44 Ways to Celebrate the Halloween Season!

We are now 44 days away from All Hallows Eve, and while Halloween has been on my mind since November 1st, 2013, many people are just starting to gear up for the October holiday.
There are several ways I love to prepare for the big night of fright, so I thought I would share some with those who are looking for new arts, crafts, or traditions to add to their repertoire. Sure some of these may seem obvious to the seasoned Halloween lovers, but still, here are a few spooky ideas for the Halloween loving newbies or even the old dogs looking for new tricks!
I have attached links to tutorials whenever possible.

1. Make your own Halloween Countdown- you can use a chalkboard, a dry erase board, a good old fashioned paper chain and tear off a link each day...  Or take a look at my halloween decorative block tutorial which includes a countdown side on the blocks-

http://thehalloweenchick.blogspot.com/2014/08/decorative-halloween-blocks-diy.html?m=1

or get really fancy and make something from this cute list: http://www.curbly.com/users/craftmel/posts/14277-roundup-10-diy-halloween-countdown-crafts

2. PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING- 

nothing says October or Halloween like pumpkin spice. From lighting pumpkin spice candles, to using pumpkin spice creamer in your coffee, pumpkin spice is sure to get you in the mood for some Halloween fun, which brings me to the next item on the list...

3. Host a pumpkin carving party or contest- Grab a bunch of the Pumpkin carving kits at the nearest grocery store, or print off some cool patterns and have a B.Y.O.P. (bring your own pumpkin) gathering. It is a ton of fun to get people together and see how creative (and competitive) they can be with their designs.
Added bonus- a lot of them will leave their pumpkin so you can add it to your yard decor, especially if you give them some pumpkin flavored brewskis.
This is a good idea for later in the month of October so that your pumpkins will last til Halloween, but it's never too early to start planning the event.


4. Not into the real thing when it comes to pumpkin carving? Make a paper mache pumpkin to display indoors or out (weather permitting). Check out these absolutely amazing examples on Stolloween.com:
http://www.stolloween.com/?page_id=67

5. While we are on the subject of pumpkins, why not visit your local pumpkin patch? Pick out a pumpkin and snap some pics of the kiddos (or kids at heart).

6. Dress your pets in Halloween clothes!

7. Dress your kids in Halloween clothes and pajamas!

8. No kids or pets? Dress yourself in Halloween clothes! Accessorizing with Ghostly PJ's or socks covered in witches will certainly put anyone in the mood for Halloween.

9. Get (or give yourself) a Halloween mani/pedi. Check out these adorable ideas for your digits:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/ween-nails#11px91k

10. Make (or buy) a chalkboard and write Halloween quotes, song lyrics, poems or saying on it and display it in your home. Change it up every few days or so.

11. Have a Halloween movie marathon-

Need some suggestions? Well, my personal favorites are Hocus Pocus, Trick R'Treat and of course the original Halloween, but check out this list of 50 truly chilling horror flicks if you aren't sure where to begin:
http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/top-scariest-movies-all-time/Hw3HiLfctnUsYmlI89WPVJ/gallery.html

12.Visit a Haunted House/attraction in your area, or many of them!

13.Visit a graveyard (this one might not be for everyone, but there are some really beautiful cemeteries out there.) Of course, be respectful and considerate. (they're coming to get you, Barbara)

14. Make your own Spooky potion bottles. Be creative or keep it simple with stick on labels from any craft store.  You can check out my potion bottles here:
 http://thehalloweenchick.blogspot.com/2014/08/diy-potion-bottles-for-halloween.html

15. Make your own Halloween candles

with dollar store candles, craft paper or other printed Halloween images and a little modge podge.

