# how to decorate on a shoe string budget



## dragonriderjohn (Dec 20, 2013)

Hi 

My name is John and I would like some tips on how I can make decorations for halloween and also how to decorate my house and yard on a shoe string budget. Any suggestion would be very grateful.

Thanks


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

Lots of neat things you can do with a limited budget, (although it might help to know what you are able to spend) Also if you have ideas of specific things you might want in your display, i.e. a particular theme?

Tombstones can be made from foam insulation board or even styrofoam. A 4x8 sheet of 2 inch foam board could yield 5-6 stones, depending on size.
Life size armatures can be made nicely using pvc pipe and connectors.
A cemetery fence can be fabricated using lumber and half inch pvc pipe.

Look through the forums, and you'll see lots of examples/variations.


Also, check out the link to the monster list below. 

http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/

Welcome to the forum by the way. Glad to have you on board.


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## im the goddess (Mar 10, 2012)

Lots of folks here on the forum re-purpose items they find for free (at curve mart) or at local thrift shops. Look for sales. Our local Goodwills run 50% off at least 2 Saturdays each month. Also free palates can be a good source of wood for coffins and fencing. Good luck and welcome.


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## Pumpkinhead625 (Oct 12, 2009)

First, welcome to the forum. As far as props and decorations go, there are too many possibilities here to list in a single thread. The members of our forum have created many innovative props and effects. To start with, maybe you could search the "Tutorials and Step-by-Step" section. You could also start looking through the "Halloween Props" section.

Then there's the "Monsterlist" website, with some really cool ideas:

http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/ 

Take some time and do some research. If you find something you're interested in, or if you have an idea yourself and need some advice on how to do it, the folks here will be more than happy to share their knowledge and experience.


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

Well, my most important piece of info? Last year I discovered dumpsters at house construction sites. You can get the free foam board (sometimes even "precut"!), pvc pipe, pallets, boxes of diff shapes, styro of diff shapes all for free. Just dont forget to ask for permission. Even though its in a garbage can you still have to ask first.
The next thing you need? lighting. This is the most expensive part of my yard haunt. I use goldengadgets.com, ledholidaylighting.com. Check every so often, they usually have good deals. Or you can make your own led spots from many tutorials here on the forum.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

As mentioned about, pallets can often be found free. Drive around industrial areas around your home, check the dumpsters, or if you see some place throwing out a bunch, go ask them. Broken pallets can be made into simple wooden crosses, fences, shacks, coffins, any number of things. 

Paper mache is another cheap building material if you have some skill in sculpting. Though, properly weather sealing it can cost a bit. 

Back in 2010, I lost absolutely everything in a storm. We decorated for $60. And that was spent on pumpkins. (we now grow all the pumpkins we use) Granted, that didn't count lighting or bamboo stakes we had on hand, but it was certainly on the cheap. We liked it so much, we've kept the decor in the front yard since. 

First, Corn stalks. Look around for neighbors and farmers, and go ask for corn stalks. Yes, some people try to sell them, but I've never had to pay for corn stalks yet (and last year, we grew all that we used on site). 

Now, I'm fully aware you may not be able to find enough corn stalks, and that is where plan B comes. Phragmites Australis. Aka common reed. It's considered invasive in most states, Connecticut included. Farmer's ditches, salt or fresh marshes, anywhere it can get some water, this stuff LOVES to grow. The look on the land ower's faces when you ask if you can cut it down for them (thus saving them work) is priceless. (don't worry, it doesn't propogate by seed, so you won't be accidentally springing any in your yard)










I don't have fully formed part 3 to this grass/corn decor, but Raven Grass is a fantastic contributor as well. You'd have to plant it, it's not something you'll find out and about, and my crop has suffered from me redesigning the garden. It's like reed grass on steroids, grows to 15' tall. (comprises the arch we're standing under here)


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## booswife02 (Apr 2, 2013)




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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

Lights..a couple strands of orange miniature lights will cover a lot of area and attract ToTs to your house. Those happy scarecrows everyone sells in the fall...add a cheap mask mask and crossbar and you've got a Halloween prop. 










