While we might not be as committed to the Halloween aesthetic as our friendly neighbourhood Americans, there’s no reason you can’t have an amazing party on a budget. Our top 16 cheap ideas for your Halloween party 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
- Dress up as your (least) favourite political leader
- Stage your own Halloween horror fashion show
- Word play costumes
- Fruit Platters
- Savoury dishes
- Sweet snacks
- 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 a cheap and 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 hazard for any party though, so you may want to consider electric candles. Electric candles are often sold cheap at places like Kmart, Target, 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. 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, drap some white sheets over the top and let the balloons go so they become attached to the ceiling. Adding black sharpie dots to make a face can really bring the ghosts to life.
4. Silhouettes for the windows
If you have rooms that will not be used throughout the Halloween party, cut out some silhouettes and stick them to the inside of the window. Then have a flashlight in the room and you’ll get the effect of someone watching you from the windows.
5. Use everyday items in a new way
There are so many DIY tricks that use everyday items to make a scary decoration for a Halloween party. From pool noodles to toilet rolls, actually 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 it just means wiping down the mirror once the party is finished. No damage, no hassle but very effective.
Check out some more cheap diy Halloween ideas for your Halloween party here.
Cheap Halloween costume ideas
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Word play costumes
Depending on your personal choice, not all Halloween costumes have to be in the ‘scary’ category. You can have fun with word play to make some hilarious costumes as well.
- 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
Cheap Halloween party food ideas
9. Fruit platters
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 with what you make and how creepy it turns out, you can find many quick and easy food ideas for Halloween parties here.
10. Savoury dishes
The right savoury dish can add a festive touch to your Halloween celebration while also ensuring your guests don’t go hungry!
Pumpkin delights
While Australia is not known to celebrate Halloween much, the pumpkin is still a world wide 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 and pumpkin pastries.
Delicious devilled eggs
Devilled eggs are also 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.
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. There’s plenty of online instruction for sausage Mummies, so find one that works for you and get creative.
Ultimately, it’s up to you how you serve the food at your party but these are some great tips to make the Halloween party even more on theme and feel like an occasion.
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
- Graveyard puddings
- Cupcake witches 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.
Free games to play at a Halloween party
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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 reenters the room 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
Whether you want to go big or go home 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.