16. Make caramel apples!

17. Host a "Secret Jack" (reference to Jack Skellington ;) Halloween gift exchange with friends, family, or co workers. Set a low dollar limit and specify gifts must be Halloween themed. Exchange mid-October so everyone has time to enjoy their treats. (or tricks)

18. Create a playlist of Halloween music, or create a Halloween station on pandora.

19. Fill jars with candy corn and place around the house for a cute display and a tasty treat.

20. Place Halloween printouts or Halloween craft paper in dollar store frames as a simple and inexpensive decoration. Here are some free printables to get your started:
http://thegraphicsfairy.com/50-best-free-vintage-halloween-images/

21. Create a Halloween table scape- use a Halloween table cloth or any table cloth that is black, purple, orange or your preferred hue, place a few skulls, a candelabra or two and add a couple of your potion bottles to your table create a festive tablescape.

This one is to die for...

Photo from:
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/elegant-eerie-halloween-tablescape-the-215th-tablescape-thursday/

22. Adopt a skeleton, give them a name,  and dress them up. Pose them around the house for fun. (or scares)
 You may have seen our family member, Grandma Mabel, and her kitty cat, Snowball. The kids get a kick out of finding her sitting in various places in the house with and without her wig. Costco has the best price on posable skeletons at $37 or so with Target close behind at $40.

23. Bake Halloween themed goods- who doesn't love cupcakes, especially those which are frosted to look like human brains? I dare you to find someone who doesn't!
Cupcakes, cake pops, cakes and cookies in a Halloween theme are always a hit! (stay tuned for some tutorials on these)

24. Save your jars and make Halloween lanterns- here is a craft of mine from last year that I reposted on one of my other blogs
http://www.3littlegoats.com/already-thinking-about-halloween-crafts/

25.  Follow Halloween and Fall instagram accounts- this is a great place to find out where the good Halloween decor is, as well as to get ideas for crafts and costumes. You can start by following me, thehalloweenchick of course :)

26. Play a game of hide n seek with a Halloween decorative item.
You know that slightly annoying but super addictive elf on the shelf? We like to play a Halloween version of this game with one of our little pumpkin head decorations. My daughter looks forward to seeing where he will be and what he will be doing...

27. Pinterest- Pin pin pin! This one is obvious but start pinning like crazy so that if you are like me, you will get to two or three of the ninety awesome crafts and decorations you swear you will make this year!

28. Have a Halloween photo shoot- break out your old costumes or better yet, head to Goodwill or the costume shop and try on all of your favorites with a friend. Bring your camera and have a blast.

29. End the day with a Halloween themed bedtime story with the kiddos (or yourself).
For the parents-  make sure it's nothing too scary or you may end up with a little goblin in your bed.

30. Binge on horror & spooky TV shows including the classics- Of course there is The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, and Hemlock Grove. But don't forget the oldies like The Munsters, or Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow.

31. Start using the Halloween kitchen ware. Hand towels, glasses, dishes, and any other Halloween themed decor you may have is a green light for daily use now. So break out the jack o lantern plates and Witchy dish towels. Don't have any? I suggest Ross, TJ Maxx/Home Goods for inexpensive and super cool Halloween wares.

32. Change your profile pic on social media to something creepy new or old. Last years Halloween costume, that Zombify app pic you made for fun, or bust out the green face paint and take a whole new photo to get not only yourself, but friends and family in the Halloween spirit.

33. Halloween prank your loved ones- sneak up behind them in a scary mask, hide that decapitated head behind the shower curtain, place your skeleton under their covers... Halloween pranks are fun! Just be ready for screams and the occasional throwing of objects.

34. Visit all of the Halloween stores and browse, shop, or take photos and attempt to replicate things you see that cost way more than you want to spend.

35. Deck out your vehicle with Halloween funzies... whether you want to commit to bumper stickers or just hang a fun Halloween sign in the window, driving around with some Halloween decoratives is sure to entertain those around you and get others in the mood for October. Target has cool Halloween signs in their dollar bins and Spirit Halloween has nifty Car magnets.
I personally am driving around with a large Jack Skellington sitting up in my back seat right now!