A s mentioned above...pallets and old fence. I've got a few coffins made out of them and the bonus is you just leave them outside to age, so no storage issues.


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

Do a search on this forum for threads I have started. There are a couple of good ones on how to decorate on the cheap while still getting a quality result.

Also: garage sales, thrift stores, estate sales, and yard sales are your friends! It's amazing what you can purchase at these venues for pennies on the dollar, particularly through the summer months. Sometimes you find things that can be used as they are, sometimes they benefit from some customization. We have both a "finds" thread for these secondhand treasures and a "before & after" thread for the makeovers in this forum that are always great sources for inspiration.

December and January can be unexpectedly good times of year to start shopping. Many of the larger retailers are clearing out their unsold stock for killer deals. Check out BuyCostumes.com right now, and watch the appropriate subforum for notifications of other great clearances.


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

Hello and welcome to the creepiest house on the internet.

There is one element that is vital above all others at Halloween, in my opinion - atmosphere.
No matter how many props you have, how many textures or objects or bits of material you have, none of it works unless it is stained with unease.

One of the simplest ways to get Halloween in any living space is low light, light struggling in shadow. It also one of the cheapest.
The Jack O' Lantern is King in this department, obviously, but creepy light can also be achieved very cheaply with a well-loved favorite 'round these parts - the witch jar, an invention of famed artist Pumpkinrot (www.pumpkinrot.com).

A witch jar is any old jelly or Mason jar. They are usually distressed or aged, with glue, cinnamon, spatters of paint, real mud, ragged wrappings of cord or burlap cloth, etc. A candle is placed inside, either a real tealight candle or small votive, or an LED tealight if you want to avoid fire hazards.

Witch jars can be placed on any surface. They can also be hung with craft wire from porch railings, branches, roof beams, garden hooks, fence rails, etc. Having a dozen or more of these cheap, spooky jar lanterns creates an astonishing effect.
Even a room with little else but a pumpkin or two can become seriously ghoulish with these lanterns... as long as they are the only source of light.

Second, never underestimate the power of music. Halloween ambient music is easy to find these days, and groups like Midnight Syndicate and Nox Arcana have produced multiple albums that are deeply popular for a very good reason. 

Shadow, weak pools of light and music. These are key.

Once you have these, all the other props will fall into place and seem right at home.

In the meantime, get ready to learn some crafts, be it paper mache, carpentry, hot gluing, mold making, dry brushing and distressing.

You haven't just found the largest home of Halloween online, you've stumbled into a university of creepy craftsmanship.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Many pallets are made from very hard pieces of wood. Expect to be drilling holes in those boards before you try a nail or screw (I recommend Screws)
Screws will handle much more abuse, pushing, grabbing and bumping up against that almost any nail ever will.
Falling walls not only make extra work but also make for injury. (Notice how that word "Jury" hides in there?)
I had a local painter giving me all of their old paint once a year. Sometimes a full gallon here or there,left over, nobody had a use for it.
Something needs the outdoor protection of a coat of paint? What color does it look like in the dark or semi-darkness?
My little village has two days each year during which the City trucks will pick up almost anything set out to the curb. So if you don't own at least a small pick up truck or can't rent or borrow one, you might want to look into getting one once you get rolling.
I have a Jeep and a small trailer to pull behind it, an Olds station wagon(1989) it can carry items 10 feet long inside of it, and it has a solid roof-rack.
If you only have a car, look for ski racks, the kind that hook over the edge of a car window and have suction cups against the window glass, with hooks(for skis)
I could transport 10 foot long pieces of steel conduit with one of these racks doing it very well putting the two racks on front and back windows, even when I used a Pontiac Fiero Gt! (Which only had one window-both racks on one window then)
These ski racks used to sell new for $35.00, much cheaper than buying a truck, even a cheap, used one.
Being in the right place at the right time always helps too. spread the word, people will turn you on to more items available/when.
I found 42 steel doors in two dumpsters . Removed from the low-income housing . I rented a big truck with a trailer, $100.oo and they have been my backyard "Maze" and will continue to be such a very useful thing for many years to come.


