MacKenzie-Childs Inspired Haunted House

You know I love going from “old to gold,” and this project hit the mark! I was inspired by the whimsical charm of a MacKenzie-Childs Haunted House and decided to put my own spin on it. This fun DIY starts with a tired, miniature Christmas house, some black spray paint, and a few miniatures. Here’s how I made it happen!

the house

I thrifted several miniature houses from estate sales and Goodwill for about $3 each, choosing ones that weren’t overly Christmas-themed. After a couple of coats of black spray paint and primer, I had a solid base to work with. I even painted the wood the house sits on in the same black.

Next, I hand-painted these details:

Checks: Start with white paint for the signature MacKenzie-Childs pattern.
Body of the House: Painted in a spooky gray.
Windows: I chose a bold purple for a haunted feel.

I used acrylic craft paint from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, and a coupon always helps!

house details

Roofline: MacKenzie-Childs’ houses have a scalloped roofline, but my Christmas house didn’t. I added this with paint, using a black marker for crisp edges.

Fence: For a spooky touch, I crafted a fence using coffee stir sticks. After cutting them to size, I hand-painted them (spray paint is too light and would blow them away) and hot-glued them to the house.

Window Sill/Ledge: I created the window ledges using coffee stir sticks, painted them purple, and attached them to the house with hot glue..

embellishments

Pumpkins: I purchased miniature pumpkins from Temu and added spooky faces with a marker. I adhered them to the house using hot glue.

Ghosts: I used a small, thin piece of craft wood from Dollar Tree to make the ghost, adding a whimsical and spooky element to the display.

Light: Nothing says haunted like a glowing light! My house had a small opening at the bottom, so I added miniature lights to give it an eerie glow.