How to Make a Spooky Halloween Door Swag

If you are looking for something a little different from a traditional Halloween wreath, this spooky Halloween door swag makes a wonderfully dramatic alternative. Filled with autumn leaves, skulls, pumpkins, berries, ribbon, feathers and plenty of eerie accents, it can be customized with whatever Halloween decorations you already have tucked away.

This is also a project you can create well before Halloween. Seasonal craft supplies tend to disappear quickly, so gathering your materials early gives you the best selection—even if you do not plan to hang your finished swag until October.

I created this Halloween swag almost entirely with decorations and floral picks I already owned. Before shopping, take a look through your Halloween bins and craft supplies. You may be surprised by how many forgotten treasures you can reuse.

Supplies for a Halloween Door Swag

• Heavy-gauge floral wire
• Floral tape or tape-wrapped floral wire
• Faux autumn leaves and branches
• Plastic skulls
• Halloween floral picks
• Small pumpkins
• Berries
• Black decorative branches or sprays
• Faux spiders
• Ribbon
• Feathers
• A small witch hat
• Wooden floral picks, if needed
• Hot glue and glue sticks
• A Command hook or another sturdy door hook

Create the Base and Hanger

I began this project the same way I made my catalog-inspired floral swag, using a sturdy piece of Styrofoam as the base. Styrofoam holds floral stems and decorative picks more securely than softer floral foam, making it a good choice for a substantial door swag.

Begin by pushing a length of heavy wire through the upper portion of the Styrofoam. Because the wire can slice through the foam when the finished swag becomes heavy, it needs an anchor.

Bend a piece of tape-wrapped floral wire into an “M” shape and place it against the front of the Styrofoam. Pull your hanging wire down and around this anchor so the weight is distributed across a wider area instead of resting against the foam alone.

On the back of the Styrofoam, twist the two ends of the wire together to form a sturdy loop. This loop will allow you to hang the finished swag securely from a hook.

Here is another photo to show you how I pulled the wire through and down over the wrapped wire.

On the backside of the styrofoam I used the same technique and twisted the two ends of the wire into a circle to be able to hang my swag on a hook.  

Begin With Leaves and Branches

Hang the Styrofoam base on your door while you work. This makes it easier to judge the shape, length and balance of the swag as you add each element.

Begin with your longest leafy branches. I used a combination of light brown and gray-green leaves to create the outline. Allow some branches to extend above the base, but direct most of the foliage downward to create the long, tapered shape of a traditional swag.

Step back occasionally to make sure the arrangement looks balanced and that the Styrofoam is gradually being concealed.

Prepare and Attach the Skull

I had several plastic skulls left from my DIY Halloween skull garland, and one became the focal point of this arrangement.

Make two small holes near the back of the skull and thread a piece of heavy wire through them. Bring the wire ends together behind the skull and twist them to create a sturdy stem.

Push the wired skull firmly into the Styrofoam, positioning it approximately one-quarter of the way down the swag. If the wire does not feel secure enough, attach it to a wooden floral pick before inserting it into the foam.

Fill in the Halloween Swag

Once the skull is secure, continue layering leaves, branches and decorative accents around it. I added long black sprays, clusters of purple berries, miniature pumpkins, Halloween picks and black ostrich feathers.

The spiders came in clusters from Dollar Tree, so I separated them and tucked individual spiders throughout the swag. The black wispy accents and many of the Halloween picks came from Michaels.

There is no need to reproduce this swag exactly. Use the decorations you love and allow your own collection to guide the design. Black cats, bats, ghosts, candy corn, eyeballs or vintage-style Halloween ornaments would all make fun additions.

Work from the largest pieces to the smallest:

1. Establish the shape with leaves and long branches.
2. Add the skull or another large focal piece.
3. Place pumpkins and larger Halloween picks.
4. Add ribbon, berries, feathers and accent sprays.
5. Fill any remaining openings with smaller decorations.
6. Check that the Styrofoam is hidden from every visible angle.

Before hanging the finished swag, gently tug on the larger pieces to make sure everything is secure. Add hot glue or wired wooden picks wherever additional support is needed.

Because this swag contains Styrofoam, ribbon and decorative floral materials, it is best displayed in a protected location, such as a covered porch. Keep it away from heavy rain, strong winds and prolonged moisture.

I love the wonderfully dramatic silhouette this swag creates on a front door. It has all the impact of a large Halloween wreath, but its unusual shape makes it even more eye-catching—and using decorations already in your collection makes every version completely unique.