Step up Your Halloween Game Part 2: Haunted Backyard Shed

Don’t be that house on the block with one sad little pumpkin and a depleted bowl of Tootsie Rolls. Instead be the envy of your neighbors and the house that lives on in the memories of children for years to come! Now that your yard is decked out with the Halloween yard decorations covered in part 1, you can end the spooky path and give out candy at your crowning glory: a haunted backyard shed.

Dress up your backyard shed

To transform your backyard shed into a haunted house, give it a spooky makeover! Some simple Halloween decorations from your local dollar store can go a long way. Chains draped across the windows and doors, skeletons here and there, and some DIY signs are all great options. If you have an eye for detail, you’ll appreciate the following haunted backyard shed ideas.

Hansel and Gretel witch candy house

It may look cute and inviting in the daylight, but in the dark this candy house is sure to look sinisterly sweet. Dress up as a witch and don’t expect anyone to enter inside to retrieve their candy!

Boarded up windows

Photo from Freakyfoam @ instructables.com

There’s just something about boarded windows that says “keep out!” Fortunately, you can achieve this effect without putting nail holes into the side of your backyard shed (something we certainly wouldn’t recommend with any of our sheds with beautiful pine siding). All you need is:

• Cheap foam board insulation (1 inch thick)
• Serrated knife
• Butterknife or screwdriver
• Brown paint (you can use more than one shade if you want the boards to appear more realistic)
• Duct tape or hot glue

Start by roughly cutting the foam board across with the serrated knife into as many pieces of “wood” as desired. Use a butter knife or screwdriver to carve faux wood grooves into the face of each piece. Finish them off with a coat of brown paint, followed by a light coat of your second shade if you have it (don’t paint in the grooves with this one). Now they are ready to attach to your window using duct tape or hot glue.

Eerie circus

Beckon those who dare into your scary fun house. If you really want to scare the pants off your visitors, dress up as a creepy clown. Your backyard shed could also be decorated as a ticket booth at the start of your haunted trail.

Halloween Town

Image caption: Image from @anastaciavandel on Pinterest

“Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween
This is Halloween, this is Halloween!”

Transplant your shed into Halloween Town from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Spirit Halloween has a whole line of The Nightmare Before Christmas themed Halloween yard decorations. You can also create your own palace of pumpkins by surrounding your backyard shed with Jack o’lanterns. Dress up as Jack Skellington and your theme is complete!

We’ll spare you the nightmares, but if you really want to scare the pants off your friends you can look to your favorite horror movie for inspiration. Stay tuned for more backyard shed tips and ideas throughout the year, from how to get rid of groundhogs to design ideas for a glamping camp!