Quick and Clever Halloween Centerpieces

A little lace goes a long way. Mod Podge helps add a length of lace to a pair of painted-white pumpkins. A gold stem pops even more. Cluster a few pumpkins in the center of your Halloween tablescape to create a frugal yet fun centerpiece.
(image credit: Amy Bell)

It's just not Halloween without a handful of candy. Use a crafts knife to cut off the top of a faux pumpkin. Protect the inside with some plastic covering, and then spray-paint the outside with chalkboard paint. Transform glass knobs into embellishments for your candy jar by drilling through the stem of your plastic pumpkin and pushing a knob inside. Drill and add four knobs at the bottom of the pumpkin to make your jar stand at attention.
(image credit: Diane Henkler)

It's no secret that Halloween decor can go from trendy to tacky in the blink of an eye. This floral fall table centerpiece goes for sophistication while still honoring the season. Just cut the tops off miniature gourds, scoop out the pulp and seeds, and fill with water and flowers. A tiny vase hidden in the pumpkin can help keep everything stable.
(image credit: The Merrythought)

Put a spooky, kid-friendly spin on a trendy terrarium by filling a glass jar with rocks, dried moss, twigs, and soil. Finish by topping this natural foundation with faux spider webs and a handful of plastic creatures for a naturally creepy Halloween table centerpiece.
(image credit: Allison Waken)

Borrow from fall's prettiest flowers, then add blue vases and pumpkins. Voila! A not-just-for-Halloween centerpiece display.

If a trek to the pumpkin farm or farmer's market isn't within the scope of your busy schedule this season, grab the look of Halloween gourds using nothing (and we mean nothing!) but a bunch of black wire and wire cutters. Just manipulate the material into a pumpkin shape with your hands and twist at the top and bottom to finish. Voila! An easy Halloween party centerpiece. (image credit: Lidy Dipert)

A stack of old books forms the stand for this spooky centerpiece. To make, cut two basic ghost shapes from pages in the middle of a book, leaving the bottoms attached to the pages. Fold up each ghost and secure with a touch of tape. To complete, use a hole punch or marker to make eyes for this haunting centerpiece.

Create a kooky cast of characters for your dining room table. Use orange, black, white, and green spools of thread for the mini monster bodies. We used black felt cutouts for the eyes and mouths for most of the creatures. Repurpose old jewelry boxes with scrapbooking or wrapping paper for fun pedestals for the spool monsters.

Spray-paint Halloween props with black chalkboard paint, then outline them with chalk for a frightfully aged skull centerpiece. Fill the cauldron with a decorative bottle, handpicked beverage, or a tasty Halloween treat. Don't forget to add the creepy skeleton skull for extra-spooky vibes.

If you're looking for a simple Halloween centerpiece idea for your table, look no further. Make a pretty, sweet statement on your table with paper pumpkins. Cut strips to equal width and secure the ends with brads. Fan out to form a pumpkin. For the stem, paint a wine cork to match your paper. Coordinating ribbon and glitter stickers offer extra bling.

Glass block vases become one-of-a-kind Halloween centerpieces with die cuts and spooky scrapbook paper (available at crafts stores). To make, use spray adhesive to attach the papers (spray the back of the paper, not the glass, to avoid streaks). Place sand and tapered candle sticks inside the vase for a haunting glow.

Editor's Tip: Use clear plastic blocks in lieu of glass vases. Be sure to nix the candles or opt for battery-powered ones.

A footed white dish is both fancy and festive when filled with an array of orange-hue flowers. Use florist's foam to hold the arrangement securely in place. Bold blooms create one of our favorite fall centerpieces. 

Editor's Tip: Slip a few black roses into the mix, or place miniature pumpkins at the base of the decoration -- painted black if you'd like -- to make the orange flowers really pop in this Halloween centerpiece.

Miniature jack-o'-lanterns make a big impact when arranged on footed cake stands and displayed on a vintage tray. Place battery-powered candles inside each hand-carved pumpkin, and let your guests enjoy the glow.

Make a bewitching centerpiece with black-and-orange pumpkins. Carve out a large pumpkin to hold a vase. Spray-paint your pumpkins with a black matte-finish paint. Once dry, scrape away the painted surface in lines or in the form of a sunflower or another design.

Thrift-store glasses become centerpiece-ready with a coat of black spray paint. Choose textural goblets for the most detail, set them upside down to spray-paint, and use tape around the tops of some to keep the tops clear. Touch up any edges with a black permanent marker after the goblets dry. These painted goblets are for display use only.

Editor's Tips:

-- Use sand to raise your votives to desired height.

-- Place the goblets on a black tray or a mirror embellished with spray paint to make the centerpiece cohesive and portable.

Basic embroidery hoops set a spooky scene on a Halloween table. To make, stretch black costume fabric or lace across the painted hoops; trim extra fabric. Next, spray-paint planters for bases, then add enough florist's foam inside to secure a painted dowel inserted in the middle. Finish with black-and-white patterned paper atop the planters and a hauntingly fun message spelled out in painted wooden letters. Use hot glue to secure the dowels and wooden letters.

An old typewriter spells out a warning message for your Halloween guests. Load a torn book page in a computer printer and spell out your message (a test run on basic white paper ensures you won't waste your favorite page). Tuck the final note in a vintage typewriter, and tell your guests they've been warned! 

Editor's Tip: For extra fright, drape a skeleton hand across the keys.

Colorful spools of ribbon display equally eye-catching desserts. Place scallop-edge die cuts (available at crafts stores or cut from a die-cutting tool) between the ribbon spools with a touch of adhesive to ensure stability. Top each tower with a decadent treat for a sugary-sweet Halloween centerpiece.

Editor's Tip: Arrange the spools in a cluster around an accent piece, such as a colorful vase, or in a straight line along a table runner for emphasis.

Pumpkins painted white and covered in glitter stand out when placed on stark black stands. Adhere glitter using double-stick tape or an adhesive spray to get just the right amount of glitz for this Halloween candle stick centerpiece.

Scrapbook papers and floral accents are all it takes to upcycle yesterday's tin cans into a green Halloween centerpiece. Standard- and economy-size tin cans work well for this craft, although the more varied the sizes, the more intriguing the display. Wrap with scrapbook paper and add die-cut scenes or stickers as desired.

Editor's Tip: Keep the cans for next year, or give them away to guests as simple mementos of a frightful night.

Use rugged old cabinet legs as eye-catching bases for this Halloween gourd display. Elevating some gourds and leaving others on the table, as well as varying the size of gourds, adds quirkiness to this Halloween centerpiece.

Editor's Tip: Tie ribbon onto the bases in knots or bows it you want to inject color to this neutral centerpiece.

A smiling jack-o'-lantern becomes the perfect Halloween vase when you place a container of water and flowers inside. A simple carving (or scraping) that forgoes the typical wide mouth will help the inside container stay hidden. Use a white pumpkin and orange flowers for extra pop.

Nuts, pumpkins, and a large candle dress up a small woven mat in this simple-yet-sophisticated Halloween centerpiece. Fallen leaves tucked into the display add natural fall flair to the decoration.

Editor's Tip: For a more kid-friendly decoration, use candies, painted pumpkins, and a battery-powered candle so curious fingers don't find a flame.