Have a SAFE Halloween - and new topic!

Ok, I wish all of you a safe halloween. Stay warm, (or cool if you're in a hot state!) We have rain today, so it's not looking real great for us tonight. We shall see.

Our new topic - Thanksgiving/Autumn decorations. Frugality is a must! I am so THANKFUL that our Halloween topic is finally over. That is not one of my favorite holidays as I've mentioned before! LOL

So onward, looking towards the beautiful fall decorations.

Here's your first idea: Gather up some strings of your white christmas lights. String them around your front porch (or even indoors somewhere), interspersed with autumn leaves (cheap at the $$ store or michaels), pumpkins, gourds and other autumn decorations.
Rather than using candles to light your carved pumpkin, thread white Christmas lights into holes carved or drilled into theback of the pumpkin.

Be Safe!! or BOX it up!

Be safe tomorrow night! Keep those children in sight at all times, and look up safety tips (remember your flashlight!)
Ok here are some cute halloween costumes using BOXES!! (someone actually emailed this list to me so I have no idea where it's from!)

Pokemon card
Last year I made my 6 year old into his favorite POKEMON card. I used a box and made his head BLASTOISE'S head. My computer scanner, felt ,my computer's publisher and a little creativity made him the hit of the party!

Paint it silver, glue on a few extras a presto.. a robot.

Paint it red, tack on some paper plate wheels, and you are a race car.

Paint it white and a handle and you will be a cool refrigerator.

Paint it light tan, tack a small flat box. Draw on a keyboard, you will be the first walking Macintosh. (may work with Windows ;-) )

Wrap it in Christmas paper, add a large bow.. wow a Christmas present.

Paint it bright colors, and a crank. You can pop into the local Halloween party as a Jack-in-the-box

Cover with table cloth, glue on silver plastic platter in the middle (cut hole for head to pop through. Glue on a couple of place settings of Plastic dishes, and glasses. Now your head in on a silver platter.


Thomas the Engine & Friends
Get a small box big enough to fit around your childs waist. Paint box
blue (for Thomas), or green (for Percy) etc. With colored construction paper add stripes and train number to sides, also add black train wheels. On front make a 3D face with construction paper to match your train of choice. Attach a belt from a robe to each side and harness over shoulders. Dress child up with a conductors hat.

Rubics cube
Using a large card board box and five different colors of contact paper or construction paper (contact paper is easier to stick on) enough to do 5 sides, black pants and long sleeve shirt. this was done very inexpensively and we had a lot of fun with it.

Dice
Grab a friend and take 2 cardboard boxes, paint them white. Cut out several black circles (From construction paper) and glue them in the appropriate places to make you and your friend a pair of dice! It's so easy,
OR
Have the second person dress as a key ring and use a light weight chain to attach the two people. To make the key ring cut several large keys out of poster board, attach one to the back and another to the front. Attach a medal ring to a hat, then attach a few more keys to the ring.

Lego Block
Take a medium sized box (apple/orange boxes were a good size) cut two round holes in the sides for the arms. Hot glue 6 cottage cheese containers on the top of the box (the flat part) like a Lego piece. Spray paint the whole thing whatever color lego you want to be. (We chose our colors based on what color sweats and turtle necks we had on hand) Take a smaller box that will fit on top of their head snugly and hot glue one cottage cheese container and spray paint it the same color. Just slip into the open part of the back of the box and stick your arms through the holes.

Dresser!
Walmart or Kmart sells cardboard dressers in the laundry department. Cut out holes for arms on the sides and hole on top
for head. I put foam in the inside for the shoulders to hold it up. I painted the dresser and wrote on each drawer underwear, socks, ect. Hot glue a doily to top with hairbrush and hair accessories. Hang underwear, socks, shirt, and pants out of drawers. Put a small lamp shade on child's head so neck and face are base of lamp. From: anonymous (by way if you don't want to spend the $$ for a cardboard dresser, it wouldn't take much to make one out of a box. Attaching long flat boxes on the front and hot glue small balls on the front for pulls.

Sweats and Tights!

So far the favorite costumes are anything having to do with sweats or tights. Do you think it has something to do with the fact that sweats are so cheap at Wal-mart?!? LOL Well, here are some just for you guys who love those costumes!

SKUNK: Black sweats with white strip down the back. You can make a bushy tail by using a feather boa from a craft store, and paint the feather's down the middle white. You can even use wire to curve the tail upwards.