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## Atomic Mystery Monster (Jul 29, 2003)

This thread has some great tips on low budget haunting ideas. You can make a very convincing grandfather clock or fireplace out of cardboard and dollar store items and you can find some information about making a low budget "Pepper's Ghost" effect here.


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

Spats said:


> You haven't just found the largest home of Halloween online, you've stumbled into a university of creepy craftsmanship.


yes indeed. AND its addicting. We are warning you now.


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## booswife02 (Apr 2, 2013)

Well said spats!





Spats said:


> Hello and welcome to the creepiest house on the internet.
> 
> There is one element that is vital above all others at Halloween, in my opinion - atmosphere.
> No matter how many props you have, how many textures or objects or bits of material you have, none of it works unless it is stained with unease.
> ...


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

To achieve that certain "Atmosphere".. is it necessary to stop using .. deodorant? 
I have known some really scary people who ... had a certain "air" about them... in every direction up to 15 feet away!
Or maybe the "Atmosphere" you mention is not the kind we suck into our noses and lungs?
Our old haunted house does has a certain odor about it. Some like it and say it smells like their "Grandma's House" or Grandma's attic.
1870 was a long time ago.


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## DandyBrit (Sep 6, 2013)

Skip diving (or dumpsters as you call them I believe) is an art form in itself. I can't pass a skip on the street without having a look in. Over the years I have found materials for props but also plant pots, bricks, window frames etc etc for the garden. My motto is "cheap is good, but free is better!"

If you ask for permission first people are usually OK as long as you don't make a mess.


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

My family has quote similar to yours : if its free, its for me!




DandyBrit said:


> Skip diving (or dumpsters as you call them I believe) is an art form in itself. I can't pass a skip on the street without having a look in. Over the years I have found materials for props but also plant pots, bricks, window frames etc etc for the garden. My motto is "cheap is good, but free is better!"
> 
> If you ask for permission first people are usually OK as long as you don't make a mess.


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## ChrisW (Sep 19, 2006)

Now is a great time for lighting deals, you can find colored spots for 50% off or more. We bought 2 red LED spots and love the atmosphere it created. Also timers, remotes, etc. The key is being open minded about the use.


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

Great suggestion on the lighting, Chris, and I want to emphasize hitting yard sales with the thought of repurposing things.
Clothes for props (tear and rot them up for zombie props), extension cords, christmas yard art (like lighted, motorized reindeer) can have lots of great components - lights, wire frame to make into other props (dogs/wolves/four-legged fiendish surprises) and motors.
Lots of folks sell off old Halloween stuff.

Check Craigslist often as well.


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

Is there another way to do Halloween besides a shoestring budget? I've never had the option! Not saying I wouldn't love a windfall to buy a collection of professionally made props but I secretly enjoy making a kicker haunt on virtually no money.

Here are some of the things I've found work on a tight budget:

1) The first year you'll have to invest some money for the basics but after that most of it can be recycled and repurposed year after year. For example, last year's Salem Pilgrim costume is this year's Victorian Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. 

2) Foam wig heads aren't expensive and are perfect for slipping a mask over for a realistic effect - whether a life sized prop or just a severed head. It doesn't matter if they are damaged or marked up because you're going to cover them anyway.

3) Thrift stores - especially small independent ones - can yield wonderful props and costumes at a fraction of the cost. Not only that but some of it is handmade or constructed, often meaning higher quality and originality.

4) Gorilla tape. Duct tape and it's fraudulent cousin Duck Tape aren't worth the price. That said, nothing, and I mean nothing, will stick to stucco so don't waste your time.

5) Other household items that can be had at your local Dollar Store like clothesline to rig lights, colour changing spa lights to make crystal balls and other effects, small bottles of craft paint, painter coveralls to stuff for life sized props (I got that tip from this site), cheesecloth for wrapping mummies (and making spice flavour bundles for apple cider).

6) Hardware and department stores sell latex paint mistints at a fraction of the cost. Since they are mistints they are often the very colours you are looking for - bright reds, creepy greens and yellows and garish orange and purples. 

7) I use that paint to recycle my styrofoam tombstones every year. Just paint over in any colour (or grey/white if you prefer) and paint the new name and epitaph with that cheap bottle of craft paint.

