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So, you’re sorting out your school supplies list for the new academic year. A good way to figure out what should be on your back to school list is to start with your pencil case. It might seem like a pretty easy task. Just grab some pens, pencils, and color pencils from the shelf in a shop, right?

But there are a lot of different types of supplies to choose from, and depending on what you’ll be doing at school, it’s important to choose the right ones. Why? Because whilst some accessories encourage and assist studying, others are not as useful or comfortable to use as they may seem.

As a teacher of English as a foreign language, the sister of a 10-year-old and a former student myself, I have experience about what school accessories parents buy for their children, what students choose for themselves, and what they should have on their school items list. Some parents tend to choose accessories because they are currently popular, like pencils with cartoon characters on them. Other parents are just not aware of the advantages and drawbacks of certain products. As a result, they can opt for school supplies which are cheap or a familiar brand but are not optimal.

So let’s think about what school accessories should be part of everyone’s back to school supplies and the variations for different educational stages.

Basic School Supplies List

Everyone’s pencil case and school supplies list should always include a:

• Pencil
• Pen
• Pencil sharpener
• Eraser
• Ruler

In many schools, writing with pencils is more common than using a pen so be sure to have plenty of these.

You could choose a standard school pencil as they’re cheap and easy to find. But it can be quite messy to sharpen its tip with a pencil sharpener. Therefore, you might consider a mechanical pencil.

The size of its tip is always the same and there’s a great variety of sizes. This kind of pencil is more precise, making it perfect for technical sketches. A drawback of a mechanical pencil is that you always need some spare refills as the tip is much thinner than a standard pencil and breaks easily. Therefore, you might need to refill it sooner than expected.

A pen is another of the most basic school accessory and there are plenty of kinds that you could add to your school items list:

• Ballpoint - this type uses a small ball to transfer the ink to the paper. These have a long lifespan, are inexpensive, and easy to find and replace. However, you do need to apply a significant amount of pressure to write with these compared to other pens, making writing for long periods of time potentially uncomfortable.
• Rollerball - liquid ink is used in these pens to help create a finer line on paper than ballpoint pens. Writing with a rollerball pen provides a smoother writing experience as less pressure is needed when writing.
• Gel - gel-based ink provides the smoothest and fastest writing, but is not as economical as a ballpoint or rollerball pen.
• Fountain - this is better for the environment as the reservoirs may be refilled giving them a longer life. It’s a classic pen with which you don’t need to apply much pressure to write. However, it may be difficult to write as a fountain pen needs to be held at a specific angle, and are best suited for older children.

Elementary School

When your little one starts education, the number of school accessories you need to put on your school supplies list can be a little overwhelming, especially if it’s the first time you’re sending a child to school. Apart from the basics above, there are some extras you’ll need to add to your school items list.

Elementary school students mostly need art supplies, as students will mostly explore the world through creative activities such as drawing, painting, and art projects.

• Color pencils
• Crayons
• Washable markers
• Non-toxic glue stick
• Blunt-tipped safety scissors

The colored pencils you’ll need to buy must be durable as young children tend to drop, step on, smash, break, and throw their school supplies. Such colored pencils may be difficult to find, but their tougher barrel means they’ll last longer. Regardless, you should make sure that those you buy should be easy to use and hold.

Two important features that you should consider when buying crayons is size and safety. For children in kindergarten and the first three years of primary school, regular sized crayons are recommended instead of jumbo ones. Jumbo crayons are more suitable for toddlers, who hold a crayon with their whole hand and use their whole arm to draw. Regular sized version helps to develop the proper grip in an elementary student’s bigger hands.

Safety of crayons and pastels is related to the ingredients they’re made of. It’s better to choose crayons made of materials such as beeswax. Ingredients to be avoided are:

• Asbestos
• Lead
• Paraffin
• Aromatic amines
• PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)

Washable markers are perfect for children in elementary school. This is because any stains and marks on skin, clothes, and walls, are easy to remove with a wet sponge. The most important thing to look for when adding them to your school supplies list is that the formula used is non-toxic.

Middle School & High School

When putting your back to school list together for your child in middle or high school, you’ll need to be a bit more discerning about what to include. This will be based on your child’s age and the number, difficulty, and type of subjects they’re taking.

Regardless, there are still some items that are useful in all of these situations that should be on your middle or high school supply list. They’ll also help students focus more on organizing notes and study materials.

• Highlighters
• Correction fluid/pen/tape
• Erasable pen
• Stapler
• Staples
• Hole punch
• Protractor
• Set square
• Compass
• Scissors
• Adhesive or washi tape

When you’re putting highlighters on your middle or high school back to school list it’s easy to be bedazzled by the choice of colors and shapes. But, more importantly, look to see if they non-bleeding, fast-drying, or anti-smear.

If you want to include correction fluid/pen/tape on your school supplies list then you need to consider several factors that affect usability.

• Fluid - good for correcting a larger surface but it may be quite messy. These also take longer to dry than other types.
• Pen - precise and perfect for tiny corrections. It doesn’t spill, so it creates less mess. However, it may take a while to dry and can leave a small indentation on the page when pressed too hard.
• Tape - this gives a nice precise effect for correcting long lines of text. It also dries very quick. It can be bought in refillable versions, too. However, sometimes the tape can break or the correction strip doesn’t stick to the page properly.

Instead of correction fluid, pen, or tape, you might want to consider buying an erasable pen. It allows you to erase the thermo-sensitive ink with an eraser added to the pen which is made of rubber cement.

There are many types of staplers and staples you could add to your school supplies list, such as heavy-duty, electric, handheld, or long-reach. But none of these are necessary for school purposes. A desktop stapler or a mini stapler is perfectly sufficient as they’re easy to buy and quick to use.

A classic desktop stapler is most likely suitable to staple about 15-20 pages, whilst the mini version will staple up to 15 pages. However, the mini version is much smaller and lightweight so it can easily be carried in a pencil case.

As for adding a hole punch to your back to school supplies list, standard two or three-hole punches are usually best for use at home. Otherwise, they’re a bit too big to carry around in your pencil case. But you can instead find a mini one-hole or two-hole punch if really think you need one on your school supplies list.