BUNNY2: Pink, brown, or white sweats, add a powder puff or large pom-pom to the backside, and a set of ears make from construction paper and a plastic headband. Now just hop on out and enjoy.

TURTLE2: Green sweats with a piece of poster board attached to the back. Simply cut the poster board into a large oval, make random marks like a turtle shell, and paint.

PUPPY: Brown, tan or white sweats, either paint, or pin paper spots on. Make floppy ears and bobby pin to hair over your ears (you can also glue these to a headband). The tail can be most anything, depending on what type of doggie you wish to be. Add a little make-up.

KITTEN: Gold, brown, tan, white sweats. Make ears from construction paper, attach to head band or bobby pin in to hair. Sew a simple round tail, and pin on. (cat ears and tails are usually sold at Wal-mart separately at halloween and are around $5 for a set)

SPIDER: Black sweats, For the legs grab some cheap black panty hose, stuff with any thing dark and light weight. Either sew, or staple to keep stuffing from falling out. Pin to clothing, add a little make-up.

LADY BUG: Use a pair of black sweats and black sweat shirt (and a pair of black shoes). Use a large piece of poster board or cardboard and cut out a large oval. Paint it red with black dots. Staple black elastic pieces (in a loop) onto the board to make arm holes. For the antenna attach craft pipe cleaners with black pom poms on the ends to a headband.

SNOWMAN: white sweats, christmas socks, white keds tennis shoes, a cheap black hat, fake snow, mittens, scarf and black pom poms for the coal! Spray the hat to look like snow and added a cheap red bird from the craft store. Using makeup, make their nose orange. Glue the pompoms on the sweatshirt for buttons. Cheap, simple and quite was adorable.

CEREAL KILLER: Attach little cereal boxes to a shirt, cut a slit in the boxes, glue in plastic knives into the holes, drip red paint running down from the knife hole in the box.

BUNCH OF GRAPES: Using green or purple sweats, attach balloons of the same color with safety pins. Paint face and hands same color.


BAG OF JELLY BEANS: Lots of different colored balloons, large clear plastic bag, colorful ribbon, 2 safety pins, 2 pieces of white cardboard. Blow up all the balloons. Cut two leg holes in the bottom of the bag and two arm holes near the middle. Have your child stand in the bag and fill with blown up balloons. Write on each piece of cardboard "JELLY BEANS 2 CENTS EACH". Safety pins signs to front and back of bag. LOOSELY tie around shoulders with a colorful ribbon. Cut off excess bag around face.

BLACK EYE PEA: White sweats, with black tennis shoes, Cut out the letter 'P' from black construction paper and pin the P's all over the white sweats. Paint a black spot over one eye ("black eye" ... get it? :) hee hee) and you have a "black-eyed 'P' "

BUTTERFLY: Put on black sweats and black shoes. Use a piece of poster board and paint wanted color cut them out in an appropriate wing shape. Punch two holes toward the edges of the wings. Put black ribbon through them and tie around waist. Attach pipe cleaners and pompoms to a plastic head band.

BLOOMING IDIOT: Get a green body suit and some green tights and on your head wear a beanie hat. Glue fake flowers to the beanie hat and maybe pin a few on your body suit. Also it's fun if you paint some flowers on your face and arms. I found some cheap, fake Ivy and wrapped it around my neck and arms and presto! Your a
blooming idiot!

PRAIRIEDOG:
Items needed: Light and dark pink felt , an old hooded pink sweatcoat, pink gloves, pink slacks, pink slippers.
Cut out light pink felt into what looks like prairiedog ears. Place the dark pink felt inside in in the same shape except smaller. Glue onto the sides of the hood on the sweatcoat. With the remaining felt,cut out a piece of "headfur". From the light pink felt. Put on and paint your face pink with a black nose. From: Patricia

BASKET OF LAUNDRY: (clean or dirty!) Wear sweat pants and sweatshirt if it is cold. Tights and a turtleneck if you will be in a warm building. Take an inexpensive (thin) plastic laundry basket and cut a hole in the bottom that you can fit through. Make it small enough so that is "sits" on your hips after you pull it over your head. Fill basket with laundry and pin a few dryer softener sheets to your sweatshirt.

