If you’ve never been to a trunk or treat before, picture this: a parking lot full of cars, each one decked out like a mini Halloween scene. Some look spooky with fog machines and fake cobwebs, others are cheerful candy shops or pumpkin patches. Kids go from trunk to trunk filling their buckets, and honestly, it’s just as fun for the adults as it is for them.
The best part? You don’t need a huge front porch or a yard to get in on the decorating fun. Your trunk becomes your canvas, and the smaller space makes it easier (and cheaper) to get creative.
I’ve seen everything from pirate ships to glow-in-the-dark monster mouths, and each one feels like its own little world. Trunk or treat ideas for Halloween keep getting better every year, and I’m here to share some of the most fun, quirky setups you can actually pull off yourself.
Why Decorating a Car Trunk Has Become Popular for Halloween
Trunk or treat events have taken off in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. Instead of kids wandering door-to-door, families gather in one safe, central spot—usually a school or church parking lot. Parents love that they can decorate a single car instead of their whole house, and kids get to see dozens of themed trunks in one evening.
Here are a few reasons this trend keeps growing:
- Safety and convenience – Parents feel better knowing kids can collect candy in a well-lit parking lot rather than roaming unfamiliar neighborhoods.
- Creativity on display – Decorating a car trunk is like designing a mini stage. Each family brings their own theme, from haunted graveyards to candy shops.
- Community connection – Trunk or treat events bring neighbors, classmates, and friends together in one festive space.
- Budget friendly – It’s often cheaper than decorating a whole porch or yard. A trunk is a smaller canvas, but still big enough to impress.
- Photo-worthy setups – Parents love snapping pictures of their kids in front of themed trunks, and social media has helped spread the popularity even more.
Cheap DIY Materials to Buy to Decorate a Car Trunk
You don’t need a big budget to pull off creative trunk or treat ideas for Halloween. Most decorations can be found at the dollar store, thrift shops, or even your own garage.
Here’s a quick guide to budget-friendly materials:
| Material | Why It Works | Where to Buy Cheap |
|---|---|---|
| Black tablecloths or sheets | Instant backdrop to cover the inside of your trunk | Dollar Tree, Walmart clearance |
| Cardboard + poster board | Perfect for DIY tombstones, teeth, or monster eyes | Craft stores, old shipping boxes |
| Glow sticks and fairy lights | Add nighttime drama without real candles | Dollar store multipacks, Amazon bulk |
| Plastic spiders, skeletons, or rats | Small details that make a big impact | Dollar Tree seasonal aisle |
| Hay bales or straw | Great for pumpkin patch or scarecrow themes | Farm stand leftovers, garden centers |
| Old costumes or thrift finds | Repurpose clothes into scarecrows, pirates, or witches | Local thrift shop |
| Pool noodles | Surprisingly versatile—turn them into candy canes, tentacles, or lollipops | Dollar store, end-of-summer sales |
Tip: Start with one or two bigger pieces (like a cauldron or hay bale) and then fill in with these cheap DIY materials. The layering effect is what makes your trunk stand out without spending a fortune.
21 Halloween Trunk Decor Ideas
Decorating your car for trunk or treat is half the fun of Halloween. It’s like setting up a mini stage, only in your parking spot. Whether you want something spooky, silly, or over-the-top, these 21 ideas will give you inspiration (and maybe a laugh or two from my own misadventures).
1 | Haunted Graveyard Trunk
A graveyard theme is always a crowd-pleaser because kids instantly “get it.”
When I set mine up, I grabbed a pack of foam tombstones from Dollar Tree, but they kept falling over in the breeze.
My fix? Sticking chopsticks in the bottom and jamming them into a foam block hidden under fake moss.
I also scattered glow-in-the-dark skeleton hands like they were crawling out of the trunk. One little boy told me my setup looked “just like a Scooby-Doo episode,” which honestly made my night.
2 | Candy Shop Trunk
This one is bright, colorful, and sugar-themed, perfect if you want cheerful instead of creepy.
My mom once made giant lollipops out of pool noodles wrapped in cellophane, and she stuck them around the car. She even wore a pink apron that said “Candy Queen” in glitter letters she glued on last-minute.
