Halloween

Gadzooks! You’ve suddenly realized that it is almost Halloween and you haven’t even thought about decorating your house yet. If that’s the case, you’re probably one of the 22% of shoppers that leave their shopping to the last two weeks before the harrowing holiday. Whilst it’s easy enough to pop out to a Halloween store and just buy some decorations, doing so can be expensive as prices of popular items can sometimes be inflated, if there are any left at all, and lines will be long! So, what about making your own DIY Halloween decorations of your own?

Many DIY Halloween decorations can be off-putting as they can be time consuming or complicated. Subsequently, they might not look as good as you’re expecting or take a lot longer than the time you have. But never fear, because we have a list of quick and easy Halloween decoration ideas for those who are pressed for time or not as confident in their crafting skills as others.

Quick Last Minute Halloween Decorations Shopping Tips

Don’ts

Don’t rush! It might seem counterintuitive in an article about last minute DIY Halloween decorations, but it’s good advice. These decorations are already designed to not take up too much of your time. Rushing could mean they might go wrong or might come out looking a bit shabby. Worse, you might end up injuring yourself.

Dos

Do take a good look around your home to see what materials for these crafts you already have. You’ll be surprised what things you might have hidden away and forgotten about from previous bouts of crafting. If you have less things to buy, you’ll spend less time in the shops, meaning more time for you to make your decorations.

Do use a shopping list when going out to buy materials for these scary Halloween decorations. Using a shopping list means you’re less likely to miss items off your list. If you’re short on time, the last thing you want to do is have to go back out to the shops to get items you’ve forgotten. What’s more, shopping list apps like Listonic, have a , which means you can have friends and family help out with getting materials for your crafts, saving you even more time.

Do see if you have any decorations from previous holidays that you can adjust to make DIY Halloween ones.

Do have family and friends help you. A problem shared is a problem halved, and Halloween decorations made with friends and family will take less time. Plus, it’s a great way to socialize and get into the Halloween spirit.

Super Quick Last Minute DIY Halloween Decorations

#1 Drill a Pumpkin

You want your Jack-o’-lanterns looking like all the amazing ones you see on web pages or on social media. But sometimes yours come out in a worse state than a slasher movie victim. Carving pumpkins is time consuming and difficult. Rushing one because your Halloween party is closer than you think is only going to make it look horrific (and not in a good way)!

1. Take a pumpkin
2. Remove the pulp and seeds
3. Use a power drill to create a pattern of holes in the side of your pumpkin

By creating Jack-o’-lanterns this way you can end up with intricate patterns that will look impressive when a candle is placed inside. It might not but be traditional, but it can potentially be a quick and impressive centerpieces to your decorations.

Drill a Pumpkin Shopping List

• Pumpkin (from $3.50)
• Power drill (from $17)

Total: $20.50

#2 Paint or Decorate a Pumpkin

If taking a power tool to your pumpkin seems a little extreme, then you can try painting or decorating one instead. Furthermore, this method will save even more time as you won’t have to scoop out the pulp and seeds from your pumpkin, which can be time-consuming and messy.

1. Take a pumpkin
2. Decorate it using paint or crafting material

You can paint a traditional Halloween grimace, decorate it with paper cut outs of other Halloween imagery, wrap it in ribbons, shower it with glitter...anything, really! Whilst you won’t be able to make it shine at night by putting any lights inside, you will have the added bonus of not having to clean up rotting pumpkins from your front lawn or living room the next day.

Paint or Decorate a Pumpkin Shopping List

• Pumpkin (from $3.50)
• Paint or crafting materials (from $5)

Total: $8.50

#3 Spooky Soap

Give your guests a spooky surprise in the bathroom by inserting some heebie-jeebies into their personal hygiene routine.

1. Use a clear soap dispenser bottle
2. Put small plastic decorations inside it
3. Fill the bottle with liquid soap

You can also glue some of the plastic decorations to the side of the bottle for extra creepiness.

Spooky Soap Shopping List

• Clear soap dispenser bottle (from $6)
• Small plastic Halloween decorations (from $6)
• Liquid soap (from $4)

Total: $16

#4 Creepy Party Cups

Your guests are going to get thirsty, so you’ll definitely have already planned to buy some plastic cups. Apart from using these as beverage receptacles, you can also make these into general decorations by attaching some string to them so they can hang from a plant or from the ceiling.

1. Take a plastic cup
2. Decorate it using marker pens, pieces of paper, googly eyes, or other crafting materials

You can do pretty much anything with these cups, and can decorate them according to their color. Got green party cups? Make them into Frankenstein’s monster. Awash with white party cups? Make them into a gaggle of ghosts. A batch of black ones? Transform them into vampire bats.

Creepy Party Cups Shopping List

• Black plastic cups (from $4)
• Crafts for decorating (from $6)

Total: $10

#5 Bloody Candles

Nothing says Halloween like a bit of light gore. Candles are also heavily associated with Halloween for their eerie flickering light. So, why not combine the two.

1. Find some white candles, and place them upright
2. Take some red candles and light them
3. Drip the wax from the lit red candle over the tips of white candles and let the red wax trickle down them

To be extra gruesome, you can even even push some black tacks into the side of the candle. Be careful if you’re doing this though, you don’t want the candles to be literally bloody!

