The Home Depot Skeleton’s thriving fanbase is the latest concrete proof of a theory I’ve had for years: Halloween decorations (just nostalgia for Halloween in general, actually) are a fleeting but powerful antidote to the actual real-life horrors that still linger around us.
While the height of Halloween during childhood is one that we’ll haunt until death do us part, the only good thing about being an adult during Halloween is having adult money to spend on amazing Decoration. You know, the ones that make people drive a little slower so they can stare for a second.
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If you’re bored with your current monotonous lighting setup, I’ve scoured the internet to find the best high-tech Halloween decorations to up your game in 2025. For those of you with a yard, there are some unique inflatables and towering animations out there — but even apartment dwellers can get creative with some vibrant RGB curtain lights and legitimately disturbing projector scenes.
And of course we have to talk about Skelly. The infamous 12-foot-tall skeleton from The Home Depot is a longtime favorite at Mashable, and this year it’s possible to find it in stock, though you may need to stop by your local store.
Skeleton Alternatives: Another creepy cartoon electronics in least 12 feet tall
Credit: Home Depot
Credit: Lowe’s
For a moment there, postponing a Home Depot sale halfway to Halloween had my co-worker (and Home Depot Skeleton historian) Haley Henschel concerned that the tariffs were impacting Skelly stock, among other staples of the Halloween industry. But rest assured: As of mid-October 2025, the beloved Skelly with LifeEyes is in stock for its regular price of $299, in addition to the Skelly’s Cat and Skelly’s Dog that Home Depot launched this year.
But for those who are already part of the Skelly Hive, there are other huge animatronics to expand your arena scene. Both Lowe’s and Home Depot have other 12-foot options, but the real queen here is the new 15-foot Gally-Crow from Home Depot. The Gally-Crow was originally released with the currently out-of-stock Worricrow, but the Gally-Crow is arguably scarier (think a scarecrow with a plague doctor mask) and is 50% off. Yes, naturally There are already people And put it inside their house.
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Full scene outdoor lights
Credit: Jovi
Tired: Orange string lights on the porch. Wired: Full scene LED arrangements on windows, garages or shrubbery.
Instead of the obnoxious black wires that make traditional Halloween lights difficult to camouflage, Govee’s RGB curtain lights and mesh lights consist of hundreds of color-changing LEDs, connected by near-invisible wires in a grid pattern. Both types of lights are waterproof and connected to the app — where you’ll have access to plenty of pre-made patterns for Halloween, as well as other holidays and everyday magic.
Get a set of Govee outdoor shade lights for $199.98 (perfect for walls and other large flat surfaces measuring 5.41 x 5.77 feet) or a set of Govee outdoor grill lights for $99.99 on sale (perfect for shrubs and fences measuring 2.8 x 9.4 feet).
Not the giant light-up inflatables your mom made
Credit: Joyvi
Credit: Joyvi
Halloween inflatables in the yard are not an idea you haven’t seen before. But amidst the oversized Snoopy and Minions dressed as mummies on your street, I’m up for the sight of a giant alien abduction or tentacles emerging from the grass – or even out the windows. Both options are available in various sizes at Walmart, including a 12-foot version of the inflatable UFO. If you already have a Home Depot Skelly, this opens up an easy idea for this year’s theme.
High quality and scary animated projector scenes
Credit: atmosfx
Sure, Halloween projections on a wall or side of a house can be lame if they’re bad — but they can be legitimately annoying if they’re of high quality. For anyone with a high-resolution projector, AtmosFX is the ultimate destination for realistic Halloween projector scenes. From classic ghostly apparitions and zombies in the window to old-fashioned (non-)live-action photos and Halloween stained glass, these bright, vivid illusions move with lifelike animation and often come with sound. There are also options with movie characters: Be real Trick treat Enjoy the many holograms of Sam or scare away all human activity from your garden with terrifying animated glimpses of Art the Clown.
Are you skeptical about how legitimate their appearance actually is? The majority of the 40-plus listings in the Halloween collection include real photos from customers excited about their personal monitors — the AtmosFX fan club isn’t messing around. All AtmosFX offerings come as downloadable mp4 video files for projectors, TVs or monitors that support HD downloads, but many are available on pre-loaded USB drives as well. Prices start at $25.
If you don’t have a projector yet, Amazon has quite a few budget projectors with pre-made Halloween scenes. Go the really spooky route with a 3D reaper for under $20 or the sweetly spooky route with rotating animated ghosts, jack-o’-lanterns, and more for under $40.
Solar powered eyeballs for the yard
Credit: Asmad
If you’re panicking about your electricity bill this spooky season, solar-powered Halloween decorations can be just as effective. These well-reviewed glowing green eyeballs come in curved strands of eight and can be hung in your yard to light up your sidewalk or spruce up your garden. They charge on their own during the day via small boards attached to their pegs. For $39.88, you’ll get a set of four kits with a total of 32 LEDs.