Free Halloween images for spooky crafts!
Halloween is known for spooky fun, ghostly costumes, trick or treating, pumpkin carving and lots of candy!
My free Halloween images have been designed with spooky fun in mind.
You can see my YouTube video of my free halloween designs by clicking here.
But don’t forget to come back to finish reading and grab your designs!
My video does show a way of using my designs digitally if you don’t want to print them off and cut them up.
But you will need image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Procreate or Affinity Photo to copy what I do.
You can also use the Goodnotes app with my images too if you are familiar with how to do it.
Click here to get them all FREE from my Google Drive.
This is sheet 1 of my four designs – A4 pdf and jpg
We know Halloween has its roots in ancient Celtic traditions but it was popularized by the U.S.A.
Many would say popularised and commercialised – but that’s a whole other topic!
The USA traditions of trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving have spread across the world.
When I emigrated to Canada from the UK in the 1970s – I had never heard of trick or treating.
Halloween, to us, was a night when we were urged by our parents to get to bed early.
Why? Because it was said that Halloween night was the night when spirits of the dead would come out to play.
For some reason, my childish mind believed they came to sit around the fireplace after we had all gone to bed.
I have no idea if we were told that or if I just imagined it.
When I created this set of free Halloween images, I thought back to those days.
There was absolutely no association between Halloween and candy (or sweets as we call them in the UK).
It wasn’t a time to gorge ourselves on sugar – it was a time to get freaked out at the thought of ghosts and get to bed before they came!
Candy seems to be at the heart of Halloween now – although I haven’t included candy in my free Halloween images.
I’m not a big fan of sugar and even though the UK has adopted trick or treating now, I don’t give out candy.
And I’m not being mean – I just can’t, in all good conscience, encourage children to eat junk.
The huge surge in diabetes because of sugar consumption is very disturbing – so I stay away from all things sugar.
There is a fun side to Halloween though – the dressing up!
It wasn’t until I emmigrated to Canada at age 19 that I discovered Halloween North American style.
I mean, North Americans do Halloween on a huge scale!
It was quite a culture shock for me as I’d never seen anything like it.
One of my memories is going out with a Canadian friend and her toddler daughter, trick or treating in their apartment building.
I couldn’t believe the elaborate scenes and sound effects people had set up in their doorways.
And I kept all this in mind when creating my free Halloween images.
The spookier the better!
Some of the crazy things people had set up in their doorways, with fake skeletons and spooky noises were wild.
I really wasn’t sure about a small child seeing these things but my friend’s daughter was absolutely fine with it.
It was me who was freaking out and getting jumpy!
The imagery of Halloween is not for the faint hearted.
What I encountered in North America would have seriously freaked me out as a child.
But perhaps a bucket full of candy at the end of the night would have made the frights worth it.
Any how, I realise Halloween is not for everyone and some cultures and religions even frown on it.
But my free Halloween images have been created for those who do celebrate it and who love Halloween crafts.
You can use my free Halloween images for lots of projects.
I have created four printable sheets containing all the 33 spooky images and they are in pdf and jpg formats.
The link to my free Halloween images is in two places in this post.
It is in the caption of the picture of Sheet 1 of my four designs further up this page.
It is also in the title of the final paragraph at the end of this post and remember my printables they are FREE.
So make sure you click the right link – if you are taken anywhere else other than my Google Drive, you have hit the wrong link.
I do not charge for any of my free printables, so please make sure it is MY printables link you have used.
Never ever give out any payment details if you have accidentally followed a link that is not mine – just click away and find the correct link.
If you want to see all of my past free printables, click here to go to the page where they are listed.
They are all still available.
Please read the Terms & Conditions of downloading and using my free printables here.
So, what can you do with my free Halloween images?
You can print them off onto good quality matte printer paper designed for colour images.
I use Navigator paper that I buy from Tesco in the UK, however, if you can’t find it where you live, use my Amazon links below the image.
Amazon.com
This is what I print my images onto
Once you have printed my free Halloween images, you can cut them apart and use in your crafts.
You can make creepy Halloween greetings cards, use them on Halloween party invitations or use as spooky gift tags.
They are also great for journalling or diary entries in October.
In the video, I show you how to cut them apart digitally to save as individual png files that you can use in digital projects.
There are many things you can do with these free halloween images – follow your imagination!
Many countries across the world have their own unique ways of celebrating Halloween, or their version of it.
