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Host A Halloween Party For Under $50

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This is one of my favorite kinds of post because we get lots of emails asking us for tips and tricks on hosting parties for next t nothing. Especially kid’s birthday parties where parents simply can’t afford to spend money.

This post is going to about Halloween parties not birthday parties, but if your child is having a birthday in October do consider having it Halloween themed because buying seasonal products is such a money saver.

Tip number one, decor, these Halloween decorations above is under $30 and contains 130 pcs.   So that is ALL the decorations you need.  The best way to decorate on budget is to allocate a small area that can be themed well. For example, 130 pcs might be lost in your backyard, but pop them in the garage or up against the side of the house and you have a full-looking theme.

Need more decorations? Black bing bags can be cut into strips to make spooky doorways, hang them from the ceilings. Fill them with empty boxes and place them around the room, like trash in an alley.  Add some red paint for blood, like bodies wrapped up. VERY inexpensive. Old newspaper can be cut into cobwebs (like snowflakes) and draped on the walls. When everything is together the newspaper will look amazing.

Food? You can’t have a party without food right?

Sandwiches, bread is cheap! Jam is cheap, red jam/jelly looks like blood. So Blood sandwiches for dinner!  Add some bowls of rice bubbles for snacks, (bowls of teeth)  or make piles and piles of popcorn, cheap and yum!  Drinks? Cordial, red, green, orange.

Kids don’t pay much attention to food and how it looks, just how it tastes, so sugar is always a winner.  Want more food? Make pancakes, inexpensively with flour, sugar, and water.  Serve cupcakes covered in red syrup or orange food dye for a sweet treat, these can also be given to take home.

Have some money left over?  Want to send them home with a gift? Print out some free Halloween coloring pages   or An Apple or a pair of Dracula teeth, (kids love those things).

 

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Summer Headband Knitting Patterns

Some knitters have trouble coming up with projects they can both knit and wear when it’s warm outside. Especially if you’re not ready for garments (thought tank tops and summer tops are great first garment projects!) it might seem like there’s nothing to do when it’s hot outside.

One way to remedy this situation is by knitting headbands. Headbands are great any time of year to keep hair out of your face and make you look a little more pulled together without any effort. Wider headbands double as ear warmers when it gets colder, but skinnier ones are great throughout the year.

A couple of great examples are from designer Elly Donner, who has a set of headband knitting patterns on Ravelry you can buy individually or as an ebook. Homebody, shown here, is worked in garter stitch (the ties are crocheted but you could also use I-cord), while Slipstream uses slipped stitches and garter ridges, and Sounds of Spring has little cables. The patterns use DK weight yarn and are a great way to use a little leftover yarn from another project.

I also recently came across the lovely Plush Braided Headband by Yevgeniya Li. A free pattern on Ravelry, this wider design is covered in lush cables for a sleek and fancy look. It uses worsted weight yarn and you can customize the length for a perfect fit.

Celeste Knitwear’s Spikelet is a simple twisted headband with columns of eyelet lace to keep it from being too heavy. It’s worked flat and sewn together to make the twist, and uses DK weight yarn. It has three sizes available.

This skinny lace headband from Lusi Knits is another cute choice. It calls for fine weight cotton yarn, but you could use heavier yarn if you have it on hand to make a wider headband (or use any fine yarn you have available). It uses ties to customize the fit.

And if you want to go super basic but still really cute, try the easy ring headband from Lulu Pattern. The sample is knit pretty wide, but you could make a narrower version if you want, and the little ring turns it from a plain loop into a bow with very little extra work. It calls for worsted weight yarn but you could also use whatever weight you like for this one to change up the look and size.