Dressing up for Halloween and Trick or Treating can be incredibly exciting, but decorating your home with plenty of spooking décor might make you take even more interest in the holiday. There’s a lot of ways to get decorations for your home during this fun holiday, but they can be way too pricey to suit your household’s budget. There are ways to create a creepy oasis without going overboard on the spending though. These ten tricks will treat you to a few ideas that will have your house looking haunted for the popular holiday. Now, you’ll be able to have even more fun as you plan out new ways to scare your trick or treaters while creating a scary vibe for those who dare to knock on your door!
1. It’s All About the Pumpkins
If there’s one thing that stands out about Halloween it’s definitely the pumpkin. This seasonal gourd shows up everywhere from costumes to the colors that represent the holiday. So, make sure you have plenty of these guys around the house. One of the most iconic ways to exhibit a pumpkin is to carve it into a Jack-o-Lantern. In order to save money on this decoration try to use a basic knife and spoon from home rather than buy a kit. You may also want to print out carving patterns rather than buying them. When you’re finished with the pumpkin save the seeds and you can make pumpkin seed treats for your party. If you’re not into cutting into the pumpkin then simply draw a face on it with markers. This will allow you to still be able to cook with the pumpkin once the holiday is over. To show off the face simply place a light under it for effect. You can also turn your pumpkin into a head for a scarecrow or other monster you may want to build. Of course, pumpkins look great on their own too if you’re looking for a more reserved look. Make sure to shop around before you make a purchase though!
2. Glow in the Dark Paint
When it comes to getting tricky with your décor glow in the dark paint can work wonders. For less than $5 you can create your own spooky decorations or you can amplify those you already have. To begin with, if you don’t want to buy fake webs then simply paint them on your windows. This will add a fun effect that isn’t visible in the daylight. You can also add secret messages for your trick or treaters that only show up in the dark. You may want to add hand prints that look like blood on the home. If you already have a lot of décor then cleverly add some paint to make things better. For instance, a little paint on your faux web, or just the spider, can make the decoration pop. It’s also great for skeletons and other pieces you’d love to make a bolder statement. With this paint you might not feel as compelled to put out as many decorations, which could stop you from going out and buying more. Before you get crazy with the paint you should double check that it washes away with water and you might want do a test strip to see what you’ll be working with!
3. Cardboard
Kids love it, cats love and you’ll love it when it comes to saving cash on your Halloween décor. You can work wonders with cardboard so let your imagination soar. One of the most popular items to make with it is tombstones. Simply cut you out the shape you’re looking for, slap on some paint and you’re ready to go. You can also make signs to direct trick or treaters to your haunted house or to creep them out if you plan on just leaving out a bowl of candy! You can cut out other shapes like ghosts or pumpkins that the kids can decorate. These can easily be placed indoors or outdoors of the home. If you’re really looking to get spooky try to trace out the outline of a werewolf, scared cat or moon. When you’re done flash a light on the cardboard causing it to cast a shadow on the home which will creep everyone out. You can find a lot more ideas online if you’re looking to make the most of your recycled cardboard this season.
4. Tissue Paper
Do you have a lot of tissue paper just laying around in your craft supplies? Use it! Tissue paper has a lot of uses during the Halloween season. One of the more common uses of tissue paper is to make ghosts. Usually you crumple a small wad of newspaper to use as the head. Drape the tissue paper over the newspaper and secure it with a string just under the head. Kids will love drawing little faces on the ghosts which can be hung up inside of the home, in a tree, or taped to the window. You can also create cute little pumpkins using tissue paper. There’s lots of different things you can do with this cheap craft supply so show off your skills for all to see. If you’re feeling lost there’s lot of ideas online so hurry and check them out! The best thing about these cute crafts is they can be saved for next year!
