Halloween is coming! You all know that I like things quick, easy, and cheap. Halloween parties can be so much fun for kids of all ages, but it is easy to go overboard and over budget. Check out my tips for how to host a Halloween party on a budget.
Thank you to Oriental Trading for providing me with some goodies to facilitate this post and my own Halloween party!
How to Host a Halloween Party on a Budget
- Invite Guests to Dress Up to Come – Unless you have an extensive dress-up stash already, don’t feel the need to “dress” your guests. Invite your friends and family to come to your party already dressed in their own clever costumes. You could even have a costume contest and give the best one an inexpensive prize or print out free award certificates.
- Take it Easy Decorating – Keep it simple. A fun tablecloth, a few pumpkins, maybe an easy DIY Halloween wreath, or using my ghost Halloween hack are great ways to save money! You’ll be practical, but still festive.
- Check Sales Ads – You can find out where the cheapest pumpkins, candies, groceries, etc are just by browsing the weekly sales ads. Think about more than just the grocery stores, too. Check out local nurseries, farmer’s markets, and even drugstores! You’ll be surprised at how different the prices are depending on where you go.
- Buy in Bulk – Face it, you’re going to need a LOT of some things, especially if you’ll be having several people over. Check out Oriental Trading. They have huge assortments of candy that would be great for parties and trick-or-treaters as well. Want more bulk items? You should buy your plates and cups in bulk if you’ll be using disposable ones like we will. Other items you might want to buy in large quantities for a party are napkins, utensils, favor bags, and maybe balloons.
- Purchase Non-Candy Goodies – Candy is great and everything, but think about all of the awesome toys and stickers out there. Kids can get a much better variety. You will have something available for kids with severe allergies or kiddos that can’t have sugary treats.
I stocked up on Halloween stickers (I like the ones on rolls and cut them out individually to give out), jumping spiders, glow in the dark fangs, and glitter sticky hands. - Play Games That Are Easy to Buy or Make – You know that bobbing for apples is not pricey at all and is a classic favorite. If the idea of that grosses you out, what about pin the nose on the pumpkin?
It’s inexpensive and a lot of fun! Also, check out my Halloween Relay Race idea. It’s cheap and easy. - Enjoy a Pinata! – For our party, we’re having a monster pinata, so I wanted to fill it up on the cheap. When I was “window shopping”, I saw that Oriental Trading not only had the pinata for an affordable price, but they also had the Piñata Toy & Candy Assortment. For our pinata goodies, we’ll be giving each kid their own empty treat bags to fill with the candy and toys they get.
They’ll also get a little monster sticker to seal the bag shut. Isn’t that cute? - Whip Up Your Own Edible Treats and Goodies – Why pay the crazy inflated prices from the store for treats when you could easily just make them yourself? In fact, letting kids help decorate can make an inexpensive, yet super fun, activity for your party!
Try these Monster Eye Cookies, Halloween Hands, or even these ooey gooey Candy Bar Brownies. - Make Your Party BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin) – Pumpkins can be pricey, but people love buying them for their families anyway! Host a pumpkin carving, painting, or decorating party where guests bring their own pumpkins of any size, shape, or color. You simply provide the tools or supplies for decorating!
We’re doing pumpkin decorating craft kits for ours, because it’s easy peasy with some shaped foam stickers that guests can mix and match to make whatever silly faces they want.
[…] for some more Halloween inspiration? Be sure to check out how to host a Halloween party on a budget, try making my Halloween Hands, or even make a DIY Halloween wreath for under […]