Bloody Candles Shopping List

• White candles (from $6)
• Red candle (from $1)

Total: $7

#6 Mummy Candles

If bloody candles are a bit too macabre for you, then why not host a party like a dead ancient Egyptian with these mummy candles?

1. Use some candles that come in glass jars
2. Wrap the jars in self-adhesive medical bandage

To make the candles more spooky, you can use strips of stained and frayed cloth and stick it to the glass jars using a hot glue gun. If you prefer something more lighter in tone, you can stick some googly eyes to them. Just made sure any material used does not go any higher than the rim of the jar, as this could cause the heat and flame of the candle to set the fabric alight.

Mummy Candles Shopping List

• Candles in glass jars (from $10)
• Self-adhesive medical bandage (from $5)

Total: $15

#7 Crime Scene Outline

Turn your home into a crime scene this Halloween by recreating an outline of a murder victim.

1. Use some masking or duct tape to draw the outline of a person on the floor

If you’re worried you won’t be able to make a convincing figure on your floor by yourself, you can get someone to model for you. Simply ask them to lie on the floor in the desired position, and then trace their outline using the tape.

Crime Scene Outline Shopping List

• Masking or duct tape (from $3)

Total: $3

#8 Frightful Fridge

Turn your fridge into a wailing specter this Halloween in less time than it takes to resurrect the dead.

1. Use large pieces of black card
2. Draw the outline of some eyes and a wailing mouth
3. Cut out and stick these to your fridge using double-sided adhesive tape

This works best if your fridge is white. But if it isn’t, you can use different colors of card to create different features to stick to your fridge instead. You can even create different monsters.

Frightful Fridge Shopping List

• Black card (from $3.50)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3.50)

Total: $7

#9 Spy Flowers

Ever feel like someone’s watching you? Because your flowers will be once you’ve made these frightening flora.

1. Buy some fake flowers. Ones with long stems, large centers, and dark colored petals work best
2. Get some fake eyeballs
3. Glue the eyeballs to the centre of the flower using a hot glue gun
4. Arrange the flowers in a vase

Instead of buying fake eyeballs, you can make eyes out of some table tennis/ping pong balls using some fine marker pens.

Spy Flowers Shopping List

• Fake flowers (from $10)
• Fake eyeballs (from $4)
• Hot glue gun (from $3.50)

Total: $17.50

#10 Glow Stick Brooms

Add some color and light to you decorations by turning glow sticks into witches’ brooms.

1. Glue strips of colored paper to one end of a glow stick
2. Activate the glow stick

If you’re making these in advance, remember to activate the glow stick on the night of your party or celebrations. However, if you activate them before the stick will lose its glow before the frightful festivities have even begun!

Glow Stick Brooms Shopping List

• Glow sticks (from $7)
• Colored paper (from $3.50)

Total: $10.50

Frightfully Fast Fun

Now you’re armed with 10 quick and easy DIY Halloween decorations for your Halloween bash.

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Decorating your home for Halloween may be difficult for many reasons. First, there’s the huge variety of extraordinary Halloween decorations in stores that may drive you crazy as it’s just too much for you to decide what to buy. Secondly, you may want to be original but find every store is filled with similar products. But most importantly, maybe you don’t want to spend too much money. So why not try these DIY Halloween spider decorations?

All of these reasons can make it difficult to know where and how to start going about making your house super spooky this Halloween. So, why not try making your own crafts which can be unique and cheap? If you’re finding it difficult to know where to start, and you’re not one of the  of the US population who has arachnophobia, why not begin with a classic Halloween symbol: the spider.

13 Cheap Halloween Decorations Shopping Dos and Don’ts

Once you’re in a craft store, you may want to buy lots of items for creating Halloween spider decorations. But here are some dos and don’ts to help you shop more effectively.

Don’ts

Don’t buy too many materials. Plan all the spider decorations you want to make before heading to the store and use a shopping list to make sure you’ll buy only those products which you really need. In saying that, buy a couple of extra materials in case mistakes are made.

Dos

Do check at home for supplies you may already have. You don’t need much for creating the spider decorations in this article, and you’ll need even less if you already own some of the materials.

Do reuse old Halloween items. Creativity is the key for making last years decorations fresh and extra creepy again. Plus, by doing this you’re being eco-friendly which is good for your wallet and the environment.

#1 Pumpkin Spider Decoration

Having a fake giant spider in your Halloween yard might be too scary for some. But there’s an alternative: pumpkin DIY spiders.

1. Choose three pumpkins of different sizes. The smallest one will form the front of the spider and the biggest one will form the back.
2. Find 8 branches
3. Cover the branches with black paint
4. Make 8 small holes in the middle pumpkin to stick the branches into them: 4 on each side
5. Create big eyes using a white or black sheet of paper
6. Cut out the eyes
7. Pin the eyes to the smallest pumpkin using push pins

Pumpkin Spider Shopping List

• 3 pumpkins (from $15 per one)
• 8 branches ($0)
• Black paint (from $2)
• White or black sheet of paper (from $2)
• Push pins (from $2)

Total: $21

#2 Milk Jug Spider

Most of the products for creating a milk jug spider can be found at home. If not, you can easily find them at a hardware store for quite cheap.

1. Cover an empty milk jug with black vinyl tape
2. Take tubes of foam pipe insulation and tape them to the milk jug to form the legs
3. Make bends in the spider’s legs by making a triangular cut in the foam pipe insulation tube
4. Bend the legs where the triangular cut has been made and then cover the joint with black vinyl tape to keep it in place

As the spider is lightweight, you can hang it from the ceiling or tie it to a string spider web you made for your porch in your Halloween yard.

