A truly successful Halloween party begins the moment your guests set foot through the door. That mystical, creepy ambience can be so easily accomplished through each decoration used for the Halloween party. With a touch sensor mat, each guest can step into the party with a creepy howl. Fresh decoration for the Halloween party is both easy and fun to create.

With fun lighting, entry can continue through a dimly lit hall. You can use the dramatic fire-simulating lights or simply change your regular light bulbs to black or orange bulbs. This is the easiest way to create a fun and creepy lighting effect. Even the simplest decoration for a Halloween party can produce dramatic effects.

With a Halloween CD playing in the background, screams and howls will bring the party to new auditory heights. You can purchase Halloween CD’s at any party store, or you can make your own. Children, especially, will love recording haunting voice-overs with your choice of creepy music.

Actual decorations can be as simple as a web of black and orange streamers to hanging body parts and motion activated Halloween frights. With a relatively inexpensive fog machine, you can also create a mood that your guests will talk about long after the party has ended.

And don’t forget those Halloween treats. One of the most memorable and fun aspects of any party would be the themed-edibles. From cookies shaped like bats and witches to cakes resembling pumpkins, you can create a spread of hallowed munchies. With candy worms and spiders and some crushed cookies you have ready-made worms and dirt. Gelatin creates the perfect wiggly base for any creepy morsel, and cottage cheese with just a little blueberry juice is transformed to a lovely brain dip.

Whether you add just a touch of decoration to your party or go all-out to create a haunted house, you will capture the spirit of Halloween and create a night to remember.

Creepy Decorating Ideas

Scary Halloween decorations create a fun and creepy atmosphere. They encompass everything from yard props that entertain trick-or-treaters, to interior decorations, to moody lighting, to food and serving dishes.

Decorating for Halloween can transform your home into a haunted and creepy haven in no time at all. From nauseating edibles to fog and special lighting, there are lots of decoration ideas for Halloween, and they do not have to be expensive.

Halloween Decoration Idea #1 – Create a Crime Scene

Why not start with the exterior of your home? Create a simulated crime scene by purchasing crime scene tape at any party store. Then, with a piece of sidewalk chalk, lie down in various poses on the driveway and have somebody trace the outline of your body. Instant crime scene! This simple and cheap decorating technique will emulate a covert crime and add that spooky flare to your home. There is no limit to decoration ideas for Halloween once you get started.

Halloween Decoration Idea #2 – Add atmospheric mist

Dry ice, which is easily accessible and inexpensive, can create the perfect fog facade for your home. When placed in water it produces fog. The cloud of fog will actually move when the wind blows (an open window is fun here)! Just remember that dry ice is not a toy for children and will require extreme caution and use of gloves.

Halloween Decoration Idea #3 – Colored light bulbs

Change your ordinary light bulbs with orange and black bulbs to create a dreamy, haunting look. Balloons and streamers always add a touch of celebration, and special food preparations can provide even more fun.

Halloween Decoration Idea #4 – Revolting food

Make a brain dip with either a cottage cheese base or a cauliflower base. With a touch of black food coloring or blueberry juice you will have bulging, gray brains. For an extra touch you can serve it inside a carved pumpkin.  A little food coloring in whipped cream also helps to add that sickly hue to your dessert!

Halloween Decoration Idea #5 – Create a theme for your party

A unique way to create scary Halloween decorations is to come up with a theme, and decorate accordingly. This works well both indoors, and outdoors. Some theme ideas: a haunted pirate ship, a space ship, a vampire’s lair, and a mad scientist’s lab. The possibilities are endless! Start by making a list of what would be found within a specific theme, and work from those plans.

