Unlock the secrets of budget-friendly Halloween decor with these 13 spellbinding ideas straight from the dollar store! While 13 may be considered an unlucky number, we’re about to turn that superstition on its head. These wickedly clever DIY projects prove that creating a hauntingly beautiful Halloween atmosphere doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

From eerie wreaths to ghoulish centerpieces, we’ve conjured up a cauldron of creativity that will transform your space into a bewitching Halloween haven. Each idea is as easy on your wallet as it is on the eyes, proving that sometimes the most frightfully good decorations come with the smallest price tags. So grab your broomstick (or shopping cart), and let’s dive into these 13 scary good Dollar Store Halloween Party decoration ideas that are sure to cast a spell on your guests!

Also See: Creative DIY Halloween Costume Ideas

1. Hanging Halloween Cage

Create spine-chilling Halloween hanging cages using dollar store laundry baskets and plastic chains. Spray-painted black for an ominous look, these DIY props are easily customizable for your haunted scene. Perfect for porches or yards, they’ll leave trick-or-treaters wondering what—or who—might be trapped inside. A budget-friendly way to amp up your outdoor Halloween decor.

2. Halloween Wreath

Create a spooky and budget-friendly Halloween wreath for just $5! This easy DIY project uses a wire wreath form, a Halloween door sign, and festive garlands from the dollar store. Customize with eerie elements like fake cobwebs, creepy cloth, or artificial flowers to craft a unique, eye-catching decoration that will haunt your door all season long.

3. Halloween Skull Wreath

Using dollar store mini skulls, sturdy wire, and hot glue, you can create a macabre masterpiece for your front door. This DIY project transforms budget-friendly materials into a spine-tingling decoration that’s sure to impress trick-or-treaters and partygoers alike. Top it off with a ribbon for a touch of festive flair.

4. Skull Succulent 

Transform dollar store skull buckets into ghoulishly charming succulent planters. Paint the skulls for a personalized touch, then fill them with foam and top them with small white rocks. Add fake succulents for a low-maintenance, spooky-cute DIY decoration idea perfect for Halloween or year-round gothic decor. This affordable DIY combines creepy and cute for a unique home accent.

5. Halloween Plastic Tablecloth Wreath

Craft a spooky and budget-friendly Halloween wreath using dollar store finds. Transform a simple wire form and black plastic tablecloth into an eerie masterpiece. Embellish with creepy crawly spiders and wispy white webbing for added chills. This quick and easy DIY project creates a festive door decoration that’s sure to give your guests a fright.

6. Spider Halloween Wreath

Craft a festive and budget-friendly Halloween wreath using mainly Dollar Spot finds. Colorful striped socks and a spooky spider garland transform a simple styrofoam wreath form into a fun, not-so-scary door decoration. This quick and easy DIY project requires minimal crafting skills, making it perfect for anyone looking to add a touch of Halloween charm to their home.

7. Bandana Pumpkin

Create charming rustic pumpkins using Dollar Tree finds. Transform foam pumpkins with orange bandanas, natural twine, and a touch of black paint for a cozy autumn look. This affordable DIY project costs just $2.50 per pumpkin and takes only 15 minutes to complete. Perfect for adding a warm, seasonal touch to your fall decor without breaking the bank.

8. Boneyard Lantern

Create an eerie centerpiece with this DIY skull vase. Adhere mini plastic skulls to a dollar store glass cylinder, then spray paint for a unified, ghostly look. Add skull necklaces for extra flair and insert battery-operated tea lights for a haunting glow. This eye-catching decoration combines macabre charm with budget-friendly ingenuity, perfect for Halloween parties or spooky home decor.

9.  Skeleton Dish

Transform dollar store finds into a macabre masterpiece with this creepy skeleton dish. Disassemble a plastic skeleton and arrange its bones artfully on glass candle holders. The result is a versatile Halloween decoration that serves as a ghoulish candy dish, an eerie candle holder, or a spine-chilling centerpiece. This affordable DIY project adds a touch of horror to your Halloween decor while sparking conversation among guests.

10. Dollar Store Pumpkin Topiary

Transform budget-friendly dollar store pumpkins into striking monochrome decor with this simple DIY project. With just white and black paint, create a sophisticated Halloween display that’s both eerie and elegant. This versatile $4 craft works for various fall settings, from spooky Halloween parties to chic autumn tablescapes. An affordable way to elevate your seasonal decor with minimal effort and maximum impact.

Also See: How to Save Money on Halloween

11. Halloween Skull Decor

Create whimsical Halloween decorations with dollar store plastic skulls transformed into charming skull candlesticks. Mount skulls on wooden holders, paint them a ghostly white, and add pewter accents for an antique look. Personalize with miniature hats and spooky embellishments like ribbon, tulle, and plastic spiders. These unique, budget-friendly pieces add a playful touch to your Halloween decor, perfect for mantels or eerie tablescapes.

12. Ghost Candles

Transform ordinary dollar store candles into spooky DIY ghost candles for Halloween. With just a Sharpie marker, draw quirky or eerie ghost faces on white pillar candles. This incredibly simple, $3 project creates unique Halloween decor in seconds. Perfect for mantels, windowsills, or as centerpieces, these playful ghost candles add a whimsical touch to your Halloween setup. An ideal craft for kids’ Halloween parties or quick last-minute decorations.

13. Jack O’ Lantern Pumpkin Balloon Garland

Create a festive Jack O’ Lantern Pumpkin Balloon Garland for a playful Halloween decoration. Transform orange balloons into charming pumpkins with black vinyl faces and green pipe cleaner stems. String them together for a whimsical garland that’s perfect for parties, entryways, or mantels. This easy, budget-friendly DIY brings a fun, kid-friendly twist to traditional Halloween decor, offering a mess-free alternative to real pumpkins.

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One of the activities both kids and adults enjoy during Halloween is pumpkin carving.  While the standard triangle eyes and nose are easy, many people have started using pumpkin templates to create breathtaking designs.

You can purchase various carving templates at your local store.  But, why pay for them when there are hundreds of cool pumpkin carving stencils available for free online!

HOW TO USE A PUMPKIN CARVING STENCIL

Cut off the top of the pumpkin and clean it out, like you would when making any carving.  Then, print the stencil you want and tape it to the front of your pumpkin.  Punch marks on the dots you see on the template.  Remove the templated and toss it. Use your knife to connect the dots to make the intricate design.

WHAT KINDS OF PUMPKIN CARVING TEMPLATES CAN YOU FIND?

There is s stencil for just about anything you want.  You can find Disney® characters, sports, creepy characters, animals, silly faces — just about anything you could want.  Below you’ll find some of the best sites that offer pumpkin carving stencils, patterns, and templates for free!

You’ll want to check out our other helpful Halloween ideas too:

• 40 Fun DIY Halloween Costume Ideas
• ICEE Halloween Costume
• 40 Non-Candy Halloween Treats
• Simple Halloween Lanterns

FREE PRINTABLE CARVING STENCILS

PUMPKIN PILE

You will find hundreds of patterns including movie characters, animals, creepy faces, sports, celebrities, video games and more.  They help you know which templates you might feel comfortable using by offering a difficulty rating of 1 – 5 on each stencil.

PUMPKIN LADY

Her site has quite the collection of pumpkin carving patterns — more than 700 to be exact!  Find templates for special occasions, nature, snow days, fun Halloween words, Boo creatures and so much more! This site even includes instructions and how-t0-videos for more detailed explanations.

SPOOKMASTER

You can find just about any possible pumpkin carving template you might need on this site.  They have everything from traditional to political figures and more!  Read through their tips and instructions to help get you started carving a pumpkin – no matter your skill level.  Once you are done, look through their party game ideas for inspiration for your Halloween party.

DISNEY FAMILY

You’ll find some really cool pumpkin designs here for, what else, but Disney characters  They even have a few ideas to decorate your pumpkin without having to carve it.

