bookish ghost garland
The Goods

Bookish Halloween Decorations for Your Fright and Reading Delight

Check out these bookish Halloween decorations perfect for spooky bibliophiles, from doormats to bookends and beyond.

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Susie Dumond

Senior Contributor

Susie (she/her) is a queer writer originally from Little Rock, now living in Washington, DC. She is the author of three rom-coms: QUEERLY BELOVED, LOOKING FOR A SIGN, and BED AND BREAKUP, all from Dial Press/Random House. Susie is also a bookseller at her favorite local indie bookstore and a cupcake enthusiast. You can find her on Instagram @susiedoom.

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year — spooky season! I’m not usually one for seasonal decorating, but Halloween is the special holiday that gets me excited to pull out my skeletons and witch hats to spread the spine-chilling cheer. If you love books and the haunting magic of October 31, then these bookish Halloween decorations are just what you need to ring in the holiday spirit(s). We’ve got adorable, creepy, and downright jump-scare worthy home goods sure to fright and delight. And some of them may be so wonderful they make their way into your year-round decor!

The first section of these decorations are made of upcycled books reimagined as Halloween magic. From books carved into 3D art to gorgeous prints on old book pages, they’re a beautiful way of bringing new life to books that might have otherwise ended up in the trash.

If the idea of cutting up books or painting over their words makes you squeamish, scroll on by to see decorations inspired by the love of books and specific horror titles that have become Halloween classics. Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and Stephen King’s works serve as some of the inspiration for these scarily wonderful decorations.

Halloween Decorations Made with Books

Five orange painted pumpkins topped with green leaves and flowers. The pumpkins are made from carved books.
Image by LushsCreations

These book pumpkins can seamlessly make the jump from Halloween to Thanksgiving. $46+.

A book distressed to look spooky with the face of a witch poking through the center, green face and purple hair
Image from FansyPansyFinds on Etsy

This book of spells comes with the witch built in! $36.

Framed book pages with colorful vintage Halloween prints on them, including a girl in a black cat dress, a black kitten atop a pumpkin, and a baby witch on a broom
Image from PrettyPagesDesigns on Etsy

These bookish Halloween prints are perfect for lovers of spooky vintage flare. $30.

A decorative witch made from a carved and painted book, with a pointy hat, broom, and hair made from pipe cleaners
Image from TreecycledCrafts on Etsy

This witch made from a recycled book is so cute you’ll want to leave her out year round. $40.

A book styled to look like a spell book with a poison apple recipe
Image by WitchOnWheels on Etsy

Every aspiring witch needs a poison apple spell book. $36.

A garland of ghosts made from cutout book pages
Image by TheQueenOfKnots on Etsy

This ghost garland puts the “boo” in books. $10.

Halloween Decorations Inspired by Books

A framed stylized print of the beginning of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with an illustration of the headless horseman
Image by marsasagirl on Etsy

Don’t lose your head over this gorgeous Sleepy Hollow print. Or actually, do. $11.

Three blood-spattered bookends that look like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. One is gold, one silver, and one white.
Image by TactiPrints on Etsy

Where’s Johnny? Oh, right there on the bookshelf holding up your books! These The Shining bookends are sure to give you a fright. $25.

A candle in a jar that is Haunted Book Store scented. The scents are described as old books, mahogany, and ghostly cold.
Image by bookandreverie on Etsy

Candles may not necessarily be decorative, but this haunted bookstore candle will definitely add to your Halloween decoration ambience! $22.

A stylized print of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe with an illustration of a raven standing on a skull over the text
Image by MoonWoodsShop

Share your love of Edgar Allan Poe with this The Raven print instant download. Quoth the raven, “This Halloween is gonna be lit.” $2.

A framed dark print with moons and books that says Midnight Reading Society
Image by EchoLiteraryArts on Etsy

If you’ve ever studied tarot and/or stayed up late to finish one more chapter, this Midnight Reading Society print is for you. $19.

A throw blanket with colorful covers of horror classics like Dracula and Frankenstein
Image by BrassingtonHollow on Etsy

Wrap yourself up in this horror classics blanket before settling in for your spooky Halloween readathon. $50.

A black square throw pillow with an image of a skeleton reading and the text "Go Away, I'm Reading"
Image by EverythingAfterCo

When November rolls around, you can pry this Go Away, I’m Reading pillow from my cold dead hands. $30.

Cut metal bookends of Frankenstein's monster and his bride holding up four books
Image by KnobCreekMetalArts on Etsy

They’re not technically Frankenstein bookends, they’re Frankenstein’s monster bookends. $58.

A framed print of the first page of The Haunted Mansion
Image by VisualPixie on Etsy

Haunt your own house with this Haunted Mansion printable download. $15.

A brown doormat with a black outlined of a ghost in glasses next to a stack of books topped with a pumpkin and the text "Booooooks!"
Image by GiftsIdeaLand on Etsy

Let visitors know what you’re all about before they even enter with this book loving ghost doormat. $25.

We hope you found the perfect bookish Halloween decorations for spooky season! You might also enjoy:

Halloween Coloring Sheets for Kids and Adults

Take This Trick-or-Treating Quiz and We’ll Tell You What Spooky Book to Read

21 Halloween Children’s Books to Enjoy This Spooky Season