By: Bernard Ramos, Arts and Culture Editor
Haunted ghouls, and bloodthirsty bats. Witches roam with pointed hats. Werewolves prowl in search of skin, as the midnight closes in. In the dark, you hear the screams, and FRIGHT what might be in it, but there’s nothing scarier than not having decorations for your Halloween party at the last minute!
The eerie chill of October 31st can quickly creep up on you. Still, you don’t want to be caught dead without petrifying party plans, and what makes a great Halloween party without some daunting decor? Here are five simple crafts to try when planning your party that will have your guests spooked out without breaking the bank or your boo-dget.
At any party, the food table is key, which is why it must be a stunner. For your cloth decor, take a white sheet and coat in red paint that can be found cheaply at any local craft store. Get messy and coat your hand to make bloody handprints and other designs with your fingertips and let dry. When placed on four legs, your Bloody Tablecloth is bound to stand out!
There is no doubt that after your festivity, your guests will leave a mess more frightening than the party, but instead of you, these witch broom party bags will be doing all the sweeping. To make these tiny treat bags, take brown paper bags, and narrowly cut just above the base. After, place wrapped assorted candies, and use small tree branches and twine to secure the top. These bags are a treat within itself!
Although you may not want a real bat flying in your home this Halloween season, these clothespin bats are no trouble. Using black paper and online stencils, cut out the outlines of the bats. Then, using store-bought clothes, pins, or pins painted black, glue two stencils on each side of the pin. Using strong thread or string, clip the bats along, creating an absolutely FANG-tastic garland.
Be careful trying this mummy door because it may keep more guests out than in. For this craft, use crepe paper from your dollar store along with with tape, and black and white construction paper. Based on your door width, run strips of crepe across and hold with tape. Cut out eyes and a smile out of the paper and secure with tape, and your mummy will truly be brought back to life.
To make your Halloween party even more haunted, try this Hanging Halloween ghost decoration. Using white mylar balloons attach a string to the bottom of them. For the eyes of the ghosts, cut two oval shapes out of black duct tape along with rectangles for the eyebrows and a smaller hole for the mouth and stick on the mylar with the string pointing upward. With the white cheesecloth, cut a hole in the center and proceed to thread the string from the balloon through the hole.
Though Halloween is a time to bring out your inner ghoul or scary vampire, when trying these simple tricks, you can bring out your inner craft skills too.
