How to Make DIY Halloween Garland That’ll Have Your Neighbors Green with Envy

Why Bother Making Your Own Halloween Garland?

Store-bought garlands fall apart after one season, cost way too much, and honestly, they’re boring. Everyone on your street has the same orange and black paper chain from the big box store. When you make your own, you control everything:

• The colors that actually match your home
• The size that fits your space perfectly
• The style that screams “you” instead of generic Halloween aisle

Plus, it’s weirdly therapeutic to sit down and create something with your hands instead of doom-scrolling through your phone.

The Dead-Simple Paper Doily Ghost Garland (Perfect for Beginners)

This is where I always tell people to start. You need maybe five things, and you probably already have three of them in your junk drawer.

What you’ll need:

• Paper doilies (grab a pack of 30cm ones)
• Black Sharpie
• White string or yarn
• Scissors
• Tape

Here’s how it works:

Fold each doily in half. Then fold it in half again. One more time—you want six sections total. Cut a ghost shape while it’s folded. Round off the top for the head, let the bottom stay wavy. Unfold it, and boom—instant ghost.

Draw two dots for eyes and maybe a little “O” mouth with your Sharpie. Don’t overthink it. The wonkier they look, the more charming they become. String them up with tape or a tiny dab of glue between each ghost.

I made twenty of these while watching a terrible horror movie last October. Took me less than an hour, and they looked like I’d spent all day on them.

The Fancy Tassel Ghost Garland (When You Want to Show Off)

This one requires more supplies but creates that “Oh wow, where did you buy that?” effect.

Shopping list:

• Yarn in white and black
• Felt sheets (black for the eyes)
• Wooden beads in various sizes (get a mixed pack)
• Macrame string (1mm works great)
• Wide-eye needle
• Hot glue gun
• Hair straightener (trust me on this)

The process:

Wrap yarn around your fingers about twenty times. More wraps = fluffier ghost. Tie off the top tightly, then cut the bottom loops. Before you trim them even, run a hair straightener down the strands. This makes them poker-straight instead of wavy and messy. Trim to your desired length.

Cut tiny circles from black felt for eyes. Two per ghost. Glue them on. Thread your macrame string through the wide-eye needle. String a small bead, then a ghost (push the needle through the tied-off top), then a larger bead. Keep alternating.

The wooden beads add weight so everything hangs properly instead of bunching up like a weird yarn tumor. I learned this the hard way using regular string—everything sagged into one clump at the bottom.

Paper Chain Halloween Characters (Great for Kids)

Remember making paper chains in elementary school? Same concept, but with Halloween shapes.

What you need:

• Colored cardstock (orange, black, purple)
• Scissors
• String or baker’s twine
• Printable templates (just Google “Halloween paper chain templates”—they’re free)
• Tape

How to do it:

Print your templates on regular paper. Bats, spiders, pumpkins, skulls—whatever speaks to your Halloween soul. Fold your cardstock accordion-style. About eight folds works well. Trace your template on the top fold. Cut through all layers at once, but—and this is crucial—don’t cut the fold points on the sides. That’s what keeps them connected.

Unfold your chain of creepy creatures. String them up or hang them as-is. My niece made a spider chain that stretched across her entire bedroom doorway. She’s seven and needed minimal help. If a seven-year-old can nail this, you definitely can.

The Dramatic Branch and Floral Garland (For the Overachievers)

This is the garland equivalent of bringing a three-tier cake to a potluck. It takes more time, more materials, and more space, but the result is genuinely stunning.

Materials required:

• Base greenery garland (faux cypress works beautifully)
• Faux black branches
• Black vines, eucalyptus, or amaranth sprays
• Black flowers or leaves
• Floral wire
• Command hooks

Step by step:

Mount Command hooks where you want the garland to hang. Spacing matters—you want natural-looking drapes, not a sad straight line. Hang your base garland first. Get the draping right before you add anything else. Take your black branches and bend the stems. Tuck them into the base garland, weaving them through and securing with floral wire where needed.

Layer in your vines or drapey elements. Think asymmetrical. Nature isn’t symmetrical, and neither should your garland be. Cover any visible wire or connection points with black leaves or flowers along the top section.

I made one of these for my fireplace mantel last year. It took about two hours, but people are still talking about it. Fair warning: you’ll need decent space to work and patience for the layering process.

My Biggest Garland-Making Mistakes (So You Don’t Make Them)

Using flimsy string for heavy decorations. Regular yarn cannot support wooden beads. It will stretch, sag, and generally make you want to throw the whole thing in the trash. Invest in proper macrame cord.

Not measuring before starting. I once made a gorgeous garland that was three feet too short for where I wanted it. Measure your space, then add at least two feet.

Overdoing the hot glue. A tiny dot is enough. Blobs