Last Minute Halloween Ideas
Today, we’re sharing last-minute Halloween ideas for those of you who might need quick and easy party suggestions.
It’s also for those of you who are this close to letting the day pass by but have decided to enjoy a little light-hearted last-minute spooky fun this year.
Our Last Minute Halloween Ideas Inspiration
Truth be told, I’ve never really been into Halloween all that much. I’ve lived on the island for over a decade now and not once have we ever had trick-or-treaters because our properties are all gated.
It’s not that I don’t have a soft spot for Halloween.
I definitely do.
In fact, I lost my first tooth on Halloween and was beside myself when I realized blood had gotten on my red crayon costume.
Thankfully, my Mom scooped me up and grabbed a warm washcloth to help clean everything up.
Once I was calm, she taught me how to spell Halloween. And oh, my word, I remember feeling like such a big deal because Halloween was such a big word.
After that, she gave me a pep talk, reapplied my red lipstick, and off we went, albeit toothless, with plastic jack-o-lanterns in hand.
Years later, two of the littles asked if I would help them create a “spooky house.”
One day while they were in school, I decided to surprise them. I went to their house and spent the afternoon making everything super festive.
When they got home, you would have thought I had given them a million dollars because they were screaming and jumping up and down.
It’s still one of my favorite memories to this day.
While it took a little bit of planning and effort, watching their faces light up was absolutely worth it.
And it’s in their honor, we scatter a little bit of Halloween here and there around the house each year now.
Last-minute Halloween ideas can be festive, super easy to create, and budget-friendly too.
Here’s a look at how we create last-minute Halloween ideas without a lot of extra fuss…
Set a Halloween Tablescape Everyone Can Enjoy
Even if there are only 2 people in your family you can still create a beautiful last-minute Halloween tablescape.
Plan a festive meal or grab take-out, create a signature drink or mocktail, dim the lights, eat by candlelight, and put on some fun music.
It doesn’t have to be fancy at all to be impactful!
Set up a Halloween Treat Station
If hosting a Halloween dinner feels like too much pressure, consider creating a Halloween treat station.
You don’t even have to bake anything either if you’re short on time.
Simply pick up a few special treats at your local bakery or the grocery store. Then pile everything together on a treat tower, cake stands, or special Halloween plates.
Decorate a Store Bought Cake for Halloween
Another quick and easy idea is to decorate a store-bought cake for Halloween.
Most grocery store bakeries have baked and frosted cakes ready to go which is helpful no matter what time of year it is.
To make this graveyard-inspired cake, we used sandwich cookies to make the dirt and skeleton hand embellishments and honestly, it took us longer to drive to town to pick up the cake than it did to decorate it!
Create a Signature Drink
Every year my parents host a Halloween party and my Mom combs Pinterest for all sorts of ideas. To help make it easier on her, we’ve started bringing themed goodies too.
Sometimes she’ll ask us to put together a Halloween Charcuterie board, other times it’s a pot of chili. Either way, we all try to keep it simple but festive.
This signature drink is nothing more than a green apple mix and ginger ale, The grapes are called Midnight Beauty Black Grapes which are always a fun garnish because they look like fingers.
Layer Creepy Cloth or Faux Spider Webs Around the House
Creepy cloth and faux spider webs can usually be found at the dollar store or at your local craft supply store.
It’s relatively inexpensive and really pops against a white or orange backdrop.
Add Faux Bats or Spiders to the Wall
Adding bats or spiders to the wall is another super easy and budget-friendly way to decorate for Halloween.
They’re easier to store than Halloween artwork and you can use them year after year too.
These large bats are made from foam.
And you can find these smaller bats online at Amazon.
Just a heads up if you have textured walls though and you go in and out of the door a lot each day, you might need to secure them with extra (or stronger) putty.
Spray Paint Branches Black
Whenever I need something to look spooky or elegant this time of year, I almost always grab my can of black spray paint.
We made these DIY Halloween trees from fallen branches in our yard. I spray painted them black and they were a huge hit for less than $5.
Make Your Pumpkins Festive
This week is a fabulous week to carve or make festive pumpkin decorations if you haven’t already.