Kids loved taking photos with her trunk, and the moms loved stealing DIY notes. If you’re short on time, you can just tape rainbow wrapping paper to the inside of your trunk and it still looks magical.
3 | Pumpkin Patch Trunk
Sometimes simple works best.
My neighbor filled their whole trunk with pumpkins from a farm stand, different sizes, all shapes, some even warty and weird.
She had hay bales on the ground and kids climbed up for pictures.
Honestly, it looked like something off a fall postcard. If you want to try this, borrow pumpkins instead of buying 20 (neighbors usually have extras).
4 | Glow-in-the-Dark Trunk
This is for anyone who secretly loves glow sticks as much as candy. I saw online where someone taped black poster board inside their trunk, then outlined cartoon ghosts with glow tape.
It looked amazing once the sun went down. I tried adding glow balloons, but they popped in the cold air (oops).
A safer bet is glow necklaces, you can hand them out as non-candy treats. Kids will swarm your car once the lights dim.
5 | Pirate Ship Trunk
Arr matey. My aunt went all out with this one, she draped brown fabric so the car looked like a ship, then added a toy parrot on her shoulder.
She even used a Halloween fog machine to look like sea mist. The funniest part? Her husband stood beside the trunk pretending to “walk the plank” on a wooden board he balanced on a bucket.
Kids lined up just to watch him fall off again and again. If you try it, remember duct tape is your best friend for keeping fabric in place.
6 | Mad Scientist Lab
Think bubbling potions, glowing liquids, and way too much dry ice.
I once filled mason jars with colored water (green food dye + tonic water under a blacklight = spooky neon).
My goggles fogged up so badly I couldn’t see where I was pouring, and I ended up staining the driveway.
But the kids thought it was “real poison,” so I called it a win. Add rubber gloves, plastic rats, and “warning” tape for effect. Bonus if you wear a white lab coat.
7 | Enchanted Forest Trunk
This one’s whimsical instead of spooky.
My sister strung fairy lights through artificial vines, then hung little paper butterflies she cut with a craft punch. She even had a thrift-store lantern flickering in the corner (battery candle inside).
8 | Monster Mouth Trunk
Turn your trunk into a big, goofy creature with cardboard teeth and bulging eyes.
My neighbor did this by cutting jagged “fangs” from poster board and taping them across the top and bottom.
It looked hilarious, especially because he added pool noodle “eyeballs” on the roof. He admitted the tape didn’t hold well (he had to reattach a fang mid-event), but honestly, the lopsided look made it funnier.
If you try this, don’t stress perfection, kids love it because it looks like a cartoon monster about to gobble their candy bucket.
9 | Wizard’s Den Trunk
Think cauldrons, spell books, and twinkling candles.
I once borrowed a stack of old, leather-looking books from a thrift shop and labeled them “Spells” and “Potions” with gold paint pen.
I even made a bubbling brew by hiding a mini fog machine inside a black plastic cauldron.
The kids kept asking if I was a “real witch,” which made me laugh.
Pro tip: Dollar store battery candles make this look extra magical without worrying about open flames.
10 | Scarecrow Trunk
This one is all hay, plaid shirts, and fall vibes.
My mom stuffed flannels with straw and sat the “scarecrows” in folding chairs around the trunk.
One even held a candy bowl like it was offering treats.
The little kids were wary at first (they thought one might move), but once they realized it was fake, they couldn’t stop giggling.
A couple of crows from the craft store perched on the hood finished the look. Cheap, easy, and super autumnal.
11 | Spider Lair Trunk
Not for the arachnophobes, but such a crowd-pleaser.
Stretch that fake webbing all over your trunk until it looks like something you should not walk into.
My tip is to use way more than you think, it looks fuller that way.
I tossed in a giant plastic tarantula from a yard sale, and it scared one dad more than the kids. For extra creep factor, hang rubber spiders on fishing line so they dangle when the breeze blows.
12 | Dia de los Muertos Trunk
Colorful and cultural, this one is gorgeous if you want to go beyond spooky.
