One fun way to join in the Halloween spirit is by making your own DIY LED Halloween shadow box, which doubles as both a decorative piece and a glowing signal to little trick-or-treaters that you’re ready with treats. It’s a simple and fun Halloween craft project that’s perfect for adults and families alike, and ideal for lighting up a window or entryway.

Halloween has only started gaining traction here in Australia over the past few years, but it’s quickly becoming a favourite for families looking to get creative. In our small town, you can’t just go trick-or-treating at any house—you’re encouraged to put up a spooky Halloween display to show you’re participating and handing out lollies. This thoughtful tradition helps make sure the elderly and vulnerable aren’t disturbed by unexpected knocks at night.

Before we dive into this tutorial, be sure to subscribe to my bimonthly newsletter to be the first to see my latest projects.  You can also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook where I also include my unique mixed-media art projects.

How to make an LED Halloween shadow Box

**This post may contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission on links used at no extra cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.**

Materials Needed – LED Halloween Shadow Box

• Shadow box or deep photo frame (at least 3–5cm depth)
• Printed Halloween background image (use an inkjet printer)
• Craft glue or glue stick (for attaching background)
• Black adhesive vinyl (I used Oracle 651)
• Cricut machine (or scissors/craft knife if cutting by hand)
• Halloween silhouette designs (witches, bats, trees, skeletons, etc.)
• Halloween font (e.g. Halloween Too from DaFont – for personal use)
• Transfer paper (for applying vinyl to glass)
• Alcohol wipes or glass cleaner (for cleaning glass before vinyl application)
• LED strip lights with remote control (USB powered, preferably colour changing)
• USB power source or adaptor
• Drill (to make a small hole for the LED light cable)
• Extra vinyl for frame decorations (optional – spiders, bats, text, et

Step 1: Find a Deep Frame or Shadow Box

I had a spare shadow box left over from making my daughter’s unique bridesmaid invitations for her wedding. As the proud owner of a Cricut Explore Air 2, I’m always on the lookout for creative ways to put it to use. But don’t worry—if you don’t own a Cricut, you can still complete this project by cutting your silhouettes from black paper and gluing them to the glass. It might not be quite as detailed, but it will still look fantastic.

A free Halloween background graphic online suited the spooky look I was aiming for perfectly. After printing it with an inkjet printer, I traced the shape of the frame onto the image to mark the correct size, then trimmed it to fit. The background was then secured to the backing board using craft glue.

Step 2: Create Your Vinyl Decals

Next, I downloaded a selection of free Halloween silhouettes from the internet. I chose designs that worked well with my background scene—no Halloween project is complete without a witch, cauldron, eerie tree, and of course, some skeletons, bats, and spiders!

I chose individual graphics and layered them to create a custom Halloween scene. For the text, I used a spooky font called Halloween Too, which I downloaded for free from DaFont (for personal use only).

After finalising the design layout in Cricut Design Space, I sent it to my Cricut machine to cut. For those familiar with vinyl, I went with Oracle 651—my go-to because it cuts cleanly and sticks perfectly every time.

After cutting, I weeded the design, cleaned the glass using an alcohol wipe, and applied the decals using Cricut transfer paper.

Step 3: Add the LED Lights

I reused some LED remote-control strip lights from home, and they worked better than expected. You can choose from a few lighting options. Since these lights use a USB plug, place the shadow box near a power source like a windowsill.

As a bonus, keeping it inside helps prevent it from “disappearing”. It’s cute enough that someone might feel tempted to pinch it! The lights have a self-adhesive strip, so I peeled off the backing and stuck them around the frame’s edge.

To feed the USB cable through the back, I drilled a small hole in the rear of the box using a drill from the shed.

Step 4: Finishing Touches

Although the scene was already coming together, the frame still looked a bit plain, so I added more vinyl decorations around the edges, including extra bats, spiders, and some themed text to give it a bolder look.

When the LED lights are switched on, the whole design comes to life. If you use colour-changing LED lights, it looks even better. You can set them to red, green, or any colour you like. Personally, I love the red setting! The remote also allows you to switch between effects like flash, strobe, fade, or smooth transitions. Each one creates its own spooky vibe.

Want More Halloween Craft Ideas?

If you enjoyed this project, check out these other spooky DIYs:

Mixed Media Halloween Bottles – rustic, creepy décor for any shelf

Halloween Skull Men – quirky and cute table decorations

Spooky Halloween Mirror – upcycle an old mirror with a ghostly twist

If you’d like to find any of the items used in this project, we’d greatly appreciate it if you used our affiliate links. These links provide us with a small commission at no extra cost to you, allowing us to continue creating and sharing more inspiring projects. We’d also love to hear your thoughts—feel free to leave a comment or share this post!