Milk Jug Spider Shopping List

• Milk jug (from $3)
• Black vinyl tape (from $9)
• 8 tubes of foam pipe insulation (from $24)

Total: $36

#3 Bin Bag Spider

This is a very cheap way to create a giant spider for your home.

1. Take one black bin bag and fill it with other plastic bags
2. Tie up the bag
3. Divide a black trash bag roll into eight strips
4. Tie the strips of trash bags to the bag filled with other plastic bags
5. Draw and cut the eyes out of paper and glue them to the spider’s head

If you have any trouble with tying the strips, you may use double-sided adhesive tape to stick them to the filled bag. The spider may be placed wherever there’s a large space. You can stick it to the ceiling, on a wall, or put it ontop of a closet.

Bin Bag Spider Shopping List

• Black trash bag roll (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• Paper (from $2)
• Glue (from $1)

Total: $8

#4 Window Spider Silhouette

Making a paper spider silhouette as a window decoration is a kid-friendly option for Halloween, which makes it a great way to spend time with the little ones. The only products needed are those which your child will use at school. Not only is it easy to make but it’s also cheap.

1. Take a big sheet of black paper
2. Use a pencil or a white marker to draw a huge spider shape on it
3. Cut the spider out of paper
4. Stick the silhouette to the window using double-sided adhesive tape

You can also use a couple of sheets, or one big sheet, of orange or purple tissue paper and stick this to the window first to create the illusion of stained glass. Then, stick your DIY spiders to this.

Window Spider Silhouette Shopping List

• Big sheet of black paper (from $2)
• Pencil or white marker (from $$1)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)

Total: $6

#5 Balloon Spider decoration

Another cheap Halloween decoration that is suitable for children to make is a giant spider made out of a balloon and crepe paper streamers.

1. Inflate a black balloon
2. Draw and cut some eyes out of white paper
3. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick them to the balloon
4. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick the black crepe paper streamers to the balloon
5. Hang the balloon with the streamers off the wall or from the ceiling using double-sided adhesive tape

If you’re worried about double-sided adhesive tape causing damage to your walls or ceiling, you can use removable putty instead, which is less likely to leave any marks or damage when removed.

Balloon Spider Shopping List

• Black balloon (from $2)
• Sheet of white paper (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• Black crepe paper streamers (from $1)

Total: $8

#6 Paper Spider Garland

A paper spider garland makes a great Halloween decoration. Plus it’s a perfect option when you’re decorating on a budget.

1. Take a long rectangular sheet of black paper and fold it in half
2. Fold it in half again
3. Use a pencil or a white marker to draw half of a spider’s body. Draw its legs in such a way that they extend beyond the given space on black paper, and make sure the centre of the spider is where the fold is.
4. Cut out the spider
5. Unfold the paper to make a spider garland

You can hang the garland in a window, on a door, or on a closet, using string or adhesive tape.

Paper Spider Garland Shopping List

• Sheet of black paper (from $2)
• Pencil/white marker (from $1)

Total: $3

#7 Tin Can Spider

Instead of throwing out empty food cans, you can recycle them into a Halloween spider decorations.

1. Wash and dry the empty food can
2. Paint the can using black paint
3. Take 8 black pipe cleaners and use a hot glue gun to affix them to the can
4. Bend the pipe cleaners so that they look like spider legs
5. Glue googly eyes to the can

You may use the can as a container for Halloween candy or as a pencil holder. Before using the can, make sure you cover the edges with paper or fabric as sometimes the edges can be quite sharp.

Tin Can Spider Shopping List

• Black paint (from $2)
• 8 black pipe cleaners (from $1.50)
• Hot glue gun (from $3.5)
• Googly eyes (from $1.50)

Total: $8.50

#8 Lollipop Spider

Black pipe cleaners may be used in a number of ways for creating Halloween decorations. One of them is a last minute spider using a lollipop and some pipe cleaners. This makes it not only a quick and cheap decoration, but it can also be used as creepy candy you can give to trick or treaters.

1. Wrap the lollipop in a black napkin or black tissue paper
2. Bend black pipe cleaners in half and wind them around the lollipop’s stick to hold the black napkin/tissue paper in place
3. Glue googly eyes to the spider

You may skip the first step to create the lollipop spiders even quicker and cheaper.

Lollipop Spider Shopping List

• Lollipops (from $3)
• Black pipe cleaners (from $1.50)
• Black napkins/black tissue paper (from $3)
• Googly eyes (from $1.50)

Total: $9

#9 Popsicle Stick Spider

This is a good crafting idea for smaller children. However, it requires some adult help.

1. Take 4 ice cream sticks and paint them using black paint
2. When the sticks are dry, glue them together in the middle of the each stick so that each stick forms 2 of the spider’s legs
3. Glue on some googly eyes

Popsicle Stick Spider Shopping List

• Ice cream sticks (from $1.50)
• Black paint (from $2)
• Painting brush (from $2.50)
• Glue (from $1)
• Googly eyes stickers (from $1.50)

Total: $8.50

#10 Egg Carton Spider

An empty egg carton is perfect material for many crafts. It’s easily accessible, cheap, and easy to work with. Use them for creating a friendly-looking Halloween spider decorations.

