Is spooky season one of your favorite times of year too?! My husband and I absolutely love it, so I thought it was high time I planned a little spooky soiree (savvy-style!). From my own Halloween House Party planning to yours, here are my favorite budget-friendly ideas to transform your home into the perfect entertaining space for your best ghouls and gals.
Before you go, don’t forget to grab your free printable party planning checklist!
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Savvy Halloween House Party Decorations
Transforming your home into a haunted Halloween house party doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The best way to start is by selecting a unique Halloween theme that will guide your decoration choices. Whether it’s a classic haunted mansion, a creepy carnival, or a gothic masquerade, sticking to a theme will make it easier to gather supplies and create a cohesive look.
Budget-savvy DIY decorating ideas:
Get those creative cobwebs cleared and try your hand at these DIY Halloween party decorations! They are low-budget and all very easy for any level of DIYer to do!
- Cut out bats from construction paper and tape them to the inside of your lamp shades for a spooky haunted mansion ambiance.
- Use old wine bottles and taper candles to create spooky drippy candle tablescapes and centerpieces.
- Go thrift shopping for old vintage household items. Typewriters, old photos, books, apothecary jars, and even suitcases can be used to create some eerie backdrops for photos or tablescapes.
Super Savvy Decorating Tip:
Use items you already have at home! Repurpose old sheets for ghostly drapes, make use of black and orange construction paper for DIY garlands, and incorporate a variety of mismatched candles for an eerie glow.
Free Halloween Party Printables:
- Craft and Sparkle created some super cute (and free!) Halloween Party printables you can use to decorate your space. You can find those here!
Cheap Halloween Party Decorations:
You can also shop affordable Amazon Halloween party decoration finds, like these, to help create your haunted party space:
Eerily Affordable Menu Ideas
Feeding your guests doesn’t have to drain your wallet. Opt for simple, crowd-pleasing dishes with a spooky twist.
Budget-friendly Halloween Party Food Ideas:
- Mummified hot dogs: These are so easy and actually… kind cute and not at all eerie (except maybe the eyes! LOL). Find a recipe to make these on House of Nash Eats.
- Pumpkin Pizza Bombs: A fun twist on the classic pizza pie, Nashville Wife Styles walks you through how to make these delicious-looking pumpkin pizza bombs.
- Char-boo-terie board: Everyone loves a good charcuterie board, but make it festive with one of these 31 creative Halloween-themed ideas from Lady Celebrations.
- Spooky Baked Ghost Chips: You can do a LOT of creative things when you’ve got the ghost cut-outs, like bake ghost-shaped tortilla chips for a fun spooky twist on the classic nachos! Learn how to do this on One Lovely Life.
- “Bloody” red velvet popcorn: This popcorn recipe from Slimming Violet is coated in red velvet-flavored chocolate and drizzled with a “bloody” red syrup, making it both delicious and eerily festive.
An even savvier idea:
Consider making your Halloween party a potluck, where each guest brings a dish. This not only cuts costs but also adds a variety of treats to your menu.
Fun Halloween Party Drink Ideas:
You can have just as much fun with your drink selection too, while keeping things affordable for serving a crowd.
- Ghostly Punch: Punch is a great big-batch drink option for your Halloween house party. And you can easily keep on the creepy crawly theme by adding ghostly hand ice cubes to your punch bowl by filling and freezing latex food grade gloves (without the powder!).
- Spooky Good Cocktails: For cocktails, serve in goblet-style glassware or vintage high-ball glasses with a little dry ice for a foggy, mystical effect.
- Wine not? For wine service, place boxed wine bags in DIY pumpkin dispensers instead for a fun, Halloween-themed twist.
Check out some awesome Halloween cocktail ideas on my Halloween Party Pinterest board!
Halloween Party Entertainment Ideas on a Dime
Keep your guests engaged with a variety of Halloween-themed games.
- DIY Photo Booth: Set up a corner with spooky props and a backdrop. Use your smartphone or a camera and one of these photo booth apps to snap pics and let guests take turns posing.
- Costume Contest: Encourage guests to come in their best Halloween attire and hold a costume contest with small, themed prizes for categories like “Best DIY Costume” or “Scariest Costume.” Grab a few things from the Dollar Tree and you’re golden!
- Scary Movie Marathon: Set up a cozy area with blankets and pillows for guests to watch classic horror films or family-friendly Halloween movies. Streaming services often have seasonal selections that you can choose from.
- Pumpkin Carving Station: Set up a table with pumpkins, carving tools, and stencils for guests to carve their own jack-o’-lanterns. This is a great interactive activity that doubles as decor for the night.
Killer Halloween House Party Playlist
No Halloween house party is complete without a spine-chilling soundtrack. Curate a playlist filled with Halloween classics like “Thriller,” “Monster Mash,” and eerie sound effects. If you’re looking to save time, there are plenty of pre-made playlists available on streaming services.
Pro Tip: Have a few quieter, atmospheric tracks ready for when you need to tone down the energy, such as during dinner or storytelling segments.
Spooky Good Party Souvenirs
For a budget-friendly and on-theme party souvenir, consider a more interactive Trick or Treat Candy bar. Give your guests Halloween-themed treat bags to fill up with their favorites, so they have something fun and sweet to remember the night by!
Shop DIY candy bar supplies!
Digital Halloween house party invites
Last, but certainly not least… inviting your guests to your Halloween house party!
It’s rare I see a physical invitation come my way these days, especially for less formal events and parties. Do your self a favor and pick a fun, Halloween-themed e-vite to send instead of going snail mail. You’ll save money and the hassle involved in printing, addressing, and stamping your Halloween party invitations.
Here are my favorite digital halloween party invites from Greenvelope!
Hosting a DIY and budget-friendly Halloween house party is all about creativity and planning. By focusing on cost-effective decorations, entertainment, and food, you can throw a spooktacular event that your guests will talk about for years to come.
Before you go…
Grab your free printable party checklist (available to Savvy Swaréy subscribers!)