The Cheapest, Easiest, Freakiest Halloween Decor Is a Bunch of Old Dolls

Even though I’m probably possessed by doll decor, I’m also a pragmatist. I know that holiday prep of any kind, like decorating your house for Halloween, can take longer and feel more onerous than you originally anticipated. On top of that, Halloween is just the start of an expensive seasonal onslaught of costumes, candy, turkey, trees, lights, and so, so many presents.

Repurposing dolls is free or nearly free—and unlike animatronic monsters or two-story-tall skeletons, they require no assembly. Yard sales and thrift outlets are obvious sources for bargain-priced castoffs, but my favorite dolls are freebies. If you can’t find enough lying around your house or lurking around the next street corner, try requesting them on a local sell/swap site or Buy Nothing group. That’s what I did ahead of Halloween 2023 after deciding to pursue an on-trend, Barbie-centric decor theme. By the end of the week, I’d amassed 32 fashion dolls from around town at no cost.

I emphasized in my online request that I was happy to take dolls in any condition. In fact, the more dilapidated, the better, because then I wouldn’t feel bad about acquiring a doll that still had life left in it as a child’s toy. That’s another worthwhile reason to decorate with worn-down dolls: It’s diverting an otherwise past-its-prime item from the landfill. (Long live Garbage Bag Baby.)

Doll decor can be as uncomplicated as dumping a pile of tattered and disfigured dolls on your lawn, because few things are weirder than an unexplained pile of dolls. For something more intricate, you can find inspiration online from the elaborate, diorama-like displays that others have concocted. (Further proof of how provocative doll decor can be is that it occasionally makes the local news.)

I suggest letting your own twisted whims serve as your guide.

This year, for example, I’ve toyed with sticking several dolls in my shrubbery, limbs akimbo, for a look you might call “unhinged Christmas tree” or “maybe Sid from Toy Story lives here.”

I’ve also found that dolls play very nicely with other Halloween decorations, like skeletons, cobwebs, tombstones, etc.

A fake grave marker looks loads scarier when a baby doll is propped up against it, I’ve learned; it just works.

Ghosts and ghouls likewise look great when posed with dolls, which really accent their latent human side.

Even if you don’t have a lawn, just sticking a doll to your front door with duct tape can conjure all the dread you dream of.

Though an arrangement of discarded dolls is creepy as-is, some inexpensive, everyday tools—many of which you may already have on hand—can make them even more spook-tastic:

Spray paint: Dousing dolls with a bit of black, white, or gray spray paint is never a bad decision in my experience. I like the Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover Paint, which adheres well to many kinds of textiles and surfaces, including (as you can see above) doll faces, doll outfits, and doll hair.

Paint pens: For hand-drawn blood or doodled-on demon eyes, I’ve used a Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Marker for the past five years or so and it’s still delivering a reliably smooth and vibrant stream of color.

Zip ties: Keeping your dolls in place through All Souls’ Day might require tethering them to a railing, tree branch, or a stake in the ground. These 8-inch zip ties from Bolt Dropper, which we’ve previously recommended to help hang outdoor string lights, can dependably secure most dolls’ limbs, necks, and torsos—even chubby baby ones.

Landscape lighting: The biggest drawback to doll decor is that you can’t really see it at night, which means you need some sort of outdoor lighting if you want to spook trick-or-treaters after dark. Senior staff writer Rachel Cericola, who wrote our guide to the best smart outdoor lighting, suggested the Philips Hue Lily spotlight if you’re looking for a fixture that’s low to the ground. It’s an expensive piece of equipment, though, so if you already have a floodlight attached to your house, get up on a ladder, add a smart bulb, and angle the fixture toward your lawn decor. Just make sure no Mogwais are present.

This article was edited by Alexander Aciman and Annemarie Conte.