1. Cut individual cups from an egg carton
2. Trim the edges so that the cups lie flat
3. Paint each cup with black paint
4. Use the tip of a pen or the tip of sharp-ended scissors to make 8 holes in the sides of the carton cup, 4 on the left and 4 on the right
5. Thread 4 black pipe cleaners through the holes
6. Bend the pipe cleaners to make spider’s legs and help it stand up on its own
7. Glue on some googly eyes

Egg Carton Spider Shopping List

• Egg carton cups (from $1)
• Black paint (from $2)
• 4 Black pipe cleaners (from $1.50)
• Googly eyes stickers (from $1.50)

Total: $6

#11 Handprint Spider

This craft is mainly aimed at small children. But you may also connect with your inner child and make these yourself.

1. Take a sheet of paper
2. Cover your hand with black paint
3. Leave a handprint on the paper
4. Cover your other hand in black paint and leave a handprint on the other side of the first one. Your fingers should create the legs.
5. Paint the spider’s eyes
6. Cut out or decorate your creations

Handprint Spider Shopping List

• Sheet of paper (from $2)
• Black paint (from $2)
• White paint (from $2)

Total: $8.50

#12 Shower Puff Spider

Have you ever thought of using a shower puff for making crafts? Well, you can use some to make a Halloween spider decorations!

1. Use a black shower puff
2. Take 8 black pipe cleaners and wrap their ends around the centre of the shower puff
3. Bend the pipe cleaners again to create the spider’s legs
4. Glue googly eyes to the shower puff

Shower Puff Shopping List

• Black shower puff (from $10)
• Black pipe cleaners (from $1.50)
• Googly eyes (from $1.50)

Total: $13

#13 Paper Plate Spider

This is a great option for a Halloween party as it’s easy to make and can also be used for your guests to put party food on.

1. Put a paper towel on the table to secure the area of making the spider plate. It’s important that the front part of the plate is clean so that it can be used for placing food on the plate.
2. Place a black paper plate with the front part facing down on the paper towel
3. Draw and cut out 1 spider leg on a sheet of black paper
4. Use the spider leg you’ve cut out as a template for drawing and cutting out 7 more legs
5. Cut them out and glue the legs to the back part of the plate

Paper Plate Spider Shopping List

• Black paper plate (from $2)
• Sheet of black paper (from $2)
• Glue (from $1)

Total: $5

Spooky Spider Decorations

You’re ready to make all your handmade spider decorations. Remember it’s all about fun so don’t worry about making these perfect. Spend time with your family and friends and enjoy the creative side of Halloween.

Have a frightfully fun Halloween!

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At this time of year, children’s imaginations are working overtime. Whilst some children may be a little scared, there will be many who can’t wait until they are able to put on their costumes, go trick-or-treating, and eat lots of Halloween candy. What helps to engage this burst of creativity is making Halloween kids decorations.

However, many traditional decoration activities and Halloween crafts, such as carving Halloween pumpkins, can be a little unsuitable for children as they may get hurt or the tasks are too difficult for them. Instead, allow them to make decorations for their room on their own, or with your help. This can also help you cut down what you spend on Halloween party decorations as these handmade decorations are made of mostly paper and adhesive tape which usually don’t cost too much.

Check out ideas for cheap DIY Halloween kids decorations.

DIY Halloween Kids Decorations Shopping Tips

Do focus on simple Halloween crafts. The products used for such decorations are not difficult to use and are cheap and easy to work with.

Do recycle decorations and accessories for other celebrations, such as birthdays, and adapt these to become Halloween party decorations.

Do make shopping lists. By making a shopping list you can keep better track of what you’ve bought and what you still need to buy, reducing the potential for missed items or duplicates. You may use an electronic shopping list, such as Listonic, which has many convenient features, such as a and a function.

Do check at home first for whether you have the materials needed for the crafts. It may prevent you from buying unnecessary items, saving you even more money, and helping you be a bit more environmentally-friendly by recycling.

Witch’s Hats

A witch is one of Halloween’s most recognizable symbols. A homemade one doesn’t take up much time or money.

1. Use the adhesive tape to stick a birthday cone hat to a paper plate
2. Paint the hat black
3. Thread a piece of string through the top of the hat
4. Hang it wherever you want

Additionally, you may cover the witch’s hat with glitter or cover it with fake cobwebs.

Witch’s Hat Shopping List

• Birthday cone hat (from $1.50)
• Paper plate (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• Black paint (from $2)
• String (from $1)

Total: $9.50

Witch’s Legs

If you have a pair of tights and a pair of old and battered boots, you have almost everything to make these witch’s legs. Preferably, the color of the tights should be purple, black, orange, or a combination of these colors.

1. Fill tights with any kind of fabric or dry waste
2. Put on the boots on the ends of the stuffed tights

You may place the legs under the bed, the couch, or even the doormat.

Witch’s Legs Shopping List

• Tights (from $5)

Total: $5

Paper Bats

Making bats made of paper are classic Halloween kids decorations. Despite their simplicity and easiness to make, these can still look quite impressive.

1. Fold a sheet of black paper in half
2. Draw a half of a bat with a pencil. Make sure the body of the bat is where the fold in the paper is.
3. Cut out the bat
4. Unfold the paper to see the full bat form

You may thread a string through a bat’s head and hang it somewhere, or use double-sided adhesive tape to stick the bat to the wall or any piece of furniture.

