BOO! But on a Budget

I am a freak for Halloween. Not in a totally creepy way but in a completely healthy, like to be spooked in a controlled environment kind of way. What do I mean by "spooked in a controlled environment?" I mean that I think it’s fun to be a little scared, but only when I know that I’m not actually putting myself in harm’s way. For example, I would never go ghost hunting in an abandoned women’s prison (a little game that my high school classmates loved to play). No, no abandoned buildings. Not because I’m afraid of ghosts but because it’s private property and I don't want to get murdered by someone hiding out in it, or worse… arrested.

I prefer to get all my spooking through scary movies at home and haunted houses, but only the kinds where they can’t touch you. In my preteen years I had a traumatic haunted house experience. This big, scary, bloody, clown grabbed a handful of my curls, sniffed them, and said I smelled “tasty.” I honestly haven’t been the same since.

Now don’t get me wrong I’m not a spooky girl all year round. I mean, I like to wear a lot of black but that’s really more of a slimming thing than a spooky one. And yes, I had the inevitable preteen emo phase but we're past that now, more sophisticated and mature. All that remains of said emo phase is a drawer of tattered band tees and some smelly converse. Anyway...every year on September first, I make my spooky transformation. I decorate the outside of my house, the inside of my house, slap on my candy corn socks, and break out the White Barn fall scents.

Similar to my Harry Potter obsession, this obsession with spook doesn’t hurt anyone and is therefore socially acceptable. Do my friends get annoyed when I talk about my crush on Ron Weasley? Yeah. Do they also get annoyed when they get caught in the cotton spider webs on my porch? Also yes. Do I care? Hellllll nooooo.

This year as I made my transformation from regular old bitch to spooky bitch I decided to share that journey with you all. I went all out, so if you’re looking to add a little Halloween razzle dazzle to your life, and are ballin’ on a budget (like me) here are a few decor DIYS under $25.

1. Stack O’ Pumpkins

Every crafty bitch loves to make a little stack of pumpkins for his/her house so I figured this was a good starting place. The pumpkins pictured below were sort of my inspiration but I didn't want to spend that kind of money... who does this Grandin Road think I am with prices like that?

I didn't have a holder or a vase already so I didn't even know if I could accomplish such a feat. Long story short, it worked out and resulted in one of the most iconic crafts I have ever done. I am so proud of this little craft, it was easy, quick, and affordable. It also looks like I spent a lot of money but based on the title of this post we know that I totally didn't. Here's the final product of my efforts, the queen of Halloween, and probably the star of this post:

Now let's break this down...

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

This first thing I did was ran to Goodwill. Like I mentioned, I didn't have a vase or anything to place my pumpkins in so I needed to find that first. I knew if I couldn't find the perfect holder, this Stack O' Pumpkins wouldn't work. As you can see from my ridiculously silly faces below, I found the perfect... well idk what to call this. It looks like the Goblet of Fire (not-so-subtle HP reference). This bad boy cost $6 from the GW and was worth every penny, all 600 of them (wohoo yeah, math).

Next, I went on a hunt for the perfect pumpkins. I wanted pumpkins that were specific colors and sizes. I lucked out and found these perfect little pumpkins at Walmart for about $5 each.

The last things I picked up were some glittery Halloween branches from Dollar Tree, they were $1 a piece.

Step 2:

Spray paint your materials your desired colors. I spray painted the gold vase black, the white pumpkin orange and the orange pumpkin black. As with any spray painting project, be sure to do multiple coats and take it slow. Rushing the project will only create runs and streaks from paint build-up.

Step 3:

When your spray paint dries, pull the tops off of the bottom two pumpkins. I used to refer to this part of the pumpkin as the "stem," but I recently learned that it's actually called a "peduncle." So whether you're uneducated swine and call it a stem, or elite and refer to it as a peduncle, pull that sucker off! You might have to use a knife or saw, but the Walmart pumpkins that I got just pulled right out. Now, hot glue the three pumpkins together. you can skip this step depending on how well your pumpkins fit together, but I found that they just hold a lot better when glued.

Step 4:

For the last step, go ahead and stuff your vase/holder with filling. This is where I used the Dollar Tree branches but you could use anything you want. For example fake flowers, fake leaves, or other fall branches. Now all you have left to do is set your pumpkins on top and ooh and ahhh at your amazing accomplishment.

In total this craft cost me about $24 and looks adorable in its spot in my room. Of course if you don't already have a hot glue gun, or spray paint this craft might cost you a little more but I guarantee that it won't cost you what those hustlers at this "Grandin Road" are charging.

2. Outdoor Stack O’ Pumpkins

I'm going to be honest with you, I knew from the start this craft was going to be a really big hit or a really big miss. I am pleased to inform you that it was a success, and the most affordable craft in this list! I made it an outdoor decoration, but you could definitely use it indoors (minus the pot of dirt) if you would like.

Here's how I did it:

Step1: Get the Goodies

All you need for this craft are three Halloween Trick or Treating pumpkins, something to put in them, and a dowel rod. You can get these pumpkins at Walmart, Target, or various dollar stores, but I got mine at Goodwill (of course). Each pumpkin is around $1. The expensive part is the fake flowers.I think planting mums in the top pumpkin would be fall af and cute af, but I don't exactly have a green thumb... so my top pumpkin got Walmart fake flowers for about $12. And if you've never bought a dowel rod before, they're usually less than $1.