Hopefully, we’ve given you a good basic school items list to build upon, helping you to create a robust elementary, middle, and high school back to school list. You’ll undoubtedly be adding extra items to these lists depending on the particular school’s compulsory and elective subjects. So, feel free to expand, omit, or change anything on this school supplies list. You can even .

School Supplies List Essentials - Pencil Case

Gadzooks! You’ve suddenly realized that it is almost Halloween and you haven’t even thought about decorating your house yet. If that’s the case, you’re probably one of the 22% of shoppers that leave their shopping to the last two weeks before the harrowing holiday. Whilst it’s easy enough to pop out to a Halloween store and just buy some decorations, doing so can be expensive as prices of popular items can sometimes be inflated, if there are any left at all, and lines will be long! So, what about making your own DIY Halloween decorations of your own?

Many DIY Halloween decorations can be off-putting as they can be time consuming or complicated. Subsequently, they might not look as good as you’re expecting or take a lot longer than the time you have. But never fear, because we have a list of quick and easy Halloween decoration ideas for those who are pressed for time or not as confident in their crafting skills as others.

Quick Last Minute Halloween Decorations Shopping Tips

Don’ts

Don’t rush! It might seem counterintuitive in an article about last minute DIY Halloween decorations, but it’s good advice. These decorations are already designed to not take up too much of your time. Rushing could mean they might go wrong or might come out looking a bit shabby. Worse, you might end up injuring yourself.

Dos

Do take a good look around your home to see what materials for these crafts you already have. You’ll be surprised what things you might have hidden away and forgotten about from previous bouts of crafting. If you have less things to buy, you’ll spend less time in the shops, meaning more time for you to make your decorations.

Do use a shopping list when going out to buy materials for these scary Halloween decorations. Using a shopping list means you’re less likely to miss items off your list. If you’re short on time, the last thing you want to do is have to go back out to the shops to get items you’ve forgotten. What’s more, shopping list apps like Listonic, have a , which means you can have friends and family help out with getting materials for your crafts, saving you even more time.

Do see if you have any decorations from previous holidays that you can adjust to make DIY Halloween ones.

Do have family and friends help you. A problem shared is a problem halved, and Halloween decorations made with friends and family will take less time. Plus, it’s a great way to socialize and get into the Halloween spirit.

Super Quick Last Minute DIY Halloween Decorations

#1 Drill a Pumpkin

You want your Jack-o’-lanterns looking like all the amazing ones you see on web pages or on social media. But sometimes yours come out in a worse state than a slasher movie victim. Carving pumpkins is time consuming and difficult. Rushing one because your Halloween party is closer than you think is only going to make it look horrific (and not in a good way)!

1. Take a pumpkin
2. Remove the pulp and seeds
3. Use a power drill to create a pattern of holes in the side of your pumpkin

By creating Jack-o’-lanterns this way you can end up with intricate patterns that will look impressive when a candle is placed inside. It might not but be traditional, but it can potentially be a quick and impressive centerpieces to your decorations.

Drill a Pumpkin Shopping List

• Pumpkin (from $3.50)
• Power drill (from $17)

Total: $20.50

#2 Paint or Decorate a Pumpkin

If taking a power tool to your pumpkin seems a little extreme, then you can try painting or decorating one instead. Furthermore, this method will save even more time as you won’t have to scoop out the pulp and seeds from your pumpkin, which can be time-consuming and messy.

1. Take a pumpkin
2. Decorate it using paint or crafting material

You can paint a traditional Halloween grimace, decorate it with paper cut outs of other Halloween imagery, wrap it in ribbons, shower it with glitter...anything, really! Whilst you won’t be able to make it shine at night by putting any lights inside, you will have the added bonus of not having to clean up rotting pumpkins from your front lawn or living room the next day.

Paint or Decorate a Pumpkin Shopping List

• Pumpkin (from $3.50)
• Paint or crafting materials (from $5)

Total: $8.50

#3 Spooky Soap

Give your guests a spooky surprise in the bathroom by inserting some heebie-jeebies into their personal hygiene routine.

1. Use a clear soap dispenser bottle
2. Put small plastic decorations inside it
3. Fill the bottle with liquid soap

You can also glue some of the plastic decorations to the side of the bottle for extra creepiness.

Spooky Soap Shopping List

• Clear soap dispenser bottle (from $6)
• Small plastic Halloween decorations (from $6)
• Liquid soap (from $4)

Total: $16

#4 Creepy Party Cups

Your guests are going to get thirsty, so you’ll definitely have already planned to buy some plastic cups. Apart from using these as beverage receptacles, you can also make these into general decorations by attaching some string to them so they can hang from a plant or from the ceiling.

1. Take a plastic cup
2. Decorate it using marker pens, pieces of paper, googly eyes, or other crafting materials

You can do pretty much anything with these cups, and can decorate them according to their color. Got green party cups? Make them into Frankenstein’s monster. Awash with white party cups? Make them into a gaggle of ghosts. A batch of black ones? Transform them into vampire bats.

Creepy Party Cups Shopping List

• Black plastic cups (from $4)
• Crafts for decorating (from $6)

Total: $10

#5 Bloody Candles

Nothing says Halloween like a bit of light gore. Candles are also heavily associated with Halloween for their eerie flickering light. So, why not combine the two.

1. Find some white candles, and place them upright
2. Take some red candles and light them
3. Drip the wax from the lit red candle over the tips of white candles and let the red wax trickle down them

To be extra gruesome, you can even even push some black tacks into the side of the candle. Be careful if you’re doing this though, you don’t want the candles to be literally bloody!

Bloody Candles Shopping List

• White candles (from $6)
• Red candle (from $1)

Total: $7

#6 Mummy Candles

If bloody candles are a bit too macabre for you, then why not host a party like a dead ancient Egyptian with these mummy candles?

1. Use some candles that come in glass jars
2. Wrap the jars in self-adhesive medical bandage

To make the candles more spooky, you can use strips of stained and frayed cloth and stick it to the glass jars using a hot glue gun. If you prefer something more lighter in tone, you can stick some googly eyes to them. Just made sure any material used does not go any higher than the rim of the jar, as this could cause the heat and flame of the candle to set the fabric alight.

