THRIFTY TREATS: HALLOWEEN PARTY DECOR

Usually on Thursdays, I post about my latest thrift finds, how to refinish them, and how to use them in a space. This Thursday is more about being thrifty rather than going thrifting. Is the thought of Halloween happening in just a few days scaring the heck out of you? Are you going batty trying to figure out how to decorate for a party on a budget? Well fear not!! I'll be posting a few simple and rather thrifty DIY's I had made for a work Halloween party last year and these can help you set a scary stage...

Gather up a few small but wiry branches.

Spray paint them glossy black.

Cut out a few black bats

(well - actually a little more than a few - do the whole pack!!)

Good task to delegate to a helper if you have one... (hint-hint)

Pick up a few Jack-O-Lantern candy holders

(at any party store, Target, or Walmart)

While you're there, also pick up a few other goodies: bags of cobb web and some bags of spider rings. If you don't already have, you would also need to pick up some Styrofoam blocks to be glued inside Jack.

If you're making several of these for a party, it's best to build them as an assembly line process. Line up all your pumpkins and your supplies on your work table. And get your glue gun heated up and ready to go...

First, glue in your Styrofoam blocks.

Next, stick your branch clusters into the Styrofoam.

(if this will be outside and it's windy where you're at, you could fill with some stones to weigh it down.)

Use your cobb web as filler, and also drape some on the branches.

Hot glue your bats to the branches. Use two bats, stand back and take a look. If the size of your branches and pumpkins looks like it can take a third, add it.

Start adding your spider rings - a mix of orange & black is good.

Purple or lime green can also work with this project if the rest of your room decor is using it.

Spider rings easily attach to the cobb web and can also be just slipped onto the branches.You may need a few drops to hold them into the position you want. It's good to have their two front legs look like they are grasping something - like the branch or the web. And don't worry about the got glue strings - if any - it just looks like more spider web.

Stash your centerpieces until they are placed for your party.

They look cute to line up on tables or...

to use as centerpieces

like I did here for banquet style lunchroom tables.

A roll of black vinyl tale cover, and draped with a gauze runner is another inexpensive way to create a spooky look without scaring your wallet. One other way to add spooky pizazz to your space is with a scene roll (Party City - 50ft. for only $19.99 - Can be re-rolled and reused next year.) I used the haunted forest, and added the bats to it to give it more dimension.

For the tomb stones I set at the ends of the tables, I added some dancing skeletons (also picked up at the Dollar Store) for fun. I had pinned them to the wall, and added a few more bats (LOVE those bats!!)

Even those $5 tombstones also got

a little makeover... I'll post next.

Sorry I hadn't posted anything for the past few days. I had gotten caught up on a few projects. Then I saw a news report about Halloween costumes and it dawned on me: Halloween is this weekend!!

Where has the time gone?

What are you doing for Halloween?

Linking to:

Between Naps On The Porch - Tablescape Thursday 114

The DIY Showoff - Last Minute Halloween Fall Festival

The Style Sisters - Centerpiece Wednseday

Somewhat Simple Halloween Blog Party