How to make haunted house Halloween cards
Use our Halloween printables to craft these creative haunted house DIY Halloween cards.
Sarah Jackman-Read has used the illustrations and Halloween templates to create a range of fantastic haunted house Halloween card projects for you to try.
Our favourite has to be the creepy haunted house portrait card with eyes that follow you around the room – thanks to a little help from a paper tab. Let your imagination run wild but don’t have nightmares!
- Download our haunted house templates or pop-up haunted house template to get started.
If you’re in a crafty mood, why not check out the best glue gun and best die-cutting machine. Thinking about buying a craft printer? Check out our review of the best printer for card making.
We love seeing what you make, so don’t forget to share your craft projects with us on Instagram and Facebook.
Watch our haunted house card in action!
How to make a haunted house Halloween card
Create a haunted-portrait card with an interactive element - eyes that follow you around the room!
You will need
- Halloween printables
- White & coloured card
- Gems
- Ribbon
- Spring
- Die-cutting machine with circle & square dies – or cut by hand
- Haunted house templates - find in the Papercraft inspirations 182 templates
Step 1
To begin your haunted house card, create a 20×12.5cm card base from black card.
Trim two pieces of lime-green card to 19×11.5cm then layer them onto slightly larger pieces of purple card, leaving narrow borders.
Step 2
Cut two 18.5 x 10cm pieces of stone-wall paper from the Halloween printables then attach on top of the layered panels.
Wrap ribbon around one of the panels then attach them to the inside of the card base, as shown.
Step 3
Fussy cut a framed portrait from the Halloween printables then cut out the eyes.
Trim a strip of card into a T shape then place it over the back of the eye holes and hold in place with two loops of card for the T to slide through.
Step 4
Use the Halloween templates from the haunted house papercraft templates to cut, score and fold a fireplace, then cover it with stone paper.
Trim some black card to 9 x 7cm, attach it to the back of the fireplace, to create a box, then affix this to the card.
Step 5
Use a thin black marker pen to write ‘pull’ on the tab at the end of the T, and draw pupils for the eyes.
Use sticky foam pads to attach the portrait inside the card on the right-hand side.
Step 6
Trim a haunted house card spooky scene from the Halloween printables to 5 x 5cm then add thin strips of black card to make it into a window scene, as shown.
Attach the window to the left-hand side, inside the card base.
Step 7
Use sticky foam pads to attach a fussy-cut sentiment from the Halloween printables to the centre of the ribbon, add a fussy-cut ghost to the fireplace, then finish by adding a gold gem to each corner of the card.
Frightening face paint
Bring out your little ones scary side with these Halloween face paint ideas.
More DIY Halloween cards to try
Make a monster haunted house papercraft card
The goofy characters in this set of printables are a great option for children’s birthday cards, too – we love this monster surprise card!
Step 1
For this haunted house Halloween card, create a 14 x 14cm, top-fold card base then cover the front with some black card.
Trim orange card to 13.5 x 13.5cm then die cut a 6cm-wide circle through it and attach a small monster and a spooky background scene from the Halloween printables behind the aperture.
Step 2
Trim purple card to 13 x 13cm then die cut an 8cm-wide circle through the middle. Add sticky foam pads and a fussy-cut monster from the Halloween printables to the back of the panel then stick it on top of the orange panel on the card front.
Step 3
Trim stone-wall paper from the Halloween printables to 12.5 x 12.5cm then die cut a 10cm-wide circle through the centre.
Wrap ribbon around the bottom of the panel, add sticky foam pads and three monsters to the back of the panel then affix it onto the card front.
Step 4
Use sticky foam pads to add a sentiment from the Halloween printables onto the left-hand side of the ribbon. Add a red gem in each corner of the card.
Folding Halloween card
Step 1
Score and fold a 140 x 280mm piece of orange card in half.
Measure and mark the centre of the fold at 70mm. Measure and mark at 25mm on either side of this point. Mark 30mm above and below each of these two points.
Using a ruler to draw two parallel vertical lines, using the points as a guide, cut with a craft knife. Score a line between the two parallel lines on both sides of the card.
Push the cut area inwards to create a tab which is the base for your pop-up. Fold card to crease lines.
Step 2
Add 140 x 35mm strips of yellow, orange, red and black card to the inside of the orange panel.
Trace the haunted house template onto black, orange, yellow and brown card and black dotty patterned paper and assemble as shown. Draw lines on windows.
Trace door onto brown card, add a small tab to the left side, fold tab and adhere to the house via tab. Attach house to pop-up tab.
Step 3
Add a circle die-cut from yellow card to sky. Die-cut and stamp bat and ghost; attach with sticky fixers. Die-cut trees from black card; attach.
Add star sequins. Stamp sentiment, small ghosts and small bat as shown. Attach the panel to the inside of a 155mm square black base.
Decorate the front of the base, to finish.
Coffin shaped Halloween card
Step 1
For this Halloween papercraft card, use the Halloween templates from Papercraft inspirations 182 templates to make a coffin-shaped card!
Step 2
All the background papers, characters and sentiment can be printed off from the Halloween printables.
Step 3
Use action wobble springs and strips of card to fix the characters in place, so they pop up when the card is opened.
Black cat Haunted house Halloween card
Step 1
Tear your background paper to create this fun scene.
Step 2
All the background papers, characters and sentiment can be printed off from the Halloween printables.
Step 3
Add extra claw marks with a black pen then tuck ghosts and ghouls behind the tears.
Terrifying tables
Turn fine dining into fright dining with these Halloween table decorations.
More Halloween papercraft projects
Illuminated haunted house papercraft project
These house-shaped tealight holders are a fun way to add a touch of magic and are easy to make with our free templates – we love the spooky haunted house papercraft!
Both the Christmas house and the haunted house papercraft are ideal for lighting up your window display as the nights draw in.
Upcycled haunted house juice boxes
Celebrate Halloween with Suzie Attaway’s haunted house decorations that can all be made from items you’ll find around the house!
Step 1
Remove the bases from three empty juice cartons with a craft knife.
Draw windows and doors onto the cartons with a pencil and carefully cut out.
Step 2
Paint the outside of the cartons with black acrylic paint, and paint the insides in orange. Leave to dry.
Step 3
Add details around the windows and doors with a white pen as shown. Attach strips of orange and black striped washi tape around the bottom of the cartons.
Add spooky stickers inside and on the front of each carton. Place electric tealights inside.
Easy hanging bats Halloween papercraft decoration
Step 1
Press the ends of three cardboard tubes inwards as shown. Cover tubes with black or brown acrylic paint and leave to dry.
Step 2
Measure and score horizontal lines at 10mm intervals across three 140x200mm pieces of black or brown paper.
Accordion fold and cut the folded strips in half to create wings. Cut 10mm horizontal slits on opposite sides of each tube, and push the folded wings inside.
Step 3
Add googly eyes, and draw a mouth with a white pen. Glue two 100m pieces of black or brown pipe cleaners to the bottom of each tube, and curl the ends.
Ghoulish gatherings
Don't be a horrifying host – make your party extra petrifying with our 200+ Halloween party ideas!
Show off your skills with these DIY Halloween cards
Whether you have friends or family with an October birthday or are off to a special Halloween party, these DIY Halloween cards are a fun way to celebrate the spooky season.
Make your own paper Halloween decorations
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