29 Whimsical Ways to Decorate a Halloween Tree

Halloween is meant to be fun and outrageous, so why not do something different, like adding a spooky, kooky tree to your Halloween decor? Check out these creative ways to decorate a Halloween tree, including DIY tree toppers, upcycled ornaments and more.

August 24, 2021

By: Jennifer Perkins

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Photo By: Jennifer Ramos

Photo By: Evin Photography, Styling by Jenny Reimold

Photo By: Evin Krehbiel, Styling by Jenny Reimold

Photo By: Evin Photography, Styling by Jenny Reimold

Photo By: Jennifer Ramos

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Photo By: Michael Hall

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Photo By: Melissa Caughey

Photo By: Jennifer Ramos

Candy Corn Tree

Nothing says Halloween like a 7-foot-tall candy corn-inspired tree. Find a white tree at the thrift store or upgrade your existing one with yellow and orange spray paint. Then, decorate with black-and-white striped pumpkins and a swarming colony of paper bats hung from the ceiling. Get our free printable bat template at the link below.

See More Photos: Host a Kids' Craft Party for Halloween

Art to Match

Dress up existing art to match your Halloween decor. Simply cut out or artfully rip some black construction paper to look like dripping paint, then attach to the bottom of picture frames.

Black, White & Pink All Over

Pink isn't the first color that comes to mind when you think of Halloween, but this pastel pink tree decorated with black-and-white pumpkins and vintage cameras is giving us all the Beetlejuice vibes.

Put Collections on Display

Mixed in with pumpkins, skulls and decorative baubles, a collection of vintage cameras adds an extra dose of kitsch to this stylish Halloween tree.

Fall Chic

Take cues from this energized space and go boho-chic with your tree design. Here, an orange tree is stuffed with oversized paper fans, magnolia blooms and assorted berry floral picks for a look that's equal parts festive and pretty.

Hocus Pocus

Stylist Jenny Reimold says, "Trees aren’t just for Christmas." For a festive, seasonal twist, decorate holiday trees made specifically for Halloween. Prepare for the winter season by styling a black, pre-lit tree with orange lights in a prominent location in your home. "Children especially love this unique approach to fall decorating and, in our home, a practice that has now become a family activity while watching the Halloween classic, Hocus Pocus."

Shove & Stuff

In the same manner in which Jenny decorates her Christmas trees, she also uses the “shove and stuff” technique to uniquely adorn a Halloween tree. Traditional-shaped ornaments act as filler, but the real focal points of this seasonal tree are the signs, hanging decor and Halloween picks arranged among the branches. The “Boo” sign was made for a mantle or shelf but fits in perfectly at the top of the tree while a hanging skeleton, made for a door, loops easily around a branch for a spooky greeting.

Keep It Cohesive

The same prints and patterns found in Jenny's Halloween tablescape were added to the tree to keep this child-friendly look a continuous theme throughout her home. Patterned, wired ribbon hung vertically from the tree, is a malleable filler for spare branches. Spooky twigs and witch feet from the craft store floral department tops the tree for a final cohesive touch.

Frankenstein's Monster

The corner of your dining room is the perfect place to display a smaller tree. Here, a 6-foot purple tree is decorated with vintage Halloween masks, neon skeleton hands and topped with a bust of Frankenstein's monster. To complete the look, an assortment of colorful faux pumpkins serve as a tree skirt.

Frankenstein Tree Details

The large, thrifted Frankenstein topper rests on a collar of metallic green spray picks at the top of this purple tree. The branches display a collection of vintage Halloween masks from the '60s and '70s.

Get Creative With Ornaments

Save money by covering your tree with a mix of new, vintage and handmade ornaments. Hand-painted black and white cubes, zombie fingers, fly swatters and glittery Christmas ornaments also decorate the tree.

Play a Game

Looking for a fun new game to play at your Halloween party? Try musical chairs around a Halloween tree! Even without ornaments, the orange, yellow and white combo screams “Happy Halloween."

SEE MORE: 31 Fun Halloween Party Games for Kids and Adults

Craft Your Own Ornaments

Decorate your Halloween tree with some delightfully spooky DIY stencil ornaments. These easy-to-craft ornaments are made with common craft supplies and can easily be customized and personalized to your liking, making them the perfect way to spend an afternoon. No sewing machine required!

GET THE HOW-TO: DIY No-Sew Ornaments for Halloween Trees

Black Mask Tree

Punch up a black tree with layers of color, texture and unusual adornments.

Black Mask Tree Details

Vintage masks, honeycomb spiders and store-bought accordion pumpkins meld perfectly with neon ornaments and paper garlands that were purchased from the scrapbook aisle of the craft store.

Festive Topper

Carnival masks with lots of plumes and feathers add a festive touch reminiscent of Mardi Gras.

Spider Skirt

Finish off the look with a spider web tree skirt.

Orange You Glad It's Halloween

Orange is the new black when it comes to holiday trees. When decorating any tree, it's always a good idea to mix colors, size and texture. These custom ornaments from crepe paper streamers keep things interesting.

Craft a Paint Chip Pumpkin Garland

Paint chips are the perfect material for a DIY Halloween tree garland. The festive shades of orange and yellow mimic the hue variation seen in actual gourds and are easy to find at your local hardware store. Find the step-by-step instructions at the link below.

GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Paint Chip Pumpkin Garland

Fortune Tellers

The Crafty Lumberjacks Dennis Setteducati and Andrew Boza decorated a celestial, fortune teller-themed Halloween tree with hand-painted purple lights, tarot cards, gold stars and spooky skulls.

Ornaments of the Occult

Spooky skeleton hands display beautiful antique tarot cards on the fortune teller-themed tree.

From: The Crafty Lumberjacks

Fun, Not Frightening

Who says Halloween has to be scary? Make your Halloween decor fun and whimsical by incorporating bright, punchy color and not-so-scary decorations. Here, white holiday ornaments are painted to resemble colorful eyeballs to adorn colorful, kooky tabletop trees.

See the Lights

Give string lights a spooktacular Halloween makeover with ping pong balls and a little craft paint.

Witch Legs

Get creative with your tree topper. Here, a pair of upside-down witch legs add a touch of whimsical fun to this black tabletop tree.

Make Your Own

Learn how to make your own bewitching tree topper with our step-by-step instructions below.

GET THE HOW-TO: Crafty Fall: Create These Kooky Witch Legs Just in Time for Halloween

From: Melissa Caughey

Creepy Cuteness

This brass Milo Baughman etagere is styled for Halloween in a black-and-white color scheme and paired with a striped Halloween tree covered in doll parts and pops of pink.

Odd Ornaments

Going for a creepy vibe? Hit the thrift store for old porcelain dolls, then disassemble them to decorate your Halloween tree.

SEE MORE: 3 Ways to Make Creepy Doll Head Planters for Halloween

DIY Design

A wall alcove is a perfect place to display a Halloween tree. For the base, look for a Halloween candy bowl or decoration — we used this adorable witch’s boot. Because Halloween ornaments aren't readily available, we glued felt doll hats onto shiny green Christmas ornaments, then drew cute witch faces with paint pens.

Match Your Decor

When decorating your Halloween tree, consider your existing decor. Here, retro Halloween decorations (including an aluminum tree) look right at home in this midcentury modern living room.

SEE MORE: Say No to New: Scare Up What You Have This Halloween, Instead

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