How to Make Inexpensive Halloween Decorations

Thrifty and Fun Halloween Accessories and Accents for Your Home

© Stefanie Gabrych Fraser

Sep 15, 2009

While the kids are out gathering goodies, create a party for adult friends and family this year and let your imagination run wild. Use these decorating ideas to create a party that’s fast and easy to organize.

Decorations

• For party invitations, write out the time and specifics on orange construction paper (or print off your computer) and then slip in a black mask into the envelope along with the invitation.
• Deck the halls and staircase with a seasonal garland using a strand of holiday lights intertwined with bittersweet vines, bunches of pepper berries, dried leaves and tiny pumpkins.
• Paint tree branches black and attach scary embellishments such as construction-paper cut-outs of witches and ghosts. Fill a metal pail with weights such as stones or glass marbles, and wedge the branches inside.
• Anchor candles in a bed of corn candy or black and orange jelly beans in glass jars and place one at each place setting.
• Line the path to your house with battery-powered (and ecologically safe) luminaries placed inside clean tin cans.
• If you have a floral wreath handy, spray it black and hang it up on the front door to greet your guests.

Pumpkins

• A single perfect pumpkin makes a perfect finial for a newel post.
• Instead of traditionally carved pumpkins, spray your pumpkins with white paint and slip a shiny black mask on each one.
• Wrap a pumpkin or two with sequined ribbons for an elegant change to traditional pumpkin decoration.
• Don’t be afraid to use artificial pumpkins which come with their own lighting; we painted ours black and topped each one with a feathered tiara for ghoulish elegance.
• For an elegant centerpiece, cover a dozen or so differently sized pumpkins (faux or real) with white craft glue and sprinkle glitter all over the painted areas. When dry, arrange on your dining table or sideboard.

Halloween Food

• Stuff black pitted olives with carrots or orange cheese. Set out yellow, orange, and white cheeses along with black (pumpernickel) toast points or rye crackers and serve with a blood red wine. For dessert include small blood oranges, dark plums, and red grapes.
• Create quick and creepy cupcake critters: Top store-bought cupcakes with stacks of meringues from the grocery story. To add personality, apply dots of chocolate icing from a tube.
• Wrap plain tin buckets with paper covered in old handwriting and then fill with candy goodies or stash your goodies in large glass jars to delight trick-or-treaters of all ages Decorate with glued-on cut-outs of cats, mice, and witches.

Need more ideas - check out these Halloween decor_ideas and projects.

Halloween Princess Pumpkin

Spooky Halloween Corner

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