October is moving toward a close, so it’s time to plan to send it out with a bang with a spook-tacular Halloween party. Don’t be scared. Don’t worry. We’ll help you plan the best Halloween party on a budget.
Low-cost food ideas
Start by planning the menu. To make it even easier on the pocketbook, ask your guests to each (the grown ups) bring a Halloween dish or treat. Maybe your BFF makes killer brownies… ask her to frost them with an orange ghoulish topping this time. Someone can bring pumpkin cookies with frightening faces. Asking friends to participate will surely take the horror out of thinking about the cost of going it alone.
Tip: at a dollar store or the dollar section of your favorite retailer, spend a buck or two on blank place cards to use to label the food. Other things to pick up that we will get into below: paper mache, white garbage bags, colored light bulbs, vinyl gloves and other items your mind can make something scary out of!
Who doesn’t like wings? Pick up a few packs of chicken wings on sale at Sam’s club or your fave super market. But by the time they get to the table, they will be bat wings! Use the place cards to let people know these are no ordinary wings.
Let them have cake and eat it too! Cake or cupcakes provide a cool decorating option. Baking them fresh is cheaper and when it comes to topping them, that’s when the fun begins. Cut the cake like tombstones, and then put each guest’s name on one. You can do the same with the cupcakes. It keeps people from eating more than one!
Halloweenies
Hot dogs are another low cost food that can creatively be used to spruce up the menu. Cut the hot dogs about a third of the way up into sections. Use cloves or anything dark and small to make eyes. Stand them up on a tray. Hot dogs can also be decorated to look like fingers…
While at the dollar store, pick up some packages of gloves. Make sure they are in packages and not loose. Here’s why: we’re going to make severed hands!
Mix up a batch of Jell-O. Red or cherry is good, or orange and even green are also options. Pour the Jell-O into the gloves and chill. Once he Jell-O is set, peel off the gloves. Lay the hands on a tray!
Another way to use Jell-O is to pour the orange-flavored mixture into your muffin pan. Once cooled, gently remove them and you have little orange pumpkins waiting to be decorated with candy or other items from your imagination.
For the adults… add a bit of liquor before you chill them and you will have Halloween Jell-O shots!
Cheap decorations
Use white sheets to cover the chairs, tables and furniture for that haunted house look. Some people use black, too. Black can especially effective for the table where the food will be.
You can go two ways with the ambiance. For a more festive feel, pick up some black and orange (dollar store) balloons for that lively Halloween look. The other way to go is to create a more macobb (NOT SURE HOW TO SPELL?) look… while at the dollar store, pick up some black light bulbs and replace the regular ones in the party room. Green or orange light bulbs can work, too.
Paper mache is super cheap and comes in a variety of colors, including black. How about pulling out the ironing board, wrapping it like a mummy with the paper mache… add a head with a balloon, or how about a headless mummy!
White garbage bags from the dollar store are great to create ghosts. Grab your kids’ soccer ball, basketball or even Dad’s bowling ball, cover it with the bag (white pillowcases work, too), twist it at the bottom and you have a ghostly creature. Decorate the face using a magic marker, and if it’s a pillowcase you don’t want to mess up, pop on some black buttons or use a market that will wash out in the laundry. All you really need is a couple of eyes to create that creepy look.
Cool-aid (get it?!)
Make your party one to remember, whether it’s for the kids or the grown ups or a combo of both. Create a signature drink. An orange package of Kool-Aid can turn into a Halloween drink, just as it is originally made for the kids, or spice it up with alcohol to create a Casper Cosmos for the grown ups.
Preparing a Halloween party on a budget can be fun with a little imagination and minimal effort.
Be sure to check out our other Halloween Themed Articles here! Don’t forget you can still print a 25% off any Single Item at Spirit Halloween stores coupon.
What Frugal party ideas do you have?
