Halloween Hacks for Cheap & Easy Preparations

We all want to save time and some money over the upcoming holidays, so here are some cheap and easy ways to prepare for Halloween. I have grandkids, that's why I do holiday decorations, and I live in a nice neighbor with lots of little ones.

Halloween is coming!Photo byR.Gerner/Canva

So, if you do real pumpkins, use an ice cream scoop to clean out the goop. Cleaner, less labor and quicker. Then, as long as no one is going to eat the pumpkin, (farm animals, etc) spray it with any antiseptic spray. This will preserve it longer, so it doesn't rot or get mushy as fast.

Safer than a candle, would be to use the little Christmas lights, inside the pumpkin. Put the coiled up lights in a plastic bag, put a little hole in the back of the pumpkin, for the cord, And plug it in. Safer and no mess to your Christmas lights.

If you want to be creative, use cookie cutters, and a rubber mallet to gently cut into the pumpkin for the shape, then finish with a regular knife. You could make it look like reindeer running around your pumpkin!

be creative with your pumpkins.Photo byR.Gerner/Canva

Instead of buying the small packets of cobwebs from the store, use your old fiberfill. If you don't have any leftover, from previouse crafts, buy from the dollar store, it's cheaper and the same thing. Spread it around the house, inside and out, add a few plastic spiders and you're all set. And you could always add the old favorite ghostly figure, by using a garbage bag. Fill the end with newspapers or whatever you have, tie it off, that's the ghost's head, and hang it in your trees.

Make spooky eyes.Photo byR.Gerner/Canva

This one is fun. Take an empty toilet paper roll or two, cut eyes out of them, then add a glow stick, and then place them in a bush near your door, so it looks like something is peeking out at you.

Wait until just before Halloween before buying the candy, the stores usually want to get rid of the stuff as Thanksgiving/Christmas things will be arriving. You can probably get a reduced price.

Love candy corn.Photo byR.Gerner/Canva

And save on face paint. Don't buy the expensive chemicals filled paints, from the store, whip up your own. You probably have all this stuff in your kitchen. Mix 5 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of shortening, 1 tablespoon of flour, and a drop of petroleum jelly. Mix well, and put in several different little containers. Add some food dye to the mixture to get your desired colors. You can remove with olive oil. Rub on with a dry cloth, then wipe off with a wet cloth. Should do the trick. Want fake blood ? Mix cornstarch, red and blue food dye and a little milk. Apply the "blood" to face, neck, arms etc. for your little ghoul.

So that's it for Halloween, oh, one more thing, shop after the holiday for next years costumes, save near 50 to 70 %. and you'll be prepared for next year.