While we might not be as committed to the Halloween aesthetic as our American friends, there’s no reason we can’t have an amazing party on a budget. Our top cheap Halloween ideas will help you create those spooky vibes using stuff you (mostly) already have–without the need to apply for a fast cash loan.
Overview
- Candles and fairy lights
- Use a non-linear sounds playlist
- Make use of your sheets
- Silhouettes for the windows
- Use everyday items in a new way
- Fruit platters
- Savoury dishes
- Pumpkin delights
- Delicious devilled eggs
- Sausage Mummies
- Sweet snacks
- Spooky drinks
- Alcoholic Drinks
- Non-Alcoholic Drinks
- Dress up as your (least) favourite political leader
- Stage your own Halloween horror fashion show
- Iconic Characters & Duos
- Word play costumes
- Play “guess what’s in the mystery box”
- Have a “guess the ancestor” competition
- Hide old photographs around the house with instructions
- Spotlight
- Murder in The Dark
Cheap decoration ideas for Halloween
1. Candles and fairy Lights
Candles and fairy lights are an easy solution when you’re looking for budget-friendly Halloween decorations that will still give you that spooky atmosphere. You can grab the fairy lights you save for Christmas and hang them up around the house, or visit your local discount store and get a new set.
If you want to get really atmospheric, consider lighting candles around the house for that mystical feel. Open flames can be a fire hazard, so you may want to consider electric candles. Battery-powered LED candles are often sold for cheap at places like Kmart and Big W.
2. Use a non-linear sounds playlist
Away from the hubbub of the party, maybe near the bathroom, you can set up some speakers playing low, non-linear sounds to give your guests that extra sense of unease. Sounds like animal growls or calls also add to that sense of unease.
3. Make use of your sheets
Draping your sheets around the house, combined with the low lighting, will create spooky silhouettes of people as they move about. It’s an easy and cheap way to create atmosphere and mystery – bonus points if you can craft them into a haunted house.
Another tip is to get a few helium balloons, drape some white sheets over the top, and let the balloons go so they rise to the ceiling. Adding black Sharpie dots to make a face can really bring the ghosts to life.
4. Silhouettes for the windows
Cut out some paper silhouettes and stick them to your windows. Think ghosts, dead tree branches, bats, fangs, and whatever spooky ideas come to mind. If you’re having the party outside, put a light, like a torch, behind them for that extra spooky shadow effect. Especially if you do silhouettes of human figures, it can feel like someone is watching from the windows.
5. Use everyday items in a new way
There are so many DIY Halloween ideas that use everyday items to make a scary decoration for a party. From pool noodles to toilet rolls, toilet paper to a simple red lipstick.
For example, an easy idea for your Halloween party can simply be writing a scary message on the bathroom mirror using red lipstick. This is a fun, simple idea that anyone could do, plus you just need to wipe down the mirror once the party is finished. No damage, no hassle, but very effective.
Cheap Halloween party food ideas
6. Fruit Platter
To keep the Halloween party food cheap and reasonably healthy, there are loads of ways to make different fruits Halloween-themed. You can get creative, making it as creepy as you want. You can find many quick and easy food ideas for Halloween parties here.
7. Savoury dishes
The right savoury dish can add a festive touch to your Halloween celebration while also ensuring your guests don’t go hungry!
8. Pumpkin delights
While Australia is not known to celebrate Halloween much, the pumpkin is still a worldwide symbol of Halloween. When making cheap savoury dishes for a Halloween party, adding pumpkin can turn an everyday dish into a themed masterpiece. These dishes could include:
- Pumpkin fritters
- Pumpkin pasta
- Stuffed pumpkins
- Pumpkin pastries
9. Delicious devilled eggs
Devilled eggs are a staple at any party and a great finger food option. Adding paprika and a bit of ketchup can turn a normal egg into a devilled pumpkin egg, with an added spring onion to create the stereotypical pumpkin look.
10. Sausage Mummies
Another way to make an everyday party food Halloween-themed is to make sausage mummies. With sausages and just a few strips of puff pastry, you can create a cheap and easy Halloween-themed treat that will delight your guests.
11. Sweet snacks
You can always find fun sweet snacks to make for a party, and what you make is up to you. You could make:
- Candy corn cookies
- Oreo spiders
- Gravestone puddings
- Cupcake witch’s hats
Everyone loves when the food matches the theme, and because Halloween is big in other parts of the world, there are a ton of party food options.
12. Spooky drinks
You can’t have a Halloween party without creepy drinks. Really, you can just make some common drinks with spooky names and colours. If you don’t have time to shop for different ingredients, Halloween – shaped ice cubes from the dollar store can also be a big hit in drinks.
13. Alcoholic Drinks
Why not spice up the Halloween party with a few Halloween-inspired cocktails? You can find so many good recipes with a quick search and keep the spooky vibes alive.
Here are a few Halloween cocktails to try:
- Bloody Mary
- Witch’s Brew Cocktail
- Devil’s Smash
- Tequila Sunrise Vampire Cocktail
- Ghostly White Russian
- Blood Orange Sangria
14. Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Family-friendly parties don’t have to miss out on funky Halloween drinks. There are so many mixes that could be made up to add to the Halloween theme. All you need are a couple of different soft drinks, syrups, and creams to make mocktails and spiders for your guests.
