Ghastly Ghosts: Create an army of floating ghosts using nothing but white trash bags. Gather a bunch of bags and stuff them with crumpled newspaper. Tie the "head" with a rubber band and use a permanent marker to draw spooky faces on your ghosts. Hang your frightful friends around your house and yard to scare your party guests and trick-or-treaters.
Spooky Bird Houses: Create a mini haunted house to hang on your door or decorate your table using a basic bird house, black paint and cotton. Paint the bird house black and stretch cotton over it for a cob-webby effect. Finish it off with a few paper ghosts peeking out of the windows and doors, and you've got yourself a tiny haunted house.
Shark Attack: For a fun and freaky costume that costs next to nothing, go as a surfer being eaten by a shark. Dress in swimwear, with a towel slung over yourself if the weather makes it necessary, and apply fake blood to a visible spot on your neck or arm. Use face paint to create a shark bite and apply the blood so it surrounds the bite and drips out. For a fun touch, attach an inflated or stuffed shark to your costume.
Mason Jar Lanterns: For easy DIY decor, paint mason jars with spooky designs and insert battery-powered tea lights for a bewitching glow. Line your walkway or porch with these lanterns to welcome trick-or-treaters.
Creepy Crawlers Everywhere: Use an inexpensive package of plastic spiders to scare your guests silly! Freeze some in ice cubes for a spooky surprise in everyone's drinks, scatter some across the table to make someone shriek and even add some to your soap dispenser to really freak everyone out. Let your trick-or-treaters in on the fun by sprinkling some into your bowl of candy.
An Eerie Flicker: For a super-easy and super-cheap centerpiece, paint old wine bottles black. Use matte paint for the best effect. When your candlestick holders have dried, insert long orange taper candles into each one to add a festive look to your table.
Care For a Lollipop?: Turn your pumpkin into a fun lollipop dispenser with the help of an electric drill. Drill small holes into your pumpkin and then stick a lollipop into each hole. Set it up on your steps for an adorable, help-yourself trick-or-treat.
Retro Costume: For a costume that will make everyone laugh and won't cost a penny, go as your college-aged self. Dig out your old clothing and accessories, and if you had a crazy hairstyle back then, incorporate it into your costume, too.