36. Create a Haunted Mirror to hang in your home for fun.
http://thehalloweenchick.blogspot.com/2014/09/haunted-mirror-tutorial.html

37. Go to Disneyland!
Ok so this one is not in the cards for everyone, even I have yet to make the trek to the happiest place on Earth at the spookiest time of the year, but it is on the to do list. And if it's a possibility for you then make it happen! (and bring me with you, please?)
I hear it is amazing.

38. Use lighting to set the Halloween mood around your home- Lights aren't just for Christmas. Orange, purple, and black decorative lights placed around window frames or near your Halloween decor can really help set the tone. It can look spooky or really classy depending on what you're going for.

39. Check out local "haunted" houses, hotels, or areas in your town. Almost every town has a place that is known to be haunted. Be a tourist in your own town and go on a ghost hunt!

40. Make a spooky shower curtain for your bathroom: Use a cheap white shower curtain and decorate it with bloody handprints, or if you are artistically inclined, use a sharpie to draw a silhoutte or bats etc on the outside of the curtain. Might want to do this one near Halloween if you use the shower regularly and the curtain could get wet and cause any paint, blood, marker etc to run.

41. Roast pumpkin seeds. A timeless classic.

42. Buy or make your own ouija board and connect with the spirits... I know, this one is not for everyone, but it might be fun for some. And if you don't want to summon the spirits, you could just use the board as decor. Here are some really cool homemade ouija boards.
http://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/kips.html

43. Make your own Halloween tombstones! Terra at scary lady videos takes the guess work out of making AMAZING Halloween tombstones for your yard haunt. Check out her basic tutorial here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyfmBL5JuH0&list=UUMrxX-vdE0ABTHOAkwFV-4g

She is truly talented and seems like a super nice lady,and check out this beautiful tombstone she created and eventually donated to a church group. Just brilliant!

44. Last but not least, enjoy the Halloween season with friends, family, and neighbors. Halloween is one holiday where the community truly celebrates together (if you are lucky enough to live in an area that still answers the door for trick or treaters). Support and promote Halloween by being the crazy person on the block that starts decorating before October 1st, even if no one else does.
Leave the lights on for trick or treaters and give out the good candy ... You might be surprised when your neighbors want to follow suit, and the kiddies will thank you.

Happy Haunting all.

Haunted Mirror Tutorial

Quick little play by play on my Haunted mirror.

There are many ways to make these, I have seen some people use looking glass spray to create a mirror. I opted for the easiest and cheapest way though- here were my supplies

Mirror From Dollar Store- $1

Easy Off oven cleaner- had it in the house

Wash cloth & paper towels - had them

Vampire Decal from dollar store- $1 (any printed spooky pic will do, and I plan to change this out once I find something I like more)

So I took the back & frame off of my dollar store mirror carefully.

Sprayed the back side of the mirror with a generous amount of oven cleaner in the area that I wanted my image to show through.

I let it sit overnight and allowed it to do all the work pulling away the mirror paint.

Next day I used a rag and some paper towels and wiped away the area where the oven cleaner had started to lift the mirror. I did it slowly so that a little of the mirror and some fogginess would remain.

Once it looked how I wanted it, I positioned my vampire decal then cute him to fit, taped it on the back, replaced the back of the mirror and frame and voila!

Easy, cheap, scary mirror.

So I don't know how much sense it makes to see a Vampire in the mirror considering they do not have a reflection, lol, but he looks good for now until I find something better- feel free to send suggestions or links to spooky images!

TTFN!
Happy Haunting!

Halloween on a budget

As Summer starts to draw to a close, and back to school shopping wraps up in the coming weeks, expect to see more and more Halloween merch hitting the shelves of your favorite retailers.
If you are a Halloween fanatic like me, it's hard to resist buying everything you see, (or at least wanting to).
With our family having grown in the past year, and with the oldest being a teenager, there isn't much money left for frivolous spending so I always keep my eyes open for bargains all year long when adding to my Halloween collection.
Here are a few tips I have for creating a spooky home haunt, or just adding to your decor without breaking the bank. Some may seem obvious (because they are) but it never hurts to share information.

1.) Never pay full retail price, especially in huge Halloween specialty stores.

