With Halloween on the way, it’s time to think about how to save money for the upcoming fun of parties and trick-or-treating. Have some friends over and create a festive atmosphere with your own Halloween party decorations. You can pick up decorative party supplies, costume accents and any extras you need from the discount store to stay within your budget.
Inexpensive Halloween Costumes
While costumes are sometimes the focal point of the party, they don’t have to be the focal point of your expenses. Keep it simple. Help your children be creative and find some ideas of what they would like to dress up as for their party. You don’t need to buy a costume. Use what you have at home for the main pieces, then complete the outfit with inexpensive dress-up accessories. You can use things like colorful nail polish, masks, scarves and fake scars to enhance their costumes. Some inexpensive and half-homemade ideas include a pirate, cowboy or cowgirl, mummy, a princess, a punk rocker, a fairy, Little Red Riding Hood or a zombie. Check out their favorite video game, movie and TV shows for more ideas. Add a creative twist to a generic idea for more fun.
Pumpkin Power
Balloons are a staple to any Halloween party. Use orange balloons and draw funny or spooky faces on them like a Jack O’lantern. Be sure to position the knot at the top when you draw on the faces. Anchor them down with a piece of cellophane or masking tape to keep them in place. You can also draw faces on a pumpkin without cutting it open. Create your own carved pumpkin for the party, and use a light stick or a small flashlight if you’re not comfortable with burning candles inside.
Party Decorations
Create a spooky and silly atmosphere by putting up some inexpensive Halloween decorations like cotton spider webbing and window clings. Set out platters and bowls of snacks and candy to make guests feel relaxed and festive. Make some ghosts. Take three pieces of tissue paper and separate them, laying them down on the floor with the corners showing at different angles. Ball up newspaper for the head and set in the middle. With the head resting on the tissue, gather up the tissue to form the ghost’s body. Tie it off with white curling ribbon. Hang them up with loops of thread at different levels. Suspend your ghoulish ghosts from the ceiling or curtain rods in the window. Use decorative tablecloths, plates and cups from the discount store to add to the fun and spooky atmosphere.
Fun and Games
If you’re intrigued by the concept of having a pumpkin carving contest for older children but you want to keep costs down, you might ask them to bring their own pumpkin if they want to participate. For door prizes, cover lollipops with a facial tissue tied on with a piece of curling ribbon. Color the bottom of one of the lollipop sticks. Poke the sticks into a Styrofoam ball in a bowl and let guests choose a lollipop ghost. The person who picks the colored lollipop stick wins a prize. If you want to give out multiple prizes, make the tips different colors, and let guests pick their prize from color-coded bowls. Create party favors by making cookies and treats at home, then putting them into decorative treat bags.
Nikki is an independent writer for DollarTree.com. Dollar Tree offers great deals on office supplies, party supplies and more.