, it might just be the perfect starting point for your next Halloween decoration!
When you’re thrifting, keep an eye out for ornate, vintage-looking frames with interesting details.
They instantly add that spooky, gothic feeling and can be used to create everything from a door decoration to a creepy little vignette.
Steph found a cheap plastic IKEA frame and turned it into a darling ghost hanger for her front door.
After seeing my smaller version, she fell in love and decided to make a larger one that really makes a statement.
I was on the hunt for something to turn into a witches’ inn sign when I stumbled across a frame that once housed a clock.
A little black paint, some Rub ’n Buff, and a printed sign were all it took to give it a whole new life and the perfect welcome for my Halloween guests!
The best part is that you can mix thrifted frames with things you already have at home to create spooky windows, layered vignettes, and unexpected Halloween moments without spending much at all.
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Clever Repurposed Finds You’d Never Guess Are Halloween Decor
This is where thrifting gets really fun!
We love finding ordinary household items and immediately thinking, “Wait…that could be Halloween decor!”
Kitchen and serving pieces, baskets, containers, furniture, you name it.
Sometimes all it takes is a little creative styling to give an everyday item a perfectly spooky purpose.
In keeping with Steph’s old-time monster theme, she thought it would be fun to add monster eyes to her garden.
Her first idea was to look for melamine plates, but the ones we found at the thrift store were more expensive than we wanted to spend.
After a little more wandering, we both agreed that pot lids would make the perfect monster eyes!
At just $1 each, they were inexpensive, durable, and just the right size.
To finish off the vignette, Steph added a few skeleton tongs from Dollar Tree.
The result?
A creepy-cute garden moment that was cheap, easy, and made from things you’d never guess could become Halloween decor!
Sometimes the best Halloween finds are the ones you already have!
I found this thrifted mirror several years ago, painted it black, and added a simple skeleton sketch.
It’s lived in my bathroom during past Halloweens, but this year I decided to move it outdoors and hang it on my front door.
I love how it complements my outdoor Halloween decorations and makes a wonderfully unexpected Halloween wreath!
The Ghosts Nobody Saw Coming
We may have found the most unexpected Halloween decoration of the day!
While thrifting, we spotted a package of 100+ food-service hair nets for just $1, and our first thought was, “These would make adorable ghosts!”
For the base, we used an empty drink bottle, cut a small opening for a battery-operated tea light, and added a cute ghost face.
That’s pretty much it!
They cost practically nothing to make, and when the sun goes down and the little ghosts start blowing in the breeze, they seem to come to life.
Who knew a package of hair nets could turn into such a fun outdoor Halloween decoration?
How to Shop for Halloween Decor at the Thrift Store
If you want to thrift like Steph and me, the biggest trick is to stop looking for Halloween decor!
Instead, walk through the store with an open mind and imagine what an ordinary item could become.
Look at clothing as costumes, notice frames with interesting shapes and details, and don’t overlook kitchenware, baskets, containers, or other unusual finds.
Before you head out, shop your own house too, you may already have the perfect piece hiding in a closet or cabinet.
Look for items you can group together, and think about how you can style something rather than what it was originally meant for.
And remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect!
Sometimes the slightly quirky, imperfect find is what makes your Halloween display the most fun.
Shop Cute Outdoor Halloween Decor
More Clever Decorating Ideas for Halloween
- Decorating for Halloween with a Spooky Bird Theme
- Simple and Elegant Halloween Table Decor Ideas
- The Best Bewitching Halloween Decorating Ideas
- Easy Halloween Decorating Ideas With Skeletons
- Ideas for Decorating for Halloween that are Cheap and Easy
Ready to Go Thrifting for Halloween?
The best part of this little thrifting adventure is that you don’t need a big budget or even a house full of Halloween decorations to create a fun outdoor display.
Before you buy anything new, take a look around your own home and see what you can repurpose, rearrange, and rethink.
Then hit your favorite thrift store and see what treasures you can find! Try one of these ideas, or let them spark an idea of your own.
And if you loved these budget-friendly Halloween ideas…
save this post, share it with a fellow thrifting friend, and be sure to come back for more creative ways to decorate your home without spending a fortune!
Please share your tips and ideas with us.
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Retailers We Love
- Anthropologie
- Birch Lane
- Crate & Barrel
- Joss and Main
- Lampsplus
- Mark & Graham
- One Kings Lane
- Pottery Barn
- Rejuvenation
- Serena & Lily
- Wayfair
- West Elm
- Williams Sonoma
- World Market
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