With this Halloween kids decoration you can also add as many extra details as you like. You can cut out fangs using pieces of white paper and stick them to the bat, or add some googly eyes. You might even consider painting a used toilet roll tube black and attaching it to your paper bat to make it more 3D.

Paper Bats Shopping List

• Sheet of black paper (from $2)

Total: $2

Spider Web on the Floor

A spider web on the floor using string may not be the safest option. Instead, create a spider web using electrical or washi tape.

1. Choose a place on the floor where you want to have your spider web
2. Use electrical or washi tape to create a spider web

Spider Web on the Floor

• Electrical or washi tape (from $2)

Total: $2

Mummy Juice Bottle

Creating a mummy out of a plastic bottle is a great way of recycling waste. It’s also easy and quick to make so that even small children can have a go at creating one.

1. Take an empty bottle of juice
2. Cover the bottle with narrow white elastic adhesive bandage
3. Glue the googly eyes on the front

Mummy Juice Bottle Shopping List

• Juice bottle (from $4)
• White elastic adhesive bandage (from $3)
• Googly eyes (from $1.50)

Total: $8.50

Black Cat Balloons

Balloons are often used for decorating parties. But even if you’re not planning to throw a Halloween party, you can still use balloons to decorate a child’s room for Halloween.

1. Blow up some black balloons
2. Cut cat ears and whiskers out of black paper
3. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick the ears and whiskers to the balloon

You may also create bat and spider balloons in a similar way using similar materials.

Halloween Balloon Shopping List

• Black balloons (from $1)
• Black paper (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)

Total: $6

Monster Door

Monsters can be pretty scary as costumes, but have you ever thought of creating monster decorations, such as a monster door?

1. Cut small circles out of black paper
2. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick these circles to white paper plates to create eyes
3. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick the eyes to the door
4. Use masking tape to create a mouth

You can also be as creative as you want with these. You can create as many eyes as you want, and also use different pieces of colored paper to create different features such as hair and teeth.

Monster Door Shopping List

• Black paper (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• White paper plates (from $2)
• Masking tape (from $2)

Total: $9

Have a Spooky Halloween!

Creating these Halloween kids decorations should be all about fun and spending time together. Be creative and adjust these ideas to your needs and your imagination.

Read our other Halloween shopping list ideas to get more inspiration for Halloween decorations. Let us know what you think of these ideas for Halloween kids decorations or share your own ideas for DIY Halloween kids decorations in the comments. For more inspiration, check out our other articles in our Halloween section.

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Halloween is approaching and you may be thinking about a spooky makeover for your garden. This year you may want to have different Halloween yard decorations to what you had last year. Maybe carved pumpkins and inflatable lawn ghosts are no longer for you? Time for change!

Whether you want some really frightening decorations, or some kid-friendly ones that are not too scary, this is a great opportunity for you to make your own.

Making Halloween yard decorations on your own is a good way of saving money to spend on other aspects of your Halloween, such as costumes. According to Colorado Springs Business Journal, Americans planned to spend $3.4 billion on costumes in 2017, compared to $2.7 billion on decorations in general. Spending less on individual Halloween yard decorations means you can ensure your costumes are extra creepy this year.

Gruesome DIY Halloween Yard Decorations Shopping Dos and Don’ts

Before you start your shopping for garden decorations, here are some tips.

Don’ts

Don’t use Halloween yard decorations that can possibly ruin your garden, such as leaving marks on your lawn or killing some of your plants. One day of Halloween celebrations is not worth a destroyed garden, which would need time to recover. For example, a fire in your garden may look super spooky, but can be dangerous, causing damage to your lawn and possibly even your home!

Don’t use too many electrical decorations in your garden. Using many fairy lights may create an impressive effect but these will rack up your electricity bill. Try to use LED lights or glow sticks instead which will use much less or even no electricity at all.

Dos

Do start by looking in your garage for items that you need for your Halloween decorations. You may have many products there so you might not have to buy new ones.

Do check out supermarkets, hardware stores, and craft stores first for you Halloween outdoor decor. You may find lots of items that you might need there so you won’t have to spend fortune in more expensive Halloween-themed stores.

Do use Halloween yard decorations you’ve used before and modify them a little bit. It’ll not only save time but also money.

Do take time to properly secure your decorations. Buy some extra string to make sure your decorations don’t blow away or cause injury or damage. Fasten your flat lawn decorations with metal, wooden, or plastic garden stakes.

Glowing Hands in a Pond

Do you have a pond in your backyard? Make use of it for Halloween and put in some glowing hands. It will look like a zombie is trying to get out of the pond, and look extra spooky and mysterious as they glow in the dark.

1. Take a couple of white latex gloves
2. Put a glow stick in each glove (blue or green work best)
3. Put some transparent gel inside the glove to weigh them down
4. Blow up the latex gloves and tie them up like a balloon
5. Put them into the pond

Glowing Hands in a Pond Shopping List

• White latex gloves (from $5)
• Glow sticks (from $9)

Total: $14

Packing Tape Glowing Ghost

These glowing ghosts are made of clear packing tape and look really spooky, making them perfect for your backyard. They’re time-consuming to make, taking a couple of hours each, so make sure you plan ahead and start making these early. It’s also a great opportunity to spend some time with a friend or family member as you’ll need a ghost-model.

