Three crows on black poles with text on image for Pinterest.

We made these crows-in-waiting back in 2012 after getting back from our Europe trip. I totally forgot to share these last year (I blame that on the severe pregnancy brain I was experiencing), and when I was going through my draft post a few weeks ago I realized I had this awesome Halloween project waiting in the wings for the world to see!

When I first saw the Ravens-in-Waiting project in the Halloween edition of Martha Stewart I knew I needed to make the project. However, using paper packing tubes and foam core was not going to cut it with our humid weather in Florida. I needed to step-it-up with a more durable version. I utilized basic materials that we already owned: pvc pipe, black matte spray paint, and crows from the Dollar Store. All together this project cost me less than $10 (but I had a majority of the materials) and took me about two hours from start to finish.

Supplies

Tan drop cloth with fake crows, black chain, black spray paint, tape measure, hooks, PVC cutters, and PVC pipes.

1/4-inch thick PVC Pipe
PVC Pipe Cutters
Rust-oleum Black Matte Spray Paint
Rust-oleum Comfort Grip
Drill
5/64 Drill Bit
12 feet of Black Chain
Chain Cutters
1/16 Drill Bit
3 Dollar Store Crows

Directions

PVC cutters, PVC, and tape measure on a tan drop cloth.

Measure the PVC to be about 10-12 inches in length.

Hand holding PVC cutters, to cut PVC pipe over a tan drop cloth.

Then, using PVC pipe cutters I cut the PVC. It was really easy to cut–I promise!

Hand holding Rust-Oleum spray paint can spraying PVC on a cream drop cloth on the grass.

Then I gave the PVC and hooks a few coats of black Rustoleum spray paint.

Drop cloth on grass with three pvc pipes and hooks sprayed black.

What they looked like once they were done on one side.

Drop cloth with three pieces of PVC and hooks with spray paint next to it.

Once they dried I flipped over the PVC and hooks and sprayed the other side.

Hand holding a piece of PVC and drilling a hole in the PVC.

Once everything is dry, drill pilot holes into the PVC. Make sure you get a good grip on the PVC so it doesn’t “run away” on you.

Three black poles with holes drilled in them.

This is what it will look like once its done.

Black pole with a black hook being held by a hand.

Then, just screw in the hooks!

Bolt cutters with a black chain in the clamp.

Take bolt cutters and clip the black chain to the size you need. No exact sizes here it all depends on the needs of your space. I did do three different lengths because I wanted them staggered in length.

Man holding a black PVC pipe with pliers closing the hook.

Jon used needle nose pliers to bend the hook around the chain so that it was secure.

Female hand drilling a hole into a black piece of PVC pipe.

Lastly, drill a pilot hole in the middle or on the side of the PVC.

Black PVC pipe with wire going through it.

You’ll want to do this to secure your crows to the PVC. Two small pilot holes to run the wire through the PVC that’s on the bottom of the crows feet.

It will look just like this…

Three black PVC pipes with chains with crows sitting on top of it all sitting on top of white foam.

This is what they looked like once they were done.

Man standing on a step stool and porch railing hanging crows.

Once the Halloween crow decorations are done you can hang them from the ceiling. If you have a front porch you can hang them up there!

Crows on black bars hanging from the ceiling of a front porch.

This is what they looked like from the back of our porch.

I’m in love with how they turned out!!! We’ve used them for the past two years and plan to use them again this year. I love making knock-off Halloween projects for super inexpensive!

Tips and Tricks

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks when working on Halloween crow decorations.

Painting – For best results you can easily spread this project out into 2 days. Giving your PVC and hooks enough time to dry.
Crows – I like to purchase them from the Dollar Store. You can also find small black crows at Target, Walmart, Party City, and sometimes even Dollar General.
No Drilling – If you don’t have access to a drill, you can hot glue all the pieces together. It might not look as polished, but it will work if you don’t have a drill.

DIY Halloween Decorations

Looking for more DIY Halloween Decorations to make? Check these out:

If you make these Halloween crows, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these projects, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

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