Spooky Decor Tips:

• The addition of ambient lighting to Halloween decor makes for a spookier, creepier setting. String lighting isn’t just for the Christmas season. Look for string lighting in purple and green where Halloween decorations and crafts are sold.
• Black lighting works well, and gives a room a supernatural glow.
• Food and treats are a big part of Halloween. To add a special touch, use special gelatin molds to create edible hands, hearts, and brians. Serve normal foods in creepy containers like, small caskets and skull bowls.
• Place lanterns along a walkway, and they will give off a warm glow in the dark.
• Fog machines and dry ice create erie clouds. Make sure party guests know that touching dry ice can result in injury.
• If you plan to carve pumpkins, get some of the smaller ones, too. Hollow them out, and place tea light candles inside, then scatter them around a room, or cluster them all together.

First you can start with an easy to make holiday display. Look around your home for any glass jars or containers of different sizes. (You could even use canning jars!) Fill several containers with Halloween candy such as candy corn, mellow creme pumpkins, chocolate bats, black licorice, gummy spiders, etc…anything that looks like the season!

Find a spot to display the jars like on your kitchen table, counter top, living room table, etc. You can tie a bow around the middle of each container and let it drape down onto your table or counter. Use solid color ribbon such as black or orange colored ribbon or ribbon with a Halloween print. Add some fall leaves tucked in and around the jars or some twigs with artificial berries. This will invite an instant Halloween holiday appeal to your room!

Scarecrow in the House

You’ve heard of a scarecrow in the pumpkin patch to keep the crows away but how about a scarecrow sitting in a corner of your entryway or kitchen to greet your family every morning? Make a friendly fall fellow(sitting him in a chair) using old pants or overalls for the legs (stuff with quilt batting), long sleeve shirt for the upper body (put a wooden dowel, piece of plastic pipe, or broom through the arm of the shirt for the arms and tie waist with string and tuck into overalls or pants.

Fold a flour sack (or use a pillowcase) in half and sew up the edges leaving the bottom open to stuff and then tie off with ribbon or string for the head. Add a cute face with paint, markers, or glue on pieces of felt. Put the head into the top of the shirt and button the top button.

(You may have to lean the head against a wall to get your Scarecrow head to stay in place. Stick the legs into boots or shoes and top off the head with yarn hair and a straw hat! Add a few pumpkins sitting by him and you’ve got a display sure to make everyone smile that sees it!

You Get the Picture Decor

Take a variety of picture frames and fill them with photos of Halloweens past! Make a cute display of your little ghosts and goblins in all their dress up splendor! Add a few sugar pumpkins to the picture display and take spider webbing (whatever you call the stuff that stores sell this time of year that looks like the real thing!) to drape around your frame display.

If this is your child’s first Halloween, no worries! Have a fun photo session and dress your child in his costume then snap pictures with different backgrounds indoor and out and a variety of poses. Print the pictures off on your computer and there you go! Making memories was never so easy or fun!

If you want a little more sophisticated display, spray your pumpkins a metallic color or turn them into a spider. You could also use a witches hat as part of your display and set your pictures around it or scrapbook some pictures and clothespin them to the hat. Let your imagination go!

Easy & Fun Tablecloth Idea

Gather some beautiful fall leaves, some pictures of your family in Halloween attire, and vinyl lettering with Halloween sayings, etc…put a white sheet or tablecloth on your table then arrange the items on the cloth. Cover the table with clear vinyl tablecloth fabric. Your family will have all kinds of things to talk about each time you gather at the table to eat! They’ll love looking at their pictures and will enjoy discussing fond memories they have of Halloween.

See all of these ideas are easy to put together and won’t cost much because many of the items you need to create this decor with will be around your home! You can even invite your children to help! Happy Halloween decorating!

We love the holidays at Christmas Twigs! You will find darling kids Halloween costumes at http://www.christmastwigs.com/category_123/Kids-Halloween-Costumes-and-Dress-Ups.htm and fun family holiday ideas at http://christmastwigs.blogspot.com/search/label/Hallween

With all of my events, no matter if they are serious fundraising galas or whimsical birthday parties; I still like to keep an element of style, hip and class to the table decor. Even when I use inexpensive props such as the Halloween items for this Halloween display, I still like to mix and match with more expensive-looking or natural Halloween items too.

