5 Frugal & Simple Halloween Decorating Ideas that Even Non-Crafty People Can Accomplish…
Decorating for Halloween doesn’t need to cost a ton of money or take a bunch of time.
Here’s how to create some super simple yet impressively spooky decorations on the cheap! More importantly, tons of crafty talent is not required. 👍
1.) Milk Jug Ghost Lanterns
Start collecting empty gallon milk containers now to make cute and festive glowing lanterns for Halloween. They would be so fun to have indoors stacked on the stairs or outside lining your sidewalk!
To Get This Look:
- Wash and dry containers,
- Draw ghost faces with a black Sharpie marker,
- Cut the bottom portion of the milk jug off, and then place your lantern on top of white mini Christmas lights or battery operated tea lights.
2.) Creepy Head in a Jar
This realistic looking decoration is an inexpensive Halloween mask inside a gallon sized pickle jar filled with water. It looks like a super creepy head in a jar and only took a few minutes to accomplish! My kids are the most excited about this idea.
To Get This Look:
- Wash and Dry Jar.
- Take label off of jar. (It helps to let jar soak in hot soapy water first.)
- Place mask inside jar and fill it with water.
- Optional Step* Paint or color lid with a black Sharpie Marker.
3.) Spider Balloons
Make these fun whimsical spiders using black crepe paper streamers and black latex balloons. First secure balloon to the wall using transparent tape and then use the crepe paper for legs, making sure to twist each piece of streamer, then tape to wall.
You can place these on the wall and ceiling for an eye catching decoration!
4.) Orange Jack-O-Lantern Balloons
Draw Jack-O-Lantern faces using a black Sharpie marker on orange latex balloons to display anywhere in your house for an instant pop of Halloween fun! I found orange balloons at my local dollar store and used transparent tape to secure them.
5.) Spooky Halloween Glowing Eyes
This is a popular Hip2Save craft using toilet paper rolls and tea lights to make glowing eyes. We have featured before, and I thought it was worth mentioning again because of how clever and easy it is. What a great outdoor decoration to put in the bushes for Halloween night!
Get the full directions HERE.
How fun!!! I’m going to try these! Thanks! 🙂
Oh good! Thanks Sonya 🙂
So cool!! I love the milk jug ghosts.
We just made hanging ghosts out of white plastic grocery sacks and hung them outside on a tree. My toddler loved stuffing them with bags and drawing the faces on.
Love the creepy head in jar idea! So cool! So creepy! Lol
Yes it is so funny to see people look and try to figure that out. Lol
The head in a jar is the bomb!!! Going to HAVE to try it! I’m heading to the dollar store tomorrow!
Don’t spiders have 8 legs??? Lol
That’s what my 8 yr old said! Darn – oh well 🕸lol
White balloons with a plain white kitchen trash bag, snipped to make a ragged bottom edge, makes a good ghost, especially wieh a sharpie drawn face and white xmas lights inside.
That is such a great idea! I’m going to do that for sure 😀👻 Thanks!
I’m totally stealing your idea 😉 . Haha, thanks for a great tip!
I love the mask in a jar idea – I think I might try add a little green food coloring to the water! Love it!!!
Good idea! I think placing a tea light behind it would be cool too! 😀
Love the mask! I might drop a glow stick in the jar too. We’re doing our first trunk or treat so I need decorations. Anyone have any ideas where to get jars cheap without the pickles? I think I may try to find rubber organs, rubber rats, etc and put them all in jars like an evil sorcerer/scientist’s laboratory.
Goodwill savers i bet mason jars would even work
I love that! Have fun!
I was able to get the pint size mason jars at Michaels the other day. They are normally $1.99 each and are on sale for $1.00 each (I was able to use the 20% off coupon which dropped them down to .80 each, but the coupon is expired). I think plastic rats would definitely fit in them and also organs (I’m picturing small intestines coiled up in there). I’m using the jars to make little gifts for the holidays (candles and other stuff in them) to have on hand.
Great ideas!
Oh these are too cute and seem super easy, thanks Lina!
Sure! Thanks for stopping by today Jennifer. 😀
Lina your ideas and tips get me so excited. I’m really loving the milk jug ghost. They are super cute and unique. I’m anxiously waiting for my kids to finish up the milk jugs in the fridge so I can get started. Thank you for all the recipes and amazing ideas you share with us. I was recently in the hospital for unexpected surgery. I was so happy that I had meals that I had prepped, cooked, and froze on hand. It made my recovery so much easier not having to stress about dinner, and also to not have to rely on fast food.
Oh Thank You so much for your sweet comment. It means everything to me!
I put the word out to my friends and neighbors to save me their empty milk containers! Haha it’s working.
Have so much fun and stay tuned for more projects like these soon! 👍🏻
add water and red food coloring to the jars with the masks to make them more bloody scary!
Love the ideas and can’t wait to share with my teenage daughter.
Thanks Karen!!!
soo cool love the mask in the jar.
Thanks!
I have done the milk jug ghosts every year for the last few years. My kids love drawing the faces on them. And i live that you can just throw them in the recycle when you are done.
Yes! Agree- and thanks for sharing!
Spiders have 8 legs!
So cool
Always so awesome!
Love the ideas number 3 and 4. Definitely doing it. 🙂 6 legs Spider is sure CREEEEEPY, lol! Thanks, Hip2save and team!
Haha! 🕷 Whoops!