53 Imaginative Trunk or Treat Ideas for 2024

Get into the Halloween spirit with the most creative trunk or treat ideas to deck out your car for a candy-filled evening. From SUVs to sedans, your vehicle is the Halloween accessory you didn’t know you needed.

Everyone knows trick or treat, but trunk or treat ideas come in handy when you live in an area with houses that are spread far apart, making it difficult for kids to get from house to house in one evening. 

So what is a trunk and treat? Essentially, it’s when the neighborhood agrees to gather in a church or school parking lot and hand out candy from the trunk of their vehicle to the kids.

It’s one of those halloween activities that not everyone grew up with. NPR says that the idea of trunk or treating came up around 30 years ago and was posited as a safer alternative to trick or treating. It can be both safer and more convenient for many families, which is why the tradition continues. 

You carve pumpkins and put up DIY Fall décor in your home, so why stop there? Think of your trunk space like a tiny haunted house. Read one to get inspired with spooky, silly and a couple of cute trunk or treat ideas.

If you’re wondering how to make a trunk or treat to how to have the best trunk or treat, the answers can be found in this all-inclusive guide. Happy decorating!

Jump to Section

• DIY Trunk or Treat Ideas
• Trunk or Treat Ideas for Adults
• Simple Trunk or Treat Ideas
• Trunk or Treat Ideas for School
• Trunk or Treat Ideas for Church

DIY Trunk or Treat Ideas

1.  Halloween Hayride

Repurpose your Halloween front porch decor for a cute trunk or treat idea. Hay bales, autumn leaves and a few jack o’ lanterns will have your car looking festive in no time. This is the perfect backdrop for any costume, especially a classic one like a scarecrow or black cat.

2. 101 Dalmatians

Let your costume shine with this simple but fun trunk or treat idea as the backdrop. Make up a black and white spotted sheet to hang over the back of your car and add a few stuffed animal dalmatians around and you’re ready to be the best Cruella de Vil. 

3. Sports Pride

If you’re a die-hard sports fan, chances are you’ve got some spare gear lying around. Deck out your vehicle with sports memorabilia from buntings and flags to spare jerseys and a ball or two.

This is the perfect DIY trunk or treat idea if you don’t have time to go to the store. Side note, a collection of caps, flags and blankets of your favorite team makes the perfect DIY gift idea. 

4. Gumball Machine

This colorful trunk or treat idea comes to life in no time with just a few materials. Some cardboard or giant craft paper to make the bottom of the “machine”, a sheet of clear plastic and a trunk full of multi-colored balloons looks just like the gumball machines of your youth.

Don’t forget an aluminum foil covered piece of cardboard that reads “25 cents”!

5. Up, Up and Away

With a little bit of crafting magic and a few days of time to prepare, you can have the most spectacular trunk or treat idea. Create the famous balloon house from Up with cardboard, a couple of coats of paint and a bouquet of balloons.

6. Pokémon

The best part about a Pokémon trunk or treat idea is that it only takes a few minutes to create the most iconic and recognizable symbols to deck out your car. A giant Poké ball made from cardboard, a bit of paint and a few plush characters like Pikachu will convey your theme with ease.

7. Say “Ahh”

It doesn’t take much to pull off this funny trunk or treat idea! Cut out some teeth from white craft paper to tape along the top of your trunk, then cut some red fabric to make a tongue, hanging out from the bottom of the trunk. Fill the inside with candy (like dum dum lollipops or a combo bag) and you’re all set. 

8. Ice Cream Shop

What could be more fun than giant life-sized ice cream cones? Make these festive additions to your trunk or treat setup with brown craft paper and colorful balloons glued on top. Hang a striped curtain from the top of your trunk and make a DIY chalk sign advertising your flavor of the day. 

9. Monster Truck

Turn your family car into a friendly monster with a few crafting supplies with this trunk or treat idea. Cardboard and paint (bonus points for adding glitter!) can turn into big eyes, horns and even teeth for your monster pal. 

Cover the trunk in black plastic and affix a hot pink feather boa all around the open trunk to look like lips. If you’re not sure where to start, you can’t go wrong with this easy Halloween craft idea.

10. Jail

This is a fun trunk or treat idea to involve your pet in the celebrations. If your dog or cat has a wire kennel in the trunk, set it up and create a cardboard cutout to frame your vehicle with a hole in the middle showing off the “jail cell bars”. Paint it to look like gray brick and dress up in an orange jumpsuit or a police officer for an easy way to be festive. 

11. Pacman

This timeless game can become an awesome trunk or treat idea with the right supplies and a little bit of spare time. Start by painting your own board with black poster board and some neon paint markers. You can take it a step further by using craft paper to cut out giant pac man ghosts.