BUBBLE BATH: Take a white laundry basket and cut out the bottom, be sure to tape the cut edges with masking tape. Attach two wide strips of material (white) to front and back of basket (these are the shoulder straps). Attach white, light peach, and pearl balloons to the staps using safety pins (these are bubbles) Wear a white bodysuit, and white pantyhose. Put on your houseshoes, shower cap, and grab your scrub brush. (If the laundry basket has holes in it, cover the inside with posterboard)

Some more spooky things to be!

QUASIMODO (THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME): Build the "hunchback" out of foam or cardboard. Find an old coat several sizes too large to accomodate this. Old, ratty clothes are great! Wear a snaggly wig and keep putting hand up to ear and muttering "eh?".

PIRATE: Form a fake wooden leg by wrapping your bad one in brown felt. Wear sailor pants or jeans with a striped top. Tie a bandana around your head, wear an eye patch, carry an empty bottle marked XXX (for the "rum") and mutter "aargh" a lot. Ask for "Trick or treat, matey!"

CRASH TEST DUMMY - AFTER!: There is a commercial costume for this, but a good one can be made with sweats and tape to make the markings on it like the crash test dummies. Use bandages and fake blood to decorate. Fashion a seat belt out of webbing and an old buckle and pin in place. (or go to a junk yard as ask for an old seatbelt).

TRAIN ENGINEER: A pair of blue jeans, a blue Jean jacket, a red and black bandana. a blue and white engineer hat, a whistle, and play lantern. In addition you can wear denim coveralls instead - it actually works better!

MOTHER NATURE: Silk flowers and silk plant leaves in a variety of shapes and colours, an old skirt and vest, a face mask, twigs (collected from your nearby park or in your own backyard) to make a nest, a foam bird that you can find at any craft store, glue gun and wire. Decorate the vest & skirt with the silk leaves in a random pattern and glue into place. Decorate the skirt with flowers growing out from the leaves already put in place.Use the remaining leaves and small flowers to decorate the face mask. Gather your twigs and secure with wire to make a nest. Place your bird on the twigs and secure into place with the wire. You can add some leaves and peat moss as a filler. The child can wear a dark coloured turtleneck and leggings under the vest and skirt for the evening walk to get treats.

Wow! I didn't realize there were so many!

I had no idea I really had THIS many costume ideas! LOL Here are some more!

OLD WOMAN: Old style dress, just below knee, knee-hi stockings rolled down a little, oxfords, large black purse.

NERD: Slick back the hair, grab some paints that are too short, white shirt, white socks, penny loafers, or lace up oxfords, pocket protector, with lots of pens, dark rim glasses (don't forget to tape the corner, or at least paper clip it) briefcase, or backpack for treat bag.

CHINESE DOLL: Face painted white, add red rosy cheeeks all shaped in a circle, Hair in buns, thoung slippers, and a kimono(chinese dress).

MISS AMERICA: Use an old bridesmaid dress or formal, add a pair of gloves, a tiara, some oversized jewelry, and heals. For the banner, a piece of wide ribbon, and write "Miss America" in glitter.

SODA CAN: Use a round barrel, cut a hole in the bottom. You cut holes for arms and your head. Paint it the colors of a soda can. Presto! You have a soda can!!!

STATIC CLING: Wear anything. A solid color is good, maybe all white or all black. With safety pins pin anything to yourself (i.e socks, underwear, bounce sheets, etc. You can also spray your hair straight up in the air.

1950's SOCK-HOPPER: A round skirt, a white short-sleeved shirt, and some saddle shoes. (If you don't have saddle shoes, plain buckle shoes are fine.) You could add some cat-eye glasses if you want. Tie their hair in a ponytail, and wrap a scarf around it.

MUMMY: Wrap yourself in white bandages (rolls of gauze) (toilet paper works well too and is REALLY cheap!!) Use splotches of green paint for "mold". Use white make-up on face with "age lines" drawn on. The stiff-legged gait works perfectly.

Knock, Knock - It's UPS

I read about someone dressing her children in her husband's UPS uniforms from work. The parents were the packages wearing big boxes with "handle with care" and "fragile" stickers. They were the hit of the neighborhood! So, if you want to mimic this idea - you could put your child in a cubscout uniform shirt (without all the patches - check at goodwill, etc). a pair of brown shorts (or pants would be better). You could probably even get away with Khaki colored pants and a khaki shirt. Just be sure to put a UPS emblem on it. There are loads of creative ways to "mimic" everyday people in our community and make it fun!

a few more ideas:

Clown: Sweet clothes that are too large. Decorate by using either fabric paint, or markers. For those who dare try tie-die. Tack on some large pop-poms, add a cheap wig, hat, and make-up. You may also stuff the extra space in clothing with tissue. However this could be messy, if you need to make a "pit-stop".

