Easy Trunk Or Treat Ideas

Halloween Trunk or Treat Ideas

We love a good trick or treat session, but sometimes our feet are just too tired to cruise the neighborhood. That’s why we’re obsessed with trunk or treat! Taking place entirely in a parking lot, trunk or treating is all the rage. Instead of going from door to door, kids (and adults!) make their way around the different cars to collect their treats. So fun right?! And if you’ve got a car to decorate and are looking to get in on the trunk or treat action, then look no further! We have over 100 trunk or treat ideas to inspire you and make your parking lot Halloween party a total success!

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What is Trunk or Treat?

We’ve got all sorts of Trunk Or Treat Decorating Ideas in store for you, but first, let’s take a look at what Trunk or Treat itself is all about. Trunk or Treat is an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating and its popularity is growing! Many neighborhoods, schools, and church communities have transitioned to a Trunk or Treat event to better keep a watchful eye on their children. Rather than going door to door to unknown homes, the costumed kiddos go from car trunk to trunk collecting candy and playing games – all while under their parent’s careful watch.

Even more exciting, each trunk is totally decorated with some sort of theme and sometimes even a game in which the kids earn their candy! So much fun, right? But where to start? Whether you are a veteran seeking new ideas or a rookie new to Trunk or Treating – we’ve got over 100 Trunk or Treat ideas for you on how to decorate YOUR car for the big event! As you think about how you want to decorate your car for the big Trunk or Treat event, consider the following suggestions.

Trunk or Treat Ideas

Start with a Trunk or Treat Theme – Your theme will establish everything else you do. Start by choosing a Trunk or Treat theme and then add your ideas to it!
Coordinate Your Trunk or Treat Ideas with Your Costume – More than just decorating your car, consider matching your costume to the Trunk or Treat theme, too! If you have a Flintstone’s trunk – you could dress the whole family up as members of the Flintstone family!
Add an Activity to Go Along with Your Trunk or Treat – Many Trunk or Treat decorators have added ways for the kids to earn their candy through some sort of activity. For some trunks, the kids must search through a treasure chest of gold at their pirate-themed car, or maybe they have to throw their fishing pole into the “sea” trunk to retrieve their prize. Kids LOVE this sort of thing!
Get Creative With the Trunk or Treat Candy – Depending on your Trunk or Treat theme, consider giving away candy or prizes that match the theme. For example, the Cookie Monster-themed trunk could definitely give out some cookies!
Have Fun with Your Trunk or Treat Ideas & Make it Personal – We have lots of ideas for you below, but don’t feel limited by the examples. Think of your own favorite animals, children’s stories, movies, hobbies and more that YOU are interested in!

Trunk or Treat Decorating Ideas

Since all of our trunk or treat ideas revolve around choosing a theme, let’s get started! We have 120+ Trunk or Treat ideas with various themes and we’ve broken them into the following 7 categories:

Animal Trunk or Treat Ideas
Trunk or Treat Ideas Involving Children’s Stories
Trunk or Treat Ideas with Creative Faces
Easy Trunk or Treat Ideas
Trunk or Treat Ideas That Have Sweets & Treats
Trunk or Treat Ideas for Church
Halloween Car Decorations

So get those pinning fingers ready because we have a whole storm of Halloween car decorations ideas coming your way. Here we go . . .

Animal-Themed Trunk or Treat Ideas

Animals are always a hit with kids for Trunk or Treat ideas for church. You really can’t go wrong! Here are a few animal-inspired Trunk or Treat ideas to get the ideas rolling for your Halloween car decorations!

Frog – Turn your whole car in an adorable frog – complete with floppy tongue!
Black Cat – Perfect for anyone with a black car! Just add eyes, a nose, and whiskers! I love how the taillights serve as cheeks!
Zoo – Such a creative Trunk or Treat idea and so easy to do! Just place some stuffed animals in the back of your car, add bars and you’ve got yourself a zoo!
Safari – This idea is totally wild! Turn your trunk into a safari – complete with wild animals, vines and decor.
Fish Aquarium – I adore this idea or using various colored blue balloons to create water for a fish tank! Plus the Nemo tablecloth just finishes it off!
Megalodon – I would be nervous to reach my hand into that giant shark’s mouth – even for some candy!
Shark – This simple shark Trunk or Treat idea only requires some streamers, paper for teeth and some cardboard for a fin! Each and scary!