Trunk or Treat Ideas for Adults

12. Woodland Wonderland

Create a beautiful woodland landscape in the back of your car with this gorgeous trunk or treat idea. A tan or green sheet is the perfect backdrop for paper mushroom lanterns, tufts of green moss and cute mushroom cutouts.

You can add a tiny door to a fairy house or an adorable garden gnome to top it all off. This goes perfectly with a deer costume or fairy.

13. Flamingo Oasis

Not all trunk or treat ideas have to be orange and black or spooky. Turn your trunk into a pink, flamingo paradise. A big blow up flamingo from a local party store and some pink and green blankets or giant palm leafs will set the theme.

You can even add a few white pumpkins (or pink painted pumpkins) to make it feel more like Fall. 

14. Star Wars

Transport your car to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars trunk or treat ideas. Cover the opening of your trunk with a giant sheet painted to look like your view from the Millennium Falcon taking off at light speed. 

Light sabers made from pool noodles and a silver paper lantern decked out to look like the death star make this theme complete. All you need to do is dress up like Chewbacca or Princess Leia!

15. Little Red Riding Hood

Remember the old nursery tale of Little Red Riding Hood? This easy and iconic costume deserves the perfect backdrop. Create a woodland scene with apple trees and a stuffed wolf lurking in the distance to add a spooky factor to this famous trunk or treat idea. 

16. The Mandalorian

Get into the spirit with this Star Wars spinoff trunk or treat idea for adults. Lots of black gauze and black sheets create a moody backdrop for your tiny cardboard village, the perfect size to display a Grogu doll. Hand out bags of gumballs that look just like Grogu’s favorite snack: frog eggs. 

17. Carnival Scene

Recreate summer county fair or carnival vibes in your trunk with a few key supplies. Prop up a giant poster board with bags of candy or popcorn affixed to it in a line, just like those carnival games.  You can even find those classic red and white striped popcorn bags from your local craft store.

Add in some red curtains on the side and a red and white curtain hanging over the bottom of your car along with a few balloons for an easy and fun carnival scene.

18. Jurassic Park

Go all-out with a Jurassic Park themed trunk or treat idea this year. Stock up on natural materials like raffia and moss to create a forest vibe in the back of your car, then source a stuffed or cardboard cutout of a T-Rex. Better yet, become a T-Rex with a blow-up costume.  

19. Mermaid Skeleton

Add a nautical and extra-creepy take on the classic Halloween skeleton with this trunk or treat idea. Cover your trunk in black plastic and hang some fishing net before sprinkling in some homemade seaweed plants made of cardboard or plastic to set the scene.

Find a mermaid skeleton online or from a Halloween store for an unusual version of a classic decoration. 

20. Bob Ross

While the curly wig is essential to this trunk or treat idea, the actual car decorations are pretty simple. After splattering some paint on a big piece of poster board, you can take it a step further by setting up an easel as a prop.

Just ask your spouse before using your new painting skills to create some DIY home decor.

21. Creepy Coffin

This trunk or treat idea is a little too creepy for the young kids, but it comes together in no time. Make a makeshift coffin out of cardboard and put a skeleton inside. Let it lean against the back of your car like it just slid out the back. You can add a few rats or ghosts to add to the creepy vibes.

22. F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Pay homage to this famous television series with your trunk or treat idea. The Central Perk coffee shop is one of the most recognizable symbols of the show and is a perfect backdrop.

You can go all out and set up chairs and tables in front of a brick wall printed on a sheet (with the central perk logo, of course). The seating area will make your vehicle the go-to spot to hang out and relax. 

Simple Trunk or Treat Ideas

23. Minions

Don’t worry about recreating Gru’s lab with this trunk or treat idea, all you really need is a handful of yellow balloons and a few pairs of googly eyes. After dressing up as a minion yourself, put a few yellow balloons, dressed like minions of course, in the trunk. 

A marker or some craft paper will get the job done for a simple, last-minute way to get in the Halloween spirit. 

24. Make it Cozy

The quickest way to make your trunk or treat idea the crowd favorite is to make it as comfy as possible. Plush plaid blankets and a few pillows will make it a welcome respite to hang out and relax while you enjoy a few pieces of hard-earned candy. 

25. Pick Your Pumpkin

Focus on the number one symbol of Fall: the pumpkin. Turn your car and surround area into a pick-your-own pumpkin patch for an easy but adorable trunk or treat idea.

Lay down a bit of turf and have a few real or fake pumpkins, but make it extra fun by making pumpkin-themed goodie bags. Tiny orange bags sealed with a green ribbon are festive and fun.

26. Top Gun Maverick

This trunk or treat idea makes your costumes the star of the show. After donning a dark green jumpsuit, a sheet with a long runway can hang over your open trunk. Add a table with helmets and maybe a miniature plane or two. 

