Having a birthday five days before Halloween always made it easy for me to love the holiday. It’s one of the few I truly look forward to, and, as a result, I spend a lot of time preparing for it and I’m not afraid to go all out, even for a tame night in entertaining Trick-or-Treating kids. Whether you’re staying at home or gallivanting about town, here are some great affordable DIY tricks to make your Halloween thrilling.
Make Candy Gifts
Home made candy wrapped in cellophane may not be ideal to give to children (POISON! OH NOES!), but these gifts don’t have to be for children. Home made (or store bought) candy makes great gifts for co-workers and friends looking to get into the mood. You’ll be everyone’s favorite party go-er if you bring a bag of delicious snacks with you out to the bars. Try making something that’s easy to put on a stick, like lollipops .
Spruce Up Your Hair
Most women have hair, and almost all of them are going to need to do something with it for Halloween. From bows to feathers and rhinestones, you can make an awesome hair accessory using a little super glue and some creativity. Head down to your local craft store and pick you whatever hair adornment you desire (head band, alligator clip, etc) along with any necessary ribbon, rhinestones, feathers, and the like. Want a crazy Lady Gaga hair adornment? Browse the section of cardboard figurines and wood cut outs. Grab a can of spray paint and go to town. There’s always a hair bow...
Dye It Yourself
If you’re bothered by cold temperatures and are wearing something a bit skimpier than usual, throw some tights on your gams to keep the heat in. Bored by black and tired of tan? Find some tights made with protein fiber (wool, silk, bamboo, nylon, cashmere, etc are all OK. No cotton!) and dye them to the shade you want. Planning on being a pumpkin? Grab some white lace tights and dye them green for some delightful vines.
To dye, you’ll need: a microwave, a big microwave-safe bowl, clean water, white vinegar, and food coloring (or Kook-Aid or other “acid” dye). Create a dye mixture using water, one tablespoon of vinegar (per pair of tights), and whatever color you’d prefer. Remember, you can always make your tights darker by repeating this process, but you can’t make them lighter. Set dye mixture aside. Pull out your big bowl and add one tablespoon of vinegar and enough water to completely submerge the tights. Let sit for approximately 10 minutes to fully soak (the darker the desired color, the longer you may want to let it soak – up to 24 hours). Pour dye mixture into bowl, making sure to cover all of the tights. Pop the bowl in the microwave for one - two minutes or until water is between 160-180 degrees F (70-82 C). Let cool, remove tights from bowl and rinse until the water runs clear.
Feeling brave? Try experimenting with multiple colors! You can dye your tights in the oven on the “warm” setting using a Pyrex dish or brownie pan. Remember, the dyes will run together, so beware of color bleeding.
Change Your Face
Whether you want to look like a sex machine or a zombie, there are tons of easy step-by-step tutorials that teach you how to apply dramatic eyeliner or to create fake cuts and bruises. You can even go all out and make your own eyeshadow if you’re not finding the color you’re looking for at a price you like..
Decorate The House
It’s easy to decorate the outside of your house with a little fishing line, cardstock, and spray paint. Cut out ghostly shapes or print stencils if you’re not artistically inclined. If you want to make something you’ll be able to keep through the years, buy wooden cut outs and spray paint them. When dry, you can use a permanent pen to embellish or glue other adornments onto them. String your creepy creatures along fishing line and string them outside (or inside!) of your house.
Make your own scarecrow, zombie, vampire, or ghoul to add an extra touch. Use some old clothing – or grab some from a local thrift store – and add rips, dust, branches, and stains to it. Use spray paint to add blood splatter if you’re feeling extra fiendish. Use cardboard poster tubes and boxes to stand your costume up, placing shoes at the base for feet. Pick up some hands and a face mask (or other face substitute, depending on budget and level of reality desired) and attach them to the body. If it can’t stand up independently, make use of that fishing line we talked about earlier. Think big! You can hang your body from the ceiling, stash it outside, or give it a candy dish to hold.
No matter what your budget, there’s always a creative way to get festive this Halloween season. Need ideas, inspiration, or assistance executing your total world domination? Leave a comment! I’ll put my DIY brain to work so you won’t have to.
Image via Sister72's Flickr