Children’s Stories Decor Inspiration

Once upon a time there was an amazing Trunk or Treat event wiHalloweeng halloween car decorations! So here are a few special Trunk or Treat ideas that children will recognize right away!

Toy Story – Adults and children alike will love this re-creation of Andy’s room from Toy Story.
Monsters Inc. – Mike is a well-known character from Monsters Inc. This idea is simple but fun!
Mater – Why not decorate your car like a famous car? Mater, from the movie Cars, is totally recognizable and loved by kids!
Lightning McQueen – Similarly you could decorate your car like the famous Lightning McQueen from Disney Pixar’s movie Cars. This is the perfect Trunk or Treat idea for anyone with a red car!
Smurfs – The Smurfs are known and loved by all children. This would be a huge hit at any Trunk or Treat event! Add a little of this and you are all set!
Disney – The classic icon of all cartoons! Take your Disney collections and display them in your trunk!
Alice in Wonderland – How clever is this? Using this you could change your trunk into the hole in which Alice falls!
Aladdin – Turn your car into the land of Agrabah from Aladdin! Add some mid-Eastern flair to your trunk and some costumes – and you are set! {Plus we all have one of these laying around right!? 😉 }
Thomas the Train – What kid doesn’t recognize and love Thomas the Train? This works nicely with a pickup truck!
Dr. Seuss – There are so many things you could do with a Dr. Seuss Trunk or Treat theme! His books are classics and well-known by many!
Magic School Bus – Convert your car into the famous Magic School Bus based on the popular children’s books.
I Spy – It doesn’t get easier than this! Grab random items from your home and throw it in the back of your trunk! As kids come to get candy, they can play a little game of “I Spy” to earn their treat!
Harry Potter – Travel to a world of wizardry and magic with this Harry Potter – themed car!
Cookie Monster – I ADORE this cookie monster idea! This would be even cooler if you gave out cookies instead of candy!
C is for Cookie – Add some costumes to the Cookie Monster theme and you have a creative car! I love this idea!
Muppets Character: This site has all the details on how to create this Trunk or Treat look for yourself! So clever!
Sesame Street – The Classic children’s show come to life! Lead the children to Sesame Street – complete with costumed characters!
Little Red Riding Hood – Rather than bringing sweets to Grandmother’s house, Little Red is handing them out! Convert your car into Granny’s cottage in the woods!
Charlotte’s Web – Halloween spiders are usually scary, but not this one! Charlotte and her friend Wilbur are as friendly as it gets! Turn your trunk into their barn!
Little Bo Peep – Your trunk becomes a hillside for Bo Peep to find her sheep! This classic children’s story will be recognized by all the children at the Trunk or Treat event.
Flintstones – Yabba Dabba Doo! Direct from the city of Bedrock – you can totally add costumes of Wilma and Fred & family to complete this Trunk or Treat theme!
Madagascar – A jungle of famous characters from the classic movie Madagascar. The kids would love this!
The Yellow Brick Road – Lead your trunk or treaters to your car with a yellow brick road!
The Wizard of Oz – The yellow brick road can then lead to the land of Oz…or the Trunk or Treat at least!
R2D2 Star Wars – This famous robot from Star Wars could be filled with candy!
Storm Trooper Star Wars – This costume really sets a scene from Star Wars. Complete with a Jawa held prisoner!
Mary Poppins – This Trunk or Treat idea is practically perfect in every way! With costumes of Mary & Bert this set up is lovely!

One of the most popular and easy Trunk or Treat decorating ideas is to turn your car’s trunk or hood into a face! Next, check out these faces that range from scary to silly!

