Australians have well and truly embraced Halloween. Every year the Halloween decorations get crazier and more varied. In some neighbourhoods, it has become a competitive sport to create the scariest house come the end of October.
It’s no wonder people love it, though. No gift giving, or all-day cooking required. Instead, Halloween is a unique opportunity to do something downright strange and eccentric without question.
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to put on a Halloween party once you get into it. We like to keep things simple, so here are some easy, budget-friendly ideas to inspire you, from decorations to food and costumes (some family-friendly, others not so much).
Channel your inner Morticia Addams and plan a spooky, ghoulish, monstrous party!
Deadly Decorations
Decorations don’t need to be expensive. Here are our top tips for scarily affordable ways to frighten your guests.
Jack O’Lanterns
When it comes to Halloween, you can’t go past the classic carved pumpkin. Get the kids involved in carving pumpkins to welcome your guests. If that sounds like too much mess and fuss, pop down to your local discount variety store and pick up a plastic one.
Spider Webbing
A bag of spider webbing from your local discount variety store goes a long way and lasts ages. It will quickly turn your front room from a welcoming place to relax to something from the set of a horror film.
Spooky Silhouettes
Buy three sheets of black cardboard and cut out bat shapes in various sizes. Stick them on the walls and windows. Take a roll of masking tape and draw dead body outlines on the floor. It helps to get someone to lie down and trace around them to get the proportions right.
Give Old Dolls a Scary Makeover
Got some old, maybe broken, dolls lying around the house that the kids don’t use anymore? Give them a new purpose. Get out the paint and give them a scary makeover with blood and dark vacant eyes. Even better, dismember them and hang their body parts in the garden and around the house.
Floating Ghost
You won’t believe how simple it is to make a spooky floating ghost. Put a glow stick in a balloon, blow it up, draw on some dark eyes, then drape over some cheesecloth and hang it from a thin thread, so it appears the ghost is floating. It will even move around in a breeze to add to the spooky effect.
Frightening Food
The best part about Halloween is that your food doesn’t have to be beautiful, or even presentable. It is the perfect occasion to serve anything that looks ugly, gross, or even disgusting. In fact, you’ll be applauded for your ugly efforts.
Here are a few ideas to go along with the bowls filled with sugary treats.
Bloody Small Intestines
Super easy to make and incredibly tasty, these are a great savoury addition. Wrap chorizo or kransky sausages in puff pastry, stuff them in a baking dish so the rough shapes of intestines, and brush them with tomato sauce. Bake them until the pastry is crispy, and serve them with more blood (tomato sauce) splattered on top.
Ghost Mini Pizzas
Loved by kids and adults alike, these are extraordinarily simple. Use tortillas for bases and cut ghost shapes out of sliced cheese, add a few black olives for eyes and voila! Sure, you might not win any gourmet prizes, but it’s all about the aesthetic at Halloween, right?!
Gingerbread Zombies
Exactly the same as gingerbread men but with some blood, guts, brains, skeletons, bandages and spiderwebs for decoration. Feel free to snack on a few gingerbread limbs while making them to enhance the effect (and keep up your sustenance!).
(Last Minute) Killer Costumes
Costumes are compulsory to get into the spirit of Halloween.
We applaud those who invest serious time, effort and creativity into their costumes. They are the people that make Halloween so special. If that’s not you, though, try our costume ideas – ideal for the disorganised, the lazy and those on a budget.
A Dreadful Ghost
This is for the beginner crafty or super disorganised Halloween partygoer. Find a white sheet, cut two eye holes, and drape it over your head. Done.
Homemade Zombie
Dig out some old clothes from the bottom of your wardrobe and put some strategically placed holes in them to make it look like you might have been in a fight. Next, add some red paint or tomato sauce for blood. Then, raid your makeup bag for your palest foundation, draw on some very dark eyes and a trickle of blood from the corner of your mouth. You are now a homemade zombie.
Elizabeth Holmes
Do you have a black turtleneck? Great, you’re already halfway there to dressing as the Theranos founder. Complete your look with a low bun, eyes that never blink, a fake low voice and incredibly uncomfortable dance moves.
Above all, remember that Halloween is a time for fun. Put the diet aside and embrace your inner child for a fun-filled celebration!