Mummy Candles Shopping List

• Candles in glass jars (from $10)
• Self-adhesive medical bandage (from $5)

Total: $15

#7 Crime Scene Outline

Turn your home into a crime scene this Halloween by recreating an outline of a murder victim.

1. Use some masking or duct tape to draw the outline of a person on the floor

If you’re worried you won’t be able to make a convincing figure on your floor by yourself, you can get someone to model for you. Simply ask them to lie on the floor in the desired position, and then trace their outline using the tape.

Crime Scene Outline Shopping List

• Masking or duct tape (from $3)

Total: $3

#8 Frightful Fridge

Turn your fridge into a wailing specter this Halloween in less time than it takes to resurrect the dead.

1. Use large pieces of black card
2. Draw the outline of some eyes and a wailing mouth
3. Cut out and stick these to your fridge using double-sided adhesive tape

This works best if your fridge is white. But if it isn’t, you can use different colors of card to create different features to stick to your fridge instead. You can even create different monsters.

Frightful Fridge Shopping List

• Black card (from $3.50)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3.50)

Total: $7

#9 Spy Flowers

Ever feel like someone’s watching you? Because your flowers will be once you’ve made these frightening flora.

1. Buy some fake flowers. Ones with long stems, large centers, and dark colored petals work best
2. Get some fake eyeballs
3. Glue the eyeballs to the centre of the flower using a hot glue gun
4. Arrange the flowers in a vase

Instead of buying fake eyeballs, you can make eyes out of some table tennis/ping pong balls using some fine marker pens.

Spy Flowers Shopping List

• Fake flowers (from $10)
• Fake eyeballs (from $4)
• Hot glue gun (from $3.50)

Total: $17.50

#10 Glow Stick Brooms

Add some color and light to you decorations by turning glow sticks into witches’ brooms.

1. Glue strips of colored paper to one end of a glow stick
2. Activate the glow stick

If you’re making these in advance, remember to activate the glow stick on the night of your party or celebrations. However, if you activate them before the stick will lose its glow before the frightful festivities have even begun!

Glow Stick Brooms Shopping List

• Glow sticks (from $7)
• Colored paper (from $3.50)

Total: $10.50

Frightfully Fast Fun

Now you’re armed with 10 quick and easy DIY Halloween decorations for your Halloween bash.

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Decorating your home for Halloween may be difficult for many reasons. First, there’s the huge variety of extraordinary Halloween decorations in stores that may drive you crazy as it’s just too much for you to decide what to buy. Secondly, you may want to be original but find every store is filled with similar products. But most importantly, maybe you don’t want to spend too much money. So why not try these DIY Halloween spider decorations?

All of these reasons can make it difficult to know where and how to start going about making your house super spooky this Halloween. So, why not try making your own crafts which can be unique and cheap? If you’re finding it difficult to know where to start, and you’re not one of the  of the US population who has arachnophobia, why not begin with a classic Halloween symbol: the spider.

13 Cheap Halloween Decorations Shopping Dos and Don’ts

Once you’re in a craft store, you may want to buy lots of items for creating Halloween spider decorations. But here are some dos and don’ts to help you shop more effectively.

Don’ts

Don’t buy too many materials. Plan all the spider decorations you want to make before heading to the store and use a shopping list to make sure you’ll buy only those products which you really need. In saying that, buy a couple of extra materials in case mistakes are made.

Dos

Do check at home for supplies you may already have. You don’t need much for creating the spider decorations in this article, and you’ll need even less if you already own some of the materials.

Do reuse old Halloween items. Creativity is the key for making last years decorations fresh and extra creepy again. Plus, by doing this you’re being eco-friendly which is good for your wallet and the environment.

#1 Pumpkin Spider Decoration

Having a fake giant spider in your Halloween yard might be too scary for some. But there’s an alternative: pumpkin DIY spiders.

1. Choose three pumpkins of different sizes. The smallest one will form the front of the spider and the biggest one will form the back.
2. Find 8 branches
3. Cover the branches with black paint
4. Make 8 small holes in the middle pumpkin to stick the branches into them: 4 on each side
5. Create big eyes using a white or black sheet of paper
6. Cut out the eyes
7. Pin the eyes to the smallest pumpkin using push pins

Pumpkin Spider Shopping List

• 3 pumpkins (from $15 per one)
• 8 branches ($0)
• Black paint (from $2)
• White or black sheet of paper (from $2)
• Push pins (from $2)

Total: $21

#2 Milk Jug Spider

Most of the products for creating a milk jug spider can be found at home. If not, you can easily find them at a hardware store for quite cheap.

1. Cover an empty milk jug with black vinyl tape
2. Take tubes of foam pipe insulation and tape them to the milk jug to form the legs
3. Make bends in the spider’s legs by making a triangular cut in the foam pipe insulation tube
4. Bend the legs where the triangular cut has been made and then cover the joint with black vinyl tape to keep it in place

As the spider is lightweight, you can hang it from the ceiling or tie it to a string spider web you made for your porch in your Halloween yard.

Milk Jug Spider Shopping List

• Milk jug (from $3)
• Black vinyl tape (from $9)
• 8 tubes of foam pipe insulation (from $24)

Total: $36

#3 Bin Bag Spider

This is a very cheap way to create a giant spider for your home.

1. Take one black bin bag and fill it with other plastic bags
2. Tie up the bag
3. Divide a black trash bag roll into eight strips
4. Tie the strips of trash bags to the bag filled with other plastic bags
5. Draw and cut the eyes out of paper and glue them to the spider’s head

If you have any trouble with tying the strips, you may use double-sided adhesive tape to stick them to the filled bag. The spider may be placed wherever there’s a large space. You can stick it to the ceiling, on a wall, or put it ontop of a closet.

Bin Bag Spider Shopping List

• Black trash bag roll (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• Paper (from $2)
• Glue (from $1)

Total: $8

#4 Window Spider Silhouette

Making a paper spider silhouette as a window decoration is a kid-friendly option for Halloween, which makes it a great way to spend time with the little ones. The only products needed are those which your child will use at school. Not only is it easy to make but it’s also cheap.