Find some awesome recipes on Pinterest.
Budget Halloween costume ideas
15. Dress up as your (least) favourite political leader
What’s scarier than a politician? Or easier to copy? Just pull out a shirt or pantsuit, and you’ll have the bulk of the outfit done. Then print a big photo of their head, cut out some eye, nose, and mouth openings, and you’ll be ready to terrify.
16. Stage your own Halloween horror fashion show
Taking a page out of the viral trends book, have your friends craft an iconic Halloween fashion look using only what they have in the house. You can stage your very own home fashion show and see just how crafty your friends can be.
17. Iconic characters and duos
Halloween costumes don’t have to be scary! Nowadays, people go to Halloween parties dressed as anyone they want to be, and if you’re doing it on a budget, it allows you to be creative too.
Find characters/duos/groups that have easy-to-replicate costumes or iconic hairstyles so it is obvious who you are even if your costume is just clothes from your wardrobe. It’s also easier if you already have similar hair and features to your chosen character!
Examples:
- Princess Leah with her classic two-bun hairdo and white outfit
- Kim Possible with her black crop top and green baggy pants
- Mario and Luigi with their blue overalls, green and red shirts, and mustaches
- Scooby-Doo cast, where each character has an iconic but easy outfit to find in your wardrobe
18. Wordplay costumes
A lot of Halloween costumes are fun and silly instead of spooky! Here are some hilarious wordplay costume ideas:
- Cereal killer: attach cereal boxes to a t-shirt and carry around a fake weapon
- Social butterfly: pair of butterfly wings and images of the social media icons all over your shirt.
- Plant baby: put a fake plant in a baby carrier and walk around all night
- Crazy cat lady: throw on your nightgown and add fluffy toy cats/ images of cats all over
- Identity theft: just get a pack of “hello my name is…” and write different names on each, complete by sticking them all over yourself
- Red flag: wear something red and draw red flags all over
- Raining cats and dogs: stick photos of cats and dogs onto an umbrella
- Pigs in a blanket: Cut out pig’ ears and noses using coloured paper and walk around in a blanket all night
Free games to play at a Halloween party
19. Play ‘guess what’s in the mystery box’
We’ve all seen the celebrity videos! It’s both hilarious and terrifying for the person sticking their hand in the box! Just have an assortment of household objects at the ready and prepare to hear the screams of confusion as your guests try to guess what they’re touching.
20. Have a ‘guess the ancestor’ competition
A Halloween twist on the old “guess the baby photo” game. Get your guests to bring a photo of a dearly departed ancestor and try to guess who is who. Okay, this one is a bit morbid, but it definitely has the spooky vibes.
21. Hide old photographs around the house with instructions
If a guest finds the card, they have to do what’s instructed on the back, like hide under the table, turn off the lights, or talk in their best Transylvanian accent for a minute.
22. Spotlight
These games were already freaky enough as a kid, and if the nostalgia isn’t scary enough, then the dark combined with your spooky music and lighting surely will be.
For the uninitiated, Spotlight requires one person with a torch to find the other people hiding around your property. If you get spotted with the light, you are out – the first one spotted is ‘it’ for the next round.
23. Murder in the Dark
Murder in the Dark requires a murderer, a detective, and some suspects/victims. The detective leaves the room, the lights go out, and the murderer chooses their first victim. When the victim screams, the detective re-enters the room, and they have to interrogate the remainder to decide who they think the murderer is. Often, a limit is set on how many chances the detective gets before they fail and the murderer gets away with it.
Finance your next big Halloween bash with a small loan
If you want to go big with your Halloween party, it may be helpful to have some extra cash to make your spooky celebration memorable for you and your guests. Swoosh has you covered with our easy, fast cash loans! Apply with us today.
Halloween Party FAQs
How to cheaply decorate for Halloween?
Try Big W, Kmart, Facebook Marketplace, cheap shops, or your local op shop for your classic spooky decor, like skeletons, spider webs, bats, and jack-o’-lanterns.
Simple, budget-friendly ideas also include:
- Black candles and tablecloths
- Coloured LED light bulbs
- Pennywise’s red balloon
- Bag of fake bugs
There are plenty of cheap ways to DIY Halloween decorations, but sometimes the most convenient and affordable option is to buy cheap decorations.
What are the top Halloween foods?
The classic foods to serve at a Halloween party include:
- candy corn
- assorted chocolates and lollies
- caramel and candy apples
- any kind of junk food
- pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie or other pumpkin-based meals
- “sloppy” or “witchy” foods like sloppy joes, chilli or stews
What to bring the host of a Halloween party?
A box of chocolates or their favourite drink can be a sweet thank-you gift.
You could also message the host before you leave and ask if they would like you to bring anything specific. For example, an extra bag of ice for the drinks or another platter for the table could help out if they are running low.
Where can I go to a Halloween party?
With Halloween growing in popularity in Australia, you can find a Halloween party/themed night anywhere. Lots of clubs and bars host Halloween parties, and some pubs and restaurants do themed nights as well. Just book early before they sell out.
If you’re more introverted, planning a Halloween party with your friends and/or family could be a fun way to celebrate the spooky season.
