Scare Your Guests, Not Your Wallet: How to Throw a Budget Halloween Party

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Scare Your Guests, Not Your Wallet: How to Throw a Budget Halloween Party

Halloween parties don't have to come with a big price tag. You can throw a fabulous Haunted House Halloween party without breaking the bank simply by purchasing a few accessories to embellish the decor you already have in your home. With a slim budget and a lot of creativity, you're sure to scare your guests and not your wallet.

Food and Recipes

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Gummy Worms in Pudding Dirt

This classic Halloween treat can be assembled in a matter of minutes. Make it unique and sophisticated by serving in martini or wine glasses.

Ingredients:

2 packages of chocolate pudding mix, prepared according to package directions or 8 store-bought pudding snack packs
8-10 chocolate cookies, crushed by hand in a plastic sandwich bag or a food processor
package of gummy worms

Steps

Spoon pudding into the glasses.
Arrange gummy worms as desired.
Spoon crushed cookie "dirt" over pudding & worms.

Serves: 4

How to Serve: Cold

Tags: Halloween, Halloween Party Food, Halloween Treats, Recipes, Pudding, Worms In Dirt

Meringue Cookie Bones

Meringue cookies are both light and inexpensive to make. Bake these in bone shapes for a fun Halloween party treat.

Ingredients

5 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 Teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 Cup(s) sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
2 drops yellow food dye

Steps

Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a standing mixer or a hand mixer until soft peaks form, approximately 5 minutes.
Gradually add sugar.
Add vanilla extract and yellow food dye. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Spoon mixture into plastic baggie and cut off a 1/4 - 1/2 inch tip in the corner of the bag.
Pipe a 3-4" strip onto a cookie sheet. Pipe two balls on either end of the strip. Smooth any peaks with a damp finger. Repeat until the cookie sheets are filled.
Bake for one hour. Then, turn off heat and allow the cookies to sit for at least an hour. Do not open oven at any time during the baking process.
Carefully remove cookies from parchment paper and store in an airtight container. Recipe yields 3-4 dozen.

Tags: Cookies, Halloween Treats, Halloween, Halloween Party Food, Recipe

Drinks

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Bloody Mary Cocktails

A Bloody Mary is the perfect complement to gory Halloween treats. Cheat a Bloody Mary recipe by simply combining 3 parts chilled tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix with 1 part vodka. Garnish with radish eyeballs.

Tags: Bloody Mary, Halloween Cocktails, Drinks

Tips

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Budget Halloween Party Tips

There are several tips you can use to save money on a Halloween party or any party you throw throughout the year.

Use Online Invitations

Instead of splurging on printed invitations, invite guests using customizable online invitations, such as Celebrations' plan your party tools. It may not be as formal as mailed invitations, but will save you both time and money. You can easily manager your RSVP list and communicate with guests.

Use What You Have

The easiest way to avoid blowing your budget on themed party ware is to use what you have. Guests won't notice if hors d'oeuvres are served on a Halloween platter or a plain, white serving dish. Using silverware and other non-disposable serving ware will help you avoid the expense of purchasing disposable items. Plain serving dishes can be dressed up with festive touches such as a sprinkling of candy corn or crushed cookie "dirt".

Make a List and a Budget

Decide ahead of time what you will need to throw your party. You might find that you can recycle decorations you've used before or borrow big ticket items such as a smoke machine. Sticking to a list and budget will prevent impulse buys and over-spending.

Buy Over Time and In Bulk.

Unless you're throwing a last minute party, you can shop for your party supplies, food ingredients and decorations over time. If something you know you might need is on sale and won't perish, pick it up! Invest time in shopping different stores, which will have different items on sale at different times.

Tags: Budget, Halloween, Tips, Invitations

Budget Haunted House Halloween Decorations

The easiest and most fun way to decorate for a Halloween party at home is with a Haunted House theme. Gory is in the details, so think of ways you can lend a spooky touch to just about anything from faux spiders on the bathroom soap pump to cobwebs stretched over framed family photos.

Dim the lights! Use your dimmer switch if your have one. If not, use overhead lighting minimally or replace white light bulbs temporarily with dimmer lights or black lights. Safely utilize candles to add extra spooky ambiance. Place tea lights or votive candles in wine goblets, clear glass bowls or glass tumblers; just be sure they are tucked in places where they will not be knocked over or within reach of little hands.
Drape serving tables and end tables with black tablecloths or black fabric. Top with tattered, tea-stained lace or torn cheesecloth.
Cover large furniture, such as your sofa with plain, white sheets or white fabric to give your home an abandoned haunted house look. To age the fabric, stain using tea bags in a slop sink or bathtub. Allow ample time for this to dry thoroughly before the party.
Make hand streaks using fake blood on medicine cabinet mirrors, shower tiles, smooth windows and on any large mirrors (anything easily clean-able) you might have in your home.
Sneak spiders and mice in unexpected places, such as in a bowl of candy.

Tags: Halloween, Halloween Decorations, Budget, Decorations

Budget Halloween Party Food

No Halloween party is complete without gory & ghoulish treats. Here are four budget-friendly ideas you can make by purchasing a few inexpensive ingredients.

Gummy Worms in Pudding Dirt

A Halloween classic, serve chocolate pudding topped with gummy worms & crushed cookie dirt. To add a touch of sophistication, serve them in wine glasses or martini glasses. Use hardcover or leather bound books in small stacks to add levels to your serving area. Click the image for the complete how-to.

Witch Finger Cookies

Another Halloween classic, witch finger cookies are made from a simple shortbread cookie recipe. I added green food dye to the cookie dough to create green witch fingers. Brush the almond fingernails with red food dye for manicured fingers. Click the image for the recipe.

Meringue Cookie Bones

Meringue cookies are very inexpensive to make because the base ingredients are simply egg whites and sugar. When piped in a bone shape, these are prefect for serving at a Halloween party. These are also seen served on a bed of crushed cookie dirt. Click the image for the recipe.

Hard Boiled Egg Eyeballs

Hard boiled eggs are a great budget party hors d'oeuvre. You can pick up a dozen eggs for just a few dollars. Serve them on a simple platter in pairs to resemble sets of spooky eyes. I sprinkled candy corn to dress up the dish. Click the image for the recipe.

Tags: Halloween, Halloween Food, Hard Boiled Eggs, Witch Fingers, Cookies, Meringue Cookie Bones

Crafts

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Radish Eyeball Garnishes

Garnish cocktails with a radish eyeballs or simply scatter around the buffet table to creep out your guests.

Supplies

round radishes
pimento stuffed olives
potato peeler with rounded point

Steps

Peel the radishes with a potato peeler, being careful to keep some of the veins and red skin.
Carve out a small hole on one of the radish, deep enough to stuff the olive inside.
Dry off a pimento stuffed olive. Keeping the pimento side out, push olive inside the carved hole.

Tags: Eyeballs, Radishes, Radish Eyeballs, Cocktail Garnish

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