1. Take a big sheet of black paper
2. Use a pencil or a white marker to draw a huge spider shape on it
3. Cut the spider out of paper
4. Stick the silhouette to the window using double-sided adhesive tape

You can also use a couple of sheets, or one big sheet, of orange or purple tissue paper and stick this to the window first to create the illusion of stained glass. Then, stick your DIY spiders to this.

Window Spider Silhouette Shopping List

• Big sheet of black paper (from $2)
• Pencil or white marker (from $$1)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)

Total: $6

#5 Balloon Spider decoration

Another cheap Halloween decoration that is suitable for children to make is a giant spider made out of a balloon and crepe paper streamers.

1. Inflate a black balloon
2. Draw and cut some eyes out of white paper
3. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick them to the balloon
4. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick the black crepe paper streamers to the balloon
5. Hang the balloon with the streamers off the wall or from the ceiling using double-sided adhesive tape

If you’re worried about double-sided adhesive tape causing damage to your walls or ceiling, you can use removable putty instead, which is less likely to leave any marks or damage when removed.

Balloon Spider Shopping List

• Black balloon (from $2)
• Sheet of white paper (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• Black crepe paper streamers (from $1)

Total: $8

#6 Paper Spider Garland

A paper spider garland makes a great Halloween decoration. Plus it’s a perfect option when you’re decorating on a budget.

1. Take a long rectangular sheet of black paper and fold it in half
2. Fold it in half again
3. Use a pencil or a white marker to draw half of a spider’s body. Draw its legs in such a way that they extend beyond the given space on black paper, and make sure the centre of the spider is where the fold is.
4. Cut out the spider
5. Unfold the paper to make a spider garland

You can hang the garland in a window, on a door, or on a closet, using string or adhesive tape.

Paper Spider Garland Shopping List

• Sheet of black paper (from $2)
• Pencil/white marker (from $1)

Total: $3

#7 Tin Can Spider

Instead of throwing out empty food cans, you can recycle them into a Halloween spider decorations.

1. Wash and dry the empty food can
2. Paint the can using black paint
3. Take 8 black pipe cleaners and use a hot glue gun to affix them to the can
4. Bend the pipe cleaners so that they look like spider legs
5. Glue googly eyes to the can

You may use the can as a container for Halloween candy or as a pencil holder. Before using the can, make sure you cover the edges with paper or fabric as sometimes the edges can be quite sharp.

Tin Can Spider Shopping List

• Black paint (from $2)
• 8 black pipe cleaners (from $1.50)
• Hot glue gun (from $3.5)
• Googly eyes (from $1.50)

Total: $8.50

#8 Lollipop Spider

Black pipe cleaners may be used in a number of ways for creating Halloween decorations. One of them is a last minute spider using a lollipop and some pipe cleaners. This makes it not only a quick and cheap decoration, but it can also be used as creepy candy you can give to trick or treaters.

1. Wrap the lollipop in a black napkin or black tissue paper
2. Bend black pipe cleaners in half and wind them around the lollipop’s stick to hold the black napkin/tissue paper in place
3. Glue googly eyes to the spider

You may skip the first step to create the lollipop spiders even quicker and cheaper.

Lollipop Spider Shopping List

• Lollipops (from $3)
• Black pipe cleaners (from $1.50)
• Black napkins/black tissue paper (from $3)
• Googly eyes (from $1.50)

Total: $9

#9 Popsicle Stick Spider

This is a good crafting idea for smaller children. However, it requires some adult help.

1. Take 4 ice cream sticks and paint them using black paint
2. When the sticks are dry, glue them together in the middle of the each stick so that each stick forms 2 of the spider’s legs
3. Glue on some googly eyes

Popsicle Stick Spider Shopping List

• Ice cream sticks (from $1.50)
• Black paint (from $2)
• Painting brush (from $2.50)
• Glue (from $1)
• Googly eyes stickers (from $1.50)

Total: $8.50

#10 Egg Carton Spider

An empty egg carton is perfect material for many crafts. It’s easily accessible, cheap, and easy to work with. Use them for creating a friendly-looking Halloween spider decorations.

1. Cut individual cups from an egg carton
2. Trim the edges so that the cups lie flat
3. Paint each cup with black paint
4. Use the tip of a pen or the tip of sharp-ended scissors to make 8 holes in the sides of the carton cup, 4 on the left and 4 on the right
5. Thread 4 black pipe cleaners through the holes
6. Bend the pipe cleaners to make spider’s legs and help it stand up on its own
7. Glue on some googly eyes

Egg Carton Spider Shopping List

• Egg carton cups (from $1)
• Black paint (from $2)
• 4 Black pipe cleaners (from $1.50)
• Googly eyes stickers (from $1.50)

Total: $6

#11 Handprint Spider

This craft is mainly aimed at small children. But you may also connect with your inner child and make these yourself.

1. Take a sheet of paper
2. Cover your hand with black paint
3. Leave a handprint on the paper
4. Cover your other hand in black paint and leave a handprint on the other side of the first one. Your fingers should create the legs.
5. Paint the spider’s eyes
6. Cut out or decorate your creations

Handprint Spider Shopping List

• Sheet of paper (from $2)
• Black paint (from $2)
• White paint (from $2)

Total: $8.50

#12 Shower Puff Spider

Have you ever thought of using a shower puff for making crafts? Well, you can use some to make a Halloween spider decorations!

1. Use a black shower puff
2. Take 8 black pipe cleaners and wrap their ends around the centre of the shower puff
3. Bend the pipe cleaners again to create the spider’s legs
4. Glue googly eyes to the shower puff

Shower Puff Shopping List

• Black shower puff (from $10)
• Black pipe cleaners (from $1.50)
• Googly eyes (from $1.50)

Total: $13

#13 Paper Plate Spider

This is a great option for a Halloween party as it’s easy to make and can also be used for your guests to put party food on.