Scary Clown – This colorful clown face looks like it came straight from the crazy circus! I particularly like the balloons for a wig!
Eye Lashes – Add some girly spunk to your car with big lips and some dazzling eyelashes!
Angry Eyes – Since it is Halloween, why not go for some scary red eyes? Add a large spider and you have a scary face!
Hungry Face – This trunk not only did a face with vicious teeth, but they added a victim to the mix!
Shark Bite – These teeth are razor sharp. The elongated teeth really add to the illusion of a shark!
You’re Next!- This trunk not only has the teeth, but it tells a story! The legs sticking out warn trunk or treaters – they might be next! Also – notice the surgical gloves filled with candy! Now THAT is a creative Trunk or Treat idea.
Mouth Full of Treats – Open wide! This large trunk’s mouth is FULL of candy and sweets! It gives Dentists everywhere a sense of job security!
Silly Face – This friendly face invites trunk or treaters to take the treat right from this silly face’s mouth!
Red Carpet Tongue – This tongue extends beyond the trunk and into the parking lot. The little kiddos can walk the red carpet to retrieve their treat from the trunk!

Scary Car Decoration Ideas

Trunk or Treat is in celebration of Halloween so anything creepy, spooky and scary is going to be a big hit! So check out these Trunk or Treat ideas for some hair-raising, spine-chilling inspiration for your Halloween car decorations!

Spider’s Web – Fill your trunk with creepy spiderwebs and add a giant spider (or two!) and you have yourself one scary trunk!
Vacancy – This is one vacancy that I would not want to fill!
Haunted House – These people turned their whole trunk into its very own haunted house! They went all out! So creepy!
Graveyard – Turn the bed of a truck into a cemetery! Headstones & spiderwebs are all you need for this Trunk or Treat idea!
Ghosts – Fill your car with ghosts and lights and you have one ghostly trunk!
Ghostbusters – Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! So make your trunk into its very own mobile ghost containment unit!
Mummy – Wrap your car in white sheets to create a mummy. Add some eyes to the windshield and you are done!
Crime Scene – With some caution tape, a skeleton victim and some evidence – you’ve got yourself a true crime scene! So spooky!
CSI – Whether you are a fan of the show CSI or not – you can create your own scene from the show! So spook, and all you need is some caution tape and some official-looking costumes.
Witches Dungeon – This castle scene extends beyond just your trunk to create a lair for a witch!
Skull Cave – This idea takes a twist to the typical trunk! This idea opens your hood to reveal an engine – full of skulls!
Treasure Chest – Your trunk or treaters can also take their candy from a treasure chest that fills the back of the car!

Food-Themed Trunk or Treat Ideas

Trick or treating is all about getting candy, so adding a candy theme to your Halloween car decorations is a sweet idea! So for trunk or treat 2019 go all out!

Candy Stop – This trunk idea will definitely draw in the trunk or treaters! It is cheerful and colorful!
Sweet Shop – Add an adorable awning overhang to your trunk and you’ve got your own store full of sweets! So cute!
Banana Split – This is a great example of combining costumes with your trunk’s theme! These ladies, together, form a banana split! So yummy!
Gingerbread Man – Who doesn’t love the gingerbread man? I think this would be hilarious if you gave out baggies of gumdrops! Maybe with a note “Not my gumdrop buttons!”
Candy Land – I love the walkway leading up to the Candy Land car! These themes extend beyond the trunk. The kids will love walking down this! So festive!
Sweets Store – Create a store window from your trunk by setting up large jars full of candy! This could be really fun if the kids get to choose their candy!
Trix-n-Treats Bake Shop – This trunk decorator created their own shop. With a baker’s costume to match, this Trunk or Treat idea is simple. Bust also, very creative!
Bubble Gum – Balloons make this car look like it is blowing bubbles! Give out Double Bubble brand gum at this car and you’ve got a great theme!
Toaster – You might have to have the right car to pull this one off; however, this is hilarious! There are so many details – it really looks like a toaster on wheels!
Bacon & Eggs – And to go with that toaster – breakfast food costumes! This couple went as bacon and eggs. So yummy!
Honey Hive – This car converted into a beehive! The theme was complete with a little honey bee buzzing around!
Picnic Salad – This family’s theme is classic: a picnic blanket in the trunk and each family member an ingredient in the salad!
Trunk full of Candy – OR you can always forgo the decorations and just fill our trunk FULL OF CANDY! The kids will love it all the same!

Trunk or Treat Ideas for Church

Here are a bunch of really great all-around Trunk or Treat ideas that you CAN’T go wrong with! Halloween car decorations don’t have to cost a fortune; however, they do need a large dose of creativity!