There are so many choices when looking at decorations for Halloween. What I like to do is collect Halloween items during the season and then on November 1st, go back to the drug store or party supply store and pick-up whatever is left over and inexpensive. Nothing makes me feel better than garnering bargains on cheap Halloween decorations. I make sure to buy items that I will have a use for and that will store easily in my party planning design box, an item I discuss in Budget Bash – Simply Fabulous Events on a Budget.

To create the whimsical Halloween table decorations for this article I used the following:

Gold organza fabric for a table runner – You can buy any type of fabric and make a table runner, scrunch up unfinished fabric down the center of the table or use pinking sheers and cut a runner for a one- or two-time use (more uses are possible if you are careful with the fabric). For this table, I used a table runner from a previous event and scrunched it down the center of the table.

I picked up the following decorations for Halloween at the end of the season a few years ago and have kept these items in my party planning design box. These cheap Halloween decorations are candy corn twinkle lights, decorative candy dishes, orange votive candles and glass votive candle holders, mini-plastic pumpkin buckets and a witch’s hat. I may have spent a total of $15 for all of these Halloween items and have used them for the past three seasons.

While I was picking up dinner at the market, I grabbed a bunch of sunflowers, rust-colored mums, Halloween candy and mini-pumpkins. A fun idea is to carve the mini-pumpkin’s center and sides (if you have the time) to create votive candle holder. If not, do what I did and just add them to the table as a décor item.

Decorating the table was fast and easy. I just scrunched up the table runner and intertwined the candy corn twinkle lights with the fabric runner. I placed the witch’s hat in the center of the table (I stuffed the center of the hat with a paper bag to make it stand up straight), filled the candy dishes with Halloween candy, placed the votives and pumpkins on the table and then placed the sunflowers loosely on the table. To add a bit of color besides orange and yellow to the table, I pulled out two small blue vases and placed the mums in those.

To create the total look of the Halloween table decorations didn’t take long at all and I coordinated my food shopping along with it. An added bonus to this table decoration is that it will last quite a few days. Just remember to unplug the lights when you are not around the table to prevent any type of electrical hazard from happening and if you have animals who like to leap onto your dining room table, you may want to remove the candy and loose flowers as well when you are not in the room.

I hope you found this Halloween party decoration tip useful.

To learn more about party planning on a budget, read Budget Bash – Simply Fabulous Events on a Budget. Until next time remember to have fun and be a guest at your own party!

With over 15 years in the special event industry, Andrea has now taken her knowledge and experiences and incorporated this information into a book she has written called Budget Bash – Simply Fabulous Events on a Budget. You can talk to Andrea via Twitter @awynningevent or learn more about Budger Bash by checking out A Wynning Event.com or BudgetBashBook.com.

Here’s a new twist on the eerie graveyard layout for those of us that take morbid pleasure in creating terrifying delights for trick-or-treaters, – recently exhumed macabre mummies guarding the gateway to the afterlife. With time-worn headstones and a few open crypts to complete the haunting scene, this Halloween yard decor is sure to be a hit.

To begin, take the time to plan the layout of your yard on paper. Make a list of what materials you will need so you can gather everything up before you start this project. As a quick rundown, you’ll need to make a couple of “crypts,” several tombstones, four to five mummies, and various other creatures to enhance the creepiness of twilight terror.

At Rest No More: Making Your Crypts

Create your crypts by spraying painting large boxes with grey-colored specialty stone paints. By adding splotches of brown paint along the edges and across the bottom of the crypt, you’ll give it a worn, dirty appearance. If desired, cut out the letters RIP or perhaps use some sort of decorative, ornamental design to provide a 3-D affect to the front of the crypt. Spray paint your cut-outs in the same stone-type paint and glue to the front of the box.

