Do you love decorating for Halloween as much as we do? Transforming your home for Halloween can be so much fun, but it can also be expensive. Not this year! With our budget-friendly Halloween decorating ideas, we will help you costume your house for less!
Whether you are dressing up your house for trick-or-treaters, setting the stage for an awesome Halloween party or adding a few decorations for your family’s enjoyment, there are many ways to save money be shopping smart, repurposing items from home and DIYing your decorations.
1- Shop smart. The best way to shop smart is to purchase Halloween décor on clearance after the holiday is over. Many stores massively reduce Halloween merchandise to make room for Thanksgiving and Christmas inventory. While this may not help save you money this year, it will cut down on Halloween spending for years to come. Another way to shop wisely is shopping sales! Many craft and party stores offer coupons or have periodic sales. Taking advantage of sales is a great way to purchase some of those “must have” decoration items that may not be around on clearance, post-Halloween. Finally, check out your dollar stores and thrift shops! You may be surprised to find a great variety of items that can be used to “boo-tify” your home.
Here are just a few items we’ve found at dollar stores and thrift store that can be used as Halloween decorations:
• Faux craft pumpkins. (Spray paint, or add ribbon or glitter to make them look expensive.)
• Bed sheets. (Cover furniture to give off a spooky look.)
• Faux spider webs (Hang them all over from various surfaces.)
• Lanterns, tea lights, candle sticks (Set them up all over your home and porch for that eerie ambience.)
• Picture frames (print off some spooky photos, frame and hang)
2- Repurpose items from home. A quick trip around your home and yard can turn up a lot of treasures for Halloween decorating. Here are a few ideas:
• Tree branches. (Bring the feel of a “spooky” forest indoors by painting tree branches black and adding a dollar store crow or owl.)
• Bed sheets. (Grab old white bed sheets from your stash or purchase via a thrift shop. Cover sofas and chairs, desks and pianos to give off a deserted and haunted house look.)
• Empty square ½ gallon milk cartons. (Cut out the sides and spray paint black to make inexpensive lanterns.
• Family portraits. (Give framed family portraits a spooky look by inserting black and white photos and adding red eyes with a red pen.)
• Mirrors. (Using washable paint or markers, write spooky messages like, “Keep out” or “Boo”. Or, cover your mirror in bunched up saran wrap to give a broken glass effect. If you are going for an especially creepy look, add faux blood streaks, handprints or drips.)
• Black garbage sacks. (Use to create an oversized spider by stuffing a head and cutting large strips for legs.
• Glass jars & vases. Add vinyl Halloween shapes to the sides and fill with orange, purple and yellow tinted water.
• Christmas lights. Change out the bulbs to orange, black or purple to bring in that Halloween vibe. Or, use as is for a magical effect.
3- DIY your decorations. With a little planning and creative crafting, you can easily DIY many of your own Halloween decorations. Halloween colored craft paper can be transformed into a Halloween banner. Ripped fabric in Halloween colors can become an impressive bunting. Old jars can have lids painted in orange and black to serve as decorative holders for Halloween treats. Coat hangers can be disassembled to form a base for a DIY Halloween wreath made from feathers, burlap or fabric strips. Styrofoam balls can be covered in white fabric or tissue paper to create ghosts! These are just a few ideas! The internet is full of resourceful and inexpensive DIY ideas.
Before you whip out your wallet to purchase expensive Halloween decorations, keep these budget-friendly ideas in mind! Shop smart! Repurpose items from home. And don’t forget to DIY a few decorations. You’ll save money, but not scrimp on spook or style!
