In keeping with “Our Fall Favorites” series, today we have some great ideas on how to decorate your home for Halloween on a dime from our guest author, Kristin Willis. Wednesday we’ll have more decorating ideas and activities that you can do with your family!
Searching for fun Halloween decorations can be a pain, but what can be a bigger pain is the cost. On average, Americans spend a total of about $2 Billion on decorations alone, which is scarier than the holiday itself. You, however, do not have to conform to the social norm. Here are a few ways to give your home a Halloween touch to it, without breaking the bank.
Stick With Tradition
Try out a traditional black and orange theme in your house. Bring out any items you have that show off your Halloween spirits such as blankets, pillows, candles, hand towels and other miscellaneous items.
Related: 13 Spooky Decorations that Could also be Used for Halloween
Fill up a candy bowl with your favorite sweet, such as candy corn. This impression becomes effortless and could cost you little to nothing.
No Carving Needed
Pumpkins are the typical decoration for Halloween, and it is so simple to get your hands on them. They normally become available at your local grocery store and Farmers Market during the fall. What is also great about pumpkins is that they are super easy to decorate, which is fantastic when you have little ones.
Related: Kid-friendly Halloween pumpkin decorating ideas
Permanent markers allow the pumpkin to have a happy, scary or goofy face, without having to spend so much time carving it; not to mention the mess it makes. Your kids will be glad to help you out designing your pumpkins.
It’s Alive!
Monster Doors are an easy decoration for your home and with just a few items and a bit of time from your busy day, you will have one scary or funny monster to greet your guests when they come over. Snag a couple of poster boards for its wild hair for about $0.50 each, any color of duct tape for the mouth and paper plates for the eyes. Finish it off with stitches and a name. Perhaps, Frankenstein’s younger, yet hipper brother Jakenstein?
Sense of Smell
Just because you cannot see it, doesn’t mean it’s not a holiday enhancement. Grab some of your favorite pumpkin spice scented candles. If you want to go a cheaper route, snag Pumpkin Pie Spice at the grocery store (in the baking/spice aisle) for as low as $0.89. Add about 3 tablespoons of it to a small skillet, turning the stovetop heat up to low-medium for about 15 minutes. This idea will allow your home to fill up with its fragrance. Don’t just give it the look of Halloween, give it the feel.
Arachnophobia
Faux spider webs and spiders can be found in the Halloween section of any retail store. They are some of the most inexpensive decorations you will find and can be placed anywhere as part of your eerie holiday home decor. Amazon sells spider webs for as low as $2 shipped and over 140 plastic spiders for under $8 shipped, which is a great bargain. If you want to go a little cheaper on this spider idea, buy black balloons (for the body) and black thin party streamers (for the legs). They’re only $1 each at the Dollar Tree and you could make up to 12 big spiders in your home.
Crashing Witch
Have a good-sized tree in your front yard? Decorate it with a crashing witch. It is easy enough to put together. Use an old witch costume hat, a black trash bag for the cape, and an old broom, making it look as though a crazy old witch wasn’t watching where she was going. You can never go wrong with this fantastic idea.
Related: Easy Outdoor Halloween Decor
Glowing Eyes
Two things: Toilet Paper Rolls and glow sticks. These spooky ideas are great when it is night-time. Simply cut out “eye” holes and place glow sticks inside. Your front porch can easily be filled with them. Everyone who passes your home will see “glowing eyes” staring back at them. It may be creepy, but it will cost you only a small amount for this Halloween project. You can also use clean, empty milk jugs and decorate those with funny-looking faces if that is your preference. Just toss the glow sticks in afterward for an amusing effect. This will light up your porch walkway for trick-or-treaters.
Bat-Crazy
Black construction paper is easy to snag at your local hobby store or Office Depot, and a package of it comes pretty cheaply too, about $1.49 for a 50 count. FreePalette.com also offers free bat patterns for you to print off if you don’t know how to make them. This project can be fun for the family to get in on. Fill your hallway walls with these little creatures. And if you want, hang them from the ceiling with white or clear string.
Whatever the decoration idea may be, you can rest assured that your home can look gruesome or spooky on a budget without scaring your bank account. Do-it-yourself projects are the best way to go this Halloween if you want to save money. Use Pinterest, get creative, and enjoy! Have a safe and scary Halloween!
About the Author: Kristin Willis is the founder of the blog, Coupon Friendly, and a stay-at-home wife and mom of 4 children from Springfield, Missouri. She has written for 2 years and has a passion for it, as well as theater arts and music. Kristin is also a regular contributor to the CareOne Debt Relief Services blog, a community that provides debt consolidation and money-saving advice.
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