Your crypt will also need a “lid” of sorts. To make it, use 2-inch thick rectangular Styrofoam that’s been cut to fit the width and length of the top of the crypt box. Spray paint this the same stone-look grey and secure to the top of the box with nails. For a chilling effect, keep it slightly askew, so it appears as if the crypt as been opened.

Tombstone Terror

If you can afford it, you can usually purchase tombstones of varying heights and designs where Halloween decorations are sold. However, making your own is often cheaper and will allow you to be more creative in your designs.

Using 1 to 2 inch thick sheets of Styrofoam in a variety of heights, draw out the design for the top of each tombstone (curved, with a cross on top, etc.) Be sure to scuff up the tombstones a bit by breaking off pieces here and there, perhaps gouging some spots, and applying “cracks” with a paint brush and regular dark grey paint.

If desired, you can carefully etch an epitaph directly onto the front of the Styrofoam, and then spray paint the entire tombstone with decorative stone spray paint (grey or brown). As an alternative you can add the epitaph afterwards using regular black, brown or dark grey paint and a paint brush.

Menacing Mummies at Large

Use old clothes to make the form of your mummies. Be sure the clothing you use is dispensable; remember these mummies will be outside in the elements and exposed to rain, wind, and possibly snow. Visit second hand outlets where you can easily purchase such items at bargain prices if you don’t have anything that you can use at home.

Stabilize your mummy by putting together a T frame from 2-inch thick boards. The top board should be cut to shoulder width and the other board should equal the height the you want – measured from the ground up to the height of the shoulders.

Slide your used clothing over the frame and stuff with newspapers to fill it out. Use duct tape along the waistline to hold the shirt and pants together. Secure the bottom of your T frame to a 10″x 12″ piece of plywood that is 2-inches thick. This will act as the base and keep your mummy from tipping over.

Insert a 10-inch long dowel partway into the neck of the shirt and the other half into a Styrofoam head. (You can also make the head by covering a balloon with paper-maché). Hold in place with duct tape around the neck. Cover your mummy with 2-inch wide torn strips of muslin material. Using spray paints in translucent brown and beige, you can quickly give your mummy an aged appearance.

Creepy Crawly Creatures

Mummies are most often associated with Egypt – as are scarab beetles: the symbols of immortality. Purchase or sculpt your own scarabs using Styrofoam eggs, black paint, black chenille-stems, and enhance their torsos with deep red dimensional paint. Spiders, snakes and scorpions also make great additions to help embellish your chilling landscape.

Showtime: Setting the Scene

Once you have all your items completed, start by placing the two crypts first. Since they are the largest props in your inventory, you’ll be using them to help determine where your other items should be placed for best viewing. As a rule of thumb, larger pieces should be at the back of the scene, with smaller items out front. Glue or pin some scarab beetles crawling up into (or coming out of) the crypts for more sinister highlights.

Position your mummies as desired around the yard along with the tombstones. Enhance their look of decay by rubbing and tossing some dirt onto the muslin material of each mummy. A scarab beetle here and there, or perhaps a snake wrapped at the feet of a mummy, will contribute additional gruesomeness to the scene. Place spiders, scorpions, over-turned urns, and other such props as desired.

As a final touch, you may wish to use some low lighting effects along with a fogging machine to promote an eerie, unsettling effect to your exhibit. Then sit back and enjoy the gasps and shudders of Halloween trick-or-treaters as they make their way to your door – if they dare.

Rose Smith owns the popular website Halloween Howl where she invites you to come and explore some great Halloween party themes, chilling decorating suggestions, inspiring costume ideas, along with loads of general Halloween fun for the whole family at www.HalloweenHowl.com

Many young children may visit a pumpkin patch during the fall season. Bringing the experience to the classroom can be done with a little preparation and some small purchases. The area where circle time or story time usually takes place can be transformed into a miniature pumpkin patch. You will need to purchase bales of hay and a variety of pumpkins. Set up the hay bales along the edges of the area, and place the pumpkins along the perimeter. Make sure the pumpkins are not in a walkway where the students can trip over them. The students, who demonstrate good behavior, earn the privilege to sit on the hay bales during circle or story time. The pumpkin patch may be a little messy, so you may need to ask for permission from your maintenance staff or administration. The students love the opportunity to sit on the hay bales. It really motivates them to be on their best behavior.