1. Put a paper towel on the table to secure the area of making the spider plate. It’s important that the front part of the plate is clean so that it can be used for placing food on the plate.
2. Place a black paper plate with the front part facing down on the paper towel
3. Draw and cut out 1 spider leg on a sheet of black paper
4. Use the spider leg you’ve cut out as a template for drawing and cutting out 7 more legs
5. Cut them out and glue the legs to the back part of the plate

Paper Plate Spider Shopping List

• Black paper plate (from $2)
• Sheet of black paper (from $2)
• Glue (from $1)

Total: $5

Spooky Spider Decorations

You’re ready to make all your handmade spider decorations. Remember it’s all about fun so don’t worry about making these perfect. Spend time with your family and friends and enjoy the creative side of Halloween.

Have a frightfully fun Halloween!

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At this time of year, children’s imaginations are working overtime. Whilst some children may be a little scared, there will be many who can’t wait until they are able to put on their costumes, go trick-or-treating, and eat lots of Halloween candy. What helps to engage this burst of creativity is making Halloween kids decorations.

However, many traditional decoration activities and Halloween crafts, such as carving Halloween pumpkins, can be a little unsuitable for children as they may get hurt or the tasks are too difficult for them. Instead, allow them to make decorations for their room on their own, or with your help. This can also help you cut down what you spend on Halloween party decorations as these handmade decorations are made of mostly paper and adhesive tape which usually don’t cost too much.

Check out ideas for cheap DIY Halloween kids decorations.

DIY Halloween Kids Decorations Shopping Tips

Do focus on simple Halloween crafts. The products used for such decorations are not difficult to use and are cheap and easy to work with.

Do recycle decorations and accessories for other celebrations, such as birthdays, and adapt these to become Halloween party decorations.

Do make shopping lists. By making a shopping list you can keep better track of what you’ve bought and what you still need to buy, reducing the potential for missed items or duplicates. You may use an electronic shopping list, such as Listonic, which has many convenient features, such as a and a function.

Do check at home first for whether you have the materials needed for the crafts. It may prevent you from buying unnecessary items, saving you even more money, and helping you be a bit more environmentally-friendly by recycling.

Witch’s Hats

A witch is one of Halloween’s most recognizable symbols. A homemade one doesn’t take up much time or money.

1. Use the adhesive tape to stick a birthday cone hat to a paper plate
2. Paint the hat black
3. Thread a piece of string through the top of the hat
4. Hang it wherever you want

Additionally, you may cover the witch’s hat with glitter or cover it with fake cobwebs.

Witch’s Hat Shopping List

• Birthday cone hat (from $1.50)
• Paper plate (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• Black paint (from $2)
• String (from $1)

Total: $9.50

Witch’s Legs

If you have a pair of tights and a pair of old and battered boots, you have almost everything to make these witch’s legs. Preferably, the color of the tights should be purple, black, orange, or a combination of these colors.

1. Fill tights with any kind of fabric or dry waste
2. Put on the boots on the ends of the stuffed tights

You may place the legs under the bed, the couch, or even the doormat.

Witch’s Legs Shopping List

• Tights (from $5)

Total: $5

Paper Bats

Making bats made of paper are classic Halloween kids decorations. Despite their simplicity and easiness to make, these can still look quite impressive.

1. Fold a sheet of black paper in half
2. Draw a half of a bat with a pencil. Make sure the body of the bat is where the fold in the paper is.
3. Cut out the bat
4. Unfold the paper to see the full bat form

You may thread a string through a bat’s head and hang it somewhere, or use double-sided adhesive tape to stick the bat to the wall or any piece of furniture.

With this Halloween kids decoration you can also add as many extra details as you like. You can cut out fangs using pieces of white paper and stick them to the bat, or add some googly eyes. You might even consider painting a used toilet roll tube black and attaching it to your paper bat to make it more 3D.

Paper Bats Shopping List

• Sheet of black paper (from $2)

Total: $2

Spider Web on the Floor

A spider web on the floor using string may not be the safest option. Instead, create a spider web using electrical or washi tape.

1. Choose a place on the floor where you want to have your spider web
2. Use electrical or washi tape to create a spider web

Spider Web on the Floor

• Electrical or washi tape (from $2)

Total: $2

Mummy Juice Bottle

Creating a mummy out of a plastic bottle is a great way of recycling waste. It’s also easy and quick to make so that even small children can have a go at creating one.

1. Take an empty bottle of juice
2. Cover the bottle with narrow white elastic adhesive bandage
3. Glue the googly eyes on the front

Mummy Juice Bottle Shopping List

• Juice bottle (from $4)
• White elastic adhesive bandage (from $3)
• Googly eyes (from $1.50)

Total: $8.50

Black Cat Balloons

Balloons are often used for decorating parties. But even if you’re not planning to throw a Halloween party, you can still use balloons to decorate a child’s room for Halloween.

1. Blow up some black balloons
2. Cut cat ears and whiskers out of black paper
3. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick the ears and whiskers to the balloon

You may also create bat and spider balloons in a similar way using similar materials.

Halloween Balloon Shopping List

• Black balloons (from $1)
• Black paper (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)

Total: $6

Monster Door

Monsters can be pretty scary as costumes, but have you ever thought of creating monster decorations, such as a monster door?

1. Cut small circles out of black paper
2. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick these circles to white paper plates to create eyes
3. Use double-sided adhesive tape to stick the eyes to the door
4. Use masking tape to create a mouth

You can also be as creative as you want with these. You can create as many eyes as you want, and also use different pieces of colored paper to create different features such as hair and teeth.

Monster Door Shopping List

• Black paper (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• White paper plates (from $2)
• Masking tape (from $2)

Total: $9

Have a Spooky Halloween!

Creating these Halloween kids decorations should be all about fun and spending time together. Be creative and adjust these ideas to your needs and your imagination.

Read our other Halloween shopping list ideas to get more inspiration for Halloween decorations. Let us know what you think of these ideas for Halloween kids decorations or share your own ideas for DIY Halloween kids decorations in the comments. For more inspiration, check out our other articles in our Halloween section.

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Halloween is approaching and you may be thinking about a spooky makeover for your garden. This year you may want to have different Halloween yard decorations to what you had last year. Maybe carved pumpkins and inflatable lawn ghosts are no longer for you? Time for change!

