8 Incredible Office Halloween Decorating Ideas

It’s official: Halloween is the new Christmas!

What better way to get into the spirit (pun intended) of the season than by sprucing up your office with Halloween decor? Now that more people are officially returning to the office, putting up decorations for Halloween can help improve morale and alleviate work-related stress. You can get excited about the holidays from the comfort of your cubicle. Keep reading to discover some inventive office Halloween decorating ideas to add holiday flair to your nine-to-five.

Orange and Black Streamers

If you’re new to decorating your office, start simple. Paper streamers are cheap and plentiful. You can get them online or even at supermarkets. They’re easy to put up and take down, and they add vibrant color and Halloween cheer to your workspace with minimal effort.

To get the most value from this office Halloween decorating idea, string streamers in tandem along cubicle walls and around the office perimeter, securing them with clear Scotch tape. The contrast of the orange and black will easily evoke the Halloween spirit. Arranging them in a wave-like shape is a popular design, but have fun with them! Maybe tape vertical stripes down a bare wall, or use them to frame the break room vending machine. 

Pumpkin and Gourd Display

This office Halloween decorating idea is less scary and more about autumnal decor. Organize a display of pumpkins of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Pumpkins aren’t just orange. They can be white, green, and even purple. Garnish your display with gourds to add volume. Aim for symmetry in your display to make it pleasing to the eye. Arrange the pumpkins like you wound a group photo: taller ones in back, smaller ones dotting the front. 

You can set up this display anywhere space permitting. Bigger displays can be arranged in an office lobby, or in an empty corner of the office. Move an empty table or desk against a wall and turn it into your Halloween stage. Smaller displays can be organized atop breakroom or conference tables. 

If you’re feeling extra adventurous with your office Halloween decorating ideas, pick up a fake hay bale, available at most craft stores, and use it to stage the pumpkin display. Every time you look at it from your desk, you’ll imagine yourself at a farm on a crisp, gloomy fall day. 

Funny Halloween Posters

As anyone who’s seen Hocus Pocus knows, Halloween isn’t just about scares and thrills. It’s about fun. Getting into the humorous holiday spirit with an easy office Halloween decorating idea that will spark joy among your co-workers. 

You can find funny Halloween posters to put up around the office. Also check out party stores and home decor stores in person, which may have more options, too. You can put these up on company bulletin boards next to the typical OSHA posters, or tape them to doors. They’ll add color and levity to drab office settings and help you and your co-workers crack a smile, especially when things get stressful.

Fake Cobwebs

This is a stalwart of office Halloween decorating ideas. Fake cobwebs are durable, inexpensive, and extremely versatile. You can pick up a bag for under five dollars and really make it stretch. (Another pun fully intended)

Fake cobwebs are a cottony material that can be stretched over any surface or object, giving it an old, creepy look, like something recovered from a haunted mansion. You can stretch fake cobwebs over unused desks, vending machines, whiteboards, framed pictures, etc. Put some across windows for a fun effect. You can’t put them over flat walls as they need something with a corner to hold onto. 

They’ll also work on living things. You can stretch them over office plants and shrubbery without harming the plant. We recommend keeping them away from flowers and more fragile plants. The sturdier the better!

With this simple decoration, you can instantly turn your office into an abandoned mausoleum and perfectly evoke the Halloween spirit. 

Halloween Lights

Lights bring out the holiday joy in everything. Once upon a time, stringing lights was just the purview of Christmas, but Halloween has gotten in on the game recently. Now you can easily find strings of Halloween lights at stores and online. 

The simplest version of Halloween lights are orange, purple, and black bulbs. But stores also sell lights shaped like skulls, pumpkins, spiders, and ghosts. You can easily find a wide selection in stores, which are stocking more varieties with each passing year. It seems that manufacturers are getting more creative each year.  

This office Halloween decoration idea does require more effort, though. First off, you should get permission from your office manager to plug them in, as they do use electricity. The most effective design is to string the lights around the ceiling perimeter of your office, so that they cast a uniform glow without being intrusive to work. Make sure to use strong tape that can hold them up. 

If you don’t want to go the tape route, you can string them along the border of your cubicle or have them hang over file cabinets. Lights are incredibly effective at bringing out the Halloween spirit in any setting. 

Skeletons (The Fake Kind!)

If you don’t see a fake skeleton in October, did Halloween even happen? 

Fake skeletons are an office Halloween decorating idea that can add a lot of fun to your building. Who doesn’t love seeing a skeleton? They’re jokey but instantly convey Halloween cheer. 

Now, you have a few options here. The simplest version is to opt for a paper skeleton. They’re inexpensive and easy to put up and take down. You can tape them to walls or hang them on a door. Everyone will get a good laugh out of them.

For those of you who are more advanced with your office Halloween decorating ideas, it may be time to upgrade to a plastic skeleton. They cost less than you’re probably thinking, and they’re a great option if you have the budget for it. Plastic skeletons can be hung on coat hooks or hooks found on the backs of doors. Depending how heavy they are, you could hang them on a thumbtack. You can even get a stand to place them on. They’ll provide a fun little scare to unsuspecting co-workers. 

With plastic skeletons, make sure to hang them in a non-obtrusive place. If they’re hanging on a door that’s frequently used, then you’ll be listening to bones clanging all day long. That’s no fun for anyone. 

Window Gels and Wall Stickers

When it comes to office Halloween decoration ideas, don’t forget the valuable real estate of big office windows. 

Window gels are inexpensive, easy to put on, and come off without damaging the glass. They usually come in packs with different designs: black cats, pumpkins, ghosts, etc. Window gels can be as sprawling or simple as you need, and they can be reused year after year. 

Stickers get affixed to walls, and they come in different designs and patterns. Maybe you opt for a flock of bats or an elaborate haunted house. Like window gels, they don’t damage the walls or take off paint when you remove them. However, they typically can’t be used year after year, but that just means you can try new patterns each Halloween.

In addition to being a fun office Halloween decorating idea, putting up the gels and stickers is a great team activity. You can take an afternoon and have the team come together to put them up. Put on some Halloween music and maybe order a pizza. It’s simple and enjoyable and is a good way for co-workers to relax and chat. 

Large Halloween Displays

For those feeling adventurous with their office Halloween decorating ideas, consider going all-out with a Halloween display. Perhaps you want to rest a porch sign against a wall. You can also set up a cardboard display around your computer monitor. Get freestanding fake black cats and rest them on cubicle borders. These ideas are more elaborate, but worth it. Check out Pinterest for exciting options.