No-Cost Halloween Decorating


Why was vintage Halloween so creepy? Folks used things around the homestead to decorate and that made for some spooky and worn/old looking items versus store-bought shiny and glittery stuff. Here's some no-cost stuff to do at home for a REAL vintage Halloween feel - 

Utilizing cardboard from Amazon boxes, I cut up some fake boards and used some acrylic craft paint to make them look like boards and then criss-crossed over windows. 

I used a sign I already had from Halloween past. I also made a hand-written sign for the front door on cardboard.



Since I grew corn in the backyard, I dug it up and let it dry out and get brittle and then "planted" it in the planter out front with tree branch twigs stuck in between the corn to put doll heads on (I collect doll heads).




An old plastic pumpkin cut out in the back goes over the front door light - or you can use a cheap plastic drug-store mask over the light. 




Items to consider - 

Wheelbarrow with soil and bones sticking out
Dead branches
Dried leaves on the walkway

Cardboard cut-outs in the windows painted black and a light on behind them - (cut-outs in windows with back lighting is a great way to not worry about someone stealing your decor and you put the light on at night and pow! Even better if you put in a colored light bulb)


Dead vines and plants
Twine
Old sheets stained with tea and tattered
Discarded items like chain link fencing, old boards, rusted metal, old tires, old clothes (scarecrows)
Old doll head cut face out and staple back on 


Apple carved heads (soak in lemon juice for a few hours and then let them dry naturally) 


Blair Witch anyone??


Corn dollies - 


White sheets? Ghosts in the making - Cheesecloth from the kitchen? More ghosts!



If you purchase anything, I'd suggest glow sticks - they can light up anything!


Black construction paper? 


Be sure to look around the yard ,the shed, the garage, the closets - see what's available to work with and let your creative side take over. That setup out front of my house was zero cost and making the cardboard boards was very fast. 


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