MARTHA STEWART

Look through the more than 40 stencils she has available.  These are less intricate, so might be easier for first-time carvers (or if you don’t have much time to spend carving).

ZOMBIE PUMPKINS

Look at their more than 400 pumpkin carving patterns throughout their site. They have movie monsters, creations that are unique to only their site, fun ideas for kids, TV terrors and so much more!  Their website is wildly popular with more than 4,000,000 downloads and counting.

HGTV

If you are a carving novice, then these templates are for you.  All of these patterns are easy to follow and cut into your pumpkins.  They are great to use to help your child learn how to carve (with parental supervision, of course).

Our family really enjoys our time together carving pumpkins each year.  We’ve done it since our kids were very young and it is something that we all look forward to doing each year.  As our kids get older, they can try more complex designs. It’s fun to watch them learn and get excited as they see their jack-o-lanterns come to life!

Get your kids and family together and use one of these incredible pumpkin carving stencils to make a unique design this year.

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Give me a pumpkin roll rather than pumpkin pie!  I am not a fan of pie in any way.  But, I still love pumpkin flavors and desserts.

One way I can still enjoy pumpkin for dessert on Thanksgiving is with a pumpkin roll.  The combination of the pumpkin and cream cheese frosting….well…I’ll let you put your own taste buds to the test and let me know what you think!

More fall recipes you’ll love:

• Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Layered Dessert
• 16 Pumpkin Desserts to Make This Fall

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Pumpkin Roll

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• Author: Penny Pinchin Mom
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

CAKE

• ¼ cup powdered sugar, to sprinkle on a towel
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup pure pumpkin
• Pinch of salt

FILLING

• 1 8oz package of cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 6 table spoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

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Instructions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper.
   2. Sprinkle thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar (use enough so the cake will not stick to towel).
   3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt on a small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mix until well combined. Spread evenly into prepared baking sheet.
   4. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (if using dark pan, begin checking for doneness around 11 minutes).
   5. Immediately loosen and turn cake out onto prepared towel. Peel off wax paper. Roll up the cake and towel together, starting with the narrow end. Cool completely.
   6. For filling, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in a small bowl until creamy and smooth.
   7. Unroll cake and spread cream cheese filling over the cake. Re-roll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.
   8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

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Candy corn bark is a simple, sweet treat you can make for any party.  I’ve seen lots of varieties of Halloween bark, but this is one which focuses on one of my favorite Halloween candies – candy corn!

What makes this treat great is how simple it is to make.  It will take just a few minutes to whip up a batch, making it the perfect last minute Halloween treat!

Make sure you check out all of our other fun Halloween recipes too!

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Candy Corn Bark

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• Author: Penny Pinchin Mom
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 bag of Yellow Melting Candies
• 1 bag of Orange Melting Candies
• Wax paper
• Candy Corn (add amount you want)

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Instructions

1. Melt the both the yellow and orange melting candies in the microwave (use separate bowls).
2. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.
3. Spoon the melted candies into pools across the wax paper. Keep the colors separate, but touching.
4. Using a spoon, lightly mix the colors to get a tie die look.
5. Sprinkle with candy corn (as much as you would like).
6. Allow to dry and then break into chunks.
7. Serve and enjoy!

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If you love to make fun treats for your kids for Halloween, you will definitely want to try these fun Rolo Monster Eye Cookies!  They are so super simple to make and your kids will absolutely love them!

You will want to also try some of our other unique Halloween treats:

• Skeleton Bones
• Melting Ghost Cookies
• Monster Eye Cookies

And then, make sure you also follow our Halloween Pinterest board for MORE Halloween inspiration!

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Rolo Monster Eye Cookies

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• Author: Penny Pinchin Mom
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 11 minutes
• Total Time: 21 minutes
• Yield: 18 cookies
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbs. sour cream
• 1 ¼ cup flour
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 18–20 Rolos
• 18–20 small Wilton candy eyes

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Instructions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease your baking sheets.
   2. In a medium size bowl combine the softened butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and sour cream.
   3. Mix until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

1. In a smaller separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2. Mix well and slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients stirring slowly.
3. Add in the 1 cup of chocolate chips and mix well.
4. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto the greased cookie sheets and bake 9-11 minutes.
5. Remove the cookies from the oven and top each warm cookie with one Rolo and one candy eye on top of the Rolo.
6. The heat from the cookie will melt the Rolo slightly allowing the candy eye to stick.

The post Rolo Monster Eye Cookies appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

My daughter decided that she wanted to do something really different this last year.  We did some research, and she found an image of someone who appeared to be carrying herself in a box.  She told me that this is what she wanted to do.

The directions on the site we found were not easy to follow at all.  I had to figure most of it out myself.  While this was more work for me, you get the benefit as I am going to share the step-by-step instructions right here for you (along with images) so that you can make this too!

It looks like it is a lot of work, but it is actually easier than it appears!

Other helpful Halloween ideas:

• 40 Fun DIY Halloween Costume Ideas
• 40 Non-Candy Halloween Treats
• ICEE Halloween Costume

SUPPLIES

Box (large enough for you to fit into)
Pajama pants or jeans
Rubber bands
Poly Fiber Fill (one bag)
Old shoes
Styrofoam head
Black Spray paint
Wooden dowel rod (will need to slide into the bottom of the styrofoam head)
Saw
Old Jacket or shirt
Gloves
Zombie mask (if no hair on the mask, you will need a wig or hat too)
Makeup
Backpack

DIRECTIONS

Step 1.  To begin, you will want to cut out the bottom of the box.  The hole should be just large enough so that it will slide up over your hips and rest there.  Your feet and legs will be the legs of the zombie.  Here is a view of the hole we cut in our box.

We used to take to ensure that none of the flaps moved and would stay out of the way of sliding the box up over my daughter’s hips.

Step 2. Using rubber bands (or string), tie the ends of the pajama pants or jeans closed.  Then, stuff them with fiberfill until they look good.  You will want to test them by bending them over the side of the box to make sure that they look right (not too fat or too thin).

Step 3.  Attach the shoes to the bottom of the pants.  We used the laces and tied them tightly to the pants.  You could use pins or any other method you feel will work to attach them.

Step 4. Spray paint the styrofoam head and wooden dowel both black (this will make sure they are not as visible on the costume.

Step 5. Next, you will need to dry fit the zombie head into the backpack.  zip the backpack shut and slide the dowel in from the top.  Have your child put the backpack on and determine where the head should sit (should be a little bit above your child’s head).  Then, cut off any excess so that when the dowel rod is place back into the backpack, the height will be correct.

Step 6. You will now want to give your zombie arms.  To do this. rubber band the arms of the shirt closed and then fill them with more fiberfill.  You will also want to fill the gloves with fiberfill, so that they appear to have a hand in them. It is important that you do not overfill them as you want the arms to be able to bend as they will have to be secured to the box eventually.

Add fiber fill (or towels or other lightweight items) to the backpack so that it has some shape. You want it to look like a person.

Next, place the shirt or jacket over the backpack and determine where to cut holes in the back. Make sure the BACK of the shirt or jacket faces the side of the backpack which you open.  Now, when you put the backpack on, you will not see any of it, but only the shirt itself (sorry for this blurry shot, my daughter was helping me take photos).

Attach the gloves to the shirt using rubberbands or safety pins.  Do NOT attach to the box until you put the costume on.

Step 7. Place the wig/mask onto the styrofoam head.  Now you have the body and head of your zombie!

Step 8.  To finalize, slide the box up over your legs.  Next, place the “fake legs” over the side of the box.  If they will not stay put, you can use some tape to keep them in place (just tape under the knees so you do not see it).

Put the backpack on your back and make sure the head is facing the right way.  Place the hands onto the bottom of the box and attach with tape (attaching underneath means you will not see it.