Step 2:

Spray paint the pumpkins to your desired color. If you wish to leave them orange, that is totally fine but in my humble opinion that bright orange can look a little tacky on your front porch. Not like anyone asked, but just saying... Anyway, as you can obviously see, I painted them white.

Step 3:

The next thing you're going to do is go ahead and grab some handy dandy power tools. If you don't like using power tools ask your boyfriend or dad or something for help. But, if you're a bad bitch like me, grab your drill baby girl because we don't need no man. Drill a hole large enough for your dowel rod to fit through, through all three of your pumpkins. Then go ahead and place each pumpkin through your dowel rod so you end up with stack O' pumpkins on a stick.

Step 4:

Find something on your porch to stick the bottom of your dowel rod in, and stuff your top pumpkin. I had this cool cauldron on my front porch already, so I used that. You could even stick it in the ground and it would hold. I might also recommend putting something heavy like rocks in your bottom two pumpkins, so they stay in place. And.... Voila you have cute lawn/porch decor that cost about $15 to make.

3. Trick or Treat Vase Trio

I'm not sure if vase trios are a thing, but if they are this is the best trio there every was. Not only is it one of the most affordable and adorable pieces of decor, but it's also the decor that keeps on giving. You can use the base to match whatever season or holiday we're in with just a few adjustments.

Here's how I did it!

Step 1: Secure the bag

First up, you need to get the goodies. These should be super easy to get. You could definitely get everything you need by running to a craft store or even Walmart for that matter. But if you're looking for a bargain, you might have to make another stop at Goodwill... apparently I'm a thrift queen.

Try to find three identical vases. I couldn't find three identical, but I did find two and one that was shaped similarly but a bit shorter (the middle, obvi). Each vase was only $1 at my Goodwill. I'm not sure about your local GW, but mine always has glass shit just laying around so it shouldn't be too hard to find.

Step 2:

Again with the spray paint... Krylon should probably just go ahead and sponsor me at this point.. but we're spray painting these babies too. I spray painted my vases matte black with the same can I used for the pumpkin and the Stack O' Pumpkin holder (one can painted all of the above). Anyway spray paint them using the same slow technique, letting them dry between coats. It's not a race, Becky and if you're trying to race your stuff will look shitty in the end.

Step 3:

Find anything you think looks good to put in your freshly painted vases. I'll probably keep these out all year around and put different things in them depending on the season. I think they look really elegant and chic plain, and I would potentially put real flowers in them after I'm done using them for my Halloween purposes.

I wanted them to look really jazzy and Halloween so I added a lot to them. If you think this is a little overboard or some might even say "tacky," then first of all screw you and second of all I get it, that's my style. I'm pretty very extra and over-the-top! Go ahead and place things in them that you think look good. There's absolutely no way to "mess this up." Have fun with it and decorate to your own personal style.

I finished them off with a little Halloween ribbon, the leftover fake flowers, Dollar Tree branches, and then placed them on my vanity dresser. I think they're really fun and perfect for Halloween. In total these three vases cost me about $15.

4. Hocus Pocus Posters

These posters unfortunately have nothing to do with the movie Hocus Pocus, I just liked the way that subtitle rolled off the tongue. Anyway these posters are my favorite, easy holiday decor items. They're so easy to throw in your already-hung frames. No new holes, no tools, no nothing. This is the lazy girl's craft!

Step 1:

Go into Photoshop and design something that you like. I used Photoshop on my computer but you can use Canva, Microsoft Word, or even just download preexisting documents or images you see online. Just a note, be careful what you dowload and make sure it is from a safe source.

These designs can be anything. I like to use Halloween pop culture references as well as funny puns (stop, I love puns... so before you judge don't).

Step 2:

Print your designs to fit existing frames you have around your room or space. I did pick up a few new-to-me frames on my trip to Goodwill for this because I wanted a few more hanging.

You can print these from your own printer but if they're anything big than standard 8.5 x 11 then you'll want to take them somewhere to be printed. I always use Walgreens because I think the quality is great and it's so convenient. Be careful here when it comes to cost. I got a little carried away and the biggest print I had done ended up costing about $14. This didn't bother me too much because I will probably use this in years to come and because it's technically a poster it will roll up and store nicely.

Step 4:

Fill your frames and get spooked by the result.

Bonus:

You can also make cute canvases for close to nothing. If you have a plain canvas sitting around your house, or pick one up from Walmart for $1, let your creativity flow and hang them up for Halloween fun.

I replaced this pink canvas in my beauty room with a spooky remix of itself. Is it amazing artwork that I'm proud of? Absolutely not. Was it fun to make and does it add a fun holiday flare to the room? Yes and yes!

I had the most fun transforming my bedroom into a Halloween haven this year. I hope that you guys try some of these crafts in your house and have as much success as I did! And if nothing else, I hope you at least get into that spooky spirit. It's officially fall and I am not behaving appropriately. The first leaf fell and I'm wildin'! Let me know what you guys do with your decor and share the results in the comments. See ya next time!