I once painted sugar skull faces on cardboard cutouts and propped them against the car.
My neighbor actually lent me some bright paper flowers from her daughter’s quinceañera, which saved me hours of crafting.
Kids loved the bright colors and marigolds, and parents appreciated the nod to tradition. Add a portable speaker with festive music and the whole thing feels like a celebration.
13 | Under the Sea Trunk
Shiny blue fabric, seashells, and maybe a mermaid tail costume if you’re feeling brave.
I tried this one year with leftover teal tulle from a wedding decoration (I just stuffed it in the corners of the trunk to look like waves).
My biggest win was hanging fish cutouts from clear string so they “floated” in front of the car.
A little girl in a mermaid costume gasped and asked if I was “Ariel’s friend.” Honestly? Cutest compliment ever.
14 | Zombie Apocalypse Trunk
This one’s messy and fun.
Fake blood splatters (red paint on old sheets works), plastic limbs from the Halloween aisle, and some groaning zombie sound effects from your phone.
My buddy once sat inside his trunk in full zombie makeup and scared the teenagers who thought they were too cool for candy. His biggest tip? Stay hydrated, it gets hot under all that face paint.
Done right, this setup is half haunted house, half photo op.
15 | Cozy Campfire Trunk
Perfect if you want something less spooky, more autumn cozy.
I used a few logs, orange tissue paper, and battery tea lights to fake a fire. Then I tossed plaid blankets over folding chairs and handed out marshmallow-shaped candies.
My neighbor wandered over and said it looked like a scene from a camping catalog (except with a minivan). Add a thermos of hot chocolate for yourself, you’ll thank me after two chilly hours outside.
16 | Circus Tent Trunk
Go bold with stripes, balloons, and silly costumes.
My aunt once draped red-and-white sheets to make her trunk look like a big-top entrance.
She wore a top hat and handed out candy like a ringmaster, while her husband juggled glow balls.
The juggling wasn’t great, one rolled under a car, but kids didn’t care. Throw in some stuffed animals as “circus animals” and you’re set.
17 | Ghost Party Trunk
This one is cheap and cheerful.
I cut out dozens of little ghost shapes from white felt and taped them everywhere, inside the trunk, on the bumper, even dangling from the rearview mirror.
It looked like a ghost family reunion. One kid told me my car looked like it had “ghosts stuck inside.” If you want to make it interactive, hand out glow-in-the-dark ghost stickers along with the candy.
18 | Classic Witch’s Kitchen
Cauldron bubbling, spell ingredients scattered, and a witch cackling (that’s you).
My sister helped me pull this one off with old spice jars relabeled as “eye of newt” and “frog slime.”
The funniest part was her spilling a whole jar of glitter “pixie dust” all over the trunk carpet, months later and we are still finding glitter!
But the kids loved reading the labels and guessing what they were. Cheap chalkboard signs make it even more fun.
19 | Retro 80s Halloween Trunk
If you want something totally different, go neon instead of spooky.
I strung a blacklight across the trunk and taped up old cassette tapes and posters from thrift shops.
Kids didn’t really “get it,” but the parents were obsessed.
One mom even danced to “Thriller” right there in the parking lot. Add glow bracelets as candy alternatives and you’ll have a line of adults hanging around too.
20 | Storybook Trunk
Pick a classic like Alice in Wonderland or Where the Wild Things Are.
My neighbor went full-on Alice with a “drink me” bottle, giant playing cards, and a friend dressed as the Mad Hatter.
The quirky detail? She borrowed her grandma’s teapot to pour “magic potion” (actually just lemonade) for the kids.
Everyone lingered because it felt like stepping inside a book. Honestly, this one might be my favorite trunk or treat idea for Halloween.
21 | Mummy Madness Trunk
Last but not least, wrap everything, your trunk, your candy bowl, even yourself, in rolls of toilet paper.
My mom tried this once and it turned into a comedy show when the wind caught the streamers and tangled her up.
But kids adored unraveling her like a game.
Add a giant mummy face cutout to the trunk for good measure. It’s silly, cheap, and a perfect way to end the night with laughter.
