Skeleton Welcome: Halloween Front Porch Decoration Ideas

Looking for Halloween front porch decoration ideas? I got you covered! Outdoor holiday decor is sometimes overlooked, but on Halloween your porch is your greeting to dozens of trick or treaters. Do you want your entry to be scary? Or classy? Or a mixture of both? I tried to incorporate some classy Halloween elements into a spooky farmhouse welcome.

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Skeleton Welcoming Committee

Say hello to our little friends! You can't get past the skeleton guards so you better hope they're in a good mood. You've got a hello from the candy guard, while the doorbell guard waves you in. But what are their intentions? Will you be offered candy and a warm welcome? And are you brave enough to find out?

Welcome Pumpkin Skeleton

Let's start with a greeter seated on the porch step looking quite aloof holding a large white pumpkin. I love how versatile these craft pumpkins are. A quick Cricut project later and I've got a customized greeting of my own. I'll be sharing how to recreate this look and the SVG file later in the week.

Each guard has a friend to keep his company. This one chose a black owl. You want to elevate small items like the owl when you can.  PRO Tip: Using upside down planters you can create risers to add height and make your scene more interesting.

Candy Guard Skeleton 

When laying out your Halloween front porch decorations it's nice to create a scene with different heights and depths. This skeleton is seated, constrained is more like it, to a chair. I love that he's holding an innocent looking black cat candy bowl just daring you to take a piece! Wrapping the old fence post behind him with a black oak leaf garland adds more depth and an extra spooky touch.

With a Froggy Friend

Our candy guard had the help of a watchful frog! Do you think if you kiss a frog skeleton he still turns into a prince!? Any animal will do but I love how unexpected the frog is. Nestle your creature in a cage with some moss and cover with a little creepy cloth for maximum effect.

Love it? You can easily recreate this look! 

• 5 foot posable Skeleton
• 6 foot plastic Chain
• 5 foot Black leaf garland
• Large wooden bird cage
• Black loose weave cheesecloth – “creepy cloth”
• Skeleton frog
• Sheet Moss

Skeleton Gatekeeper

Then we move on back to the standing skeleton guarding the doorbell with his trusty bulldog. {adding depth and height to the arrangement} But don't worry, he's waving you in. I'm sure it'll all be fine.

The trusty watch dog is a great piece right at the door. My kids have so much fun “feeding” and “walking” him.

Recreate this look:

• 5 foot posable Skeleton
• Skeleton Bulldog
• Faux pumpkins: Michaels

Halloween Front Porch Details 

Raven Wreath Front Porch Decor

I made this raven wreath years ago and I still love it! One of these days I'll do a tutorial on how to make one for yourself, but it's pretty easy. Just start collecting birds now. The Dollar Store used to carry birds with feathers but now they are just glittered black foam. Not as nice for sure. But if you want a little project you can add feathers to the cheap ones or save your pennies for some feathered friends.

Raven Skull Topiary Halloween Decor

After the raven wreath, I added a large raven to a stack of skulls. This spooky topiary is just the right touch to balance the skeleton in the corner. I didn't have the perfect urn to create this so I just used the same metal flower pots turning one upside down as a riser and stacked the other on top.

After reading Edgar Allan Poe in Junior High I fell in love and we listen to a recording of “The Raven” each year at Halloween.

Black Cat Halloween Porch Vignette

In front of the topiary I repeated the metal flower pot riser. Repeating your elements throughout the scene helps to make it feel more cohesive and put together. Atop the pumpkin sits a watchful black cat and a few more stacked pumpkins to balance the design and add a little color.

Add Plenty of Gourds

Once your main areas are designed, take a step back and see if anything looks bare, or has holes, then fill them up with small gourds {real or faux} and more pumpkins! Since our summer is still going strong well into September my flowering pots transition nicely into Fall with these pastel additions.

And finally a simple battery operated lantern among more pretty pumpkins. There's not a lot of color in this black and white arrangement so the bright spots of pumpkin help guide the eye. The top it all off with a banner slung over the doorway to complete the look.

I hope you've enjoyed the tour of our Halloween Front Porch Decorations and that it gave you some ideas of way to design and style your own outdoor halloween decor. I have wide porch that gives me lots of space to work with. If your porch area is smaller, just choose one or two areas to decorate and remember to have at least THREE items in each grouping at different heights. As long as you do that it'll feel complete…..and look fantastic!

Pin it for Later

13 Days of Halloween Hop

We're STILL going! For some indoor inspiration Jordan has a Spooky fireplace mantel for Halloween home decorations for your viewing pleasure over at Jordan's Easy Entertaining. She's got some pretty awesome budget decor tips you won't want to miss! Then join us again on Day 8 for more Halloween Sweet Treats.

If you’re just joining us on the 13 Days of Halloween Inspiration here’s what you missed:

• Day 1: DIY Halloween Decor – Floral Skull Centerpiece
• Day 2: Halloween Sweet Treats – Chocolate Raspberry Shooters
• Day 3: Halloween Cupcakes – Brainy Mad Science Mini Cakes
• Day 4: Savory Halloween Appetizers – Baked Sweet Potato Rounds
• Day 5: Mocktails/Cocktails – Day of the Dead Non-Alcoholic Sangria Recipe
• Day 6: DIY Halloween Decor – Faux Leather Paper Spell Book
• Day 7: Halloween Home Decor – Halloween Front Porch Decor
• Day 8: Halloween Sweet Treats – Red Velvet Brain Cake
• Day 9: Healthy Halloween Food – Mummy Frozen Bananas
• Day 10: Cricut Craft – Halloween Cricut Craft Haunted Hollow SVG
• Day 11: Halloween Tablescape – Elegant Gothic Halloween Party Table
• Day 12: Halloween Kids Activities – Frankenstein Peeps Edible Mad Science
• Day 13: Halloween Party – Halloween Mad Science Party Ideas

Until tomorrow my friend,