Make Halloween spooky with easy to make decorations.
Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
When Halloween comes around at the end of October, many kids and adults look forward to enjoying spooky fun with tricks, decorations and treats. Throwing a Halloween party involves planning, shopping and decorating, tasks that consume much-needed time for other daily responsibilities. Shave off some of the that time by creating quick but scary decorations that will put the chills in your guests while giving you the spare moments to put up your feet or finish a chore.
Gruesome Preserving Potion
Step 1
Make your guests' skin crawl by filling jars of colored water with creepy looking items. Fill transparent jars with glass lids 3/4 full of water.
Step 2
Add liquid food coloring. Use colors like yellow, brown and green for an eerie display. Pour enough liquid in the jar to give the water a strong hue, but make sure the water is still transparent enough to see through. Stir to combine the color with a spatula.
Step 3
Add the "specimens." Carve a small circle into a round radish to imitate eyeballs using a paring knife. Drop in gummy worms for a slimy look. Place several wax candy lips into another jar, or put odd-looking plant parts such as dried lotus pods or cone flower heads into the liquid potion. Place the lid on top and arrange the jars on a prominent viewing area of your home.
Spooky Mirror Ghost
Step 1
Compel your guests to do a double take by decorating a mirror or two in your house with a ghost. Draw an image of a ghost on the back of frosted window film with a pen.
Step 2
Cut out the ghost image with scissors and craft knife.
Step 3
Peel the backing away from the film and carefully arrange over a mirror. Smooth the film flat with your hand or with the back of a credit card.
Smoking Cauldron
Step 1
Impress your Halloween visitors with a smoking cauldron of a secret witches' brew. Get a large pot that looks like a cauldron or large kettle.
Step 2
Put on thick gloves and use tongs to put chunks of dry ice in a water-tight container. Place the container in the center of the kettle.
Step 3
Pour 2 to 3 qt. of cool water over the container. The dry ice will create "smoke" that will flow out of the kettle. Place the kettle as a centerpiece on a table. Add more dry ice and water as the smoke disappears.
Tips & Warnings
- Prick air bubbles in your window film ghost with a small pin. Squeeze out the air with your fingers.
- Add several drops of food coloring to the water before you pour it in the kettle to give your smoke a scary hue.
- Avoid touching the dry ice with your bare hands as this can burn your skin.
References
About the Author
Alyssa Ideboen has been writing professionally since 2005. She has contributed to several print and online publications, including "Lexington Woman" and "Global Business" magazines. Ideboen holds a Bachelor of Arts in business management and communication from Judson University.
Photo Credits
- Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