27. Balloon Figures

For very little effort you can still end up with a great trunk or treat idea with a quick trip to your local party store or balloon supplier. Ask that they create balloon ghosts or animals and fill your trunk with a few of these festive decorations. 

28. Angry Birds

This hit app-based game is a simple trunk or treat idea that everyone will recognize. A few balloons or bouncy balls and a sharpie will get the job done. Add in a couple of old cardboard boxes and call it a day.

29. Cobwebs Everywhere

One of the cheapest and easiest Halloween decorations you can buy is a package of fake cobwebs. Stretch and affix them all over your trunk, after taping down some black plastic, for a quick and spooky trunk or treat idea. Add in some spiders or a creepy zombie to take it a step further.

30. Sunny Sunflowers

Make your car the center of attention with this simple trunk or treat idea. A bouquet or two of fake (or real!)) sunflowers and a few paper cut-outs will be eye-catching and inviting. You can hang green and yellow streamers for an extra pop of color inside the trunk. 

31. Aquarium

Transform your trunk into the deep blue sea with this relatively simple trunk or treat idea. Blow up a bunch of blue balloons and tape them together so they form a wall.

Fit your balloon wall into the open part of your trunk and tape a few print outs of fish or other sea creatures on some of the balloons. You can also buy two green pool noodles and cut them up and arrange them like seaweed on the sides of your car. 

32. Graveyard

Little paper or foam headstones are a popular Halloween decoration and they can come together for a simple trunk or treat idea, too. Set up a couple rows of headstones in your trunk for a spooky graveyard vibe. This is a great trunk or treat idea for trucks, where you have plenty of room to create multiple rows of headstones.

33. Mummy

Making a mummy out of streamers is probably the simplest and easiest trunk or treat idea out there. All you need is a roll or two of white streamers and a set of paper eyes. Tape the streamers across the open part of the trunk and carefully affix the eyes when you’re done and voila!

Trunk or Treat Ideas for School

34. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

While the turtles in the show may live in a grimy sewer under the city, you don’t have to turn your trunk into a sewer entrance. The TMNT’s love and frequently feature a pizzeria, so set up hanging paper pizza slices and a red and white checkered backdrop for a fun trunk or treat idea for school.

If you really care about the little details, a small sewer entrance on the ground near your car is the perfect finishing touch. 

35. Princes Unicorn

Turn your car into a giant unicorn with a little crafting for this trunk or treat idea. A giant sheet depicting two eyes with eyelashes can cover your trunk space, then deck out the top of the car with a giant unicorn horn and some cascading pink and purple balloons.

36. The Wizard of Oz

Straight out of your favorite film, bring the yellow brick road to life with this trunk or treat idea. A long piece of yellow fabric hanging out of the car represents the yellow brick road, while inside the trunk you can create a cardboard cutout painted to look like the skyline of the emerald city.

Hang a few flying monkeys and dress up like the lion, the tin man and Dorothy to complete the theme.

37. Witch’s Cauldron

Get a little spooky with your trunk or treat ideas as you create a bubbling witch’s cauldron. Brown paper gift bags and a sharpie transform into logs, then stuff each goodie bag with red, yellow and orange tissue paper to resemble the flames and place them together at the base of the trunk. 

The bottom half of your car can be covered with a black sheet to resemble a black kettle and the top can be slime green or deep purple to look like a special bubbling concoction. Balloons add further dimension and fun.

38. Campfire S’mores

Imagine you’re camping in the wilderness instead of parked in a parking lot with this creative trunk or treat idea. In the trunk of your car, hang a homemade landscape sheet with mountains or wildflowers. 

To the side of your vehicle, a teepee made out of a sheet and a craft paper campfire transport you to someplace else. Add a homemade sign that looks like it’s on a piece of wood and hand out mini hershey bars or homemade s’mores packets to really lean into this theme. 

39. McDonalds

Get crafty with this trunk or treat idea that showcases the famous golden arches. Using cardboard and some paint, create a red and white “brick” structure with a big open window in the middle.

A hand painted golden “M” lets everyone know what this is all about. Bonus points for displaying a couple of Happy Meal boxes!

40. Elf

It may be Halloween but if you’ve got Christmas on your mind, then Elf-inspired trunk or treat ideas are the perfect thing for you. Hang red, green and white decorations like puff balls, Christmas lights and snowflakes in and on your vehicle.

A life size cutout of Buddy the Elf along with a pile of “snowballs” made of cotton is sure to get everyone in the holiday spirit.

