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Budget-Friendly Halloween Decoration Ideas

Guest Blogger October 26, 2015

By Lauralynn Mangis

The Halloween season can be scary for your wallet. Between costumes, candy for trick-or-treaters and spooky décor, some people spend a frightening amount — around 50% say they “splurge,” and 17% report going into debt — for this holiday.

Whether you just want to make your home look festive, or you plan on hosting a full-blown party, here are a few DIY Halloween crafts and low-cost decorations you can make for less, by using items you may already have at home.

Hang some ghosts

When it comes to Halloween, it’s difficult to find a more affordable craft than ghosts. Ghosts are some of the easiest costumes to DIY, since you can use an old white sheet and a pair of scissors to cut out eyes. To add more character, and maybe even get a few laughs, throw a wig or a tie on over your sheet.

For ghost décor, hang fabric over your lamps or from your light fixtures. If you want outdoor “ghosts,” fill white garbage bags with crumbled newspaper and hang them from the trees in your yard. For extra eerie vibes, cut the bottom of the trash bags into strips.

Stuff a scarecrow

It’s easy to make Halloween decorations and costumes out of old clothes, especially if you’re going with a Scarecrow theme.

To make a scarecrow, just gather up some of your old items — a plaid shirt, matted old jeans and work boots — to get started. If you’re making a decoration, drape the clothes over a broomstick or mop handle to help it stand upright, and then stuff it with more clothes or wadded paper.

For the scarecrow’s face, look for some muslin, canvas or even a brown towel, and then use a sharpie, scissors or paint to add on the features.

You can post your scarecrows in front of your home, or use them as centerpieces for an indoor party. If you want to prop the scarecrow near a tree, you might add some crows for a spooky effect. For DIY crows, cut them out of cardboard and then paint them black.

Make your own pumpkins

Decorating with pumpkins can be tricky, since pumpkins are not always cheap. One way to cut down on costs is to make pumpkins out of bundles of fabric, and use sticks as the stems. If you need some inspiration, look up “toilet paper pumpkins” or “no-carve pumpkin decoration ideas.”

If you’re dead-set on using real pumpkins, find them on sale at your local grocery store or a farmer’s market. To give them more visual impact, you might put fake candles inside each one and then  place them on your front porch. Or for more glamor, cover your pumpkin in glue and roll it in orange, silver or black glitter.  

Create a cardboard graveyard 

Cardboard can be your best friend when it comes to making Halloween decorations on a budget. You can create an entire graveyard scene using just cardboard for the headstones.

After you cut out your headstone shapes, you might paint the cardboard black or silver or draw on some creative names and dates. Then, attach a garden stake to the cardboard so you can stick the gravestone into the ground. For extra spooky vibes, paint some insects or spiderwebs onto your headstones.

Mason jar decorations

If you already have a few mason jars lying around, you’ve got the makings of some easy DIY table centerpieces and other decorations. 

For example, you can place some string and a plastic spider inside to create a faux spiderweb, and then turn the jar upside down to create the appearance of a trap. Or you might cover the inside of the jars with paint and glue something decorative to the outside, like candy corns, small plastic skeletons or bats made from cardboard.

The bottom line: Halloween can be budget-friendly

You don’t have to take on credit card debt or break into your savings to have a fun Halloween. Even if you’re hosting the party, you can create a festive environment by using old clothes, craft supplies and some creativity to make your décor.

Of course, if you’re not sure how to get through the holidays without breaking the bank, we’re here to help. Schedule an appointment with an NFCC-certified credit counselor to review your budget and come up with strategies to save money for gifts, holiday travel and more.

Lauralynn Mangis is the Online Marketing Specialist at Advantage Credit Counseling Service. She is the author for Advantage CCS’s Blog called Dollars & Sense. Advantage Credit Counseling Service is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Contact Advantage Credit Counseling at 866.699.2227.
Views expressed are the personal views of the author, and do not represent the views of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, its employees, its members, or its clients.

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