Whether you want some really frightening decorations, or some kid-friendly ones that are not too scary, this is a great opportunity for you to make your own.

Making Halloween yard decorations on your own is a good way of saving money to spend on other aspects of your Halloween, such as costumes. According to Colorado Springs Business Journal, Americans planned to spend $3.4 billion on costumes in 2017, compared to $2.7 billion on decorations in general. Spending less on individual Halloween yard decorations means you can ensure your costumes are extra creepy this year.

Gruesome DIY Halloween Yard Decorations Shopping Dos and Don’ts

Before you start your shopping for garden decorations, here are some tips.

Don’ts

Don’t use Halloween yard decorations that can possibly ruin your garden, such as leaving marks on your lawn or killing some of your plants. One day of Halloween celebrations is not worth a destroyed garden, which would need time to recover. For example, a fire in your garden may look super spooky, but can be dangerous, causing damage to your lawn and possibly even your home!

Don’t use too many electrical decorations in your garden. Using many fairy lights may create an impressive effect but these will rack up your electricity bill. Try to use LED lights or glow sticks instead which will use much less or even no electricity at all.

Dos

Do start by looking in your garage for items that you need for your Halloween decorations. You may have many products there so you might not have to buy new ones.

Do check out supermarkets, hardware stores, and craft stores first for you Halloween outdoor decor. You may find lots of items that you might need there so you won’t have to spend fortune in more expensive Halloween-themed stores.

Do use Halloween yard decorations you’ve used before and modify them a little bit. It’ll not only save time but also money.

Do take time to properly secure your decorations. Buy some extra string to make sure your decorations don’t blow away or cause injury or damage. Fasten your flat lawn decorations with metal, wooden, or plastic garden stakes.

Glowing Hands in a Pond

Do you have a pond in your backyard? Make use of it for Halloween and put in some glowing hands. It will look like a zombie is trying to get out of the pond, and look extra spooky and mysterious as they glow in the dark.

1. Take a couple of white latex gloves
2. Put a glow stick in each glove (blue or green work best)
3. Put some transparent gel inside the glove to weigh them down
4. Blow up the latex gloves and tie them up like a balloon
5. Put them into the pond

Glowing Hands in a Pond Shopping List

• White latex gloves (from $5)
• Glow sticks (from $9)

Total: $14

Packing Tape Glowing Ghost

These glowing ghosts are made of clear packing tape and look really spooky, making them perfect for your backyard. They’re time-consuming to make, taking a couple of hours each, so make sure you plan ahead and start making these early. It’s also a great opportunity to spend some time with a friend or family member as you’ll need a ghost-model.

1. Start by taking some cling film and wrap it around your model’s leg
2. Add a layer of clear packing tape
3. Use blunt-edged scissors to cut the cast you’ve made with the packing tape and cling film
4. Tape the cast back together once removed to recreate the shape of the leg you’ve just made
5. Repeat the action with other body parts.
6. Leave a hole in the ghost’s body to put switched on LED lights inside

Remember to be particularly careful when covering the head. If you have a head-like object, such as a mannequin’s head, use it as a replacement for making the cast from. Once your ghost is made, you can decorate it with hair, a dress, or other spooky accessories.

Packing Tape Glowing Ghost Shopping List

• 3-4 rolls of clear packing tape (from $9)
• 2-3 rolls of cling film (from $2)
• LED lights (from $4)
• Blunt-edged scissors (from $1.50)

Total: $16.50

Raven Wreath

Ravens are deep black and glossy, which gives them this sinister look, creating a creepy aesthetic to add to your Halloween yard decorations. Try putting them on your front door in the form of a door wreath.

1. Find an old picture frame
2. Paint it silver, red, purple, orange, or whatever color you like
3. Use a hot glue gun to stick the ravens onto the edges of the frame
4. Tie a ribbon to the top of the wreath and hang it on the front door

Optionally, you may paint their eyes red to give them an even more sinister appearance. You can also make similar wreaths in the same manner but using eyeballs or plastic skeleton hands.

Raven Wreath Shopping List

• Old picture frame (from $6)
• Plastic ravens (from $4)
• Hot glue gun (from $3.50)
• Ribbon (from $1.50)

Total: $15

Skeleton Cage

Skeletons are an essential element of Halloween. It’s impossible to make it through the holiday without seeing at least a dozen! So why not trap one in your garden this year.

1. Take 2 round plastic washing baskets
2. Cut the edges off the baskets and paint them black
3. Take a plastic skeleton and place it inside one basket
4. Tie the two parts together with cable ties

You may put it on the ground and secure it with a couple of metal, wooden, or plastic garden stakes, or you may thread string through the cage and hang it from a tree.

Skeleton Hands Shopping List

• 2 round plastic washing baskets (from $13)
• Plastic skeleton (from $12)
• Black paint (from $2)
• Cable ties (from $2.50)

Total: $29.50

Pumpkin Monster

Pumpkins are an absolute Halloween classic, appearing everywhere, especially in gardens. But you can make your pumpkin decorations even scarier by transforming them into pumpkin monsters.

1. Choose a very big pumpkin and carve it with a very big mouth
2. Place the pumpkin in your garden
3. Take some old clothes and fill them with scrap fabric or dry trash
4. Shape the clothes in the form of a person and stick this into the mouth of the pumpkin to make look like the pumpkin ate someone

Pumpkin Monster Shopping List

• Large pumpkin (from $3.50)

Total: $3.50

Spy Flowers

Halloween is not usually the time for flowers to flourish, but don’t worry! Using these Halloween yard decorations means you can not only have some beautiful flowers in your garden, but some super scary ones, too!

1. Buy a couple of big plastic or fabric flowers. It’s best if their stem is long and the petals are a dark color, such as purple or red.
2. Buy fake eyes
3. Use a hot glue gun to stick the eyes into the centre of the flowers
4. Put the flowers into the ground or in a flowerpot

Instead of fake eyes, you can use table tennis balls and draw eyes onto them using marker pens.

