How to Turn a Laundry Basket into a Spooky Halloween Cage Decoration

When decorating your home for Halloween, you don’t have to blow your budget. Amanda Everhart, at Harts and Crafts Design, came up with this clever idea using inexpensive dollar store items for some scream-worthy DIY Halloween decorations that will cost you about $4.

halloween Courtesy of Amanda Everhart, Harts and Crafts Design

When decorating your home for Halloween, you don’t have to blow your budget. Amanda Everhart, at Harts and Crafts Design, came up with this clever idea using inexpensive dollar store items for some scream-worthy DIY Halloween decorations that will cost you just a few bucks.

Everhart uses two small laundry baskets to create “cages” for skeletons that she then hangs from her front porch. She found all the items needed at a dollar store, making this a great idea for bargain Halloween decorations.

“I make many of my own decorations for holidays, and friends and family always love them. I always get the questions ‘Did you make that!?’ or ‘How did you do that,'” Everhart told Family Handyman. “These baskets are super easy to put together.”

Supplies Needed

  • Zip ties or shower curtain rings
  • Two round laundry baskets (If they sell black, buy those to save a step later)
  • Fake chain
  • Black and metallic silver spray paint

Courtesy of Amanda Everhart, Harts and Crafts Design

Making Skeleton Cage Halloween Decorations

For her first step, since the baskets had slightly raised handles, Everhart cut out a spot for the handles on one of the baskets. This is so the two baskets can sit flush with each other. She used the cut basket as the top of the cage so if they are placed in an area that will get rained on, the water can drain out instead of creating a puddle on top of the basket.

“The hardest part is cutting the handles from the baskets, but that step could always be omitted if someone doesn’t feel comfortable cutting them out,” she said.

Next, use a shower curtain ring or zip tie at each end of the chain to attach it to the bottom side of one basket. Everhart also used a couple of extra rings to hold the two baskets together.

While Everhart used skeletons in her cages, you can use any fall or Halloween decor, such as scarecrows, ghosts or witches. Check out a craft store for these types of decorations.

Everhart then spray painted the baskets and shower curtains rings using a flat black paint (you can skip this step if your baskets and rings are already black). Once that was dry, she went over them with a metallic silver to make the baskets look dirty and aged.

Then, just put everything together and hang it up!

Rachel Brougham
Rachel Brougham lived through a major home renovation in 2019, knows the ups and downs of home improvement, and loves sharing tips with readers. A veteran journalist of both print and television, she’s won several awards for her writing and has covered everything from the environment and education to health care, politics and food. She’s written for several publications beyond newspapers including Bob Vila, Taste of Home and Minnesota Parent, and she currently writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column. Her memoir, Widowland, about the sudden loss of her husband, was published in 2022. She specializes in everything from home decor and design to lawn and garden, product reviews and pet care. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her tending to her garden (both vegetables and native plants), playing with her dog, watching sports with her family or getting some exercise. A native of Michigan, she currently lives in Minneapolis. An avid user of Instagram, you can follow her @RachBrougham.