Although the last decorating idea extends beyond the classroom, it is a big hit with students. Allowing the students to help decorate the classroom door is always exciting. They can bring items from home, or create different Halloween decorations. Alternatively, you can purchase inexpensive decorations. Holding a school-wide door decorating contest is a fun and creative way for students to show pride for their classroom. A panel of judges, usually the principal and a few staff members, award various prizes for the hard work produced by the students. The categories can include: The Cutest Door, The Funniest Door, The Scariest Door, The Most Unique Door, etc… Even if your school does not want to participate in the contest, you can still allow the students to decorate the door. Help them select a theme by brainstorming with the whole class, and writing ideas on the board. Select the winning idea by popular vote, and ask the students to think about how to put their ideas into action. Create a plan with the students, and make a checklist on the board to complete the project. Check off each task as it is completed. The students enjoy decorating the door, and they are introduced to some strategies for planning and completing a task. Whether you are creating funny sayings for gravestones, bringing a pumpkin patch inside, or planning a winning theme for your classroom door, Halloween can be a fun experience for everyone.

Kimberly would like for you to take a look at her favorite classroom supplies website, MPM School Supplies. They carry tons of incredible products for teachers, parents, schools, childcare centers, and more. You will find everything from craft supplies to classroom furnishings, including unique kids rugs! Her favorite part of shopping at MPM School Supplies is that they donate 50% of the gross profits to children’s charities! So what are you waiting for? Check out the site today!

Marked by technological advancement, innovation, and sophistication, the decorations that we use to enhance the appearance of our lawns, our home, and our businesses are rapidly gaining in popularity when it comes to implementation at Halloween. Individuals that purchase these decorations may choose from standard decorative items, electrical embellishments, inflatable ornaments, and even battery operated adornments! Ghosts can now be seen flying across the dark, ominous night sky. Zombies are now fully animated with movements, and evil sounds. Frightening fog emerges from the depths of evil. It is true – Halloween is now in the forefront as a leader in growing trends when it comes to spooktacular decorative items!

Despite the fact that there are many technological advancements when it comes to Halloween decorations, many of the original, or “Vintage” decorative items are being sought after. Ornamental items that were commonly seen in and around homes from the 1920s to the 1960s are in an unusually high demand this Halloween. One of the main reasons that individuals seek out these items is because that is a challenge in itself. It is actually considered to be quite rare to uncover such decorations as the pumpkins designed in the honeycomb shape constructed of tissue paper, or the basic skeletons and witches carved from standard cardboard. However, many people thoroughly enjoy the search. These rare adornments were created in such a way that they brought fear upon those that laid eyes on them.

There is a man by the name of Gerard Arduino that authored the book called “Holiday Love and Madness”. This author states: “finding such decorations in today’s marketplace especially near-mint condition, is fast becoming a rarity”. In the past decade, Arduino started to notice more and more vintage based Halloween pieces coming back into the market. As a result, he found himself highly interested and joined the many individuals that enjoy such memorabilia. Unlike Christmas items that are typically saved for many years, individuals have never quite placed an emphasis on saving items related to Halloween. Therefore, many standard pieces may be worth hundreds of dollars a piece or more!

In today’s market, there are many venues that are listed on the internet that make it easy to uncover vintage based Halloween decorations. Websites such as eBay, Amazon, and those similar in nature allow individuals to acquire old, original Halloween items. Individuals who remember these decorations often experience a sense of nostalgia because it reminds them of all the fun that they had on Halloween.

