Decorate for Halloween on the Cheap

Giving away candy and hosting a #Halloween party can get expensive. But it’s easy to #decorate on the cheap with a little creativity and a few hacks. Depending on your guests, you can make a pumpkin do double duty as a candy bowl or wine bucket, HGTV says. Household items can be repurposed quickly, too: Make bloodshot eyes out of Ping Pong balls and spider webs out of rope. Cut a bunch of bats out of black construction paper, or cover everything in fake spider webs and plastic spiders from the dollar store. Let the Halloween spirit(s) move you — without spending too much. #HalloweenDecorating

Stylish Halloween Decorating Ideas

If your #Halloween #decorating goal is more stylish than scary, try a few of Good Housekeeping’s 75 DIY ideas. Leave bottles of magic potions around or make your chairs into tombstones. Weave a wreath of rubber snakes or create a pumpkin diorama. Make a gallery wall of haunted black-and white photos or create a bubbling witch’s cauldron out of a beverage tub and some dry ice. Look for inspiration and supplies at the thrift stores supplied by your generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org, and you can #help a #veteran while you celebrate or pass out candy. #HalloweenDecorating

Hollywood Hacks for Halloween Decorating

If you need to #decorate for #Halloween quickly and cheaply, follow the advice of Hollywood set designers, says Realtor.com. A celebrity theme can help focus your creativity, one designer says. Scarecrows are easy and cheap to make from old clothes and straw, and latex gloves make great dismembered hands. When in doubt, douse all of your holiday props with fake blood or the liquid from inside a glow stick. “By using what you have in your closet, garage and the kid’s old toys, you can have a professional-looking haunted Halloween for very little money,” says art director and set designer Stacy Nelson. #HalloweenDecorating

Thrift-Shop to Save on Halloween Costumes

Stuck for a scary-good #Halloween #costume for your kids or yourself? You could buy a ready-made, no-fuss costume if you’re strapped for time, but that’s never as fun as creating your own, one-of-a-kind take on a monster, superhero or ghoul.

Nor is it cheap! Prepackaged costumes can easily cost $50, $100 or more — and you’ll need that money for candy and decorations. So instead of purchasing a costume, assemble one from the unique #clothing and finds at the #thrift or #secondhand store.

You can quickly create classic characters such as vampire, rock star, witch, ghost, scarecrow, burglar or hippie by shopping the local thrift for clothing and accessories, Unexpectedly Domestic says. If pop culture is your thing, the Golden Girls makes a great group costume.

This year’s most up-to-the-minute pop culture costumes borrow looks from Clueless, The Addams Family, Stranger Things, and Top Gun: Maverick, says Refinery29. But you can’t go wrong with longtime favorites such as Harry Potter, Where’s Waldo and Dora the Explorer.

For best results, brainstorm a few costumes before thrifting, says Open Door. Keep an open mind, however, because you might find something that sparks new ideas. Don’t just look for clothing, either — the thrift might have accessories and props that will make your look stand out.

Don’t forget that thrifts are a great source of foundational materials such as sheets that can be repurposed, as well as Halloween decorations. What you come up with is limited only by your creativity, so start #thrifting now. You’ll be able to shop sustainably and save money.

An added bonus? Thrift stores supplied by ClothingDonations.org help fund valuable veterans programs. When you #donate clothing, #household goods and other lightly used #stuff, it gets resold to fund housing, health care and other veteran needs.

Remember to contact ClothingDonations.org any time of year you wish to schedule a #free, #contactless #donation #pickup, too! Think of your donation as pay your Happy Halloween forward. Hope yours is spook-tacular!

Preparing for Trick-or-Treaters

Most of what you do in preparation for #trick-or-treaters is up to you, says Spooky Little Halloween. For example, wearing a #costume makes the event seem like less of a chore, but it is not a requirement and it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Likewise, how much you decorate is optional — you can go all in on a faux graveyard with lights, fog and sound effects, or put a couple of pumpkins and a fall wreath out, but having the porch lights lit will signal that you’re giving away candy. Speaking of candy, that’s pretty much the only other requirement for a successful #Halloween, so make sure you have enough!