How to decorate for Halloween on a budget

Here are a few ideas for creating stunning decorations using simple items you may already have on hand. And since they're easy and fun to make, the whole family will be happy to participate.

Make a wreath for the front door

Use a burlap-wrapped brooch or grapevine wreath as a base. Add colourful tree leaves, mini pumpkins, dried garden flowers, artificial berries, walnut shells, ornamental grass flowers and oak branches decorated with acorns.

You can find pretty ribbons and a wide variety of accessories at craft stores or discount stores. Learn how to make pretty bows or find inspiration on Pinterest or Instagram.

TIP: You can also use the wreath as a centrepiece! Place a plant, candle holders, a candlestick, a flower vase or a tiered tray decorated with buns and fruits in the centre.

Make ghosts with your tomato cages

A large-sized decoration that can be made in no time. Turn your tomato cage over so that the top serves as a base. Attach the bottom stakes (the ones you usually plant in the soil).

Use a Styrofoam ball or an old ball to make your ghost's head. Cover the whole thing with an old white sheet on which you will draw or glue a mouth and eyes.

Mod Podge-style garden pumpkins

Using Mod Podge, glue pressed flowers or simply leaves onto your pumpkins. A quick brush stroke is all it takes to adhere, then reapply to your flowers and leaves to make them last. Don't limit yourself to tree leaves. The delicate foliage of your plants or fern fronds are a beautiful addition.

Plan a family activity like a nice walk in the woods! You can also take a trip to a discount store or craft shop to pick up pressed flowers or stickers.

Variation: Use paper napkins or tissue paper to completely cover mini or medium-sized pumpkins.

For instructions and lots of other ideas for making pumpkins like those found in the finest stores, check out: Trendy Halloween pumpkins: how to make them yourself!

Decorating with painted rocks

This will entertain the kids! Take inspiration from the shape of the rock to create colourful monsters that will be placed next to the pumpkins on the porch. Enjoy a walk on the beach or in the forest to find beautiful stones.

Large flat stones can also be placed upright, slightly sunk into the flower beds, to serve as tombstones on which a short funny or frightening epitaph can be written.

To add to the atmosphere, plant hands or bones in your flower beds or make them stick out of a pile of dead leaves.

Which paint to use for rocks?

For small decorative stones, acrylic paint is ideal. If you plan to leave them outside, it's best to varnish them with a waterproof product afterwards. You can use tube paint or markers. A combination of the two allows you to colour large areas and accurately paint small details.

You can also use the same product to paint your pumpkins.

Other original ideas to decorate for Halloween

• Restyle your garden furniture by adding throws and cushions in seasonal colours.

• Arrange large tree branches in pots. Use spray paint to paint them black. Add cobwebs, spiders, miniature bats, or even orange, purple or copper-coloured Christmas ornaments.

• Use plants or flowers (fresh, dried or artificial) to decorate your pumpkins. Empty your pumpkins and use them as a flower vase or planter. Read this article for the steps and inspiration.

• At the entrance of the house, add a variety of potted flowers (heather, chrysanthemums, grasses, or other plants) and pumpkins of various shapes, colours and textures.

• For outdoor decorations, choose a unique theme: graveyard, haunted pirate ship, alien invasion, emergency room carnage, superheroes vs. villains, etc.

• Create life-size dummies by stuffing clothes for the body, a face mask, a hat and shoes. Create original and creepy characters in your own image by using your work uniform or adding personalized accessories.

• Hang a swarm of bats made from black cardboard at the entrance of the house. Hang them with fishing line so they look like they're flying.
  
   

• Create a garland of skulls or various monsters by drawing faces on Christmas ornaments. You can use Sharpie markers. The brand also offers oil-based paint markers or markers for painting on glass.

• Decorate your table with mini pumpkins and candlesticks covered in spiderwebs. Make a skeleton hand stick out of a cake, a bowl of red Jell-O, or your turkey!

• Rediscover our designs for carving original pumpkins. (Psst... given their popularity, we're offering new designs!).