5. Use Nature
Nature can be pretty spooky on its own so get crafty with supplies you find in the yard. Leaves are one of the more essential items you can use to make your home pretty scary. One easy trick here is to rake up the leaves in the yard then add fake body parts to the outer edges. You could also have someone hide in the leaf piles to spook a few of the older trick or treaters. You can easily stuff old work clothes to create a scarecrow that will send the kids running. Tree branches are also pretty spooky if you know how to work their magic. Try building a creepy tree branch barrier for the trick or treater to pass through. You could also have someone sit in a tree and make fake branches move around. Rocks are also fun to work with. Although it may not be on the spooky side, you could have the kids decorate rocks like their favorite monsters. This is a fun bonding craft that looks great displayed in a window or sitting out on the porch.
6. Solar Lights
One of the major problems with Halloween decoration expenses is the price it adds on to the electric bill. This isn’t exactly good for your budget or the environment so try to avoid traditional lights and look for solar lights whenever possible. You may actually be surprised as to how many of these incredible decorations are on the market now. They’re not incredibly expensive either which makes them even more efficient for the home. Although you may not get a wide variety in stores, you can easily log on to the internet and do a quick search for locations or websites that sell these items. You’ll love Halloween even more once you have your amazing light show up. Your monthly bill won’t make you want to cry and you’ll have passed off an exciting look for the holiday, which is definitely a win win!
7. Discount Stores
If you really need to pick up a few items for your collection or you’re just starting out then try to skip out on the big name stores as much as possible. Instead, try looking around used or thrift stores to see if there’s anything you might like at an affordable price. One of the best places to look for cheaper items is dollar stores. These stores usually have basic items that will keep your home decorated at a price that won’t make you have to reconsider your budget for the month. Although you might not find big ticket items as these stores you will be able to grab spider webs, banners and other cute window decorations. Stores like Big Lots or Ross are great for finding the bigger items for less money. However, when you’re seeking out an item you should always do a little pre-shopping before you make your purchase. Try looking online or calling your local store to see which location has the best price for you!
8. Sales
Some stores may actually have sales during the Halloween season, but you shouldn’t count on these when shopping. If you do find a good sale then it might be a great time to buy items you’ve been wanting for awhile. However, you’ll always save the most when you wait until after Halloween is over. This is when all of the stores will put their Halloween goods on clearance so they can make room for other items next year. Although it isn’t going to help you for this Halloween, with the items you find at the clearance sale you’ll be ready to put on an amazing show for next year. You may also be able to find Halloween décor online throughout the year at a low price. These items are a great bargain, but act fast before the autumn months come back around and the prices are increased!
9. Print Outs
If you have younger children then you know coloring can make the household pretty peaceful for a few minutes. This Halloween you can easily enjoy printing out a few free coloring sheets for your children to work on. Once the kids have colored them and/or cut them out you can place them all over the home to make the inside just as festive as the outside. If you really want to get craft about the project bring out the glitter, string and other fun craft items for your kids to use. You may also want to consider printing out banners, signs and pictures that can be placed in your window or door. Another easy and fun idea is to print out Halloween characters. Your kids can color them, cut them out and then place them on popsicle sticks to create adorable puppets. You can encourage the kids to put on a puppet show for the whole family or they can even prepare for a grand appearance in front of this year’s trick or treaters!
10. Use What You Have
It is terribly easy to fall into the consumerism aspect of Halloween, but if you’re on a budget this can really mess you up. Instead of lurking down the Halloween aisle in stores try to avoid it and dig out all of the stuff you’ve used the past few years. If you’re unhappy with some items then give them a little makeover with a new paint job. You can also fix up broken items to make them look even scarier. Old Halloween masks from previous years can be used as décor too. You can use them as a scarecrow head or simply hang them up around the house. The important thing is to avoid shopping as much as possible. If you’re low on supplies then think out of the box. One of the spookiest looks for your home could be to utilize simple candlelight in the windows. The shadows in the home will look creepy without any effort on your part. You could also use your projector to screen a scary movie on your garage. You may want to consider making it family friendly though! There’s ample ideas out there that don’t actually involve buying anything new.
Decorating for Halloween can be lots of fun when money isn’t involved. With these tips you can find pleasure in creating your own decorations while keeping your budget in check! So, whether you’re aiming to scare or just wanting to have some fun, money won’t put a wrench in your Halloween plans!
