HAPPY COUPLE DAYS AFTER HALLOWEEN!

This year, because the weather cooperated, I was able to go a little bigger this year on the holiday decorating.  It was dicey for a while, but it finally did stop raining two days before All Hallows Eve.  With the amount of small kids that come trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, I thought it prudent to not do the creepy or spooky things I have in the past, instead focusing on a kid-friendly "Pumpkin Party" theme.  Here's what it looked like:

It looks like I spent a fortune, but in reality, I did not.  If you're a penny-pincher like me, here are some ideas for Halloween decorating on the cheap...

Hang inexpensive plastic pumpkins from a tree...for an added effect, add battery-operated lights (you can pick these up from the dollar store)

Mr. DeVille, I'm ready for my close up.

$5 scarecrows purchased at 50% off from WalMart a few years back, $1 plastic pumpkins (you can get these cheaper if you wait for after holiday sales), $5 banner from Oriental Trading Co, $25 disco lights (not shown) purchased at a steep discount after Halloween for $5 a piece from WalMart and Target...

Light-up eyes that seemingly follow you made from dollar store bowls and battery operated lights, a piece of black foam core and irises downloaded for free from the internet and printed at home.

Other cheap finds include:

• Rope lights from WalMart
• Uplight stakes with flood lights from WalMart (the stakes are usually less expensive than the lights but do cost a bit more than I would normally spend...however, they can be used for a VERY long time and for multiple holidays)
• Plastic lighted Jack O'Lanterns...they cost about the same as a real pumpkin but last so much longer!
• Playing Halloween-themed music outside...it's amazing how much a soundtrack can add to the ambiance.

The key is to keep it simple but do it "large"...well placed lights and multiples of something make a bigger impact than lots of little decor...remember, it's dark and most people won't even see the small stuff, so don't sweat the small stuff.  :-)