Halloween is next month, and that means it's time to prepare costumes and put up decorations. You don't have to buy everything from the store. Instead, you can save money by participating in some fun and funky Halloween-inspired DIY projects at home. From pumpkin carving to costume creation, the following project ideas will help inspire you for the coming spooky season.
Uniquely Carved Pumpkins
Pumpkins are harvested in the fall, and are therefore the official fruit of Halloween. Carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns is a timeless tradition that's unyielding - even when other traditions seem to disappear with time. Plus, pumpkins are really inexpensive this time of year!
There's a lot of ways to carve pumpkins. The easiest way is to carve an opening into the top, scrape out the guts, and then carve a face into the front. You can make this process more unique by cutting designs, instead of cutting faces. Search online for templates, or let your imagination run wild.
Southern Living recommends carving messages into pumpkins. You don't need to completely carve out the letters. Instead, simply scrape them onto the surface of the pumpkin. As you get better at this scraping method, you can complete more and more unique pumpkin faces with or without messages. People have used scraping to create replicas of ghostly figures, as well as pop culture icons, such as Marilyn Monroe and Barack Obama.
DIY Costumes
Handmade Halloween costumes save money, and are ultra-creative. It's possible to DIY any costume you want - not just the traditional hobo or vampire. Some designs are simpler than others. For example, it requires a time-commitment and a great deal of supplies to put together a Statue of Liberty costume. Conversely, it's pretty easy to create a monster costume using a solid-colored hoodie and some felt circles.
Fiskars offers a simple tutorial for putting together a monster costume, using a new or old sweatshirt. This fun and feisty costume is perfect for the big day, or something to keep kids warm leading up to the big day. The project can be completed in a single afternoon, and requires only a few tools and supplies.
Spooky Decorations
Decorations are quite possibly the easiest way to show your spooky spirit. You may have everything you need on-hand to create holiday-inspired décor. Imagine not making a trip to the store, and yet having a fully decorated house.
If you have tin cans, you have Halloween décor. Simply grab a tin can, and paint it black. Then, use a hammer and nail to nail holes into its surface. Spell out Trick on one can, and Treat on another. Then, illuminate the can with a small tea light candle. Place the luminaries on your front walk, or a mantle place. Or, add another hole and hang them.
You can hang spooky ghosts anywhere with Styrofoam balls, string, cheesecloth and black marker. Simply shred the bottoms of cheesecloth, after it's been wrapped around a Styrofoam ball. Add some black eyes, and then hang the ghosts with some string. It's that easy.
Delicious Treats for the Trick-or-Treaters
Finally, snacks are a great way to show your holiday spirit. You don't need to spend a fortune on store bought baked goods. More than likely, you have everything you need for spooky snacks already in your kitchen.
Cookies can be molded into any shape, including goblin feet, eyeballs, and monsters. Decorate the cookies with simple frosting colored with food coloring. Get creative with kids by supplying them with small pieces of bread, olives, carrots, and other veggies. Ask kids to create scary or goofy faces using the materials supplied. Have fun, and then eat the Halloween-inspired snacks after!