You can then have your hands hold a bag or do whatever and it will look like your zombie friend is carrying you in a box!!

Since we are Kansas City Royals fans, we turned our zombie into a KC Royals Player and then made the person in the box a NY Mets guy — complete with a black eye!  You can do whatever you want to make yours fun too!

The post Zombie Put Me In A Box Halloween Costume appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

Looking for alternative non-candy Halloween treat ideas? We get you and we can help.

As we all know, Halloween is just around the corner.  As a parent taking the kids trick-or-treating, it basically means, an endless supply of candy.

That candy is usually still around come Thanksgiving when you toss it into the trash can.  That seems like such a waste of money to me.  I’d rather give the kids a little something other than candy.

It is not even only my own kids I worry about. I know that many have allergies, and so I would hate to hand out food that might make someone sick….or something they can not eat.

That is why I created this list of 40 alternative non-candy Halloween treat ideas.  If you are like me in the way you plan Halloween, then this will be perfect for you!

40 Alternative Non-Candy Halloween Treat Ideas

1. Halloween bubbles. Lots of fun and something the kids will actually play with and use.

2. Mini Play-Doh.  Kids love this!  While I usually make my own homemade play dough, you can find these mini containers to hand out to kids.

3.  Freeze Pops.  The kids can take them home and toss them into the freezer to have a treat later on.

4. Halloween Erasers.  These are VERY affordable (just under $7 for 144).  So they not only cost less than candy, they last longer too!

5. Spider Rings.  These give me the creeps, but kids love them!  You can pick up 144 of them for less than $10!

6. Stampers.Lots of fun for the kids — and they can use them any time of the year if you get those that are not specific to Halloween.

7. Game and favor books.  Something for the kids to do — which makes them use those precious minds!

8.  Monster Tattoos.  Kids LOVE these temporary tattoos!

9. Stretchy Flying Bats.  These things are SO much fun (just make sure the kids play with them outside).

10. Caprisun.  Skip the food and toys and go for a beverage instead!

11. Microwave popcorn.  This is small and won’t take up too much space in those Halloween bags!  If you buy closer to Halloween, stores often sell bags with fun Halloween decorations on them too.

12. Halloween Pencils.  A simple idea which is perfect for any trick or treater.

13. Halloween Stickers.  My kids LOVE stickers!  Give kids 2 – 3 different stickers, and they’ll be tickled!

14. Bookmarks. What a great way to instill reading for your guests!

15. Glow bracelets.  These are fun for kids of all ages!

16.  Whistles. My kids LOVE whistles!  I found these fun Skeleton whistles, which are perfect for Halloween.

17. Fun Bandaids.  If your kids are like mine, they get a scratch and need a band-aid.  These are fun!  You can get a box and give 2 or 3 to each trick-or-treater.

18.  Rubber Duckies.  My kids still get a kick out of rubber duckies!!

19. Bouncy Balls.  I don’t know what it is about balls, but my kids love them!

20. Glow-in-the-Dark Sticky Eyes.  My oldest told me that this is perfect for 10 and 11 year old kids (so there you’ve got an expert opinion).

21.  Mandarin oranges with faces.  Instead of giving a sweet treat, give a healthy one instead.  Draw fun pumpkin faces on your oranges to give to the kids.

22.  Mini boxes of raisins.  Still something for them to eat – but not nearly as sweet!

23.  Mini crayons.  Kids love to draw and color, so these are perfect!

24. Slide whistles.  I mentioned whistles above, but these are a little different in that they are slide whistles.

25. Spinning Tops.  A fun toy for kids (ages 3 and up).

26. Mini slinkies.  I still pay with these when my kids bring them home (shhh….don’t tell them).

27. Slap bracelets.  These take me back to my own pre-teen years!  Kids still love them!

28. Kids’ Mustache. These are a lot of fun for kids!

29. Silly Straws.  Always a hit!

30. Wind Up Toys.  These little toys are fun for kids of all ages.

31. Mini notepads.  You could give one of these along with a pencil (see above).

32.  Mini Yo-Yos.  I still have yet to master a yo-yo — but my kids do great!

33.  Vampire teeth.  What is Halloween without Vampire teeth?

34. Wax Lips.  I remember these OH so well when I was young! (These are a bit more expensive, so might be better for a smaller gathering of kids).

35. Stretchy Skeletons.  These are also a bit more expensive, but could be fun for the kids attending your party (rather than to hand out to trick-or-treaters).

36.  Stress balls. These mini stress balls are a lot of fun (we have a large one and my kids love it).

37. Friendship rope bracelets.  My seven year old is a HUGE fan of these kids bracelets!

38. Porcupine Balls.  Can’t go wrong with these!

39. Silly Bandz.  These are not as popular as they once were, but kids still love them.

40. Finger Puppets.  These are adorable!

What other items do you have to add to our list?

The post 40 Alternative Non-Candy Halloween Treat Ideas appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

I love making Halloween treats!  These melting ghosts were another new one which came to me when I happened to find Cookies and Creme Striped cookies on the store shelf!

Just add a strawberry and some white almond bark to make your own fun melting ghosts! I love having the cookie act as the base, which holds the strawberry in place.  It also makes it a bit easier for little hands to hold.

Check out all of our other fun and original Halloween Treat ideas!

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Melting Ghosts Halloween Treat Idea

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• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 15 min

Ingredients

• Cookies & Cream Striped Cookies
• Strawberries
• White almond bark
• Black icing (gel or other type)
• Waxed paper

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Instructions

1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
2. Place the cookies onto the sheet, with the white side up.
3. Cut the top off of the strawberries and place one on each cookie, pointed side up.
4. Melt 2 – 3 bars of almond bark (I do this in the microwave in 30-second increments, so it does not scorch).
5. Pour the almond bark over the top of the strawberry, so it runs down. You want it to look a bit messy.
6. Allow to set for 30 minutes.
7. Add in black eyes and a mouth.
8. Serve and enjoy!

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Skeleton bones.  It is one fun way to get creative this Halloween!!! With all of the parties that are going on, you have plenty of chances to make more than one fun treat.

This is one my kids, and I love to make together. It takes the simple idea of a pretzel rod, but in a smaller form.  Adding marshmallows turns these treats into fun little skeleton bones!

Make sure you check out our other fun Halloween ideas! And then, follow me on Pinterest for MORE Halloween inspiration!!!

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Skeleton Bones

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• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 15 min
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• While Almond Bark (I used 4 bricks to make the amount you see above)
• Pretzel Sticks
• Mini Marshmallows

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Instructions

1. First, place your almond bark into a microwave-safe bowl and melt (4 cubes will take around 1 min 30 sec).
2. While that is melting, break the pretzels into various sizes so that your bones are of varying lengths.
3. Push on a mini marshmallow onto each end to make your bone.
4. Once melted, cover the sticks with the bark. This is a messy (but fun) task. Be careful as the mini marshmallows sometimes fall off, but you can just put them back on.
5. Place the bones on wax paper on a cookie sheet so they can dry.
6. When dried, you can ‘break off’ the drips and over cover, and your bones will be ready to serve!

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These spider web pretzels are a fun snack idea!  My girls and I love to get into the kitchen and have fun being creative.  We were making all sorts of fun Halloween treats when I thought about this one.

It takes just two ingredients to make them.  You need to treat them a bit more delicately, as the chocolate can break off (add in a few more pretzels to yours and it will give them some stability).

Make sure you check out all of our other fun Halloween Treats and Ideas.