Many even remember specific decorations from their childhood. Items include that of cut out Halloween costumes, cardboard masks, pin up skeletons, flying witches, and more! If you are interested in seeking out what is considered to be “vintage” or “classic” Halloween costumes, use the following steps to assist you:

o First, you will want to pay special attention to the original manufacturer of the Halloween decorations that you believe are vintage. The names of “Beastle” and “Dennison” are some of the original companies that produced these types of products.

o If you discover Halloween cut outs, you will know that they are pretty old in age if they have an image printed on just one side and the backing consists of thick cardboard.

o If you come across books that are called “Halloween Boogie Books”, it is important to know that they are exceptionally rare. They are catalogs that detail items when they originally were placed on the market. When reviewing decorations in this type of book, you will be able to determine the original date of release and the original price associated with the decorations.

There are many places that will specialize in selling older Halloween costumes and decorations. The internet is a wonderful place to find such items. However, there are other areas where you can locate items as well. These areas include antique stores and malls, yard sales, flea markets, and dealers that specialize in community auctions. All it takes is a little research, knowing value associated with vintage decorations, and some time and you, too, can find valuable decorations for Halloween that are considered to be vintage among collectors.

Written by: Mike Gual

Mike Gual offers affordable costumes for Halloween. Be sure to visit out site to see check out our most popular costumes.

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Anything involving food is always a hit with me, so it’s no surprise that my favorite centerpiece is full of chocolate and takes two seconds to make! It’s as simple as filling a bowl with Halloween candy. I use a crystal serving bowl so that my chocolate bars have an extra sparkle, but a jack-o-lantern bowl in either plastic or ceramic works just as well. Plastic bowls are also more child-friendly since they are less likely to break and cause hurt feelings. On Halloween night the bowl can be brought to the front door for giving out candy to the neighborhood kids! Candy is a big part of Halloween so I like to bring it into my decorating, not to mention making sure that it’s within easy reach for when I get the munchies…!

Another easy Halloween centerpiece is made by hollowing out a pumpkin, just as you would to make a jack-o-lantern, and then placing a small potted mum inside. The pumpkin serves as a decorative flower pot and when Halloween is over you can take the potted plant out of the pumpkin and plant it outside. A vase filled with seasonal flowers can be used instead of the potted plant, depending on your preferences. Using the pumpkin in this way turns a plant or flower arrangement into a fun and festive decoration.

If you’re decorating for a Halloween party, why not make dessert your centerpiece? For a no fuss dessert, make cupcakes and then decorate them with some Halloween flair. After icing the cupcakes, make spooky faces with small Halloween candies, a variety of which can be found at any bulk food store. Or you can use orange icing and add some dark lines to make the cupcakes look like pumpkins. Instead of cupcakes, a cake can be decorated with a Halloween theme and then displayed during your party as the centerpiece. Try decorating the cake to look like a pumpkin, a graveyard or a ghost. The options are endless and just take some time, icing, and festive candies.

Halloween centerpieces don’t have to take much time to make, but the time you do spend will be well worth it. If you have children, try to make something that they can help with. Kids are great at coming up with creative and unique jack-o-lantern faces, and can’t wait to dig their fingers inside of pumpkins to clean them out! A simple jack-o-lantern centerpiece is fun to make and a great way to spend some time with your kids. Just make sure that an adult is doing the cutting so that little fingers don’t get hurt. For an extra treat, save the pumpkin seeds and roast them to make a crunchy and healthy snack.

Have fun with your Halloween decorating because this is one holiday that is meant to be fun more than anything! If you don’t like the initial results, don’t be afraid to rework things a different way. Decorating at any time of year is a personal experience so decorate with items that you enjoy. My favorite decorations are ones that I’ve made, even if they only last for a couple of days.

Visit us for more great ideas on thanksgiving centerpieces, bedroom decor ideas and how to make an edible fruit centerpiece.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or you already have most of your Halloween classroom decor ready, fresh classroom decoration ideas keep the spirits roaming your classroom.

