As COVID-19 persists into the fall, Halloween celebrations are the latest event to be derailed. This is a bummer for fans of the holiday, but it is important to stay home in order to keep yourself and other people safe. Some people may want to participate in things like trick or treating and costume parties. Steer clear of these risky activities. Keep yourself safe and stay away from crowds and children with dirty hands. Instead, here are some fun alternative ways to participate in Halloween.
DECORATE!
Decorating is always fun. Even if you haven’t done this before, try it this year instead of trick or treating or partying. Here are some tips for decorating this year.
House Decorations
Cobwebs are one of the easiest things you can decorate your front porch with. You can get spiderwebs for very cheap on Amazon or just google “halloween spider webs” to see if they are available at stores near you. All you have to do is stretch it out and use push pins or another object to pin it in place.
Below are some examples of what you can do with the spiderwebs. Bushes and railings are good places to attach webs.
As you can see these are examples of what you can do with the spiderwebs. Ways you can connect that and make them look realistic. The one on the bush is a good example of where you can put them (a railing work well too).
Using fake blood is always fun. You can make it very creepy. The more blood the better! It is another cheap thing to buy. Make sure to get your parents/guardians’ permission to use it first as it can be messy. And be sure that it can be easily washed away with some warm water.
You can use the blood to spell words (as shown here), or flick it onto a surface to make drips. Making handprints is also pretty creepy, though it might stain your hands. If scrubbing your hands with soap a few times does not work, then try makeup remover or acetone. (Use acetone as a last resort as that stuff is not that healthy. Use it only if you can’t wait for the stain to fade naturally.)
Another thing you can do is get pumpkins. The classic tradition of carving pumpkins can be enjoyable even for teenagers (unless you’re allergic…as I am). If you are allergic, convince someone else to carve for you. Or just leave them uncarved and place them around, that’s fine too. You can pretend it’s a pumpkin patch!
You can get pumpkins at Walmart, Trader Joes and local pumpkin patches.
Apartment Decoration
If you don’t live in a house don’t say you can’t decorate! There are still ways you can spice up your front door for Halloween. You can find little bats on a string, or a Halloween wreath online for a modest price and put it on your door. Last but not least, you can get tiny pumpkins and stick them outside your door.
Budget Decorations
Most simple decorations are pretty inexpensive. You can get cheap eyeballs and little skulls online or at places like Target. Put them around your yard, in a jar/cup, or in a plant pot. For a creepy vibe, you can get doll parts on eBay. (It’s pretty easy to find dolls or doll parts that you can place around your house).
As you can see above, placing dolls around the yard can add a whole new level of spooky. (Adding blood is always better).
Making Decorations At Home
Depending on how you do this, it can be really cheap or cost a bit more money.
Paper Bats:
- Draw several bat shapes on paper.
- Cut them out.
- Color them black.
- Stick them on your door with tape.
Paper Ghosts:
- Draw several ghosts on paper
- Cut them out.
- Add any details such as blood, eyes, etc.
- Stick on your door with tape.
Styrofoam Eyeballs:
- Get little styrofoam balls
- Using paints or markers paint the iris and color of an eye.
Halloween Wreath:
If you own a Christmas Wreath, you can repurpose it by sticking on those eyeballs you made or bought, doll parts, or using Halloween themed ribbons.
You can also make it completely from scratch using wire and different materials such as bath loofahs (dark halloween colors), ribbons, paper cut-outs, cloth, etc.
Making Blood:
- Mix 1 cup corn syrup with 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup in a bowl.
- Stir in red food coloring until you get a deep red color. Use around 8 drops.
- You can use this for bloody handprints on your door or wherever you want to put it and use it for.
More Complex Decorations
These may be more expensive or involve harder-to-find items. A lot of these include items collected over time and stuff already on-hand.
Skeletons Caught By A Spider:
This requires some front porch space. You will need one or more skeletons, cobwebs, and a giant spider, as well as hooks, a hammer, and twine or string.
- Wrap the skeleton(s) in cobwebs.
- Use the hammer to put the hooks in a place where you will hang the skeleton(s).
- Thread twine through their feet and hang them on the hooks as close and tight as possible.
- Apply more cobwebs around the skeleton(s) using another hook and a railing, column or whatever is available.
- Situate the spider so it’s leaning on the cobwebs, skeleton(s), and railing. If necessary use a push pin to keep it in place.
Skeleton Dinner:
This requires a table and one or two human-sized skeletons. The only things you will need to buy are the Skeletons, a bottle with a cork, and something for them to eat (optional). The plates, silverware, glasses, napkins, and (if you have one) vase can be repurposed from around your house.
1. Get a bottle with a cork.
2. Mix water with fake blood and food coloring.
3. Shake it up and you’re done!
CRAVING HALLOWEEN TREATS?
If you still want candy, be sure to get some! To make it fun, have someone hide candy around the house and go on a scavenger hunt. You’ll get a sense of achievement and spend time on it just like partying or trick or treating.
Don’t want to go out and get candy? Make treats at home. Look up a recipe and bake some halloween themed cookies. Try topping wafers with melted chocolate to create diy Kit Kats.
There are many safe ways to have fun with Halloween this year. Don’t risk it, be safe!