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Spider Web Pretzels

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• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 15 min
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• Chocolate Almond Bark
• Baggie
• Pretzels
• Wax Paper

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Instructions

1. Tear off a piece of waxed paper and set it on a baking sheet or another flat surface.
2. Arrange pretzels onto the paper. Make sure that all of the tops meet in the middle and spin out from there.
3. Place 2 – 3 blocks of almond bark in a bowl and microwave until melted. I would warm for 30 seconds in increments, to ensure you do not scorch it.
4. Stir chocolate until all melted and well mixed.
5. Place the baggie in a tall glass and open – wrapping the edges of the baggie. This holds it open so you can pour in the chocolate.
6. Cut off one corner of the baggie. Do not cut off too much or the chocolate will run out.
7. Place a large circle of chocolate on the center of your “web.” This will connect the pretzels together.
8. Run circles of chocolate around the pretzels, creating a web-like effect.
9. Allow cooling for 20 – 30 minutes.
10. Very carefully peel back the waxed paper.
11. Enjoy!

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Candied pretzel rods make a fun Halloween treat!  I love to make these with my girls.  They get a kick out of putting the sprinkles all over them.  Definitely a fun activity to do with the family.

Check out all of our other fun Halloween Recipes and Costume Ideas!

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CANDIED PRETZEL STICKS

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• Author: Tracie

Ingredients

• Pretzel Rods
• White Almond Bark
• Halloween Sprinkles
• Wax Paper

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Instructions

1. Rip off a sheet of wax paper and put on a cookie sheet, tray or plate.
2. Then, melt the almond bark in the microwave. I used 3 cubes to create around 8 – 10 pretzel rods.
3. Once melted, dip the pretzel rod into the bark and use a spoon to help spread it so that the rod is covered at least 1/2 way.
4. Hold the pretzel rod over a bowl and shake on the sprinkles. Rotate the rod in a circle while shaking so that you can get all sides covered equally.
5. Place the covered rods onto the wax paper to allow the almond bark to harden.
6. Enjoy!

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My kids LOVE this Halloween Treat.  In fact, it is one of my oldest daughter’s favorites!!!  Just 4 ingredients to make these fun Spider Crackers!!

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SPIDER CRACKERS

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• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Ritz Crackers (2 for each spider)
• Pretzel sticks
• Raisins
• Peanut Butter (can opt for Hummus instead)

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Instructions

1. First, break the pretzels in half in order to create the legs.
2. Then, spread the peanut butter onto both crackers.
3. Lay the pretzel legs onto one of the crackers with 4 on each side, to create the legs.
4. Next, place the other cracker on top of the one with the pretzel legs.
5. Then, using some peanut butter, stick on 2 raisins to create the eyes

Notes

If your child has a peanut allergy, you can use another product such as hummus or even chocolate spread.

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Candy Corn Trail Mix is such a fun snack to make, and a perfect fall treat.  It works for your Halloween party and will even fit in on your table this Thanksgiving!

Just a word of caution – you might have to make it more than once as you’ll gobble it down!

Make sure you check out all of our other incredible Halloween recipes, tips, and ideas!!!

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Candy Corn Trail Mix

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• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 5 mins
• Category: Snack

Ingredients

• One bag of Mallowcreme Pumpkin Candy Corn Mix
• One bag of dark chocolate baking morsels
• One can of cocktail peanuts

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients together.
2. Store in a large ziploc bag to keep fresh.

Notes

Make sure you store in cool place, as chocolate will melt.

The post Candy Corn Trail Mix appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

Witches and Wizard Hats!  This is another fun sweet treat idea for any Halloween party!

You can turn this treat into a craft idea too!  Create the hats and give the kids candies and frosting and let them decorate a few of them before they gobble them on down.

Don’t forget to take a look at all of our fun Halloween treat and costume ideas.  And also follow my Halloween Treats board on Pinterest to check out even MORE fun treats!

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WITCH AND WIZARD HATS

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• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• Chocolate Chips
• Hershey’s Kisses
• Keebler Fudge Striped Cookies
• Frosting (buy ready made in tubes)
• Sprinkles/candies

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Instructions

1. Melt around 1/4 – 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips. It took me around 2 minutes to get them melted when I made mine.
2. Open the kisses and then dip one into the chocolate.
3. Turn the cookie over so that you see the chocolate side and then set the kiss on top of the cookie.
4. Set it aside so that the chocolate can harden.
5. Once done, decorate with icing, candies and sprinkles.
6. Serve and enjoy!

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Goulish fingers are a simple treat you can make (that is a bit healthier than all of the other sweets).

These are another super easy treat that anyone can make. It takes just 3 simple ingredients to whip up a batch of these fun fingers for your next Halloween party.

Make sure you check out all of our other fun Halloween Treats!

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Ghoulish Fingers

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• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 5 min
• Total Time: 5 min

Ingredients

• Cheesesticks
• Red Fruit Roll-ups
• Peanut Butter (or another item to “glue” on the fingernails)

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Instructions

1. First, cut the cheesesticks so that they are finger length. You can use your own finger as a guide.
2. Next, use a knife to make the lines on the finger. Slightly bend the cheese stick so that the lines are more defined.
3. Cut fingernails out of the fruit roll-ups. You can keep it simple by cutting them into triangles.
4. “Glue” the fingernails onto the end of the cheese sticks with a dab of peanut butter (or another item to adhere the nail to the cheese).
5. You’ve just made your Goulish Fingers!

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This spooky “BOO” mason jar craft is super easy to do! It took less than 10 minutes total to make and was so much fun! You can use these Halloween Mason Jar Lanterns to set out on the porch or use them in your home as Fall/Halloween decor.

The best part about this Halloween Mason Jar Lantern is that they look great both during the day and at night all lit up!

Check out some of our other fall decorating ideas:

• Pumpkin Floral Centerpiece
• Simple Pumpkin Planters
• 8 Tips to Get Your Home Ready for Fall

SUPPLIES:

• Mason jars
• Letter stencils or Silhouette vinyl letters
• Frosted glass spray paint
• Twine, ribbon and fun decor
• Tea lights or candles

DIRECTIONS

Step 1. Clean the jars well so that the letters can adhere to it.

Step 2. Place the letters on each jar.  Then spray the entire jar with frosted glass spray paint.  Allow to dry.

Step 3.  Carefully peel off the letters from the jar (you will need to make sure you do not scratch off any of the paint.  Adorn with twine, ribbon, or string.

Step 4.  Place tea lights or candle inside for an incredible glowing effect!

In just 10 minutes, you can have these fun, festive Halloween Lanterns ready to welcome the coming Trick or Treaters! 

Inspired by Classy Clutter

The post DIY – Halloween Mason Jar Lantern appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

Halloween costumes are a big deal where I come from in Massachusetts. I grew up just minutes away from the Salem Witch Museum. Like most local kids I was steeped in witch trial history. It made an impact and maybe influenced a kind of competitive creative spirit around Halloween.

You really didn’t want to be the kid with the store-bought mask. When we aged out of gathering Trick or Treat candies and Halloween became a social event, it was all the more important to show resourcefulness, coordination, and style.

One student, still a good friend, showed up to a Halloween-themed school dance dressed as an amoeba. That’s right, one of those single-cell creatures you look at under a microscope in a science lab. He filled a clear garbage bag with balloons, taped on drawings of various amoeba parts,  and put two holes in the bottom for his legs. We howled with laughter at the time, but what creativity and imagination.

My friend’s costume was unforgettable, but it was also cost-effective, simple, and made with what was readily available to him. Being an amoeba might not appeal to most people, but consider the spirit of his attempt and get inspired by what’s around you. Once, while working in a city far from home, I was invited at the last minute to a Halloween party. I draped my roommate’s pale blue tablecloth around myself in Grecian style and painted dark rings around my eyes. In 5 minutes, I was a DIY zombie bride ready to dance the night away.

It’s not always easy to think of a costume idea as brilliant as the ones above but inspiration for your next great Halloween costume idea can come from just about anywhere. You can make a DIY costume with items you already own and things like face paint, extra fabric, and even spray paint can all be used to craft an easy DIY Halloween costume.