Giant Spider in Her Web

A large, blank wall requires large decorations. If you have a large wall in your classroom, begin with a giant spider web. The web is easily created using yarn of any color that will stand off the wall. Choose 6 points on the wall for attachment. The hour positions of 10, 12, 2, 4, 6 and 8 on a clock are a good reference. Cut three lengths of yarn the full length of the web you want to create. Attach the yarn straight across the wall at the 6 points to create an asterisk. Then, working in a spiral from the outside, attach the yarn at each of the 6 points with tape or glue until you have at least 3 spirals. You may have several more spirals depending on the size of your wall.

Once you have the web, it’s time to create the spider. The spider should be black and can be any size and shape. You can cut the body out of black construction paper and then use long black pipe cleaners for the legs. You can also make the legs out of black construction paper by cutting long rectangles and then folding them accordion-style to give the spider dimension. Once the spider is assembled, attach her to the web.

This can also turn into a great project for your students. Give them pipe cleaners and show them how to twist the pieces together to create mini-spiders that will help turn the giant web into a scary masterpiece. You can take the project one step further with black or brightly colored mini pom-poms that can be used as the body of the mini-spiders.

Halloween Scenes

One classroom door decoration idea is to create Halloween scenes out of colored felt or construction paper and attach them to the door. The scenes need not be scary, but warm and inviting, drawing the children inside. A cat with a pumpkin, friendly ghosts, skeletons with top hats, or a large moon with a fence silhouette are just a few ideas to get you started. Use simple shapes and contrasting colors to create a delightful array of mini-scenes for decorating your classroom door. You can easily turn this into a fun project for your students, whether you ask them to cut out the simple shapes or give them the ability to create the haunting landscape.

Surrounded by Skeletons

A border of cut out skeletons can wrap around the upper wall of your classroom. You can make the skeletons in a paper doll style, with many layers of white construction paper cut out at once so they are attached when you unfold the paper.

Another idea is to have your students cut out the bones of small skeletons, attach the bones with brass fasteners and then hang them around the perimeter of the classroom. Students can express themselves by putting the arms and legs of their skeletons in funny positions or even hanging them upside down.

Inspiring classroom decorations are an important part of creating an environment where students are motivated to learn. If you want to involve your students in classroom decoration, many lessons can be incorporated into simple classroom decorating ideas like anatomy, art, math and science.

Jennifer Dobson invites you to take a look at MPM School Supplies where you will find all kinds of classroom supplies, resource books, classroom decorations, school furniture, educational rugs, educational toys, and much more. The best part is by shopping at MPM School Supplies you are helping children in need all around the world because 50% of the gross profits are donated to children’s charities!

