Despite the summer heat that weâre still experiencing here in Florida, itâs the first week of October, and you know what that means: spooky season is upon us! As an avid Halloween lover, Oct. 1 starts the countdown to an amazingly fun month and an even better holiday, Halloween. Pumpkins, scary corn mazes, scarecrows, horror movies – you name it, I go all out for it. When Halloween finally arrives, I make sure my carefully picked-out costume is ready to enjoy the eeriest night of the year.
Aside from the festivities and dressing up, decorating my apartment is one of my favorite parts of Halloween. As a girl interested in the occult, spiritual, and gothic, I already have my fair share of spiderweb blankets, candles, and vintage horror movie posters. So, Iâll be sharing some of my favorite places to shop or thrift the cutest Halloween decorations of the season!
- Five Below
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As the name suggests, most items in Five Below are around $5, not counting the sales tax or the more expensive items in the back of the store. They bring out merchandise to celebrate the new season every October, like plushies themed around the most notable spooky media trends, inexpensive plastic pumpkins, and flameless candles. This year, Iâve spotted Wednesday Addams and Jack Skellington plushies, small succulents in pumpkin vases, and my personal favorite and current possession: a âWipe Your Paws!â welcome mat with a creepy vintage black cat on it!
- Dollar Stores
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Dollar stores like Dollar Tree or Family Dollar always have great and reliable decor for every holiday. While the shelves can be a bit messy and disorganized, itâs worth checking out to find cute decorations for a cheap price. Whether it’s their black tinsel cats or wooden witch signs, thereâs something available for everybody. They even have incredible outdoor decorations if you can use them, like blood-splatter window clings or âBeware!â yard signs.
- Tj Maxx, Ross, and Marshalls
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Since these three stores serve the same purpose as discount retail stores, Iâve grouped them together. By taking and selling overstocked items, these chains can provide the cutest Halloween decorations at affordable prices! Personally, I love shopping here and searching for any The Nightmare Before Christmas, Peanuts, or Hello Kitty-themed Halloween decor (mummified Hello Kitty serves as a fantastic kitchen counter centerpiece). Now, buyers bewareâdepending on the type of item, like porcelain statues or large signs, these stores can tiptoe along more expensive price points. Thatâs why I always suggest checking the clearance sections to see if any of the items you love are available for a cheaper price.
- Walmart
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In American Sign Language this semester, I learned that the letter âWâ combined with the movement for the sign âcheapâ can be used as the sign for âWalmartââthat alone should tell you that Walmart is a great stop for inexpensive Halloween decorations. Something interesting to note is that while scrolling through Walmartâs Halloween decor section online, I noticed that many of their items came in multiple color palettes. You have your typical oranges, black, even purples – but I also saw pink and blue pumpkins and green skeletons. So, if you have a favorite color or aesthetic you’d like to stick to, you might be able to find coordinating Halloween knick-knacks at Wallyworld.
- Michaels
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Michaels holds a special place in my heart during this season. I remember walking through the aisles with my grandmother and picking out funky beads for her to make bracelets while looking at the extensive Halloween section. While Michaels can be expensive regularly, they consistently hold 50% or 25% off sales throughout the season, which means that the eerie witchâs bust that was initially $30 is now $15, or the $19.99 spider garland is now $10. With enough coupon clipping and price tag scouring, you can surely find cute, quality Halloween decor at this beloved craft store.
- Thrift Stores
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Thrift stores are an amazing option if you love vintage or 2000s nostalgic Halloween pieces as much as I do. From 1980s porcelain witch cats to the old McDonaldâs Boo Buckets, Iâve seen a wide variety to choose from at stores like Goodwill or local thrift and vintage shops. Just be carefulâafter being loved and left in a thrift store for others to love them just as much, these items can be fragile!
- DIY
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Now, for one of my favorite avenues for this spooky season – you can create your own decorations! While it sounds intimidating, gluing and stitching together items and trinkets to create unique pieces has been a large part of alternative subspaces for decades. So, every Halloween, I recreate at least one DIY craft to display in my apartment; this yearâs attempt will be recreating Targetâs skeleton hand candle holder with Dollar Tree skeleton hands and taper candles, a lighter, and some paint. You could also make paper bats or hanging ghosts with old scrap papers or tattered t-shirts you canât wear anymore. Get creative and take inspiration from TikTok, Pinterest, or Instagram – thereâs something for everyone to create!
Overall, Halloween doesnât have to be an expensive holiday by any means. With costs like costumes, candy, and spooky activity planning, you shouldnât have to break the bank to have the scariest house, apartment, or dorm. Remember, itâs not about how much you spend but the effort and imagination you put into your celebrations. Embrace the spirit of Halloween, and with a bit of creativity, you can create a festive atmosphere thatâs both spooky and memorable. Hereâs to having the happiest Halloween this year!