Also See: 13 Lucky Dollar Store Halloween Decoration Ideas

Benefits of making your own Halloween costumes

Halloween costumes don’t have to be perfect, complicated, expensive, or look like they belong on the floor of a comic convention. That’s great if you have the time and money, but you can work wonders with what you have at home, supplemented with Dollar Store and second-hand thrift deals.

Making your own Halloween costumes can be fun and less expensive than buying one from a store. Costume templates are printed out year after year with few changes. As a result, you are left with cultural cliches: clown, witch, hippy, sexy fill-in-the-blank, cowboy, superhero. I even saw native American costumes and afro wigs at one costume shop. Those should be retired.

You can do so much better and have fun doing it. The spirit of Halloween in the U.S. is about cleverness, disguise and surprise.

If you are stuck on what you want to be, look at the costumes available online for inspiration. Search for the most popular costumes and consider taking the product idea and making it your own. They have a generic pirate costume. The first thing you think of might be a specific pirate. Captain Hook jumped to mind and then The Man in Black from The Princess Bride. Hook is complicated. But I could definitely cut holes in a large triangle of black T-shirt and tie it around my head like The Man in Black. You get the idea.

You might also consider a couple’s costume — not being two halves of a horse, but maybe dressing as a famous duo. Adults can also use ideas that they used a kid. A bedsheet ghost still works (though it’s a challenge to see at your Halloween party).

Easy ways to repurpose what you already have in your closet for DIY Halloween costumes

The first thing to do when thinking about costumes is to take an inventory of stuff you have cluttering your home: cardboard boxes, styrofoam, plastic bottles, lids, shower curtains, old sheets and clothing you are willing to cut up or alter. You probably have more than you’ll need.

The best thing you can own for costuming purposes are plain old cotton t-shirts and cardboard boxes. They are a blank slate for your creativity. T-shirt cotton and cardboard are easy to cut, paint, rip, sew, glue and staple. You can make just about anything out of cardboard: masks, body armor, helmets, you name it.

Assess your tool supply: scissors, kids watercolors, Exacto knife, duct tape, hot glue gun, twine, stapler, rubber cement, pencil, measuring tape, and binder clips. That’s my basic costume DIY kit, but if you are a crafter, you’ll probably have specialty tools to add in. And maybe you just have glue, tape and a stapler. That’s fine, use what you’ve got.

You should also do a reasonable assessment of your own skills. This may not be the first time to use hot glue or to try to turn a swatch of fabric into the DIY costume of hour dreams. Bad face paint can be a disaster but having your DIY Halloween costume fall apart could be a lot worse.

Then, how much time do you have until the party? If it’s tonight, skip down to the quick tips. If you have a few days to a few weeks you’ll have more options, but just as much fun.

If you are aiming at being a character out of a series or movie, they might be living in your closet! That cardigan? Mr. Rogers. You have a floral blouse and a friend’s vest? Janet from “The Good Place”. See what I mean? Maybe you need an accessory or an odd pair of shoes that you want to glue stuff to? Go to a local second-hand store to punch up the details. Heck, you can even dip into a costume shop for an inexpensive hat.

You’d be surprised how easy it is to turn a dress, shirt. or some other item or things you already own into a clever costume.

How to build your own Halloween costumes from thrift store and dollar store finds

If you have even more time and just a little extra cash, go browsing at your local thrift shops.  That 1960s or 1970s era skirt set? Phyllis Schlafly. Find a Tux? 007 or Kingsman. If it’s in bad shape, consider buying it to further destress it and splatter it with fake blood. There are so many characters who have appeared in disordered tuxedos and suits.

And as I mentioned before, thrift stores can have accessories from any era. They can even be an entire costume. Find a nice fedora and a double-breasted suit, you’re a gangster. Find a beret, and you’re one half of Bonnie and Clyde. If you are part of a couple, you can shop together to coordinate your looks.

Tips for making quick Halloween costumes

Masks. All you really need is a mask to be in costume, but a mask with a prop is even better.

Quick stick ‘em up: cut stockings and nylons to wear as a burglar’s mask. Raid the Monopoly game for cash and stuff your pockets to overflow.

Makeup mask. Draw on a curly mustache, a goatee, sideburns, stubble. Depending on your outfit, you become an Instant pop star or supervillain. Hollow out your cheeks and blacken your eye sockets. Complete the look with a dress or sport’s fan gear and you’ll be on your way to an undead prom or game. Think of the Beetlejuice waiting room.

Paper plate emoji mask: Use two plates for stability. Staple or glue them together. If you have no yellow paint, just get a Sharpie and go to work. You can staple the plate to a stick, a paint stirrer, a ruler, something flat, sturdy, and light that isn’t valuable. Remember to make eyeholes.

If you have more than an hour, consider making the mask wearable by bracing the sides with 2-inch rounds or squares of stapled cardboard. Tie twine around the cardboard like a button. Tie in back.

Wear a suit, so it looks like a choice rather than a sloppy accident.

Box mask. It’s silly but charming. If you happen to have a box that fits your head. Cut a face out of one side. It can be square and robot-like or emoji-like. You can paste a cut out of someone or something’s face onto it. Remember to make eye holes.

Robot: If you are going for a robot look, make yourself some rectangular cardboard gauntlets. Draw colored buttons and squares on them. Or if you have time and an old computer, hot glue keys onto your gauntlets and maybe your mask.

Finally, there’s an emergency costume. Go to a pharmacy on the way to the party and pick the most ridiculous kids’ costume you can find. Get safety pins. Pin the costume to your clothes. And wear an expression of absolute confidence. No one will know and it’ll be a great conversation starter.

–By Nic Desmet

The post Creative DIY Halloween costume ideas appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

Each year, as it gets closer to Halloween, we begin our “must watch” Halloween movie list. It is a fun tradition I enjoy with my kids. I asked them to help me make a list of the best Halloween movies for kids.

When Halloween comes around, kids love to watch Halloween movies.  However, there are plenty of them out there that I would never want them to see.    Rather than sift through the endless lists of movies, I’ve created this list of the best Halloween movies for kids!

Keep in mind that some of these are for those are are a bit older, so parental guidance is still suggested. Make sure you create some of these fun Halloween treats to enjoy while watching your movie:

• Frankenstein Popcorn Brain
• Spider Crackers
• Goulish Fingers

THE BEST FAMILY HALLOWEEN MOVIES

HOCUS POCUS

Three wildly crazy witches return from 17th-century Salem after they’re accidentally conjured up by some unsuspecting pranksters!  You’ll enjoy crazy and hilarious chaos when the witches attempt to cast a spell on the town so they can reclaim their youth.  But the first must outsmart three kids and a talking cat.

Ages:  8+

SPOOKLEY THE SQUARE PUMPKIN

Poor Spookley is a pumpkin that is not quite like the others.  He’s born square rather than round.  He gets teased frequently by other mean round pumpkins.  But, he gets help from three funny spiders, two bat sidekicks, and one crazy scarecrow.

Ages: All Ages

SPOOKY BUDDIES

The five puppy buddies have a scary Halloween adventure.  A legend comes back to haunt the town on Halloween Eve and the puppies help capture it.  (Some scenes may be scary for younger viewers).

Ages: All Ages

E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial)

E.T. is a classic movie from the 1980s.  One of the movies most famous quotes is “E.T. Phone Home.”  It is about an alien whose family leaves him on earth and his adventures with a boy named Elliot.

Ages: 6+

IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN

Charlie Brown and the gang celebrate Halloween in classic Peanuts style.  Charlie Brown gets some treats that no kid will like, while Linus awaits the Great Pumpkin’s arrival.