Scarecrow: Over sized flannel shirt, faded blue jeans with patches, rope for belt and to tie at the cuffs of his jeans and sleeves, stuff the shirt and jeans with plastic grocery, or paper, a little bit of straw to hang out of jeans and shirt. Add a little bit of make-up.

The American tourist: Guys loud Hawaii shirt, shorts (if weather permits), Large straw hat. Gals bright loud dress, flats, big sun hat, straw bag. Don't forget to have a camera, and maps hanging out, and that look of being lost. Guys can use a tourist bag, (like you get from travel agents, and gals can use the straw bag for their treats.

1960s Hippy: This one is hard, after all its all back in style! What is real, and what is costume? ;-) Tie die clothing, long wig (in the old days we called a "fall", sandals, headband, anything with fringe on it (vests, purse...) light colored sun glasses.

Old man: Dark paints (cuffed), and jacket, most any dress shirt, mans flannel hat, walking cane. Gray the hair, with any of the commercial temporary colors, or dust with a little flour.

Hmm...more ideas?

NINJA: Black turtleneck (best) or long sleeved shirt, and black pants (sweatpants look best) and 2 strips of bright (neon) fabric. Use one strip for a belt and one for a headband. Black stretch gloves (about $1 at WalMart or Target) make a nice addition if you're in a cold climate. You can make ninja knives from cardboard.

STORMTROOPER: White sweats with black turtleneck underneath, white or
black stretch gloves, and white shoes. Make the helmet from a plastic milk jug. The handle of the jug would be the back and the bottom of the jug is the top of the helmet. Cut around and over the handle so the back is all open. Cut out the nozzle, so now you should have a jug with just the bottom and 2 sides. Put that upside down on your kid's head and mark where to cut out eye holes. Make sure the holes are large enough for your child to see out of easily, and you may need to make it all open almost like a motorcycle helmet for your kid's nose (helps to look at a stormtro0per to get the shape right). Paint the mask white with Odds-n-Ends paint, and for the black parts(except eyes) glue gun construction paper, felt, fabric, or use paint. If you want to make the belt cover small boxes (juice boxes work) or cut pieces of styrofoam then attach to strip of white muslin to tie around waist, tucking ends in. If you want eye area black like real stormtroupers use makeup.

DARTH VADER: use black sweats, paint the stormtrouper mask black, and add a black cape. Light Sabre can be made from wrapping paper tube. (there is a cheap one available at Wal-mart AND Target for about $5 too!)

PETER PAN & ROBIN HOOD: These two costumes use the same pieces almost, so a child can be Peter Pan one year and Robin Hood the next, and all you need to change is the smock. For Peter Pan get green fabric, fold in half, cut a hole for the head and cut the bottom jagged. Tie on with a belt made from a strip of fabric. I'd also add a pair of shorts to your list of costume pieces. In cold climates use green sweats instead of tights and forgo the shorts.

KNIGHT: Silver lame for smock, (Fold it in half and cut out head hole just like for Peter Pan and Robin Hood) white, grey, or black turtleneck and tights with shorts or sweatpants. Make a shield and sword from cardboard covered with foil. For more details you can embellish these with puffy paint or glue on plastic jewels. You can also cut out a coat of arms from felt and glue or sew to smock. Another addition is using a hooded sweatshirt or sewing a hood from the silver lame(about $3 a yd at WalMart)

DRAGON: Recycle the green shirt, tights, pants, shorts, etc from Robin
Hood or Peter Pan then add purple wings made from felt (can safety pin or baste on). Sew a tie-on green tail with a row of pointy scales made from felt, and glue some felt spots on it. Make a hood with more pointy scales up the middle, use a green stocking cap, add small horns to a headband, or just paint your child's face green with purple spots and skip the headwear. If you want your dragon to "breath fire" tape streamers to a dowel.

A FLOWER: (better for baby) Buy a sleeper or sweatsuit, add a flower. Glue silk flowers to a bonnet (or a stocking cap, but make sure the cap is stretched over a ball of newspaper approx the size of baby's head so there are enough flowers) and to a pair of socks that baby is growing out of so you don't ruin a good pair. For cheap flowers compare candle rings to the other silk flower bunches. You can always add the leaves in as filler if needed.

