Trick or treat? It’s all about treats when you’re decorating for Halloween on a budget. Halloween is one of those holidays where you can (and should) let your imagination run wild. Whether your dream décor is eerie or cute, your bank account shouldn’t give you the creeps after Halloween shopping. By being creative and shopping strategically, you can transform your home into a haunted mansion without spending a fortune. In this blog post, we’ll go through some DIY ideas and budget-friendly ways to make your house match the spooky theme of your dreams.
DIY Halloween Decor Ideas
The first, and the most obvious way to decorate for Halloween on a budget must be DIY-ing your décor. This has many benefits, like saving money by using items you already own and repurposing them. It adds a personal touch to every piece, and if you have a family, it can be a fun experience you and your kids will remember. Here are some of our favourites inexpensive Halloween décor DIY ideas:
Ghost Lanterns
Lights make all the difference! To create a cute type of spooky atmosphere, take old glass jars you have lying around and use a marker or black paint to draw spooky faces. When you’re done, insert a battery-operated candle, or poke a few holes in the lid and use a regular candle. Voilà – glowing lanterns made with items you already have at home.
Paper Bats
Add dimension to your decorations. Out of black paper, cut out a bat shape and fold the wings slightly, to give them more of a 3D effect. Then, you can hang them above the windows or on the ceilings next to a wall, or tape them to create an illusion of a bat swarm. This will give your space more movement while adding it a special spooky touch.
String Spider Webs
Nothing says spooky, eerie and, well, Halloween-like spiderwebs. Create your own by cutting up long pieces of yarn and taping them across the corners of the room, trying to replicate a web structure. The best way to create a spider web is to start by cutting 6 to 8 long pieces of yarn and taping them in a star shape, with all the pieces meeting in the centre. This will form the base of your web.
Next, take another long piece of yarn to create the web pattern. Begin by tying it to the centre of the base, then work your way outwards in a circular motion. Each time the yarn crosses one of the base strands, tie or tape it in place. Continue this process until your web is complete. This type of decoration can cover a lot of space and instantly sets the tone for Halloween.
DIY Cake Decorating
Every cake baker, professional or amateur, knows that setting the perfect holiday atmosphere is not just about decorating the space. The real vibes come from the heart – and food. When it comes to decorating for Halloween on a budget, that’s just one of the things you should consider as well. Spooky desserts will delight you and your guests, looking spooky and tasting just as good – without costing a fortune. With a few Halloween-themed ingredients, you can do it too. Here’s how to decorate your goodies into Halloween show stopping treats.
Play Around With Spooky Shapes
Shape your cookies and cakes into motifs of your choice with Halloween cookie cutters. This is an efficient, yet budget-friendly way to incorporate more Halloween motifs into your day-to-day life during the spooky season.
Colour Makes All the Difference
When it comes to Halloween, colour will play a huge role in associating your baked goodies with the holiday itself. Opt for colours such as orange, purple, green and black. You can incorporate the colours into your cookies and cakes by incorporating colourful fondant, buttercream or other toppings of choice. When making your Halloween baked goodies colourful, you can always choose to go for different themes. You can keep them solid in colour and go for a more minimalistic look, or you can paint motifs on top of the colours, to make them more fun and themed - think pumpkins for the orange ones, night skies or witch hats for the purple ones and slime effects or creepy monster hands for the green ones. This is a cute idea for spending some quality time with kids as well!
Sprinkle Sprinkle, but the Spooky Kind
Sprinkle some Halloween magic on top! Use Halloween sprinkle mixes that come with a bunch of eerie motifs that will add a fun touch to any treat you’ll be serving this Halloween. You can choose from motifs such as eyes to simple colourful jimmies.
Affordable Halloween Decor Items
Budget-friendly Halloween décor can transform your space into a haunted wonderland, too! And you can even choose a theme you’ll be going for without compromising too much.
What do you want your decor to look like? Are you going for an eerie, elegant or playful theme? Here are some suggested Halloween decorations on a budget.
1. Halloween Buntings
Banners and garlands with Halloween designs, such as pumpkins, ghosts or lettering saying “Happy Halloween” are a budget-friendly way to add a festive touch. Hang them up across your mantels, walls and doorways. Plus, you can save them up for the next year as well! These will give off elegant or playful vibes, depending on the design you go for.
2. Creepy Stickers
For an extra chilling effect, bloody print stickers are a must have for windows and mirrors. They’ll create an effect of blood smearing across the surface, which adds extra creepiness and can be removed instantly after Halloween is over. Another option is bloody boot print stickers, which you can purposefully place in your walkways or a porch. These options are not kid-friendly, so keep that in mind before shopping for them.
3. Halloween Balloons
Balloons aren’t pricey, but they’ll make every party seem organised and put together! If balloons are on your decorating list for the season, you can go a few different ways about it. You can shop for balloons in Halloween colours, or you can shop for Balloons with Halloween motifs already on there. Your decision should be based on the theme you’re going for.
Halloween Lollies on a Budget
And finally, no Halloween is complete without lollies, and they’re affordable, too! In our range of confectionery, you’ll find a bunch of Halloween lollies to set the mood for trick-and-treating, to offer to your guests, or to hide from everyone except yourself, of course. So whether you’ll be opting for the big brands, everyone knows and loves, or you’d prefer to splurge on the bulk bags, I Love This Shop is the online store for you. When it comes to decorating for Halloween on a budget, Halloween lollies displayed can make a big difference altogether. Let’s see what’s in store for you:
Creepy Display Lollies
Looking to create a truly spooky and immersive atmosphere? Make a display full of realistic-looking lollies, such as eyeballs, fangs, and other gruesome body parts. You can even decorate your spooky bowls, or find one that looks like a witch’s cauldron. Creepy lollies can also be used to decorate your cakes and cupcakes.
Traditional Halloween Lollies
If you want to stick to the classic Halloween treats, that’s a great option too. If that’s the theme you’re going for, you shouldn’t miss out on candy corn. A few more options include Reese’s, which is a popular option among trick-or-treaters, and other Australian favourites, such as Allen’s Party Mix, Scorched Peanut Bars and the Big Boss lollies. These can be bought in bulk, and can save you a few more bucks!
Sweet and elegant
For a more refined touch, you can also consider displaying elegant chocolates like Pink Lady Foil Hearts. These will look elegant, while still delighting the trick-or-treaters that come around.
Of course, feel free to mix and match lollies from different themes and offer your guests different options, depending on their preferences.
TL;DR
You don’t need to spend a fortune when making your home spooky this Halloween. With simple DIY projects, you can get creative with stuff you already have lying around. For your Halloween treats, grab some cookie cutters, fondants, food colouring and sprinkles, to make your desserts look as good as they already taste. And don’t forget the lollies! We know they’ll make all the difference. Make this Halloween budget-friendly, while making your home Halloween décor worth remembering.