Ages: All Ages

SHREK’S THRILLING TALES

Shrek, Puss, Donkey and B.O.B. get the frights of their lives in three spooktacular stories that will keep you howling with laughter. It’s a Shrektastic Halloween treat that’s ogre-the-top fun for the whole family.

Ages: All Ages

HALLOWEEN TOWN

Marnie and her kids return to Halloween town, where they find out they come from a family of witches!  Not only does she find out she is a witch, but that she and her family are involved in a fight against the evil that is threatening to take over the world.

Ages:  7+

GHOSTBUSTERS 

Check out the original Ghostbusters movie where 4 zany guys fight ghosts in New York City.  It all leads to the return of an evil spirit that they must fight before he takes over.

Ages: 10+

THE LITTLE VAMPIRE

Tony Thompson has moved to a small, remote village in Scotland and shortly thereafter, starts having nightmares about vampires.  He holds the key to the vampires greatest wish: to regain their humanity. Tony and his new friends may succeed if they can stay one step ahead of a relentless vampire hunter in this delightful supernatural family adventure.

Ages: 8+

THE CORPSE BRIDE

Stop-motion animation of a young man taken away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride waits in the land of the living.

Age: 10+

THE HAUNTED MANSION

Workaholic real estate agent Jim Evers is accused by his wife of neglecting his kids, so he takes them all on a vacation.  They stop at a sinister mansion that Jim has been asked to sell, only to discover it’s haunted by several ghosts who need help breaking a curse.

Ages: 8+

TOY STORY OF TERROR

Bonnie and toys find themselves in a roadside motel after their car has a flat tire.  Mr. Pototo Head goes missing and the search to find him, but end up finding themselves caught up in an adventure to find him.

Ages: All Ages

THE ADAMS FAMILY

This quirky TV family is back, this time in a movie!  The family has to determine if Uncle Fester is a fraud before they take all of the family’s money.

Ages: 7+

MONSTER SQUAD

Dracula is alive and wants to rule the world with the help of other monsters.  But, they’ll have to get through some kids first!!

Ages: 13+

DOUBLE DOUBLE TOIL & TROUBLE

The Olsen twins try to trick their evil aunt out of a magic spell so they can save their family home.

Ages: All

BEETLEJUICE

When the Maitlands pass away, unbearable guests move in.  They attempt to scare them away but are unsuccessful and ask for Bettlejuice to help — but that leads to dangerous repercussions.

Ages: 10+

MONSTERS, INC.

Join Sully and Mike as they have to find a way to get a little girl back into her room after she escapes into the halls of Monsters, Inc.

Ages: All

HARRY POTTER

Harry Potter learns he is a wizard and attends the Hogwarts school where he has adventures to learn about his past.

Ages: 10+

WINNIE THE POOH HUFFALUMP

Winnie the Pooh and his friends learn that things are not always what they appear to be.

Ages: All Ages

DON’T LOOK UNDER THE BED

A teenager doesn’t believe in the boogeyman or supernatural — until she is confronted by one.

Ages: 8+

PARANORMAN

Meet Norman who must use his ability to see and speak with the dead to save his town from a centuries-old curse.

Ages:  All

UNDER WRAPS

Three twelve-year-old kids encounter a 3,000-year-old mummy who needs to get back to his resting place by midnight on Halloween — or he’ll never find his long lost love.

Ages:  8+

NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Jack Skellington stumbles upon Christmastown and gets a new lease on life, as he tries to kidnap Santa and take over the role.

Ages: All

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (1 & 2)

Follow Dracula as he tries to keep his daughter from growing up and leaving home in the first movie.  The second is just as fun as he wonders if his grandson is a vampire or not.

Ages:  All

GOOSEBUMPS

The tales in the series start to come to life and the author and teens have to get them all back into their books.

Ages: 8+

FRANKENWEENIE

After a young boy’s dog passes away, he tries to bring him back to life by conducting a powerful science experiment.

Ages: 8+

CASPER

James Harvey and his daughter try to communicate with some ghosts, one of whom is Casper.  Casper falls in love with Kat but their relationship is not as easy as it may seem.

Ages:  8+

MONSTER HOUSE

Kids discover that their neighbor’s house is not only haunted but a living, breathing monster.

Ages: All

GREMLINS

The cute little cuddly creature is fine — until he gets wet and eats after midnight.  Then, he creates creepy gremlins who are taking over the city.

Ages: 10+

BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS

An amateur witch and three kids have to save England from an invasion

Ages: All

There you go!  Thirty of the best family-friendly Halloween movies you will want to watch with your kids (again and again).

The post The Best Halloween Movies for Kids and Family You’ll Want to Watch Over and Over appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

Kids love Rice Krispie treats.  You may have made Rice Krispie pumpkins in the past, but have you tried to make ghost treats?  They are fun and simple and will be a hit at your party this year!

Don’t take the same snacks to your kids’ school party this year.  Take these Halloween Ghost Rice Krispie treats — on a stick — instead!!  We’ve made them several times and they are always an absolute hit (and since made with cereal, on the approved snack list as well)!

They are super easy to make.  To start, you’ll make Rice Krispie treats according to the original recipe, which you can find on the back of the box or at RiceKrispies.com.  Once set, you will dip the top portion in melted white candy melts and add the eyes.  The final step is to insert the pop stick into the bottom and you are done!

My kids love it when I make these.  It is like a popsicle, but it’s still a Krispie treat. It’s the best of both worlds!

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Ghost Rice Krispie Treats

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Halloween ghosts made from Rice Krispies are a hit with kids and adults!

• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 2 hours 30 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 2 hours 45 mins
• Yield: 6
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine
• 1 package mini marshmallows
• 6 cups of crispy rice cereal
• Bright White candy melts
• Edible candy eyes (found in the baking aisle)
• Cake Pop or Sucker Sticks

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Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and marshmallows together.
2. Once fully melted, remove the pan from the heat and add the cereal.
3. Mix well.
4. Place in an ungreased 9×13 pan and allow them to set up for two hours.
5. Cut into rectangles and set them aside.
6. Melt the white candy melts (use a double boiler for best results, but if you do not have one, use a microwave but be careful, so they do not scorch).
7. Once the candy melts are completely melted, dip the top half of the rectangle rice crispy treats into the mix and set onto wax paper.
8. While the candy melt is still warm, put two eyes on the front of the treat.
9. Allow them to cool for 30 minutes.
10. Once set, insert the stick into the bottom of the treat.

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My kids love Rice Krispie treats.  They especially love it when I make these adorable and fun Pumpkin Rice Krispie treats each fall.  They look like mini pumpkins with all the flavor of a traditional Krispie treat.  Best of all, they are easy to make!

Now, before we get started with the recipe, I’m going to let you in on a secret about how to keep your hands from getting so sticky when rolling these into little balls.

THE SECRET TO ROLLING PERFECT KRISPIE TREAT PUMPKINS

First, remove your jewelry (such as rings) and make sure your hands are clean.  Then, get your non-stick cooking spray or vegetable oil and spray or rub it all over your hands.  Make sure you cover the palms between your fingers and the backs of your hands.  Now, when you grab your treats to shape them, they will be much less likely to stick to your skin, which makes it easier to roll and shape.  You will need to recoat them between each treat, but this simple tip makes them easier to handle.

HOW TO MAKE HALLOWEEN RICE KRISPIE PUMPKINS

Now, let’s talk about these adorable pumpkin Rice Krispie treats!  If you really want a nice vibrant orange color (like mine), don’t use the liquid food coloring drops.  Skip those and use gel coloring from Wilton.  Trust me, you can never go wrong with their dyes because the colors are much more vibrant.

The idea is pretty simple.  You will start by making a basic Krispie treat — the exact same recipe you’ve used all along.  But, you will add food coloring to the melted marshmallows and butter before you add in the cereal.  Add the coloring a little a time until you get the orange tint you are going for.  Then, mix in the cereal until it is all coated.  Then, go to town, rolling them into small balls.

