For the last two years, my husband and I have decorated our house for Halloween at the last minute. We feel a bit of detachment on the house that we rent, and haven’t ever really gotten to know our neighbors well. However, Halloween is that once a year event in our neighborhood when we actually get to see and greet our neighbors, even if they are disguised in costumes. Usually, the day before or the night of Halloween, we’ll change out our front porch light with a black light, wrap our orange twinkle lights around the porch banister, play spooky music from our bedroom window, and light the path to our front door with luminaries that are die cut with jack-o-lantern faces.
Here is a list of our decorations that are easy to set up in less than 30 minutes and inexpensive as well:
- Luminary bags purchased from the 99-cent store for 99 cents for a pack of 25. Or, you can cut out the jack-o-lantern faces yourself using brown paper bags. Here is a link to some patterns you can use on either tin cans or paper bags.
- Black light for the front porch, purchased on sale from our local grocery store: $1.99
- Orange twinkle lights, also purchased on sale from the local grocery store: $4.99
- Haunted music on a CD purchased at a local pharmacy (Rite Aid): $5.99
- Tea lights purchased in a 24-count bag from Ikea: $5.99 OR you can purchase the battery operated reusable kind that come in a 10-count container from Bed Bath and Beyond for $10.99 (these are not as bright, so you may need to put 2 in each bag instead of one real tea light)
Last, but not least, is my husband who dresses up in his leafy-camo suit, purchased from Bass Pro, for $60, mask purchased on sale at Rite Aid for about $18. He lays in the yard and blends in with the leaves on the ground. After the little trick-0r-treater’s have received their candy or pencil and eraser topper (144 count purchased from Oriental Trading Co. for $25.00), my husband jumps up and scares the daylights out of the children and their parents!