So before I wrap up this post, let’s take a quick trip around the world to see how different cultures embrace this spooky celebration (or, in some cases, don’t).
United States: Trick or Treat and All Those Sweets!
In the U.S., Halloween is big business.
Once October arrives, houses get decked out with spooky decorations, from friendly ghosts to elaborate haunted house scenarios that are actually quite scary!
Crafters in the USA seem to love Halloween crafts so you may appreciate my free Halloween images.
Children, (and some young at heart adults) dress up as everything from witches to storybook or film characters and parade through their neighbourhoods for trick-or-treating.
People who are not handing out candy, beware – your house might end up getting tricked, typically with egg throwing.
Although I think in more recent years, it is understood that if there is no pumpkin lit up at the house, the owners are not participating.
Mexico: Día de los Muertos
Just south of the border, Halloween is put in the shade by Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a beautiful two-day celebration (November 1 and 2) honoring loved ones who have passed on.
Colorful skulls, marigold flowers, and sugar skull treats are hallmarks of this celebration.
Rather than a night of ghosts and spooky happenings, it’s about remembering those who’ve passed, with vibrant, joyful customs.
There’s no trick or treating around the neighbourhood, but families might offer up some pan de muerto (a sweet bread) and even a shot of tequila—though that’s more for the dead than the living.
I’m not sure that my free Halloween images are very relevant to this celebration – I have seen some really amazing Dia de los Muertos images.
The ones I have seen have been so vibrant with colour.
Ireland: Where Halloween Is Said To Have Begun
Wonderful Ireland is the home of the original Celtic festival Samhain, which is considered the forerunner of Halloween.
The Irish celebrate with bonfires, traditional games like bobbing for apples, and, of course, dressing up.
And instead of pumpkins, the original jack-o’-lanterns were carved from turnips, which can be much spookier-looking.
Ireland’s Halloween is a bit like the U.S., but with a stronger connection to ancient folklore.
Again – not sure that my free Halloween images are relevant to the Irish celebrations of Halloween – I need to look up the folklore.
Japan: Cosplay Meets Halloween
Halloween in Japan has become popular recent years, possibly due to the country’s perceived love of cosplay.
In Japan, Halloween isn’t really about trick-or-treating; it’s more of an excuse for dressing up, often in elaborate costumes, and partying.
Parades and street gatherings had become common, especially in places like Tokyo’s Shibuya district.
You would see thousands of people in full costume there at Halloween – however, it is now actively discouraged.
Sadly, this is allegedly due to the wave of crime that came with the celebrations and in 2023, steps were taken to deter people from gathering there.
The Halloween spirit in Japan seemed to be more playful than spooky, so it’s a great shame that it has been spoilt by crime.
Young people there are very disappointed and it remains to be seen whether the celebrations will be discouraged in the Shibuya district again this year.
Philippines: Pangangaluluwa
In the Philippines, they have their own Halloween tradition called Pangangaluluwa.
Children go door-to-door, not asking for candy but for prayers for souls in purgatory.
Though the tradition has faded a bit over time, it’s been making a comeback.
The celebrations here seem to be a mix of Halloween, Christmas caroling, and the offering of prayers.
Germany: Hide the Knives
In Germany, Halloween is a quieter time but apparently, it is growing in popularity there, or so I am told.
The main spooky thing Germans do is hide their knives.
Why would they do that?
Well, I am told there’s a superstition that during Halloween, spirits might get mischievous, so hiding sharp objects is a way to avoid accidental injuries from apparitions .
(Because there is nothing more scary that a restless spirit weilding a butter knife! )
Italy: Ognissanti
Italy celebrates Ognissanti, or All Saints’ Day, on November 1.
While Halloween isn’t as big as it is in the U.S., Italians do embrace the concept of honoring the dead.
There’s usually a solemn atmosphere around this holiday, with families visiting graves and leaving flowers.
In recent years, Halloween parties have popped up in larger cities, with a bit of American-style costume fun sprinkled in, but ultimately done the Italian way.
From Japan’s cosplay fun to Mexico and Italy’s heartfelt day to honour the dead, Halloween has evolved into a global event with a unique twist in every corner of the world.
No matter where you are, there’s always room for a good costume, a spooky story, and a bit of harmless fun – but seriously, avoid the candy!
That about wraps it up for my Halloween images post.
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Thank you so much for reading my post about the free halloween images – have fun using them!