IT’S TIME… I AM SO EXCITED!!!

It is finally time to get all my Halloween stuff out.

I literally want to shed tears every year when I have to put it away.

…and I do a little Thriller dance when I get to get it back out again.

I think y’all know by now just how much I love Halloween, pumpkins, and cute little munchies dressed up to be something creepy, magical or mysterious.

I can’t believe it has been a year since last Halloween.

Halloween 2012

Because I love Halloween so much, it is important to start early and enjoy it all month long.

I set time aside on Monday to get my spook on. I did this with very little money and bought the majority of my supplies at the Dollar Tree; I also had a few things on hand.  I thought it would be fun to show you just how easy it is to decorate for Halloween with little money and a few goodies from the dollar store.

I started with my mantel.  I thought it would be fun to switch my family picture and my chalkboard.  I like having my chalkboard on my mantle as a little added holiday fun. Remember I made this with a thrift store picture frame and a little paint.  It was a $10 project.

I found the quote on Pinterest, and wrote it out with chalk markers.  It is amazing the difference the markers make.  FYI: I bought them at Michaels.

I also added the glass vases and sticks to my mantle.  The glass jars came from the Dollar Tree.  I spray painted them with silver spray paint I had on hand.  Then I grabbed a few sticks from my yard.  The finishing touch is the crows also found at the Dollar Tree.

Remember my cute little painted pumpkins?  They needed a little spookifying, so I added some glittery mustache stickers that were on sale(Hobby Lobby.)  A few crows, mini skeletons, and big skeleton round out the spookyness. (all found at the Dollar Tree)The little witches hats that give the Halloween monsters a little added flare came from HL a few years ago. They still have them, and I noticed they are on sale this week.

I decided I wanted a new banner for my mantle this year.  I made it using my left over fabric from my table runner.  I also used book pages to create the fun fan circles(which are so easy btw), and then added some cute glittery stickers.  I chose thirty-one because I wanted it to be different than the usual Halloween words.  I also really like associating 31 with Halloween as you will see in a few other things around my house.

I also added a little pumpkin banner I made with some mini pumpkins I had floating around from years past, and a pom pom banner that I just whipped up out of some yarn I already had.  I had made the pom poms one night a while back for fun, and decided to finally turn them in to something.  I like adding layers to my decorating; it really is all in the little details.

It was fun to switch out the centerpiece on my table with mini jack-o-lanterns and skeletons.  I also added the awesome table runner that my MIL made me last year to my buffet.  …and a few more witches hats.

Remember the cute kitchen towels my friend Chelsey sent me last year?  They round out the kitchen décor.

I also knew my piano would feel bad if it didn’t get a good haunting.

The creepy bats suddenly flew up the wall.(really cut out of black paper by my friend Marji and her amazing silhouette)

Some creepy black cheese cloth covers the piano(also $Tree), a couple black trees(one from a thrift store and one from Target $spot), and my already painted pumpkins with a few hats and mustaches were added to the piano.  The centerpiece of the piano are 3 candlesticks found at a thrift store years back.  I painted them black and added some skeleton heads which I also found at the $tree over the years.  The key to the $tree is to buy early.  Pick it up in August when it first comes out; the good stuff goes first.

My entry way also has another FREE banner found here and printed, some orange pumpkins, a few mini skeletons($Tree on a garland that I cut apart), and trick or treat sign from local craft store.

I would have to say that my favorite expression of Halloween happens on my porch.

I think the bats must have come in the house from outside. hee hee. BTW: I used that blue tacky stuff to attach them to the wall, and I found this set which is made out of foam at Hobby Lobby.

I have seen cute 31 pillows all over the place and wanted one for myself, but could not bring myself to spend $20.  I found the orange pillow cover at HL.  It was on sale for $3.  Then I made the 31 by printing it on my computer, and using some chevron iron-on transfer also found at HL.  It took me about 5 minutes, and cost me $5.  The mask on the pumpkin came out of my costume stash. It was made a few years back out of felt and elastic.

Each pumpkin on my porch, has a crow added to it($Tree), and my door is covered with a feathery boa wreath I made a few years ago.  It was so simple.  I made it out of 3 black boas.  I wrapped them around a straw wreath and hot glued.  Then I attached spooky spiders and creepy butterflies also found at the $Tree.  I found the wooden numbers 3 and 1 at HL.  I spray painted them black and added glitter.  Which I attached by hot gluing wooden skewers to the back and sticking in the wreath.

My favorite part of the porch happens to be the lights I added.  I found these on sale, and also bought a few sets on clearance after Halloween.

Isn’t it spooky? or adorable? I can’t decide.

The biggest thrill of the day was the excitement the kids had when they got off the bus.  I remember how excited I was when my mom decorated for a holiday.  It somehow adds to the magic, and makes the holiday last that much longer.

I have been asked how I find the time?  I actually marked October 1st out on my calendar for Halloween decorating.  I enjoy it, my kids love it; so I set aside time for it.  I also have a plan in my head before I start and have all the supplies ready to go.

You may be growing tired of seeing how things change for the holidays around here, but I hoped to show you that you can decorate on a budget.  The dollar store, thrifts stores, after holiday sales, collecting and adding to your own stash and coupons for HL; really does make it affordable.

Now go get your spook on; and haunt up your space.