I’ve seen people use Rolo candies for the stems before, but I don’t think those look nearly as authentic.  I purchased Tootsie Roll minis to make my stems.  To make them curve slightly (just like real pumpkins do), hold each one in your hand for around 3 – 5 seconds to warm them.  Then, you can add the curve you want and then put them into the center of the pumpkin.

The last thing to add is the leaves. Again, I never liked the look of the M&M candy, so I bought Fruit Rollups that had green on them.  I used a knife and cut small leaf shapes and then added them to the tops.  You can, of course, use M&Ms for the leaf if you want.  Either way still makes for an adorable Rice Krispie pumpkin.

There are other fun Halloween treats you can make such as Rice Krispie Ghosts, Spiderweb Pretzels, and Edible Eyeballs.  They make the perfect pairing for your upcoming Halloween party — and the kids will love them!

Other Rice Krispie Recipes

• Watermelon Rice Krispie Treats
• Caramel Krispie Treats
• Easter Rice Krispie Treat Cupcakes

Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats

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These adorable little Rice Krispie Treat pumpkins are easy to make and the perfect dessert for any Halloween party.

• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Red & Yellow Food Coloring Drops OR Orange Food Coloring Gel
• 5 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows
• 6 cups of rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
• Mini Tootsie Rolls
• Fruit Rollups (find the variety with green stripes)

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Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large pan.
2. Add in vanilla extract and marshmallows.
3. Mix until melted and well blended. Add in food coloring (use your own judgment until you achieve the correct level of orange you want).
4. Add in the cereal and mix well, making sure to coat all with the mixture so that it is all orange.
5. Allow the mixture to cool slightly (but not too much or it will harden and set up).
6. Spray your hands with cooking spray (to avoid the sticky mess).
7. Form mixture into balls.
8. Open the tootsie roll and warm slightly in your hand so you can bend it, to make it look more like a stem. Stick onto the top of your pumpkin (you may want to make a slight indentation in the top of the pumpkin to make the tootsie roll stick in properly).
9. Cut small green strips from the fruit roll-up and place on the top of the pumpkin (this is optional and is not needed).
10. Allow to set up and then put into an airtight container.
11. Serve to your own little pumpkins and watch their faces light up!!

Notes

The recipe works best when cooked on the stove rather than using the microwave.

The post Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats Recipe (with a Tootsie Roll Stem) appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

This is another fun Halloween party treat idea!  These edible eyeballs are easy to make.  They start out as donut hole and are transformed into a creepy treat!

We came up with this idea a few years ago when my son asked me if it was possible to eat an eyeball.  I decided to play a prank and made him some while he was at school.  When he saw them he said that they looked like Halloween eyeballs!!  We’ve been making them ever since!!

Having had made these several times, there are a few tricks I’ve learned to make it easier on you.  Make sure you keep the following in mind when making your edible eyeballs:

• Spray the pan with non-stick spray or use parchment paper so they do not stick.
• Allow the almond bark to set half way before you place the chocolate chips (they will slide in easier, but not be so wet as to remove some of the bark).
• Use a fork to remove the covered eye from the mixture and tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess before setting it aside to dry.

Check out these other fun Halloween treat ideas:

• Spider Web Pretzels
• Monster Teeth
• Spider Crackers

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Edible Eyeballs

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Creepy and fun Halloween eyeballs are the perfect treat for your party!

• Author: Tracie
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• Almond Bark (I used 3 cubes to make 6 – 8 eyes)
• Donut Holes
• Chocolate Chips
• Red Icing or Gel

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Instructions

1. First melt, the almond bark in the microwave (took around 1 1/2 minutes to melt 3 bricks).
2. Drop donut hole into the almond bark. Use a spoon or fork to drizzle/roll the hold, so it is well covered.
3. Set on cooling rack or cookie sheet.
4. Allow almond bark to set up half way and place a chocolate chip into the center, with the flat side facing out.
5. Once dried, drizzle red gel to make the eye look bloodshot.

Notes

Make sure you spray the sheet or the cooling rack before placing donut holes to dry. You can also use waxed paper instead as well.

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It’s so much fun to me to take ordinary household objects and turn them into something fun and seasonal. That’s exactly what these cute little DIY Copper Pumpkins are! They take an ordinary kitchen object, and turn it into an adorable pumpkin you can use for fall decor anywhere in the house. I love to stick these with some other little pumpkins and make a cute little collection together.

DIY Copper Pumpkins are really affordable to make, and only take about five to ten minutes to make from start to finish! You don’t need a lot of supplies to do it either. Most of these items I just had around my house anyway, so I didn’t have to make a special trip to the store to make these cute little fall pumpkins.

Supplies:

Copper Scrub Pads
Cinnamon Sticks
Small Faux Leaves
Hot Glue Gun

Usually the copper scrub pads are sold in a three pack, so you should have three to work with if you purchase a single package. Snap a cinnamon stick into three equal sizes. Add a bead of hot glue to the bottom of one of the cinnamon stick pieces, and press it into the center of the scrub pad. Hold it in place for thirty seconds, and then let go once it’s dry. Lastly, add a single, small, faux green leaf using hot glue right next to your cinnamon stick stem.

Allow your pumpkins to dry for 10 minutes before putting them in their place in your home. These will keep just fine in storage to use year after year. Put them by themselves, or pair them with some other fall decor! These are some of my favorite pumpkins I own.

If you liked these DIY Copper Pumpkins, check these out too:

Candy Corn Fall Decor

DIY Fall Home Sign

The post DIY Copper Pumpkins appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

Do your kids have a ton of leftover Halloween candy? Borrow some and make one of these delicious treats.

My kids’ favorite part of Halloween is the candy. After a long night of going door to door they come home and dump their bags out on the floor and sort through it. We check through it and toss anything questionable and the kids are left with the rest.

They snack on it for a few days, take some to school to share with friends and then the candy buckets kind of get forgotten about.

Well not anymore. Now this momma is going to be using the leftover candy to make delicious treats.

Leftover Candy Bar Pie

Leftover Candy Blondies

Leftover Candy Hand Pies

Leftover Candy Bar Brownie Pie

Peanut Butter Leftover Candy Fudge

Leftover Candy Bar Cookie Pie

Leftover Candy Bar Blondies

Leftover Candy Bark

Leftover Candy Mug Cake

Leftover Candy Bar Brownies

Leftover Butterfinger Chewy Chocolate Bars

Leftover Kit Kat Fudge

Leftover Snickers Caramel Tart

Leftover Rolo Stuffed Cookies

Leftover Milky Way Cookie Crumble Bars

Leftover Kit Kat Peanut Butter Brownies

Leftover Reese’s Marshmallow Brownies

Leftover 3 Musketeers Fudge Bars

Leftover Kit Kat Crunch Bars

The post 20 Delicious Treats To Make With Leftover Halloween Candy appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

Fall means pumpkin spice everything, or at least it does it at our house. We love pumpkin flavored desserts, so we go through a lot of Pumpkin Pie Spice. It’s actually super easy to make your own and much more cost effective. I’m sure you already have all the pieces to mix together to make your own, so I’ll share with you the recipe we use.

This recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spice will make a small batch, but you can double, triple, or even multiply this recipe by ten to make as large of a batch that you want. I like to make a big batch and then just keep it in a little container in my pantry so I have it whenever I need it. I always check my stock right before the holiday baking season too to make sure I don’t need to whip up another batch.

More tasty pumpkin spice recipes:

• Pumpkin Pie Dip
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Pumpkin Spice Latte

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Pumpkin Pie Spice

Print Recipe

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• Author: Tracie
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 5 mins
• Category: Seasoning

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients together with a whisk.
2. Keep stored in an air-tight container until ready for use.
3. This batch size makes 4 Tablespoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice.

