This guest post was written by Kira from Tip Hero.

Halloween is right around the corner. Are you ready for it?

Halloween is a great holiday for both adults and kids, but it’s definitely a holiday that requires decorations and such to get you into the spirit. Before you start panicking about how much your kid’s costume is going to cost this year or how you’re going to make your house the spookiest one on the block, check out some fabulously frugal ideas from around the web to help you get started!

Inexpensive Crafts

1. Pumpkin Carving Templates: carving pumpkins is one of the best things to do in the fall and they make for great decorations for trick or treaters to enjoy when they come around. Here are some creative ideas for easily carving out-of-the-ordinary pumpkins.
2. Decorate a Pumpkin: not into carving? That’s alright. There are many more festive ways to “bling out” your pumpkin. Check out some of these ideas.
3. Halloween Shadow Boxes: use any boxes you have lying around to create a creepy-themed decorative box.
4. Ghost Crafts: Family Crafts shows you how to make ghosts out of plastic grocery bags, dancing yard ghosts out of old sheets, and more.
5. Hanging Glitter Spiders: make these out of materials you (mostly) already have and hang them inside or outside.
6. Treat Bags: this is just one idea, but you can make any boring old paper bag into a decorative one that’s great for holding Halloween treats.

Frugal Costumes Ideas

Before we get to some actual costume ideas, let’s first talk about how to actually get your costume. A ready-made costume from a Halloween outlet is likely to cost you a pretty penny, and odds are you’re not going to be winning creativity contests with those. Here are some of my best ideas for creating a killer costume on the cheap. Mix and match until you’ve got a look that gets you in the spirit!

1. Host a Costume Swap Party: with a few weeks left to go before Halloween, you could definitely save some money (and save others money) by hosting a costume swap in the next week or so. More likely than not, other kids around the same age as yours have great costumes that they’ve already worn that won’t get any further use. And on the flip side, what use do you plan on getting out of your child’s old costumes from Halloweens past?
2. Utilize Face Paint: face paint can be super cheap at any party supply or craft store, and you can create really cool designs pretty easily. If you can paint something elaborate on a face, you won’t need much actual “costume” to make for a cool Halloween look.
3. DIY Halloween Masks: like face paint, a mask is a gret way to create a killer Halloween costume without much material. Woman’s Day shows you how to easily make owl, flower, and peacock masks, among others, but use your own creativity to make something that works for you or your kids.
4. Use Items You Already Have: before you go out in search of the perfect costume, take stock of what you already have available in your own home. Often times, costumes that you can create out of recycled materials are a lot more imaginative and interesting than those that come pre-packaged.
5. Hit Up Your Local Thrift Store: a consignment or thrift store is a perfect place to shop for Halloween costumes or pieces you need to complete your look.

Still need some ideas now that you know how to get started? Here are a few sites with some neat and specific costume ideas for you to build off of:

• Circus Costumes from Tip Junkie
• 7 Easy Kids Costumes from All You
• Classic Costume Ideas from Frugal Dad
• The Mother Load of Costume Ideas on Wise Bread’s Roundup