by Jen Montbleau of Sterilite Corporation
Halloween brings out the kid in most of us. The air starts to cool, pumpkins adorn yards and before you know it there is less than two weeks to go until All Hallows Eve (eek!). Whether you throw a Halloween bash or just want to impress the neighborhood trick-or-treaters with a haunted scene, it's easy to get into the spooky spirit and decorate on a budget.
To start off my decorating task, I searched my home for anything I already had that could be put to good use. I came across some handy pails and, since they are white, it became obvious what I was going to make – ghost faces!
If you don’t consider yourself a crafty ghoul, don’t fret – giving your ghost a face is simple:
Step 1: Take a piece of paper and tear it in half.
Step 2: Fold your paper in half once each way (this will help you know where the center of the paper is).
Step 3: Sketch your face with its nose (if it has one), at the center of the paper and remember to make it big.
Step 4: Tape your illustration to the inside of the pail.
Step 5: Take a small flashlight and shine it behind your sketch so your illustration shows through the plastic.
Step 6: Take a marker and trace your illustration onto the pail.
The best thing about these ghost faces is that they can be used in a lot of ways. Place your ghosts all around your house for your Halloween bash. Don’t be skittish – there is no need for a protective spell to keep your food safe.
If you have a split entry home like I do, you probably have to be a little selective of how much and what kind of decorations you put on the stairs. As it turns out these pails fit perfectly on the steps so I don’t have to worry about tripping over them. When I hear the shouts of “Trick or Treat!” I grab a pail full of candy on my way down the stairs and hold it out for the little ghost and goblins.
Every Halloween I scatter skeleton bones, plastic chains, headstones, and graveyard-like decorations all over my lawn. Because trick-or-treaters are eager to get to the next piece of candy, most cut through my haunted cemetery on their way to my front door. It happens every year, no matter how out of the way I put the headstones – someone trips over them. This year I decided to be a little creative in solving the problem. I placed a couple of LED tea lights in each pail and placed them through out my cemetery. As the children approach my front door, they will have to pass by the illuminated tombstones and bones, making for a thrilling Halloween nighttime walk. Hopefully this year, no one trips!
If you have a spooky spirit remember that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to decorate for Halloween. The best ideas come from things you already have in your home. You just need a few tools, some supplies and your imagination to have a boo-rific Halloween.
Have you used any of your Sterilite items for Halloween? We’d love to see what you brewed up!