Pumpkin Patch – Fill your trunk with pumpkins and other fall decorations! Easy, simple but memorable!
Football Field – Make your trunk into its own football field. Complete the look with a little football player inside. This would be a great idea for adding an activity for the kids to earn their candy.
Zombie Football – Combine sports with Halloween with a Zombie football theme!
Snowboard – Snowboarding in October?! Yes, please! This guy brought the slopes to the party!
Nascar Race Track – Follow the raceway to get to your Nascar-themed trunk!
Noah’s Ark – Set up a ramp leading to your trunk and have animals enter two by two to your ark!
Jonah – Have a costumed Jonah sit inside the trunk of your car that is decorated like a whale! Brilliant! So perfect for the church parking lot!
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego – Create the illusion of fire and flames in your backseat and have 1 or all 3 of the famous followers of God sit unharmed.
Mario & Luigi – Mario & Luigi costumes are a must for a Mario Brothers Trunk or Treat theme.
Mario Brothers – Create a scene straight from the video game screen of Mario Brothers!
Angry Birds – This idea would be so easy to do! Just set up some cardboard boxes and have some stuffed birds! So creative!
Angry Birds – This would also be a great activity for the kids to do! Have them knock down some boxes to earn their prize!
Camping – Pull out your camping gear and get ready to camp out with some candy!
Western – Saddle up your western gear and giddy up! I reckon this will be a mighty fine idea!
Hunting – Pull out all of your camouflage and set the scene for your very own wooded hunting grounds!

Halloween Car Decorations

The ideas just keep coming! Here are a few more of our favorite Trunk or Treat ideas (in no particular order). So make trunk or treat 2019 memorable by going all out with your Halloween car decorations.

Hawaiian – Take a trip to the islands. For instance, you could have some Hawaiian music playing from your car and lots of beach-themed decor!
Tarzan & Jane – Palm leaves, fauna & a Tarzan & Jane costume! Love this!
Piñata – Spanish traditions involve candy so why not mix the two? Have the kiddos break open some piñatas to get their treats!
Christmas – Christmas in October?! Why not? Pull out your Christmas decorations and you are set! So Festive!
Batmobile – You can’t go wrong with Batman! You can tell these people went all out with this design!
Bat Cave – This example looks like they used some black garbage sacks to create a bat cave. The Batman & Robin costumes really make set the scene! You could even have cat woman on the scene.
Bath-time Fun – Rubber duckies, a shower curtain, and some bathrobes make a great theme that is easy and cute!
Band Groupie – You do this idea with ANY band of your choice! These girls decorated their trunk with all their favorite things from the band One Direction. This would be extra fun to have the music of the particular band playing!
Construction Zone – All you need for this idea are some orange cones and barrels plus some neon vests and hard hats! Love this!
Mad Scientist Lab – Cooky, Crazy lab experiments and a crazy scientist! Educational AND interesting!
Sleepover – I am always looking for an excuse to wear my pajamas – his sleepover trunk idea is one of my favorites!
Circus – There is so much you could do with a circus theme, and I love the bright colors or the circus tent!
Caveman – For this idea we go back to the beginnings! Have a campfire and some caveman costumes and you are set!
Midevil Times – Castles, a knight in armor! The ideas are endless!
1920’s – I love everything about the 1920’s style – the flappers and the beads! You could do so much with this decade!
1950’s – A jukebox cafe straight from the 50’s. So fun!
1970’s – This idea is groovy! Hippie costumes, flower petals and peace signs. Right on!

There are SO MANY things you can do for Trunk or Treat I love how creative these trunk or treaters got! Also, you don’t even need a trunk to decorate for Trunk or Treat! It is all about being creative and working with what you have! There is no need to go purchase anything elaborate (the kids would rather you spend the money on the candy!) just use what you have around the house!

Most importantly, we hope you have found some inspiration for your own Trunk or Treat 2019 decor! The hard part might be deciding WHICH Halloween car decorations to use! Similarly, if you will be bringing food to share at this party – be sure and check out our list of 50 Fun Halloween Foods. You might also want to take a peek at our list of 101 DIY Halloween Costumes for last minute ideas to help make your Trunk or Treat a success. Happy Haunting!