5 of the Best Halloween Crafts Students Should Try

3 Oct 2025

Luke Williams

Something spooky happens when the calendar flips to October. The air turns crisp, the leaves rustle louder, and Halloween approaches. It’s an exciting time of year for students who have the opportunity to deck their student accommodation out in chilling decorations as they try their hand at some fantastic Halloween crafts.

Beyond the sweets and scares, Halloween offers you the chance to express your creativity, whether it be through pumpkin carving or costumes. So, whether you’re working with limited space, tight budgets, or a busy schedule, the following Halloween craft ideas offer the perfect balance of simplicity and spookiness.

5 of the Best Halloween Crafts Students Should Try

1. Paper Lantern Pumpkins: The Candle Free Glow

Carving real pumpkins can be messy, so try these charming lanterns instead. They deliver the same glowing atmosphere with none of the pumpkin guts.

What You’ll Need

  • Orange construction paper.
  • Battery operated tealights.
  • Black marker pens or card for facial features.
  • Glue stick or tape.
  • Scissors.

How To: 

Fold the paper in half lengthwise, cut slits along the folded edge (leaving 1cm from the top and bottom uncut), then roll it into a cylinder and secure the edges. Add a handle, pop in a tealight, and draw or stick on spooky eyes and toothy grins.

Why it Works: 

Open flames are a definite no go in student flats, so it’s an ideal options for anyone living in one of our buildings. Plus, it’s mess free and won’t start to smell after a few days.

2. DIY Haunted Terrariums: Nature and Nightmares

This natural craft plays with contrast by using lush green moss and eerie Halloween characters to create a terrarium. It’s equal part biology lab and haunted house.

Supplies: 

  • A clear jar or terrarium.
  • Fake moss or real soil for a more natural feel.
  • Mini Halloween figures (LEGO people work well).
  • Pebbles or sand for drainage.
  • LED fairy lights to wrap around the outside for a spooky glow.

Instructions: 

Layer your terrarium base, pebbles first, then moss or soil. Arrange your spooky props with care. Imagine you’re setting a scene. A tiny gravestone tilted at an angle or a spider lurking just beneath the moss adds drama.

Why it works:

It’s easy to start feeling homesick by this point of term, so creating something to care for helps give you a sense of comfort and purpose every day.

Create a spooky setting

3. Ghost Garlands: Spooky but Whimsical

These are simple, light hearted, and surprisingly therapeutic.

Materials Needed:

  • White tissues or fabric pieces.
  • Cotton balls.
  • Black string or thread.
  • Marker pens.

Steps:

Wrap a tissue over a cotton ball, tie the neck with thread to form a head, and draw on ghostly faces. String together in a garland or hang individually from doorframes.

Perfect for: 

Group crafting sessions in the kitchen, decorating your personal workspace. It’s low effort but brings high impacts to every room.

4. Witches Potion Bottles

An ode to apothecaries and dark academia, this is a craft for the curious. Each bottle becomes a vessel for your imagination and darkest creative side.

What You’ll Need:

  • Recycled glass jars or small bottles.
  • Food colouring.
  • Water, glitter, or fake bugs for super spooky vibes.
  • Old book pages or printed labels.
  • Twine or wax for a sealing effect.

Craft Them Like This:

Mix up your potions using coloured water, drop in glitter or creepy critters, and label accordingly: “Elixir of the Mind”, “Vampire’s Delight”, or “Anti-Zombie Serum”. Add melted wax around the lid or tie with aged string for a finishing touch.

5. Recycled Cardboard Tombstones: Dead Easy Decoration

These are perfect for turning any shared flat into a DIY graveyard on a budget. If you’re planning on sharing your work on socials, this is one to go for.

Essentials:

  • Cardboard boxes.
  • Grey or black paint.
  • White paint pen or chalk.
  • Scissors or craft knife.

How To:

Cut tombstone shapes from cardboard and paint them grey. Once dry, scrawl on punny epitaphs like “Barry D. Alive” or “Anita Bath”. Prop them against your desk, behind the sofa, or outside your door if you’re throwing a themed get together.

Want More Halloween Inspiration?

October is one of those months that just invites creativity. For more seasonal ideas and hands on guides, check out Hobbycraft’s Halloween crafts collections. You’ll find everything from DIY kits to video tutorials on spooking up your student bedroom.

While you’re at it, why not explore more student lifestyle tips and tricks on the Urban Student Life blog? We’ve got guides on everything you’ll need to lead a successful student life. There’s more to university than meets the eye, after all.

We'll have more Halloween guides for you soon

The End?

Halloween crafts are a great way to bring your flat together this spooky season, and deck yourselves out in the best haunting regalia. Whether you’re unwinding between essays or hosting your first autumn gathering, these projects add more than just decoration, they spark laughter and possibly even fear depending on how good your skills are!

So, pick one or try them all. No spellbooks required thankfully.

Happy spooky season everyone, we’ll have more Halloween guides for you over the next few weeks.