BAG OF GUMBALLS: Wear all one color of clothes, long sleeve shirt and leggings. Take a large clear garbage bag and cut two slits at the bottom of it for her legs, just big enough for your legs to go through without cutting off the circulation. Then blow up a whole bunch of different colored balloons. Stepping into the bag, fill it with the balloons, and had someone help you put armholes in. Then bunch the top of the bag around your neck and made it stay with some clear strapping tape (not too tight - that's why the strapping tape is nice - it holds the bunching in place, so you don't have to strangle yourself trying to keep the top of the bag bunched closed.) And then loosely tie a length of braided yarn around the strapping tape. Add a red beret, and tie a large price tag cut out of stiff paper to the little sticky-outy bit in the middle of the beret.

Last minute - what will they wear?!

Ok, to wrap up this crazy week before Halloween, we're going to focus on costume frugality. I will give several costume ideas a day. If you don't like them, don't blame me. I collected them from all over and some of the magazines are ancient! LOL That's why I'm giving you a few to pick from each day. I figure by the end of all this you'll have so many frugal costume ideas, you won't know WHAT to do with them all!! And hey - it wasn't me who waited until the last minute to get costumes this year (ok so it was!) LOL

BUNNY: White sleeper or white sweats, attach a pompom to the seat. Make ears out of white cardboard or felt and you have a bunny. Use other colors and ears for a bear, cat, etc.

BUMBLEBEE: Yellow pjs or yellow sweats and antennas made from pipe cleaners make a bumblebee. Add stripes with black felt or paint.

LADYBUG: red pjs or sweats, make antennas with pipe cleaners and styrofoam balls. Paint the balls black. Add spots with black felt, paint or permanent marker.

PIRATE: For this one you need a big white shirt (one of Mom's or Dad's will work nicely), dark pants, boots, a bandanna, a wide belt and a little felt and cardboard for accessories. Put on the clothes with the belt around the outside of the shirt and poof out the shirt above the belt. Tie the bandanna around the child's head. You can add some gold chain jewelry and a hoop earring if you have cheap one that you're not worried about losing. Make an eyepatch out of a piece of black felt and elastic. Make a sword from cardboard and cover "blade" with aluminum foil.

ANGEL OR FAIRY: White nightgown or dress (pastel colors are good for fairy), posterboard for wings, metallic pipecleaners for halo, antennae, wand. Decorate wings with glitter if you like and attach with safety pins or tie on with scarves or wide ribbon.

BUTTERFLY: Black leotard and tights or leggings and turtleneck, pipecleaners for antennae, posterboard for wings. Decorate wings in bright colors.

CRAYON: Make a tube out of posterboard or felt that fits around the child. Cut holes for arms. Make a pointed hat out of the same color. Decorate tube with markers or additional felt to look like a crayon. Dress child in a black leotard or leggings and turtleneck. Put on tube (it's easier if you put some velcro on the back) and hat...voila! Instant crayon!

KING OR QUEEN: Bathrobe in a "royal" color (purple, burgundy, midnight blue, emerald green)...velour is nice if you have it. Posterboard and shiny gold paper for crown. Old jewelry.


BUNCH OF GRAPES: Green leotard or leggings and turtleneck. Lots of round purple balloons. Dress child in leotard. Blow up purple balloons and attach to child.

GYPSY: Big, full skirt. Lot's of jewelry. Bandanna to tie around head.

ROBIN HOOD: Green tights, long brown vest, wide leather belt. Make an appropriate hat out of green felt and carry a toy bow and arrow or make one from cardboard.

TURTLE: Start with a green or brown sweat suit. From lighter green or brown fabric, cut a large circle and sew (or glue) to the front of the sweat shirt. To make the shell, locate a plastic mixing bowl and small flat pillow or piece of foam. Place the bowl on the foam and cover in fabric. The pillow should extend slightly from the base of the bowl. Decorate accordingly with fabric remnants, fabric paint or pens. Attach straps so that the child can wear the shell as she would a backpack. It's very cute when assembled. Additionally, you may want to locate a mixing bowl that fits as a hat and cover in coordinating fabric.

STATUE OF LIBERTY: A toga can be quickly assembled from fabric or sheets. The crown and torch can be fashioned from tin foil.

Some final thoughts on frugal decorations...

Ok I threw in a couple because I don't plan to have this topic again until NEXT year! So here are some extras.