8) Don't bother buying those strings of mini lights you see everywhere. The bulbs in the middle of the string will give out or the whole string won't light the next year no matter how carefully you store them. Invest in LEDs if you can afford it. I've been using those old christmas light strings until I afford to replace with LEDS. They work great, you can replace bulbs in any colour combination and they last forever. The only downside is they use more energy than LEDS so your light bill will be more in November.

9) Sound effects are one of the cheapest and essential effects you can add to your haunt. Halloween music and FX cds aren't expensive. I often scour my city library the month before Halloween for CDs, use them on the big night and return them the night after - completely FREE.

10) Local garden centres often have hay bales and corn stalks for decoration that aren't up to snuff for them but will work just great for you. The same with rotting pumpkins and other squash. They will be happy to give it to you to save them disposing of it. (I know because I worked at one of those places and it saved me a bundle). I didn't mind the rotting pumpkins for extra filler in the pumpkin patch - spookier and FREE.

11) Another thing about thrift stores. Don't just look for costumes in their Halloween section. You can put together killer costumes from their regular stock with some imagination and patience. Long black skirts for witches and other generic female costumes, men's tuxedo shirts in the formal section for Victorian themes and spooky butlers, plaid shirts for scarecrows, also 'as is' items that are marked down severely. You don't care if your character is wearing a torn jacket or shirt (that's de rigeur for a Zombie!) The same goes for some other damaged props that you can have for a song. I don't mind a big raven with a broken wing or a light up mask with a damaged nose (one of my best and favourite finds). Some people may not go for it but I think it adds to the atmosphere and saves tons of money.

Also remember to look in the bedding and linen sections for cheap drapery and table coverings in interesting colours and fabrics. Dreary olive green and other murky tones may not appeal to home decorators but will work great for haunts! 

12) Bubble wrap. Not expensive for a big roll at Walmart. To be used with the Gorilla tape to build bulk into life sized props.

13) Don't forget your own closets, basement, attic and garage for costuming, furniture, and other household items. You'll start to see Halloween potential everywhere!

14) Garage sales can yield results but it's a lot of time and work so I only check them out if I know they have something specific that I want. My city also has 'curb days' where people put out their junk for free. Sometimes you can find things like old rocking chairs, wagon wheels, picture frames etc that would cost a lot to buy even in a thrift store for FREE! I was once out walking my dog and came upon a bunch of lightweight cemetery fencing. Just the cheap stuff you get in the Dollar Store but I needed a big section and it saved me about $10! It was so light, I carried it home that instant.

15) Best of all - this website! You'll get tons of support, advice and ideas from here for FREE! It's a resource you don't want to overlook. I discovered a glitch on Halloween afternoon, came here and got great advice on the craziest day of the year. People on here want to help and share so don't be shy about asking!

That's just a few ideas off the top of my head. Once you get going you'll be amazed how great your haunt can look for almost nothing. And it's so much fun to pull it off!


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## im the goddess (Mar 10, 2012)

Scatterbrains, that pipe at the bottom of the photo with fog shooting out looks great. Do you have a tutorial or something that shows the specs for that?



Scatterbrains said:


> Lights..a couple strands of orange miniature lights will cover a lot of area and attract ToTs to your house. Those happy scarecrows everyone sells in the fall...add a cheap mask mask and crossbar and you've got a Halloween prop.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## pumpkinhead86 (Nov 29, 2013)

Bookmarking this page! Great advice!


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## Icepick (Nov 24, 2013)

A simple and cost effective way of making chains. Pipe insulation. It costs a couple bucks per piece and will yield about a five foot chain. Slice the insulation into rings and loop them all together, using a foam safe glue to hold each open link.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

This year i had a prop and it made the biggest impact and the kids were still talking about it the next week. It scared 5th graders and 8th graders (at two different parties) and it cost $0!!! At the top of the stairs in our house (which is on the way to the half bath they would be using) i placed a borrowed dress mannequin (this could have been any form really)
I dressed "her" in a black sweater and long black velvet skirt that was too small for me. I put a black lace Halloween mantel scarf that i wasn't using on her head (made head out of grocery bags and duct taped to neck area) like a veil. This could have been any black scrap fabric . I left one ceiling light on (this could have been a lamp) it is an LED ceiling light so it's cool in temperature. I covered it with a circle of red plastic report cover material. I put the ceiling fan on. So it was this eery woman standing in this eery breezy red atmosphere. I tell u the kids were making up stories left and right...."someone had died up there..." All kinds of stories! I tell u it was priceless ... yet FREE!!!