1. Start by taking some cling film and wrap it around your model’s leg
2. Add a layer of clear packing tape
3. Use blunt-edged scissors to cut the cast you’ve made with the packing tape and cling film
4. Tape the cast back together once removed to recreate the shape of the leg you’ve just made
5. Repeat the action with other body parts.
6. Leave a hole in the ghost’s body to put switched on LED lights inside

Remember to be particularly careful when covering the head. If you have a head-like object, such as a mannequin’s head, use it as a replacement for making the cast from. Once your ghost is made, you can decorate it with hair, a dress, or other spooky accessories.

Packing Tape Glowing Ghost Shopping List

• 3-4 rolls of clear packing tape (from $9)
• 2-3 rolls of cling film (from $2)
• LED lights (from $4)
• Blunt-edged scissors (from $1.50)

Total: $16.50

Raven Wreath

Ravens are deep black and glossy, which gives them this sinister look, creating a creepy aesthetic to add to your Halloween yard decorations. Try putting them on your front door in the form of a door wreath.

1. Find an old picture frame
2. Paint it silver, red, purple, orange, or whatever color you like
3. Use a hot glue gun to stick the ravens onto the edges of the frame
4. Tie a ribbon to the top of the wreath and hang it on the front door

Optionally, you may paint their eyes red to give them an even more sinister appearance. You can also make similar wreaths in the same manner but using eyeballs or plastic skeleton hands.

Raven Wreath Shopping List

• Old picture frame (from $6)
• Plastic ravens (from $4)
• Hot glue gun (from $3.50)
• Ribbon (from $1.50)

Total: $15

Skeleton Cage

Skeletons are an essential element of Halloween. It’s impossible to make it through the holiday without seeing at least a dozen! So why not trap one in your garden this year.

1. Take 2 round plastic washing baskets
2. Cut the edges off the baskets and paint them black
3. Take a plastic skeleton and place it inside one basket
4. Tie the two parts together with cable ties

You may put it on the ground and secure it with a couple of metal, wooden, or plastic garden stakes, or you may thread string through the cage and hang it from a tree.

Skeleton Hands Shopping List

• 2 round plastic washing baskets (from $13)
• Plastic skeleton (from $12)
• Black paint (from $2)
• Cable ties (from $2.50)

Total: $29.50

Pumpkin Monster

Pumpkins are an absolute Halloween classic, appearing everywhere, especially in gardens. But you can make your pumpkin decorations even scarier by transforming them into pumpkin monsters.

1. Choose a very big pumpkin and carve it with a very big mouth
2. Place the pumpkin in your garden
3. Take some old clothes and fill them with scrap fabric or dry trash
4. Shape the clothes in the form of a person and stick this into the mouth of the pumpkin to make look like the pumpkin ate someone

Pumpkin Monster Shopping List

• Large pumpkin (from $3.50)

Total: $3.50

Spy Flowers

Halloween is not usually the time for flowers to flourish, but don’t worry! Using these Halloween yard decorations means you can not only have some beautiful flowers in your garden, but some super scary ones, too!

1. Buy a couple of big plastic or fabric flowers. It’s best if their stem is long and the petals are a dark color, such as purple or red.
2. Buy fake eyes
3. Use a hot glue gun to stick the eyes into the centre of the flowers
4. Put the flowers into the ground or in a flowerpot

Instead of fake eyes, you can use table tennis balls and draw eyes onto them using marker pens.

Spy Flower Shopping List

• Plastic or fabric flowers (from $10)
• Fake eyes (from $4)
• Hot glue gun (from $3.50)

Total: $17.50

Cat Shadow

Put the shadowy form of a witch’s familiar in your garden to warn people that mischievous magic is practiced here.

1. Take a sheet of black card
2. Use a pencil or a white marker to draw the shape of a cat
3. Cut out the cat shape
4. Attach the silhouette to a kebab skewer, so it can be stuck in the ground

You can also add additional details to your cat shadow either by cutting out holes for its eyes, or using some reflective material to create eyes to make them extra creepy.

Cat Shadow Shopping List

• Black card (from $3.50)
• Pencil/white marker (from $1)
• Kebab skewer (from $5)

Total: $9.50

Skeleton Flamingos

You really like your flamingos in the garden but you want them to be all dressed up for Halloween? Or maybe you don’t like them anymore and are wondering about an alternative use for them? No worries, you can transform them into skeleton flamingos!

1. Cover a lawn flamingo with black paint
2. Take some white paint and paint a skeleton onto the flamingo using a thin artist’s brush

Skeleton Flamingo Shopping List

• Lawn flamingo (from $5.50)
• Black paint (from $2)
• White paint (from $2)
• Thin artist’s brush (from $2.50)

Total: $12

Spider Web

Decorating a garden with spiders and spider webs is a Halloween must. You can do it cheaply, easily, and quickly.

1. Take white or black string and cut a couple of long pieces off. These will form the “spokes” of your spider web.
2. Pin one end of each spoke in the position you want
3. Gather each spoke and, where they meet in the middle of the web, tie them together
4. Take the rest of the ball of string attach one end of the string to the middle of the web, then wrap the string around the “spokes” to create a spider web

Spider Web Shopping List

• Ball of string (from $1)

Total: $1

Yard Monster

If you have a bush in your backyard you can quickly, easily, and cheaply turn it into a yard monster. All you need to do is create some eyes!

