Halloween Decorations-Shopping At The Dollar Store

I'm still not finished, there's no lights. There HAS to be lights! Maybe tomorrow I can get that done. Let's see what I've gotten done.....



A couple bats caged up. This bird cage stand and cage thing-y are always on the porch. I added a couple bats-$1 each.



I found a small branch laying on the ground for this one. I used some fake birds I had from some birds nests I bought on clearance for another pro ect. I hot glued them on and spray painted the whole thing black. Black spray paint-$1.


Here are some potions I made with old bottles. I typed up some fake labels with a cool font and printed them out on aged looking paper. Then I burnt the edges and glued them down. Easy and fun :D


This is all of them finished.


Here are three examples....the one on the left-the gross looking pink one-is one my grandson made. Leftover bow tie pasta in water with a couple drops of red paint. He named this one,too...Dinosaur Brains!!! ewww!!! the one in the middle is made with a few mini skeletons and some gift basket filler in water with green food coloring. I bought a string of six mini skeletons for $2. It's named Fairy Skeletons. The last one is liquid fabric softener with red paint. Too bad I didn't have white corn syrup.......ah,well.....use what you have! Oh, and it's named Vampire Blood!

These are cool.....I made the one in the middle with cheap fake plastic leaves, leftover from some fall flowers for the wreath. I named it Wolfs Bane. Now, my granddaughter made the one on the left with some cut up pieces of disposable diapers( I use them when I pot up plants to hold moisture) She added some red glitter and green food coloring, and named it Swamp Goblin Snot. Isn't that awesome? And she made the one on the right with dried kidney beans that she added water to. We put the lid on so they'd swell up and get really packed in there. She named this one Troll Livers.

I made these. The one on the left is sand, but I called it Graveyard Dirt. The middle one is yellow bath salts, and it's named Moon Dust...only the label was too big, so I didn't even use it! The one on the right looked much better last week. It's mini marshmallows packed in water with blue food coloring. We named it Blue Mushrooms.



This is what they all sit on out on the coffee table on the front porch. I spray painted a silver plated tray with black paint, then cut down a window cling- $1- to fit the tray.




And here it is tonight, out on the porch. The candles I made last week from something I saw on Martha Stewart called bleeding candles. It's white tapers with red candle wax dripped down the sides. I bought the candles at a yard sale for .05 each, and had the red one already. I set them in metal candlesticks from another yard sale, spray painted black. I also added a couple sprigs of fake flowers I spray painted black.


This is how I covered the lids. I used brown Kraft paper-like a paper bag- and cut squares that I ran under the faucet til slightly wet, to make it easier to use. Spread a little school glue on the lid and lay the damp paper on it. Tie it with raffia.


A package of eight skull bags-$1-filled with newspaper and hung over the steps. I actually want to rehang these from some fake barbed wire from my Halloween stash. I think they'd look cool like that! The skull faces are on each side; I bet they'd look good cut out-that'd make 16 faces- and put on a window.....hmmmmm.
There's more.....but the photos aren't coming out, and I'll try tomorrow....but I bought rotted fake drapes-$1 each and I bought two- and a couple lifesized plastic rats-$1 each-I have two large rubber spiders from previous Halloweens on the tray with potions. I have two trays, the other is a silver plated round tray also spray painted black.

And an old chandelier my sister gave me, I spray painted black and used fake spider webs on-$1-and sat votive candles in the arms..I bought the candles at a yard sale, a whole unopened box for .50, vanilla scented.


My youngest grandson and I went for a walk in the back yard. I took pictures while he picked flowers for his Mom. Before he'd pick them, he'd ask me " did you get a picture of THIS one yet???".......lol He insisted he needed something for a vase, and I had some empty cans saved. This collard greens can looks perfect!






and last but certainly NOT least.....lol.....my three grandchildren made Q-tip skeletons......YAY!!!...this was fun! Use white cotton swabs and black construction paper. Follow the pictures to count how many whole ones you'll need-15-and how many to cut shorter-11 for the fingers and neck- and 2 a teensy bit longer for feet. You can make toes if you want! We used white felt for the skulls, and sequins for eyes . The kids noticed heart shaped sequins so I gave them each one for a nose-glued upside down- and they wanted their "dead dudes" to have a larger one for their heart! I cut a sequin in half for the mouth, and a black marker for "zipper scars". Try this with your kids....fun fun fun!

til next time,
kudzu