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## booswife02 (Apr 2, 2013)

Just got a tip from boo who? that I thought fit this thread very well. Right now you can get that cello wrapping on clearance after Christmas sales. I'm going to get some red cello ,cut out bat silhouettes from black construction paper and cover my windows with it. with the lights on I think it will be a cool red glow with black bats. Pretty cheap project, cello wrapping and construction paper. You can also find this cello wrapping on clearance after Easter.


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

im the goddess said:


> Scatterbrains, that pipe at the bottom of the photo with fog shooting out looks great. Do you have a tutorial or something that shows the specs for that?


It's french drain pipe I got at lowes. there are two rows of holes that run the length of it. I duct taped one row of the holes and painted the tubes black. It was pretty cheap when I bought it a few years ago. I used a VEI 950 superfogger and was blowing it into three sections of pipe that were connected...so your fogger will also impact the results. I never got around to shoving frozen water bottles into the tubes to try and get low laying fog


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Im looking at the cello online (i didnt know what it was). It says biodegradable do you think it would hold the color with sun beating through the window? Cool idea!


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## booswife02 (Apr 2, 2013)

Hmmm I don't know but at .50 cents a role I'm going to give it a try. Big lots has some as well.

I'm sorry I should have clarified about the cello. It's clear wrapping that you use to put around baskets. It looks like wrapping paper on a role but it is see through. It's the covering on Easter baskets prett much.


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

I found this on Facebook, attributed to www.mentalpoison.com . I so have to use this at Halloween and the cost is essentially zero.


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## GhostTown (Jul 6, 2011)

First thing you've got to do is get a lot of shoe strings......


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## Tconahaunter (Jun 20, 2012)

All the members have mentioned so may gret ideas I don't know where to start as far as ideas I can add. 

One tinng I can say . Many members mentioned using free woof from pallets. A great idea, but two years ago I took that idea one step further. On my quest for "weathered wood" I approached a local pallet company to see if they had any old wood I could take off their hands. Much to my surprise they gave me an entire "lift" of 2x6x14ft lumber (thats 144 boards). It had been sitting outside for quite some time and at first, looked in bad shape. Once I removed the first couple layers, the rest of the wood was in "like new" condition. So for $40 in fuel to haul it away (and $20 cash) I made out with $1000+ in lumber. 

SO don't be affraid to hunt around for the deals. You never know whay you may discover.


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## TheMonsterSquad (Oct 8, 2012)

You should be able to find disposable coveralls by hunting around in dollar stores:










You can stuff these things with essentially garbage (like newspapers or plastic grocery bags) to create dummies. Or add a few bucks worth of PVC inside the dummy to make it stand upright, before stuffing with newspapers to bulk it out. Its the cheapest way I know of to make a life-size figure. This zombie was made via this method:


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## mejess68 (Mar 24, 2012)

One thing I do is every time I see thing thrown out or on sale is to look at what it might be, this harvest demon was one I did for 2012. It's a little PVC a pumpkin head I got on sale at spirit for $20 and some corn stalks saved from the garden.








Another thing to keep in mind is weather or not the items need to be saved from year to year and inside outside because you can do some amazing things with cardboard and a little monstermud, also every time you in a home improvement store stop at the paint dept you can pick up a gal of Mis-mixed paint for $5.
All the walls for this micro haunt I made from cardboard and foam.




As a mater of fact everything you see was made from, cardboard, foam, salvaged 5 gal buckets, tape and plastic wrap for the bodies, some old milk crates, PVC pipe, all the paint was Mis-mixed.











































Another thing let your friends and family know your collecting supplies, I've gotten several window/wiper/vent motors for free.


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