Don’t waste money buying spice blends that are already made for you. Making your own spices is most of the time very simple, and takes just a few minutes. Making your own often tastes better than storebought blends too, so you’re doing your tastebuds and your wallet a favor at the same time! Once you do it, you won’t ever want to go back to storebought again.

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We have a lot of friend and family get togethers in the fall. I love to make treats and snacks, but sometimes I’m limited on time. While I’d love to make a pumpkin roll everytime someone comes over to sit around a fire at night, realistically it’s just not going to happen.

Additionally, I love to send fun fall themed snacks with my kids to school. This Harvest Party Mix is so easy to throw together and is the perfect blend of salty and sweet. It’s not hard to make, and a big batch is quite cheap to put together too. You can customize this to whatever you know your family or kids will like and enjoy, but I’m gonna give you the recipe our family loves the most.

More fall recipes you need to try:

• Candy Corn Bark
• Candy Corn Trail Mix
• Halloween Bark

Supplies:

Brach’s Candy Corn Fall Mix
Salted Peanuts
Small Pretzels (twists and sticks)

Directions:

Combine one bag of Brach’s Candy Corn Fall Mix with one 12 oz can of salted peanuts. Mix until the two ingredients are evenly combined. Once they’re mixed, then add in two cups, or a small bag, of mini pretzels. We use twists and sticks, because we like both. Mix them together and then enjoy your snacking.

You can keep them in a large air-tight container.   Alternatively, you can put them into small, snack-sized baggies.  That makes them perfect to grab for a mid-day snack or when you run out the door after school.

They keep in the pantry for a long time as long as they stay cool and dry. These are also great game day soccer snacks for when it’s your turn to bring an after-game treat!

The post Harvest Party Mix | Simple Fall Treat Idea appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

Looking for easy Halloween Crafts? The following  are a great place to start.

Over the years I have found that premade Halloween decorations keep getting more and more expensive, but the quality keeps going down. So instead of buying new decorations we have been making our own. Here are some Halloween crafts I plan on making this year.  Best of all – they are easy peasy.

Bat Corner Book Marks

Paper Plate Black Cat

Pumpkin Stamping

Paper Plate Spiders

Bottle Cap Spiders

Painted Pumpkin Rocks

Frankenstein CD

Paper Plate Pumpkin

Cupcake Liner Pumpkin Wreath

Cupcake Liner Bats

Pinecone Spiders

Popsicle Stick Pumpkins

Vampire Wooden Spoons

Paper Bag Witch

Ghost Pencil Topper

Paper Roll Frankenstein

Egg Carton Bat

Soda Pop Pumpkin

Looking for Halloween Treats? Check out my list of 25 Halloween Treat Ideas.

The post 16 Fun Halloween Craft Ideas appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

It’s always fun when you can reuse items from around your house to make something fun and unique for your home decor! These adorable little Tin Can Pumpkins take very little time, or supplies and turn out super cute! They look great perched on a bookshelf, or paired with some other fall decor.

One of the best things about these Tin Can Pumpkins is that you can mix and match sizes. You can do large fat cans, short cans, regular cans etc. Another great way to give them dimension would be to change the colors of the paint. You could do some of them green, or white, or even just make them in varying shades of orange. You could even make them Halloween specific by drawing or painting on a jack o’lantern face.

We’ve also got some other fun pumpkin and Halloween decorations you will want to make this year:

• Wooden Pumpkin Crates
• Fun Apple Pumpkin Painting
• Candy Corn Fall Decor

Supplies:

Tin Cans
Orange Acrylic Paint
Paintbrush
Screwdriver
Small Twigs
Raffia or ribbon

Directions:

Wash and dry your tin cans. Remove the label and any residual glue from the can. Once completely dry, use a foam brush to paint them orange.  Allow it to dry and apply a second coat (as needed) and allow that to dry as well.

Use the screwdriver (Phillips head works best for this) and stab a hole into the top of the can. Press the twig into the hole make sure it’s in there tight. Use the raffia or the ribbon and tie a bow around the stem. Display your pretty Tin Can Pumpkins wherever you want a bit of fall.

The post Tin Can Pumpkins appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

Halloween decorating can be so much fun – and expensive!  I’ve walked the aisles of the store looking at the fun and creative light-up decorations and other ideas.  If money were no object, I’d take them all home. But alas, that is not the case.

You can make Halloween decorations on a budget, if you know what to do.  Many of these items can be found at your local Dollar Store or upcylced from items you might have at home.

Also See:

• Easy to Make Halloween Treats
• 13 Lucky Dollar Store Halloween Decoration Ideas

Check out these fun Halloween treat ideas:

HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS AND HACKS

Halloween Mason Jar Luminary

Cheesecloth Ghost

Ghost Treat Bags

Faux Chain

Bloody Candles

Trash Bag Spiderwebs

Witch Pumpkin Decoration

Witches Legs Doormat

Toilet Paper Eyes (cut eye shapes and place glow sticks inside of them – set in shrubs and trees – source uknown)

Spider Ice Cubes (source unknown)

Mummy Door

Mummy Juice Boxes

Toilet Monster Hands and Eyes

Floating Heads

Witch Table

Candy Corn Table Decorations

Candy Pumpkin Treats

Pumpkin Crates

Bloody Hands

Homemade Fog Machine

Pool Noodle Spider (toy balls wrapped in black duct tape.  Cut noodle and reattach with more tape.  Add google eyes)

Head in a Jar

Faux Burning Candles

Man Eating Plant

Floating Witches Hats

Spooky Eyes

The post 26 Easy Halloween Decoration DIYs and Hacks appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over. Before you know it the kids will be heading back to school, the cooler weather will come and everything pumpkin will appear. I think everything pumpkin time is my favorite time of year. I love finding smelly good things to make my entire house smell like pumpkin. But when it really comes down to it, pumpkin desserts are my favorite.

Are you a pumpkin desert fan as well? Then make sure you try at least one of these this fall.

Chocolate Pumpkin Dessert Lasagna

Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bars

No Bake Pumpkin Dessert

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Flatbread

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Pumpkin Layered Dessert

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin Dessert Bars

Pumpkin Cloud Bars

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Pudding

Pumpkin Brownies

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Roll

Do you have a favorite pumpkin dessert?

The post 16 Pumpkin Desserts You Should Make This Fall appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.

I love when I can find DIY Fall Decor that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg to make, and is also super simple. If you like easy crafts that turn out so pretty, you’re going to love this Easy Pumpkin Centerpiece. There’s no gluing, sewing, wiring or anything of the sort. The only tools you will need to make this beautiful and Easy Pumpkin Centerpiece are your hands!

Another great thing about this Easy Pumpkin Centerpiece is that it’s not only simple to make, but it super fast too! It takes about 5 minutes from start to finish, so you won’t need to use up a whole evening making this craft. It’s hard for me to find time during the fall to make things like this, so it’s nice to find one that’s short and still turns out prettily!

Supplies:

Natural Raffia
Large Foam Pumpkin (we found ours at Walmart)
Fall Bunch of Flowers (also found at Walmart on a single stem)

It’s easiest to buy a bunch of fall foliage that’s on a single stem. That’s what makes this craft so easy. Walmart generally carries them this time of year for about $5.00 and will have a large selection of colors and types. You can also probably find them at craft stores that carry floral like Joann, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby etc as well.

Remove the stem from your foam pumpkin. Firmly press the large stem of of the foliage arrangement into the center hole where the pumpkin stem was. Make sure to keep it straight as you press. Press it in firm and tight, as this will ensure you don’t need to glue the stem into the pumpkin. Take a large bunch of natural raffia, and tie it in a bow around the base of the foliage.

If you liked this post, check out these other Fall DIY posts:

DIY Pumpkin Planters

Candy Corn Fall Decor

The post Easy Pumpkin Centerpiece appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.