41. Zoo

Show off your collection of blow-up or plush animals with a zoo-themed trunk or treat idea. Get some fun giraffe or zebra printed plastic sheets from a party supply or craft store and add extra touches like palm leaves or hay bales. Your choice to dress up like a zoo keeper or an animal. 

42. Mario Kart

If you have the time to prepare some things in advance, a Mario Kart trunk or treat idea can really steal the show. Transform old cardboard boxes with a marker and some paint into tiny brick boxes or item boxes with some yellow paint. 

Add a couple of Toad inflatables and a star banner to set the scene. You can also create giant green flower boxes or Sushis to go alongside your vehicle. 

43. Encanto

Your vehicle is sure to catch the eyes of everyone in the vicinity with an Encanto-themed trunk or treat idea. Lots of rainbow colors from balloons and streamers are at the core of this design and if you can find a few Dia de los Meurtos colorful and decorative skulls at a party store, even better.

You can even find cardboard cutouts of the main characters to make your theme more obvious. 

44. Harry Potter

Transport yourself to Hogwarts with this trunk or treat idea. There are so many directions you can take this from turning the trunk into a miniature quidditch field to displaying the crests of the four houses or making up a tiny potions desk.

There’s a lot of great Harry Potter memorabilia available at bookstores, party stores and of course online. 

Trunk or Treat Ideas for Church

45. Candyland

Create every kid’s dream by transforming your car into a portal to Candyland. Red and white candy-striped columns, a gumball garland made of balloons and even some shiny homemade giant lollipops covered in shiny clear wrapping make this trunk or treat idea a colorful and tempting scene.

46. Frozen

You can go all-out with this homemade Frozen-themed trunk or treat idea that’s wholesome enough for church or school. Create a snow and ice wonderland with tinsel, giant puffs of cotton and a few giant snowflakes from the craft store.

You can create a frozen waterfall effect that cascades from the top of the open trunk down onto the ground, creating a white carpet that’s perfect for photos. 

47. Veggie Tales

This adorable Faith-based kids’ show is the perfect trunk or treat idea for church. You can easily make cardboard cut-outs of Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber and adding a pair of googly eyes to the veggies already in your fridge can help you fill your trunk. 

This is a perfect opportunity to paint fun faces on pumpkins and squash for a festive Halloween decoration. 

48. Curious George

Another wholesome trunk or treat idea that’s popular with the under four crowd: Curious George. A stuffed animal or cutout of your favorite little monkey along with a handful of balloons and a colorful DIY cityscape in the background will convey your theme.

49. Pirate Ship

You’ll need a few weeks to prepare for this show-stopping trunk or treat idea: a pirate ship. Start by creating the helm of a boat out of cardboard or wood if you’re crafty. 

After a couple of coats of paint and some decorative touches, you’re ready to lay blue fabric down at the base to look like the sea. Don’t forget to include a steering wheel and maybe a skeleton with an eye patch!

50. Three Little Pigs

After dressing up in all pink, create your house of straw, sticks or bricks for this festive trunk or treat idea. Find decorative supplies to affix to your car and let your costumes be the center of attention. Little hay bales to surround your parked car are a cute and functional addition.

51. Fall in Love with Jesus

Lean into the Fall spirit and your faith with a Fall in love with Jesus trunk or treat idea. Include all the classic Autumn decorations like hay bales, pumpkins and multi-colored leaves then make a cute custom sign that reads “Fall in love with Jesus, he never leaves you” for a wholesome play on words. 

52. Finding Nemo

Everyone’s favorite fish is making his way to your trunk or treat idea this year with a Finding Nemo theme. This relatively simple design includes some blue balloons and maybe some blue tulle hanging in your trunk, along with some green streamers and maybe even a squishy puffer ball to resemble Nemo’s anemone. Don’t forget Dory and Nemo balloons!

53. Chick Fil A Drive Through

Pay homage to your favorite fast food chain with this creative trunk or treat idea. Start by making a counter with painted red bricks on the front, similar to a lemonade stand but in the classic Chick Fil A style. 

A stuffed animal cow on the counter, along with you and your kids in Chick Fil A uniforms makes it complete. You can go even more over the top by handing out tiny cups of lemonade and chicken nuggets instead of candy.

So, what items are needed for trunk or treat ideas? If you’re going the homemade route, a hot glue gun and some paint is a great place to start. Plus, these are ideal gifts for crafters in your life. Cardboard or poster board will definitely come in handy, too. A trip to your local party store for balloons and streamers can level-up any trunk or treat idea. 

A trunk or treat gathering is a fun way to meet new neighbors or friends and it’s a wholesome halloween date idea to set up your trunk together with a new lover. While trick or treating is usually all about candy, you can turn the trunk or treat gathering into more of a tailgate-potluck hybrid, full of delicious halloween food ideas and fun. 

For even more fun crafting ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!