Spruce up your space this Halloween season with these tricks and treats all suitable for a college student budget.
Indoor Foliage
The best budget-friendly option is always a free one. One way to accomplish this is to incorporate nature by stepping outside and picking out a variety of fallen leaves, pinecones, acorns or branches. Once brushed off to not track dirt indoors, a healthy spritz of hairspray will preserve these adornments for years to come. From there, they may be placed strategically on furniture or displayed nicely in a clear or translucent bowl.
Candy Exhibit
Another way to display Halloween spirit is by going to a dollar store and purchasing candy corn, Halloween Kit-Kats, Reese’s pumpkins, orange Oreos, Peanut M&Ms, Midnight Milky Ways or the candy of your choice. Place all the candy in a large mason jar or serving dish, both of which can be found at the local Goodwill for under five dollars. This trick also works well if the candy medley is mixed in with snacks such as pretzels or popcorn, but be wary of mixing breakable snacks with heavily packaged candy.
Hanging Spiders
For some fun foam spiders that can hang from light fixtures or lofted bed frames, you will need miniature and regular-sized foam balls, black paint, a paint sponge, glue, black pipe cleaners, fishing line or clear stringing cord and googly eyes. All these materials can be found at Michael’s or in the craft section at Walmart for a total under thirty dollars. You will need to paint two foam balls black, one of each size, and attach them together with glue. Then, break three pipe cleaners in thirds and stick four pieces on either side of the larger foam ball for legs, slightly bending them in the center. Finally, glue your spider’s googly eyes atop the smaller foam ball and tie fishing line around the “body” before attaching the other end to the object it will hang from.
Pillowcase Ghost
Using an old white pillowcase and black paint, paint three black ovals in a triangular formation for eyes and a mouth towards the end of the pillowcase that is sewn together. Once the paint dries, use scissors to fray the open end so that it appears ghost-like and flowing. This can either be used on a pillow as a swappable throw pillow or placed over a lamp with a low-heat lightbulb for a glowing effect, seen best when overhead lights are dimmed or turned off.
Coupon Hunt
Lastly, when acquiring materials for your DIYs or other decor, be sure to check store websites and apps for the best coupon codes and deals. Most large chain stores always have some form of a discount for customers who take the extra minute to visit their site or join their mailing list.
