Fun-tastic Ways to Decorate Your Home for Halloween

Oct. 28, 2010 — -- Is the costume party at your place this year?

Halloween parties can be loads of fun and they don't have to cost a lot of money.

Sarah Gray Miller, the editor-in-chief of Country Living magazine, visited "Good Morning America" today to answer some of your last-minute questions about the clever, easy and inexpensive ways that you can decorate your home for Halloween. Here are some ideas:

Q: How can I make the ambience extra festive?

A: You can costume even the people in the painting and photos that decorate your home. You can transform portraits by adding paper masks that you can make using construction paper, scissors and low tack artists' tape. Add the mask -- or you can make fangs or horns -- to the photos and voila: Everybody's part of the festivities!

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Q: How can I make the coolest pumpkins on the block?

A: Do pumpkins with flame cut-outs. It's a new spin on pumpkins. Carve the pumpkins at the bottom and add a battery-operated votive candle at the base, then gather a few of them and create a rip-roaring scene in front of the fireplace.

Supplies: Funkins -- pumpkins with flame cut-outs -- are available at Michael's craft stores for $10.99 to $24.99

You can get battery-operated, flameless candles for about $7 each at Bed, Bath and Beyond or any Home Goods store.

Q: What other decorations will add some more fright to the night?

A: How about some tissue paper pumpkins or paper ghosts?

This could be an easy and inexpensive project. You can create a pumpkin out of an orange tissue ball and the ghost can be made from a tissue wedding bell. You can get both at a party supply store.Use black construction paper to create a face for the ghost and add cheesecloth to fill out the rest of the ghost.

Supplies: White tissue paper bell ghosts, $4.75 each at partycheap.com; Orange tissue paper balls, $2.40 each, also at partycheap.com

Q: How can I make some scary desserts?

A: Here is an easy way to dress up store-bought cupcakes.

Step 1: Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut fondant into circles (about 1/4" thickness). Leave the circles out overnight to stiffen.

Step 2: Paint a clean rubber stamp with black food coloring and press the image onto the fondant circles.

Step 3: Fill in bare sports with a small paint brush that you've dipped in food coloring.

Step 4: Just before you serve the tasty treats, place the circles on top of the cupcakes with buttercream frosting.

Supplies:

Cake stands, $150 each at thefutureperfect.com; fondant is available in various colors at craft stores including Michael's and Jo-Ann; stamps, $25 for two at rubberstamps.com.

Q: Is it true that I can even add some Halloween spirit to ice cubes?

A: Yes. You can create creepy ice cubes by freezing gummy worms into your ice cube tray. For an added touch to your spooky cocktails, you also can freeze raisins into your ice cubs -- and they'll look like bugs.

Supplies:

One-pound bag of gummy candies, $7 at orientaltrading.com

Q: I don't have a lot of time, but I still want to make my home over in the spooky spirit. What can I do?

A: Some party decor resources are great for people who are short on time. For instance, create a bone-chilling bar with the liquid IV drip -- filled with red wine -- for $17.99 at Amazon.com.

Serve the wine (or champagne, or your choice of other drink) in skeleton hand glasses. They're $20 per dozen at orientaltrading.com.

Miller also recommends the following products:

Black and white skull dinner plates, $1.99 each at Target.com

Talon candleholders, $85 each at dlcompany.com

Black tapers, $15 for a box of 12 at 100candles.com

Tea light holders, $47 each at michelevarian.com