Spy Flower Shopping List

• Plastic or fabric flowers (from $10)
• Fake eyes (from $4)
• Hot glue gun (from $3.50)

Total: $17.50

Cat Shadow

Put the shadowy form of a witch’s familiar in your garden to warn people that mischievous magic is practiced here.

1. Take a sheet of black card
2. Use a pencil or a white marker to draw the shape of a cat
3. Cut out the cat shape
4. Attach the silhouette to a kebab skewer, so it can be stuck in the ground

You can also add additional details to your cat shadow either by cutting out holes for its eyes, or using some reflective material to create eyes to make them extra creepy.

Cat Shadow Shopping List

• Black card (from $3.50)
• Pencil/white marker (from $1)
• Kebab skewer (from $5)

Total: $9.50

Skeleton Flamingos

You really like your flamingos in the garden but you want them to be all dressed up for Halloween? Or maybe you don’t like them anymore and are wondering about an alternative use for them? No worries, you can transform them into skeleton flamingos!

1. Cover a lawn flamingo with black paint
2. Take some white paint and paint a skeleton onto the flamingo using a thin artist’s brush

Skeleton Flamingo Shopping List

• Lawn flamingo (from $5.50)
• Black paint (from $2)
• White paint (from $2)
• Thin artist’s brush (from $2.50)

Total: $12

Spider Web

Decorating a garden with spiders and spider webs is a Halloween must. You can do it cheaply, easily, and quickly.

1. Take white or black string and cut a couple of long pieces off. These will form the “spokes” of your spider web.
2. Pin one end of each spoke in the position you want
3. Gather each spoke and, where they meet in the middle of the web, tie them together
4. Take the rest of the ball of string attach one end of the string to the middle of the web, then wrap the string around the “spokes” to create a spider web

Spider Web Shopping List

• Ball of string (from $1)

Total: $1

Yard Monster

If you have a bush in your backyard you can quickly, easily, and cheaply turn it into a yard monster. All you need to do is create some eyes!

1. Take a piece of cardboard and draw two circles on it to form the eyes
2. Cut out the circles
3. Cover the circles with white paint
4. Paint some irises and pupils
5. Put your big creepy cardboard eyes in a bush

To secure the eyes, use some string and tie your eyes to the bush’s branches.

Yard Monster Shopping List

• White paint (from $2)
• Paint for the irises (color of your choice) (from $2)

Total: $4

We “Witch” You a Happy Halloween!

Have a spooky Halloween!

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First carved pumpkins appear in the neighborhood. Then you start noticing paper bats, plastic spiders, and spiderwebs in the stores. Halloween is approaching! Can’t wait to get into the Halloween vibe? Why not begin your spooky preparations with some Halloween ghost decorations?

But Halloween shopping can cost a lot and you may be concerned about the amount of money you’re spending this Halloween. In 2017, the National Retail Federation estimated that 72% Americans will spend $2.7 billion dollars on decorations. That’s a frightening fortune!

But there are lots of ways to cut down on your costs this Halloween. One way is to make your own Halloween decorations.

If you’re finding the amount of choice for DIY Halloween decorations a bit overwhelming, why not start by focusing on one type of decoration? Here, we’ll give you 13 ghoulish Halloween ghost decorations, complete with a shopping list for each one.

Cheap and Simple Halloween Ghost Decorations Shopping Dos and Don’ts

Before you start your Halloween shopping, here are some tips to help you out.

Don’ts

Don’t head to a Halloween-themed store as your first shopping destination if you have still plenty of time before the celebrations. Only go there if you really can’t find what you want anywhere else. The prices there are usually much higher than in other stores, such as supermarkets, where you can find the same or similar items.

Dos

Do plan your Halloween decorations shopping with a shopping list. You can even use a shopping list app, like Listonic, which is full of handy features like your shopping list with others. A shopping list will help you keep track of the products you bought and those you still need to buy, meaning fewer missed items and duplicates.

Do use a shopping list to you plan your expenses. There are estimated prices for each decoration at the end of each shopping list so you can be aware of how much each decoration will cost. You can also use a shopping list app with a to help you keep track of your spending when doing your shopping.

Do check out online auction sites like eBay.com, eBid.net, or Bonanza.com for materials. There’s plenty to choose from and the items you can find there are sometimes much cheaper and more unique to what you might find in stores.

Do visit a consignment store if you do any Halloween shopping at the last minute. The choice may be limited but you can still find some wicked accessories for your home decorations.

Do shop for pre-made Halloween decorations late. This way, you’ll save yourself money as most stores offer big discounts just before Halloween on items that aren’t popular and haven’t sold well. Use the opportunity to buy decorations for next Halloween, too.

#1 Cheesecloth Balloon Ghost

Creating one is pretty simple. Follow these steps:

1. Inflate a white balloon
2. Attach the balloon to a plastic bottle. The size of the bottle depends on the height you want for the ghost.
3. Fill the bottle with a transparent liquid such as water so that the ghost stays in place
4. Prepare pieces of cheesecloth to cover the balloon. It’s best when the cheesecloth is crumpled, frayed, and torn.
5. Cover the balloon with cheesecloth, using pieces of double-sided adhesive tape to make the cheesecloth stick to it
6. Cut out some eyes and a mouth using black paper and glue them to the ghost

Cheesecloth Balloon Ghost Shopping List

• White balloon (from $1)
• Plastic bottle (from $1)
• Cheesecloth (from $3)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• Black paper (from $2)

Total: $11

#2 Floating Ghost

You may use the balloon ghost to create a similar kinds of Halloween ghost decorations: floating ghosts.

1. Attach two plastic bottles of the same size to the left hand and right hand side of an inflated balloon
2. Put some cheesecloth directly on top of the balloon
3. Spray the cheesecloth with fabric stiffener
4. Leave for 24 hours to dry
5. Remove the balloon and the bottles from under the cheesecloth. When placed directly on the table, it’ll create the illusion of a floating ghost.

Floating Ghost Shopping List

• White balloon (from $1)
• Plastic bottles (from $1)
• Cheesecloth (from $3)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• Black paper (from $2)
• Fabric stiffener (from $4)

Total: $14

#3 Hanging Ghost

Another variation of the cheesecloth balloon ghost is a hanging ghost.