1. Spider Webs: These are quite possibly the oldest Halloween prop around, but they can instantly turn your office into a spooky hit. They are also relatively easy to put up and take down. Around Halloween season you can find spider webs at virtually any store at a low cost. Hang them along the walls, across desks, over the door, or even on your office chair. Add fake plastic spiders or spider rings you can wear in the webs to spice it up a little more!
2. Costumes: If Halloween falls on a work day, have some fun and wear your costume to the office, if permitted to do so. As long as it is work appropriate, have your employees and yourself dress up to get in the Halloween spirit and make work pass by a little faster. Costume contests for the best costume at work are also a great idea to encourage others to dress up.
3. Pumpkins: If you have some extra time on your hands, carve a pumpkin for work! Extra points for pumpkins that include a company name or logo on it. If you do not want to spend a lot of money or time carving a pumpkin for work, there are also plenty of fake pumpkins that are already carved and will not break your budget. Place them on desks or counters and they will give everyone something to look at to brighten up their day.
4. Pot of Candy: If you use the excuse that you are too old to trick or treat or want to get your candy fix early, consider investing in a pot of candy. Buy a plastic black bowl that you can find at any local store and fill it up with your favorite candies such as Twix, Snickers, and Butterfingers. Then set it out on your desk or anywhere easily accessible to allow others working in the office to help themselves.
5. Black and Orange Streamers: Streamers are one of the easiest and cheapest Halloween decorations to put up. Just use some masking tape and intertwine the black and orange streamers and you are good to go. Hang them on your walls, across your desk, or anywhere in your office that is looking a little bare.
6. Balloons: Everyone loves balloons, and during this time of the year many party supply stores offer packs of black and orange balloons. Get black and orange string to tie the balloons and set them free in places where they will be easy to take down later. Make sure not to set them free in places that you can not reach or you will have to wait for them to deflate on their own. Try not to go overboard on the balloons and stick to 10 or less.
7. Inflatables: Pick up some pumpkin, witch, and ghost inflatables and set them around the office. You can even have them sitting in your office chair while you are out to lunch or sitting on your desk to give you some entertainment throughout the day. You can even put them on your company lawn to show you are really in the spirit of Halloween.
8. Black Lights: If you are really in the Halloween mood and looking to go all out consider investing in some black lights. Put them in hallways or places where you do not need good light or reading light. They will really give your office a spooky vibe and a haunted house feel if you are looking to go above and beyond in your decorating plan.
9. Banner: Hang up a Halloween Banner in the office some place where everyone can see it. Try using a wall or outside a door to really showcase your spirit. Many party stores have these with many different designs, so pick one that best suits your office. If you work with kids, try to pick one that is not too scary and more kid friendly.
10. Decorate the door: Purchase a large vinyl or plastic Halloween table cloth and cover your door with it. You can also buy a large roll of black felt from a fabric store and cover the door that way. Get extra creative and cut out pumpkins or letters that spell out Happy Halloween and adhere them to the felt. You can also hang happy Halloween signs or plastic bats from the door knob.

Have some fun in your workplace this year while preparing for the spookiest holiday of the year.

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- Fake cobwebs. This is a cheap and easy way to add some ambience to the scene. Fake spider webs are usually made from loosely bound white cotton that you can pull in any direction. Start by taping or tacking one down one end, then stretch the cobweb in two directions to form a triangle shape. The cobwebs work best in corners, over a part of a window, or on the front porch. You can add a few black plastic spiders to the webs to give it an even more realistic effect.

- Fake tombstones. Tombstones are an easy way to turn your front yard or flower garden into a makeshift graveyard. You can buy “stones” made out of wood or vinyl, which come attached to a stick so you can simply push them into the ground. Usually the tombstones have names of monsters or other scary names, and include funny epitaphs. You can make your own tombstones out of plywood and paint too.

- Reusable fake carving pumpkins. These are a relatively new invention, and they make a great Halloween decoration because they can be used every year. The pumpkins are made out of a hard styrofoam, and are perfect for carving. The carving itself does take a little longer because the Styrofoam is harder than a real pumpkin, but the advantage is these pumpkins will never rot, and so you can keep them for next year. Also, since they are harder, it is easier to make more intricate designs without worrying about the thin areas caving in. You can buy carving design kits at many craft stores, or even find designs on line. Just make sure you use a glow stick or flashlight to light them instead of a real candle.

- Lighting. You can use a few lights to really set your display apart. The most important lighting for Halloween is up lights. You can find these at most home improvement stores, they are usually just lights designed so that the light shines upwards out the can. Strategically placing a few of these lights can have a truly dramatic effect. Place them below your cobwebs to create interesting shadows and light the spiders. They are also great in conjunction with a fog machine. You can also experiment with different colored lights, like red or orange, to give an eerie glow to some of your decorations.

- Scary music. No Halloween would be complete without some theme music. You can buy CDs that include lots of screams, organ pipes, and other scary sounds to really set the mood. If you’re a little more adventurous, you can record your family making all sorts of scary noises and use your computer to create a custom CD. Set the speakers up near the front door so people get the full effect as they approach.

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