This is a project for a kitchen table, a mantel or the candy bowl, and it uses things you likely already have, plus a hot glue gun and a set of flickering flameless tea lights if you need them. It is a good fit for a small space, so see our small-space DIY props for more, and our budget haunt guide for bigger plans.

What do you need for a cardboard haunted house?

How do you build it step by step?

1. Cut the pieces. Family Handyman has you cut cardboard squares and rectangles in uneven sizes. Safari Ltd. draws a rectangle for the main structure, a triangle roof and a small chimney.
2. Cut windows and doors. Sketch the openings and cut them out with a craft knife.
3. Add tissue paper. Glue it behind each opening so the light diffuses.
4. Assemble. Hot-glue the walls together, leaning into an off-kilter shape, then add a roof or towers with windows.
5. Paint it. Apply dark paint, thinly, and let it dry flat.
6. Add details. Use a white paint pen for window frames, bricks and spiderwebs.
7. Make it stand. Glue two toilet paper tubes to the back sides, flush with the bottom and hidden from the front.
8. Light it. Put a battery tea light inside and place it beside the candy bowl.

How do you make it feel like a village?

Safari Ltd. makes several houses of different sizes and sets small zombie figures in front of them. Any small figures will do. Line the houses up with a few floating candles for a graveyard backdrop, or add a paper bat swarm above. Vary roof shapes and keep window placement uneven so the group looks like a haunted street rather than a row of boxes.

How long will it take and what will it cost?

Family Handyman estimates 20 to 30 minutes per house and a $0 to $20 budget, which presumes you use boxes you already have. Safari Ltd. gives no time or cost. Paint drying time adds to the clock, so paint first and do the rest later.

Want a bigger build? Start your first home haunt with this beginner guide.