I love Spirit and other Halloween retailers as much as the next ghoul, and I realize they have to make a living but I will never buy a full priced item at one of these stores, especially the large props that run into the hundreds.  I always hunt for online coupons. My advice is to join the mailing lists of your favorite stores well in advance. They will send out "clearance" sale email alerts many times throughout the year. Buying something in May can save you big bucks.
Also, resist the urge to buy new before Halloween, and wait until the day after and plan for next year. These stores will mark almost everything in the store down each day that passes to clear their shelves.

2.) Craigslist hunt all year long.

For every person who becomes a Halloween enthusiast, there is someone else who just doesn't have the time (or the storage space) to do it anymore. I find Halloween items all year long, and the further you are out from Halloween, the better deals you can make. Many sellers just want that stuff out of their garage and will bargain with you.
I always let them know that I am an enthusiast and do not re-sell anything, which is true. Or if I do change themes and decide to let stuff go, I try to pay it forward and sell cheap to someone else like me who loves the holiday, but can't spend a weeks pay on an animated skeleton.

I also place ads throughout the year in the wanted section, explaining that our family does a large Halloween display but on a budget. I have gotten a few responses this way from very nice people.

3.) Dollar Stores and Goodwill are your friends.

Most seasoned Halloween veterans know that the dollar and 99 cent stores stock lots of cool Halloween items. Always hit these places before you go out to other shops, or check them before committing to Target or even Walmart. I find that the skulls, candle holders, even masks and accessories are often just as cool, or can be with a little imagination and crafting.
Also, don't limit yourself to just Halloween items- utilize cheap every day items and create your own spooky decor... more on this in the next tip.

4.) DIY tutorials, google, and Halloween forums are a must use!

There are so many cool ways to create your own Halloween decor these days. Thanks to pinterest and youtube, it is easy to find step by step instructions on some really awesome Halloween decor, props, and more.
Plus, if you make your own scary piece, you have bragging rights and a unique creation that almost no one else has... except the other 50 people who not only pinned it but actually made it!

5.) Recycle & Re-purpose your old (or even broken) Halloween decor, don't just trash it.

Halloween forums are full of geniuses who will be glad to suggest 1000 ways that you can re use an old prop or skull. Just get on there and start searching.

6.)See Halloween in everything.

Anytime I am thrifting or yard saling, I am on the hunt for stuff that just looks haunted or interesting. That weird doll you got for a quarter can make a great prop.

7.) Summer clearance sales items are just a coat of paint away from being Halloween items.

Never shy away from something based on it's color or pattern. A coat of gray or black paint can turn a cute pink clearanced candle stand into a creepy candle stand that will look great on your Halloween tablescape.
Michaels and Hobby Lobby always mark stuff down 80 and even 90% off in July and August to make room for Fall.

8.)For outdoor decorating, lighting is more important than having 100 props.

Ok so lighting isn't cheap- but instead of buying that $150 animatronic prop at the Halloween store, spend your dollars on awesome lighting. It will make all of the difference in setting the scene and making your spooky house look and feel cooler and more haunting than everyone elses.
There are many lighting tips on youtube from seasoned Haunters.
Besides, what good is the life size talking Witch if no one can even see her?

9.) Use what you've got!

Everyday household items can be used as accessories to your haunt. For instance, I am using shepherds hooks in my haunt this year to display some of my hanging props. I got them at Big Lots on clearance for $5 and when I am done I can still use them in my yard.
Or stuff some old clothes you never wear & boom, instant dead body. Fill an old Halloween mask for a head, or use a large rock where the head should be to create an eerie accident.... eek!
Look around your house and in your garage, you will be surprised at what you will find.

10.) You are the best Prop of all.

Sounds cheesy, but a great costume, some makeup, a little lighting and YOU sitting at the candy bowl to greet trick or treaters can be the best prop of all.
Utilize your thrift stores, estate sales, goodwill etc for old tattered rags to wear or clothes to create a costume.

Happy Haunting ghosts and goblins!