DIY Network

Spooky Tree DIY's Michele Beschen shares her Halloween spooky tree craft project.

Decking out your house for Halloween is just as exciting as decking it out for the Christmas holiday. Here's how to turn an ordinary artificial tree into a "spooktacular" Halloween decoration.

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Michele Beschen, host of DIY's B. Original, shows you how to create the ultimate Halloween spooky tree.

Materials:

artificial tree (If you don't have one lying around your basement or garage, you can easily find them at yard sales and thrift stores. You can also find very inexpensive ones at dollar discount stores.)
black electrical tape
glossy black spray paint

1. These trees are very easy to make sparse and scary. To start, bundle up a section of branches. Wrap the branches tightly with black electrical or duct tape. Wrap almost to the end, leaving a few leaves sticking out.

2. Continue to wrap until you're happy with its sparseness.

3. Remove some of the leaves. They should easily peel right off of the plastic stems. This will add to the dead branch look.

4. Spray the entire tree with glossy black spray paint. Spray the container it's in and everything.

Alternative Spooky Tree

You can also create your own tree using a thick, fallen branch. Drill holes, and add twigs with hot glue or wood glue. Place securely in a pot and spray paint.

This ghost is the perfect complement for your Halloween spooky tree.

Ghosts for the Spooky Tree

Materials:

cheesecloth or gauze
Mod Podge (or white glue)
Styrofoam ball
mirror or piece of glass
wire or string

1. Take the cheesecloth or gauze and double it over so it isn't too shear.

2. Dip the cloth into Mod Podge or white glue until it is completely soaked.

3. Place a Styrofoam ball underneath the cloth and start shaping. The ball is the head of the ghost.

4. Twist the cloth tightly around the ball.

5. Spread out its body and wrinkle it up.

6. Place it on a mirror or a piece of glass to let it dry. (A slick, non-porous surface works best, because you do not want your glue to be able to stick to the drying surface.)

7. Use wire or string to hang it from the tree.

8. Add other Halloween decorations such as bats and skeletons.

9. Add a string of orange lights to finish it off.

Note: On the night of "trick or treating," swap out the decorative items with treats! Fill it up with the ever-popular lollipop ghost. Wrap lollipops in white napkins or tissue, and tie off with string. You can also add small treat buckets/pumpkins filled with candy so the "trick-or-treaters" can help themselves to their treats — if they dare! Kids love it!