Halloween Cauldrons Are Taking Over: 13 Spooky Ideas to Try

Front Porch Planter

Place a few cauldrons on either side of your front door and add in bunches of vibrant artificial leaves or seasonal mums. Continue the autumn aesthetic by placing piles of pumpkins, flameless white candles, and decorative bird cages along the sides of the steps. Add sheer shredded black curtains to frame the entryway, a few faux owls, and witty signs on the door for a fun way to welcome trick-or-treaters.

Chilling Cauldron Centerpiece

Create a spooky dining room by filling a cauldron with a black Amaranthus bush that, at first glance, resembles spider legs. Continue the color scheme by including a black textured table runner under the cauldron along with a few witch hats and raven figurines. Sprinkle in bare black branches and decorative bats on the walls, as well as a chalkboard announcing your Halloween-themed menu.

Halloween Yard Decor

Don't limit your outdoor Halloween decor to the front porch! A plastic cauldron is a relatively inexpensive way to create a Halloween yard decoration. Just add a few strands of chains and iridescent 'bubbles' and you'll be on your way to being the most festive house on the street.

Cauldron Fireplace Decor

We're all about decor that can span multiple seasons, and this simple Halloween mantel can easily be left up through Thanksgiving. The key is to incorporate timeless pieces such as mini pumpkins, faux foliage in ambient autumn colors, and wheat bundles. Add a gold cauldron to the hearth surrounded by vintage black and brass candlesticks and filled with round birch logs.

Party Punch Bowl

If you're hosting this year's big Halloween bash, grab an oversized cauldron to serve as the punch bowl. Use battery-operated tea lights and dry ice to create a creepy glow, and fill the cauldron with your favorite cocktail or kid-friendly punch.

Editor's Tip: Rather than pouring the liquid directly in the cauldron (which may not be food-safe and could potentially spring a leak), find a cauldron that's large enough to hold a normal punch bowl. That way, you can add all the lights and dry ice you need to around the bowl.

Farmhouse Halloween Decor

Aside from filling them with food and beverages, cauldrons can also be put to work as festive vessels for firewood. Not only is this farmhouse living room charming, you’ll always be ready to start a cozy fire on chilly fall nights.

Outdoor Halloween Party Staple

Sure, styling a Halloween bar cart is a great idea for intimate indoor gatherings. But for larger crowds, it’s smart to think outside the box. Scatter a few oversized cauldrons on surfaces throughout the yard and fill them with ice shortly before guests arrive for a Halloween party. Add in a variety of beer bottles—or non-alcoholic beverages, if you're inviting kids—to stay chill all night long. Don’t forget to include snacks and candles to keep any lingering bugs at bay.

DIY Halloween Craft

This Halloween craft idea will keep the kids entertained for the afternoon. Plus, it can double as a festive tabletop decoration when they’re done. Wrap store-bought skeleton bones in either toilet paper or gauze to resemble mummified remains, then tuck them into a raffia straw lined cauldron alongside various sized glass balls. The end result is a bubbling cauldron that acts as a spine-chilling centerpiece.

Bucket of Pumpkins

Whether you use it as front porch decor or a Halloween centerpiece, this cauldron full of painted pumpkins could not be cuter—or easier to make. Simply paint a few mini pumpkins in your desired color scheme, add a few eye stickers, and pop them in the cauldron. You can fill the bottom of the cauldron with foam or newspaper and position the pumpkins on top so it looks like the entire vessel is filled with ghoulish gourds.

Outdoor Halloween Decor

Not for the faint of heart, this outdoor decor idea is bound to get a scare out of anyone who stumbles upon it. Spray insulation foam into a few plastic cauldrons and paint it yellow once it’s dry. Toss in a variety of fake creepy crawlers and eyeballs for added ick. Then toss the bubbling cauldrons on the porch along with a trio of potion bottles and a sign showcasing your spell specials for a truly spooky Halloween front porch display.

Nontraditional Halloween Decor

Embrace the Barbiecore aesthetic this Halloween and opt for a color scheme that's far from the traditional orange and black. Choose traditional objects—like cauldrons, pumpkins, and skeletons—and paint them in your color scheme to bring a distinct Halloween feel to your non-traditional decor.

DIY Halloween Decor

Another idea for traditional Halloween decor elements is this DIY centerpiece. To create your own, gather items that feel distinctly Halloween, such as cauldrons and skeletons. Glue everything to a large tray or charger, then spray paint the entire thing matte black for a chilling decor piece.

Spooky Snack Bowl

The best part of having a Halloween cauldron on hand is that you'll always have a decorative bowl to use for parties. Fill a (clean) cauldron with your favorite snack of choice for grazing guests. Pick an effortless treat, like a pre-made pretzel mix, so refills won’t keep you from missing the fun.