1. Take a piece of cardboard and draw two circles on it to form the eyes
2. Cut out the circles
3. Cover the circles with white paint
4. Paint some irises and pupils
5. Put your big creepy cardboard eyes in a bush

To secure the eyes, use some string and tie your eyes to the bush’s branches.

Yard Monster Shopping List

• White paint (from $2)
• Paint for the irises (color of your choice) (from $2)

Total: $4

We “Witch” You a Happy Halloween!

Have a spooky Halloween!

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Halloween is the time of the year when people like to be scared. Well, at least some people seem to enjoy it! Choosing costumes, decorating houses, or throwing parties are only some ways of creating an atmosphere of fear. But it can also be about watching your favorite horror movie again. So why not check out this list of scariest movies based on our staff’s favorites?

Ania

The Evil Dead

It's a weird, grotesque, and absurd blend of horror and comedy. The movie itself is kinda old and I saw it for the first time many years ago while I was packing for a holiday camp late at night. The following year, when I was packing for another holiday camp, I turned the TV on and, surprise, Evil Dead was on again! It happened again a few more times, so I guess we're stuck together. I love the main character, played by Bruce Campbell. He doesn't take himself seriously, which gives his character some much needed ironic dimension. I'd recommend it to everyone who likes weird, gory, goofy stuff!

Kasper

The Thing

John Carpenter's cult movie is the apotheosis of horror films, in my opinion; perfect casting; perfect direction, atmosphere, and screenplay; perfect cinematography by Dean Cundey, and; perfect music by Ennio Moriconne. It all makes for a film that is gripping, unpredictable, and tremendously unnerving. What really adds to this livewire and chilling film is the creature design and animatronics by Rob Bottin, making him the an invisible star of the movie. Even today, these outshine many modern films’ CGI in terms of being not only convincing, but super scary.

James

The Birds

What makes this film so scary is just how weird it is. There’s no music and the sounds of the birds are given eerie electronic treatments. There’s so much of Hitchcock’s masterful creation of suspense through his direction here. So much so that the film gets right under your skin and is incredibly frightening.

Karolina

The Shining

I consider this one of the best horror movies of all time. The slow action, the solitude in the Overlook Hotel during the winter, and those tiny little details of Jack’s growing madness puts me on tenterhooks. I sat on the edge of my seat the whole time I watched it for the first time, and I still do every time I rewatch it. The transformation of Jack Torrance, played by true genius Jack Nicholson, made such an impact on me at the age of 16, I ended up focusing BA thesis on The Shining.

Michał

Rec

The first part of the series is my favorite horror movie. This one is terrifying because the whole movie is recorded from the perspective of a journalist, where we see everything through the lense of a camera. For a long time you there’s not even any indication of how the movie is going to turn out, meaning the plot twists take you by complete surprise many times.

Silver Screams!

Lights! Camera! AAAAAAAction!

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Not everyone likes to be scared. Not everyone likes dressing up. Not everyone likes candy. Not everyone likes Halloween! Yet, when you tell someone that you don’t like Halloween, the shock and horror on their face is as if Michael Myers just decapitated a puppy in front of them. So how do you do your Halloween shopping if you hate Halloween?

Many people don’t like or celebrate Halloween for many different reasons, from religious beliefs to just plain hate being frightened out of their wits several times an hour.

Unfortunately, Halloween is impossible to hide from.

In the USA it’s one of the biggest events of the year. Surprisingly, it’s not actually the second biggest holiday, in terms of spending, as many think it is. According to the National Retail Federation, it’s the 8th biggest holiday in the USA after other seasonal events like the Superbowl and Mother’s Day. But it’s still a pivotal and much anticipated holiday in the American calendar, and also globally.

In the UK, Halloween hyperbole, mimicking that of its stateside cousins, is significantly growing. Even here in deeply conservative Catholic Poland, there’s concern about the year-on-year growth of the amount of young Poles wanting to indulge in the holiday.

So how can you survive it if you’re one of the people who’d rather not don on a witch’s hat and fill your yard with a dozen rotting pumpkins?

Well, you can shop your way around it.

We don’t mean you should go on a shopping spree so huge that it would shame Johnny Depp. It’s more about choosing when, where, what, and how you do your normal shopping to help lessen the drudgery that is Halloween.

Shop Ahead of Halloween

Many people will always leave things to the last minute, and that includes Halloween shopping for their Halloween costume or Halloween party supplies. This means the closer to Halloween you get, the crazier things in stores get.

Not only are they busy, but certain goods might randomly sell out. According to retail intelligence company, Streetspotr, the average “Out of Stock Rate” is around 8% of goods, rising to 10% for promotional products. If this is the normal rate, you can see how during busy periods like Halloween, goods are far more likely to disappear from the shelves.

If you can, try and do your usual shop a little earlier so you can avoid shopping in the immediate days before Halloween. This means you’ll be spared the braying, barging crowds, and also you’ll be more likely to get what you want or need without the disappointment of finding out that the shelves are bare.

Avoid Halloween Promotions

As with any holiday, there will undoubtedly be a lot of promotions and offers on goods associated with Halloween. You may think that this might be a good time to stockpile things like alcohol and soda. But you should stay away from these.

Why?

There are two reasons. First, the promotions might not be as good as they seem. In the UK, found that special offers often made little to no savings what so ever, and that 10% of multibuy offers actually cost more than when they’re bought individually or when they’re not on offer.

