Nine Cheap and Simple Projects for Getting you House Halloween Ready

This post if for all of you die hard Halloween fans!

You may or may not know that Fall is my all time favorite season and Halloween is my all time favorite holiday.

When my kiddos were smaller and life was a little less hectic, I used to start decorating for Halloween August 1st.  I would hold off on decorating the outside of the house until Labor Day weekend, but the inside was usually decked out two or three months before the actual day.  And now that the kiddos are starting to get a little older, I have big plans for Halloween.  It may not happen this year, but it will happen...mark my words.  The goal is to wrangle up enough friends to put on our own production of "Thriller".  Picture this...a thick layer of fog all over the ground, with the tops of gravestones barely visible.  Then...BAM, all of  a sudden Michael Jackson's "Thriller" starts playing and from everywhere bodies start rising from the fog, methodically and uniformly twitching to the beat of the music.  Ahh, wouldn't it just be the coolest!!!  One of these Halloween's in the near future, it will happen...and it will be EPIC!

Anyway, back to the point of this post.

For whatever reason, the changing of the seasons get me as giddy and excited as a school girl.  I find myself burning pumpkin scented candles, watching "Gilmore Girls" and searching for fun new Halloween crafts to set the mood.  So, I thought I'd share a few ideas for getting your house perfectly "haunted" for Halloween.

Make your own potion bottles

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All this project requires is some empty bottles, black spray paint and some handwritten labels.  I've also found some printable "potion labels" on pinterest that are really cool.  And be sure to present them on an old vintage platter...readily accessible at most thrift stores.

Make a Spooky Halloween Village

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By simply painting some craft store birdhouses with black spray paint, you create an eerie Halloween village.

Make your own Spell Books

This was a little DIY project I did a few years back.  You can go here for the original post.  All it took was some old books, a brown paper bag, Modge Podge and some Halloween themed scrapbook paper.  My kids think these are so cool! 

Make a Super Cheap Halloween Wreath

This is another cheap and simple DIY project I came up with a few years ago.  All you need are some old book pages, an old picture frame and some hot glue.  Go here for the original post.

Make a Super Cheap Halloween Garland/Bunting

All you need for this project is some old book pages, leftover fabric or ribbon and a printer.  Go here for the original post.

Make some Tattered Drapes for the Porch or Inside the house

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Using inexpensive cheesecloth, you can create a perfectly haunting entrance to your front door or around your interior windows.   Ooh Eeee Ooh!

Make some "Halloween" Terrariums

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Using old pickle and jam jars, a stick from the yard and some moss you can create these creepy terrariums for super cheap.  

Create A Creepy Art/Photo Gallery

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Blacken out the eyes on all your family photos using a black dry erase marker on the glass.  When Halloween is over, you can just wipe of the ink.

Give your Porch to The Birds

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Instead of the typical haunted cemetery, why not create a haunted forest using some branches and dollar store crows instead.

All right, bring on the Trick-Or-Treaters!!!

Oh Em Gosh!!!

Oh Em Gosh!!! Guess what I just picked up at the thrift store?
These little beauties.

I have been watching and waiting for some of these babies to show up. And my prayers have finally paid off (Okay, I wasn't really praying for them, but really, really hoping).
Somewhere, somehow I got the silly little idea in my head that I wanted to make a folding partition...you know, to hide any unsightly kiddie toys lurking in the family room. Or, perhaps to conceal a large, bland corner in the front room.
Anywho, I found these guys for $20. I think I am only going to use three panels for the partition and then cut down the fourth so that I can make this:

I'll post pics as soon as I get her done. But here's a little peak at what I'm trying to do. Use your imagination...think rustic and old, chippy and peeeling turquoise blue paint with a little black peeking through. Oh, and a cool vintage sheet music wreath like the one I saw on Miss Mustard Seeds Blog. I can't wait for the reveal.

Wall Blingin'

Okay, I'm not one to be superstitous...okay, yes I am, but I swear that the forces of evil are trying to keep me away from my bloggy.
Everytime I attempt to sit down and make a post I am interrupted by one of the dears asking me any number of questions...most commonly: "mom, where is my *insert toy of choosing*", "mom, will you make me some *insert snack of choosing*" or my very favorite, "mom, Beck needs you to go wipe his bum". I swear that kid knows when I'm sitting at the computer and subconciously convices his bowels that it is time for bi-ness.
Would you think less of me as a mother if I said that I can't wait for school to start Monday? Phew. I knew you would understand.
To the point of the post, before any distractions.
I don't know about you, but I have several walls just waiting to be adorned. Problem is, I don't want to spend a bunch of money buying artwork that I probably won't like in a few years. I'm not really down with store bought artwork anyway. So, in my quest for ideas, I came across these awesome, unique and inexpensive options for wall bling.
Think ya can handle it?
1- A cool vintage...(or new) table cloth with a neat pattern or graphic. When you get tired of it on the wall you can take it down and use it for it's intended purpose. Bonus.

2- Pieces of fabulous, funky, fabric framed(nice alliteration eh?)

3- Stensiled pattern on the wall that has been framed up for a finishing touch.

4- Pages from a favorite book.

5- Placemats...what? No way. Yes way. One word...freaktastic.

6- A collection of old license plates.

7- Vintage platters and plates (notice how they are actually being used as frames in this picture.

8- A collage of ceiling medallions.

9- And old shutter. I'm totally stealing this idea.

10- A collage of random plates.

11- A collection of mirrors. Picture courtesy of Mandi over at vintage revivals. Check her out she's awesome.

I am currently in the process of organizing my plate collection (which I collected only yesterday at my local thrift store) to be mounted in my dining nook as inexpensive wall art. I will post pics soon.
I'd love to hear of any other inexpensive wall decorating ideas you might have, so please feel free to share.
Good luck.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Here are a few things I've come across in recent days that I cannot stop thinking about. You know what that means...time to start hitting up friends for temporary storage...that way when I bring the loot home I can honestly say "heaven's no these things aren't new, I've had them for awhile". Dishonest, slightly. Innovative, absolutely.

1. Owl lamps. I go to sleep every night wishing I could roll over and have those big round eyes staring at me. *sigh*


2. These cool blue orby things I found on Pier1.com. I LU-HUV them so, so much. And again cannot stop thinking about them, or the way they would be so happy in my front room. I would so admire them daily.


3- Massive flatware (they are almost four feet tall) I also found at Pier1. I drive by these shimmering beauts every time I get on the freeway. I cannot stop thinking how freaktastic they'd look in my kitchen. Plus, the ad for them made me chuckle..."great for the kitchen or dining room. Or a really big table"...he he he.



4- flor.com. I hate nothing more than to go to the store looking for an area rug in a certain color or pattern only to find nothing. Well, peeps, look no further. Flor.com has carries carpet tiles of various colors, patterns and price points. I am saving up my dollas so I can design my own one of a kind rug.
These are two of my favorites...zebra print and seafoam blue. I love that you can design the rug however you want, as simple or crazy as you want, as big or as small as you want. Fabulous. You should definatly hop on over to their website and check them out.

Whoo...goes there?

Okay, isn't this little "hooty" such a cutie. I think I need one...or two. They would be so cute flanking my bed or in my living room or dining nook. See, the possiblities are endless. Guess I'll start begging the hubby now. Good thing I have an anniversary and birthday coming up soon. I love how whimsical, yet sophisticated they are. They would be happy here, methinks.