1. Inflate a white balloon
2. Tie a piece of string to the balloon
3. Make a small hole in a piece of cheesecloth and thread the string through it to cover the balloon with the fabric
4. Hang the ghost from the ceiling

You won’t need to glue the cheesecloth to the balloon as it will stay in place because the string is threaded through the cheesecloth.

Hanging Ghost Shopping List

• White balloon (from $1)
• Cheesecloth (from $3)
• String (from $1)

Total: $5

#4 Cloche Jar Ghost

This is an elegant way to decorate your house with Halloween ghost decorations.

1. Find a big glass cloche
2. Fill it with cotton wool
3. Cut out some eyes and a mouth using a sheet of black paper
4. Stick the eyes and the mouth to the cloche with double-sided adhesive tape
5. Put it on a cake stand

Jar Ghost Shopping List

• Glass cloche (from $10)
• Cotton wool (from $1)
• Sheet of black paper (from $2)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)

Total: $16

#5 Milk Jug Ghost

Quick, easy, and cheap, especially as you’ll probably have a plastic milk jug in your house. If you go through a lot of milk, you can start saving these early on. Just don’t forget to clean them thoroughly our you might get a frightful pong from them!

1. Find and clean an empty plastic milk jug
2. Draw a scary face on it using a black marker
3. Put a glow stick, flashlight, or fairy lights inside

Milk Jug Ghost Shopping List

• Empty plastic juice or milk bottle (from $3)
• Black marker (from $1)
• Glow stick, flashlight, or fairy lights (from $3)

Total: $7

#6 White Candle Ghost

These are simple Halloween ghost decorations you can add to your dining table at your party. Amuse and spook your guests with these cheap and easy candles.

1. Use a white candle
2. Create some eye and a mouth using a black marker

White Candle Ghost Shopping List

• White candle (from $2)
• Black marker (from $1)

Total: $3

#7 Lollipop Ghost

Create some scary lollipops this Halloween season, either as a treat or as Halloween ghost decorations.

1. Cover a lollipop with a white tissue
2. Secure the tissue by tying a ribbon around the lollipop
3. Draw some eyes and a mouth on the tissue using a black marker

Lollipop Ghost Shopping List

• Lollipop (from $3)
• White tissue (from $1.50)
• Ribbon (from $1.50)
• Black marker (from $1)

Total: $7

#8 Leaf Ghost

Make use of the falling leaves from the trees and recycle them for Halloween ghost decorations. You can also make collecting the leaves part of the Halloween fun with your family, by seeing who can find the biggest, bestest, leaf!

1. Find a leaf and cover it with white paint
2. Use a black marker to draw a face on it or attach some googly eyes

Leaf Ghost Shopping List

• White paint (from $2)
• Black marker or googly eyes (from $1)

Total: $3

#9 Coffee Filter Ghost

This is a good option if you had little time to prepare or even think about decorating your home for Halloween. It’s also a cheap, quick, and fun idea for a kids’ craft.

1. Take a coffee filter and draw a face with a black marker on it
2. Turn the filter upside down and make it into a cone shape

You may thread a string through the top of the ghost and hang it from a plant in your home or a dry branch that you put inside a tall vase.

Coffee Filter Ghost Shopping List

• White coffee filters (from $3)
• Black marker (from $1)

Total: $4

#10 Paper Hanging Ghost

It’s a very last minute option but an effective one! It’s great fun for kids to make, too.

1. Take a black marker and draw a simple ghost’s face on a white sheet of paper
2. Draw the shape of its head
3. Make the lower part of the ghost a spiral
4. Take scissors and cut out the ghost, including cutting out the spiral
5. Glue string to the ghost’s head
6. Hang it wherever you like

Paper Hanging Ghost Shopping List

• Black marker (from $1)
• White paper (from $2)
• Glue (from $1)
• String (from $1)

Total: $5

#11 Plastic Cup Ghost

You’ll probably already be using a lot of plastic cups for your Halloween party, so why not use some of them to create Halloween ghost decorations.

1. Take a white plastic cup
2. Draw some eyes and a mouth on the cup using a black marker

You may place the ghost on the table or create a garland out of it. For the latter you’ll need string to thread it through the cups. Additionally, you may glue a couple of strips of tissue paper to the cup, to make the ghost even more ghost-like.

Plastic Cup Ghost Shopping List

• White plastic cup (from $3)
• Black marker (from $1)

Total: $4

#12 Lamp Shade Ghost

Transform cheap or old lamp shades into Halloween ghost decorations. This is a good way of reusing an item you may no longer need, making this decoration eco-friendly too.

1. Find an old lamp shade in a neutral colour such as white or beige
2. Draw a face on it with a black marker or cut the eyes and the mouth from black paper and glue it to the lamp shade
3. Place a flashlight or fairy lights underneath it

Lamp Shade Ghost Shopping List

• Lamp shade (from $1)
• Black marker (from $1)
• Black paper (from $2)
• Glue (from $1)
• Flashlight or fairy lights (from $3)

Total: $8

#13 Trash Bag Ghost

Why not create extra cheap, homemade Halloween ghost decorations which also make sounds?

1. Use a white trash bag
2. Hold the bag upside down
3. Place a white balloon or a messy ball made of other white plastic bags underneath the bag
4. Attach the ball to the bag using double-sided adhesive tape
5. Draw a ghost’s face with a black marker or glue the one that you cut out of black paper
6. Attach some string to the bag and hang it outside close to a window

If it’s windy the bag will make spooky noises and will move like a ghost!

Trash Bag Ghost Shopping List

• White trash bag (from $4)
• White balloon (from $6)
• Double-sided adhesive tape (from $3)
• Black marker (from $1)
• Black paper (from $2)
• String (from $1)

Total: $17

Have a Fa-BOO-lous Halloween!

Remember, creating Halloween ghost decorations should be fun. Even if they don’t turn out perfect, focus on enjoying yourself whilst making them. Grab your family and have your kids help you in making them, or use this opportunity to spend time with your friends while preparing these spectral centrepieces.

Happy Halloween!

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