Sidewalk path candle lights.
Instead of buying premade paper bag candle holders or fancy candle holders, make them yourself from cans. Clean several cans of various sizes. Put water in them and set them in the freezer. Remember the ice will expand, so don't fill them too high. Remove them when frozen and with a chisil, cut out eyes, pumpkin faces, whatever. Remove the ice and let dry. Spray paint the base coat, say orange, for a pumpkin. Paint whatever else you want, add sand or dirt and a votive candle. We experimented with a narrow and small can. The votive candle did not melt the paint. One can we did was an "eye" can. We spray painted the can green. Took a nail and punched several holes all over and painted eyes on the holes. At night it looks like eyes are glowing.

FRANKESTEIN MILK JUG:
Spray paint the jug green and then spray paint the bottom of the jug, black. When dry, flip the jug over and with the spout facing down, paint on a face. Use the photo as a reference. Screw in 2 large bolts into the jug, just below the face. Attach a chain to the top and a black rag over the spout. Tie with black thread.

HALLOWEEN WREATH:
Make a circular wreath from sticks and old plyable branches, or buy one ready made. I got mine at MJD Designs craft store for only $2.50. I also saw one at Walmart for $2.00.Attach some old plastic flowers to the wreath too. Spray paint the entire thing black, then LIGHTLY spray over it with white spray paint. This gives the effect of looking old.Now add a red ribbon or bow, and plastic skull, pumpkins, bats, spiders...whatever you want.

POTS, POTS, and MORE POTS
Simple decorations made from clay pots used for plants. You can use these to hold candy. Easy to make. You can make a frankenstein pot. Just paint the face and add fun eyes that can be glued right to the pot. This one is easy, cute and cheap. You can turn the pot upside down and make some ghosts - paint white and then use a black permanent marker to make eye "holes". A pumpkin - keep upside right, paint orange and decorate with face. You can add a green ribbon around the top. (put candles in theses). These tend to be more cute, than spooky! A black cat - paint black, turn upside down add triangle ears of felt at the top (just glue on either side.) Yellow felt eyes (any shape you want from spooky triangles to cute circles). Take a bunch of black pipe cleaners and twist them all together for a tail - secure with hot glue. You can use grey felt for the upside down triangle mouth. Use white piple cleaners or construction paper for wiskers. Have fun! There are lots of other cute things you can make - turn the pot into a cauldron, if you're talented, paint a which face on them, goblins, wrap in white cloth - a mummy. And on and on!

Enjoy and have a FESTIVE Halloween!!

Candy is Expensive! Ding-Dong!

USE COUPONS: If you feel you must hand out Hershey Bars or Reeses Peanut butter cups watch your Sunday paper for coupons. There are almost always a few for different brands and if you match them up with a sale at least you'll save a little.

OTHER CANDY: There are a lot of kinds of candy that are substantially cheaper than those listed above. Lollipops, for example, frequently come in huge bags for a low price. Dress them up for Halloween by putting a facial tissue over the top, tying a black or orange piece of yarn around where the pop meets the stick and drawing on eyes...if you haven't guessed, this makes a cute "ghost pop". You can also buy an assortment of cheaper candies or gum and package them in sandwich bags. Seal with a Halloween sticker.

OTHER FOOD: You can hand out apples, popcorn, homemade cookies, etc. Be aware, however, that some parents are nervous about that sort of thing and might just throw the stuff out when their kids bring it home.

NON-FOOD ITEMS: Sometimes you can get packages of small toys (of the sort you would put in birthday party goodie bags) at a low price (especially at the $$ store!). If you are the organized type and see these over the course of the year pick them up and save in a box for Halloween. I recently saw pencils at 2 packages of 10/$1.00...this comes out to 5 cents/pencil which is far less than the price of a candy bar! Kids also love stickers. One lady offered Trick or Treaters a choice of candy or stickers. About 80% chose stickers! Use your imagination and keep an open mind about what qualifies as a treat. There are many parents out there who will appreciate that you didn't give their child more candy!

A few HANDS on ideas!

GHOST: Inflate a round balloon or beachball. Put an old white sheet or tablecloth over it. Tie a piece of string below the balloon or ball. Cut eyes out of black felt or construction paper and stick on (you could also draw them with a black marker if you really don't care about the sheet). Hang from your porch or a tree in your yard. You can also make tiny ghosts to decorate a tree with using tennis balls and handkerchiefs or rags cut to the size you need.

