15 Halloween Crafts With Glass Jars to Add Spooky Charm to Your Decor
Ever looked at an empty glass jar and thought, “Hmm… this could totally become a haunted lantern or a candy-corn monster”? No? Just me? Well, after this post, you’ll never look at glass jars the same way again. Halloween is all about magic — and what’s more magical than turning everyday stuff into something spook-tacular?
Last fall, I tried making a ghost in a jar. I used cotton balls, googly eyes, and some leftover glitter. My husband said it looked like a haunted snow globe — but my kids were obsessed. It glowed, it sparkled, and it added just the right amount of spooky charm to our shelf. That’s the beauty of Halloween crafts: they don’t have to be perfect — just fun (and maybe a little creepy).
These 15 jar crafts are ridiculously easy, budget-friendly, and so cute it’s scary. Think glowing mummies, potion bottles, and even mini jack-o’-lanterns — all made with those empty jars collecting dust in your kitchen. Perfect for a cozy weekend DIY session with your favorite Halloween movie in the background.
So grab your jars (mason, baby food, pasta sauce — they all work), some paint and imagination, and let’s craft your way to a wickedly charming Halloween display!
1. Glowing Ghost Lanterns
Paint the outside of mason jars with sheer white acrylic or frosted glass spray, then use black paint or vinyl to add spooky ghost faces. Pop in a flickering LED tea light to make them glow from within.
These soft, glowing ghosts look perfect lined up on windowsills or porches. They give off just the right mix of cute and creepy, especially after dark.
2. Apothecary Potion Bottles
Transform recycled glass jars into eerie potion containers with homemade labels like “Witch’s Brew,” “Zombie Blood,” or “Moon Dust.” Fill with colored water, glitter, or plastic insects. Seal with corks or wrap the lids in twine and wax drips.
These bottles are perfect for a haunted bookshelf, altar, or potion table. Each one feels like it came straight out of a witch’s cabinet.
3. Jack-o’-Lantern Jars
Paint the outside of glass jars in orange, then add jack-o’-lantern faces using black vinyl, stickers, or acrylic paint. Place a candle inside for a glowing pumpkin effect.
It’s a festive and family-friendly craft that brings the spirit of the pumpkin patch right into your home — without the mess of carving!
4. Spider Terrarium Jars
Fill a jar with moss, dirt, and small twigs, then add plastic spiders or bugs inside. Use a gauze or mesh lid to complete the creepy look — like a captured creature display.
These jars are perfect for tabletops or bookshelves, especially when grouped in clusters. They give your Halloween decor an eerie natural history museum vibe.
5. Bloody Candle Jars
Drip red wax down the outside of plain white candles placed inside jars, or melt crayons over the rims of the jar to mimic dripping blood. Set them atop black doilies or skull coasters for added drama.
These jars are wonderfully gothic and gruesome. When the candle flickers inside, it casts shadows that feel straight out of a horror film.
6. DIY Mummy Jars
Wrap gauze or medical bandages around a jar, leaving space for two googly eyes or black painted eyes to peek through. Add a tea light inside for an adorable glow.
This is a great craft for kids or classrooms and looks charming grouped with other Halloween creatures.
7. Bat Silhouette Shadow Jars
Line the inside of a jar with black paper cutouts of bats, trees, or haunted houses. Place a candle or LED light inside to project silhouettes on the walls.
It’s atmospheric, artistic, and adds spooky movement to your space when the candlelight flickers.
8. Eye of Newt Specimen Jars
Fill a jar with green-tinted water and floating items like ping-pong ball eyeballs, plastic snakes, or gummy worms. Add a custom label and seal it like a preserved specimen from a mad scientist’s lab.
It’s fun, squishy, and totally gross in the best way. Great for kitchen counters or party buffets!
9. Creepy Candle Cloche
Place a candle in a shallow dish and invert a clear glass jar over it like a cloche. Decorate the inside with small bones, skulls, or moss. Make sure to use flameless candles for safety.
This craft creates a sophisticated yet unsettling decoration — perfect for mantels or gothic dining tables.
10. Glow-in-the-Dark Slime Jars
Make homemade slime using glue, baking soda, and glow-in-the-dark pigment or paint. Store it in a glass jar with a label like “Ooze,” “Sludge,” or “Toxic Waste.”
This project is perfect for kids and doubles as party favors or creepy shelf accents.
11. Haunted Forest Scene in a Jar
Create a mini haunted forest using twigs, moss, tiny pumpkins, and miniature tombstones. Add a paper moon or small ghost silhouette hanging from a piece of thread inside the lid. Use black or dark green glitter at the base to mimic soil and mist.
These jars look like tiny haunted worlds trapped under glass. They’re perfect for centerpieces, mantle displays, or witchy altars.
12. Witch’s Firefly Jar
Fill a jar with green or orange LED fairy lights and add dried herbs, moss, and crystals for a magical effect. Wrap the lid in twine and glue on a tiny charm or wax seal. It looks like a captured magical energy source.
It glows like something from a fairy tale — perfect for adding a soft witchy ambiance to your home or porch during October nights.
13. Vampire Blood Jar
Fill a jar with deep red-dyed water and add floating vampire teeth, roses, or black glitter. Seal it with a cork and dripping red wax to make it look like a cursed relic. Label it with a gothic-style tag that says “Vampire’s Kiss” or “True Blood.”
It’s romantic, dramatic, and adds gothic elegance to your spooky setup — especially when displayed with candles and velvet textures.
14. Pumpkin Patch in a Jar
Create a cute and cozy fall scene with mini pumpkins, faux hay, cinnamon sticks, and a touch of glitter. Use orange ribbon around the lid or a wooden tag with “Happy Haunting” written in calligraphy.
This craft captures the harvest side of Halloween, blending charm with a rustic handmade feel. Great for kitchen counters or autumn gift ideas!
15. Soul Lantern Jar
Paint a jar with a thin layer of black or dark navy acrylic paint, then scratch ghostly shapes or skull faces into the surface while it’s wet. Place a color-changing LED inside so that the glowing “souls” shine through the scratches.
The result is ghostly, glowing, and full of eerie mystery — like lost souls floating in a jar of darkness. A perfect spooky centerpiece for the witching hour.
Charm in Every Jar
With just a handful of jars, a splash of imagination, and a little Halloween spirit, you can craft an entire haunted world right on your shelf. Whether you’re bottling ghost light, creating cursed potions, or crafting a vampire’s relic, each jar becomes a small portal into your spooky vision.
So save your jars, stir your paint, and let your inner witch go wild — your handmade Halloween magic begins one glow at a time.
💬 Don’t forget to read the community feedback in the comments below! There’s real value in their experiences. ✨