Grocery stores are tricksy hobbits who know the art of making something look like it’s cheaper even when if it isn’t. So, those offers that seem super cheap during the Halloween shopping period might actually be more expensive than at other times during the year.

Secondly, if you’re buying more than you usually would, you are more likely to use more than you usually would.

“If you used to buy a 6-pack of soda and drink 6 cans a week but now buy a 12-pack…you’re probably going to start drinking 12 cans a week. Be mindful when buying larger sizes to make sure your habits don’t change as a result,” says Jeff Weidauer, former supermarket executive and vice president of marketing at Vestcom.

By avoiding these offers you can make sure you don’t end up with lighter pockets or heavier tums.

You can also learn more about the tactics supermarkets use to get you to spend more in our “” article.

Shop For Your Favorite Meal

Some “survive Halloween” articles will advise you to stock up on candy and shovel it down your gob, usually washed down with a tsunami of soda or wine. We think differently. If the hullabaloo of Halloween is getting your down, then overdosing on candy will only make you feel worse.

Instead, shop for and cook your favorite meal. You will enjoy both cooking and eating it which will take your mind off of Halloween. You’ll also be treating yourself with a nice little indulgence that’s not going to make you ill or feel (too) guilty come November 1.

If you don’t want to withdraw completely from Halloween and want to be prepared for the odd trick or treater, you can also bake your favorite cookies. This will gives kids in costumes something nice, homemade, and marginally more healthy than candy to eat. You’ll also have something you can enjoy too, if no trick or treaters come knocking!

Shop For Your Favorite Movies or TV Series

All the channels will have something Halloween related showing in the evening, from all-out horror films to fiendish family favorites. But just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean you must watch a Halloween movie or show. You can watch anything you want!

So take time to plan a nice line-up of movies or a TV series that you really enjoy watching. It means you’ll have something to look forward to in the evening, and even if you are disturbed by any errant merrymakers, you’ll be keen to get back to watching whatever it is you’re watching.

What’s more, you can shop for snacks and treats that are themed to you choice of film of show. Thinking of joining “The Plastics” and watching Mean Girls? Buy some pink food. Lord of the Rings marathon? How about some onion rings? Or maybe some gazpacho for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown?

Plan a bit in advanced, though. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime don’t have everything on them. So be sure to check whether you need to go out and buy a DVD of your choice flick or show rather than be disappointed you can't find it on the night.

Shop for the Holidays

If you don’t like Halloween, you might be looking forward to a different upcoming holiday: Christmas. What better way to forget a holiday you don’t like by shopping for one you do.

If it seems as if holiday goods start appearing in stores earlier and earlier each year, it’s because they are! This is a phenomenon known as “Christmas Creep”.

“It’s like a mini-arms race,” says . “The competition among retailers means nobody wants to be second. That moves the shopping season up a little bit more each and every year.”

Of course, you don’t have to shop for Christmas (especially if you don’t celebrate it)! Instead, you can start your preparations for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, or Diwali.

So make use of this opportunity to start picking up things like decorations, and start shopping for presents during the Halloween period. This means that there are less things that could potentially be left for last minute panics when the time comes.

Buy Tickets for Something Un-Halloweeny

Although it seems like everywhere has something Halloween-themed going on, there are some places that don’t. Think about your local theatres, music venues, and concert halls as you might be able to spend your Halloween at something that isn’t Halloween themed. Sure, a couple might be doing something Halloweeny, but many would be just be doing stuff they would be doing at any other time of the year.

Always wanted to go to an opera? Give it a go! Been wanting to see that Broadway show for a while? Gotta book it! Your favorite band is in town? Get down there and boogie!

A similar thing can be said about sport. There may be an opportunity for you to try something new at your local sports facility, support a local team, or even join one. Either way, you might be able to find something that has little or nothing to do with Halloween that you’ve always wanted to do, not considered doing before, or have put off for a while.

Plan A Halloween Vacation

Much like shopping for a different holiday to take your mind off Halloween, why not start planning a vacation for next Halloween?

There are many countries around the world that don’t celebrate Halloween, or where celebrations are a lot more low key. So why not plan your trip to see the sights of such a country? Some places have their own festival during the Halloween period that you can get yourself involved in.

Many countries on the African continent and in East Asia like China and Japan don’t celebrate, or do very little for, Halloween. Certain European ones don’t too, including: Austria, France, Germany, and Poland.

Just be sure to check public holidays in these countries. For example, in many Catholic countries, November 1 is considered a Holy day and a public holiday so everything will be closed (apart from limited public transport), so be sure to make accommodations for this on your travels.

A Halloween Haven

Hopefully, these Halloween shopping tips will help you survive Halloween and be that little bit cheerier about having to endure it all. Do you have any other Halloween shopping tips? Are you surprised that Halloween is only the 8th most popular holiday in the USA? Have you ever spent Halloween in a country that doesn’t celebrate it? Let us know in the comments. Stay strong, Halloween haters!

Halloween Shopping For When Your Hate Halloween Checklist

• Shop ahead of Halloween
• Avoid Halloween Promotions
• Shop for Your Favorite Meal
• Shop for Your Favorite Movies of TV Series
• Shop For the Holidays
• Buy Tickets for Something Un-Halloweeny
• Plan A Halloween Vacation

For more inspiration, check out articles in our Halloween section.

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