TOMBSTONES: Cut heavy cardboard in appropriate tombstone shapes. Paint gray. Write scary or amusing epitaphs on them with black markers.

SPIDER WEBS: Drape white or gray yarn among your trees or shrubs or on your front porch. Add some...

SPIDERS: Paint styrofoam balls black. Stick in black pipecleaner legs.

SCARECROW: Stuff a pair of old pants and an old shirt with balled up newspaper. Have straw sticking out of the cuffs of pants and shirt. Add a pumpkin (real or plastic) for a head.

Cheap? I can see the light!

Here is an extremely frugal idea, that is nice for adults who celebrate Halloween. Not all of us "love" all the spooky decorations and costumes at Halloween time. I came up with some cute ways to decorate on a low budget.

First, purchase candles. All sizes, shapes, textures. In halloween colors is best, but if you'd rather use autumn colors this works well for the whole "season". Next hit the dollar store. You should be able to find some CHEAP halloween bowls, cups or plates. Pick what you like. Avoid paper and plastic, go for the cheap ceramic stuff. Purchase several, in various sizes if they have them. When you get home, place the candles together in clusters in/on the plates, mugs, cups and bowls. Place them all over the house. On Halloween night, you can light them up, and turn the lights out and guess what....it's an "elegant" spooky atmosphere. (actually it usually puts me in the mood for Christmas!) LOL

Trick or Treat!! How to hold all that candy!

Save your 1-Gallon plastic ice-cream buckets, let the kids decorate them with markers or with adult help paint on eyes with glow in the dark paint! You can go all out on these - decoupage magazine pictures or fabric scraps or paper! These are truly fun to make! We actually decorated a few and placed our candy in them to hand out! It was a hit.

Another creative way, and less expensive route (and holds a lot of candy) it the old pillowcase trick from when we were children! Just take a white pillow case (or any light color) and decorate it for the holiday. Use puffy paints, or acrylic paints and go to town. You can glue on google eyes on a ghost or goblin, or you can make it "pretty" for a girl by using black and orange ribbons to "tie" around the black cats neck. Use your imagination, but most of all make it fun. These memories will last your children - they don't remember the FRUGAL you, they remember the time you spent with them, and how much fun the projects are!

Use your hands, it's cheaper!

In other words, create your own decorations. They can be fun to make and low cost and the memories associated with the time you spent created them will return year after year, as you put these decorations out!

Large hanging ghosts that will sway spookily in the breeze outside can be made easily by draping a white sheet, tablecloth or pillowcase over a balloon and tying below the head. Small ones for indoors can be made from white paper napkins or kitchen paper tied over any small ball or crumpled tissue paper or stuffed sock secured with string or thread and a face drawn on with marker pens.

An inexpensive centerpiece can be made by using a $ store black plant cauldron with a large bowl inside it, or just a large bowl covered with black tissue paper and filled with cola plus a few grapes, cubes of pineapple or pieces of apple floating around for a gruesome looking witches brew. (and if you don't want to go the "gross" way - fill the cauldron with a bouquet of autumn colored flowers or a mum. )

Have fun!

Spooky, Spooky!

This week we're going to focus on frugal decorations for this lovely holiday that is upon us. Halloween is NOT one of my favorite holidays by any means. In fact, I think even my own kids (7 & 11) are quickly deciding it's just not as fun as it used to be. However, the crafting and decorating that leads up to the infamous night, can be fun, and frugal! I'll show you how this week!

Ok, there are two great FRUGAL Halloween tips found below. I use both of these! And you'll be happy if you try them too!

Remember running out the door on the 26th of December, and shopping because all the Christmas decorations are on sale!! Sometimes 75% off! Put some of that Christmas savings savvy to work and wait until after Halloween to stock up on pumpkin scented candles and black and orange plastic table cloths, or whatever else your heart desires. By far the cheapest way to buy decorations and costumes that will last year after year is to do it the day after Halloween!

Some decorations, and I use these frequently, aren't so Halloween specific that you can't use them any other time. Scarecrows, miniature bales of 'hay', and pumpkins are some that will be just as welcome the day after Halloween as the day before. The colors of autumn, orange, gold, reds and browns - speak for Halloween and the season, stretching right through Thanksgiving. Colorful leaves, real or otherwise, can decorate a table, a walkway, or an entire room, as can scarves, or random accessories, in fall colors.

Utilize these two tricks, and you'll be glad!