It’s a great way to gather your family for some uninterrupted time to be creative and enjoy each other’s company.
Try Glass Glitter Pumpkins
Speaking of carving out extra time to craft, cozy weekends are always a great time to try new craft ideas.
We added glass glitter to dollar store pumpkins several years ago and we loved it so much that we used glass glitter on our Christmas ornaments too.
It’s one of those projects that is crazy messy but also a lot of fun!
Age an Old Fall Wreath
If you have an old Fall wreath being stored in your attic or basement, consider giving it a fresh feel with this simple repurposing technique.
It doesn’t take very long to create and you can dress a vintage-inspired wreath like this one up or down throughout the season.
Create a Curiosity Cabinet
This curiosity cabinet may take a bit of planning because you’ll need some empty bottles for jars.
But it was another one of those budget-friendly and last-minute Halloween ideas the littles thought was really fun.
The bonus is almost everything we put inside the bottles and jars is available at the grocery store or local dollar store.
We were literally rolling off our chairs and crying at what the littles thought was inside.
It was so funny!
Only one of them guessed the “toenails” in the “witches’ brew” were pistachios.
Dress Up
One of the things that makes Halloween so much fun is dressing up.
There are people like my bestie S that plan their Halloween costumes like I plan my Fall front porch.
But I am not one of those people.
She is always something super creepy and the littles go bananas over it!
While I definitely don’t go all out, I still like to make an effort.
Several years ago, I had a thrifted “Team Zombie” costume which the littles loved because it was so out of character for me.
They still talk about it!
Most of the time, I pull together pieces I’ll be able to wear again throughout the holiday season.
I picked up a mask and hat from Walgreens on sale, ordered a tulle skirt from Amazon, and called it good.
Make a Glow in the Dark Candy Bucket
If you’re headed out trick or treating or staying behind to pass out candy, make it easy with a glow-in-the-dark candy bucket!
We found all the supplies at the dollar store and it took less than 20 minutes to create!
I know the past few years have been a completely different kind of celebration because of everything that’s been going on in the world.
Maybe you’re hosting a Halloween party and decorating the entire house.
Or maybe you’re planning to avoid it altogether.
Perhaps, you’re like us and planning something in between.
If you’re thinking you’ve missed the boat and wondering if decorating is still worth it though, I’ll gently remind you there’s no better time to celebrate big milestones and little milestones than right now.
Let us know if you have any last-minute Halloween ideas to share! Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Other Fall Posts to Enjoy:
- Elegant Fall Home Tour
- Fall Dining Room Centerpiece
- Elegant Fall Front Porch
- A Fall Grapevine Wreath for Beginners
- How to Personalize Pumpkins with Paint
Many blessings,
CoCo
I love these great ideas.! And the story about you surprising the littles was so sweet. You have definitely inspired me to decorate for Halloween next year. I’ve never done it before so you are THAT spectacular. I’ve enjoyed all your posts this season.
ha ha you’re so sweet, Kim, thank you! I was never really into Halloween until those wild and sweet little boys came along. They dress up in their costumes throughout the year so I never if know if I’m having dinner with Darth Vader or some guy from Minecraft 🙂 Sending you hugs, CoCo
Medusa was the best! Halloween is such a treat every year and I love how our family makes it all so magical.
S JUST asked me why Medusa didn’t make the round-up this year 😂 Our parental units definitely throw the best Halloween parties. I can’t wait to see what they dress up as this year. Supposedly Dad’s is a “onesie” of some kind 🤣 Big hugs and lots of love, CoCo
I love all of your festive Halloween ideas!
Thank you so much, Candice! I really appreciate it. Hope your week has been a fun one, CoCo
Gret ideas! Thanks!
You are so welcome, Donna! I can hardly believe Halloween is almost here and October is almost over. Hope your week has been filled with all good things, CoCo
I don’t usually decorate for Halloween but you’ve definitely inspired me to do so this year! I just love all of the SUPER creative ideas you come up with. That spooky bucket is still one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see what you and S dress up as this year! That Joker costume totally freaks me out! LoL!
You are so sweet, Christine, thank you! We just add a little bit here and there to mark the occasion and make the house feel festive. 2 of the littles are making a graveyard walk through this year and asked if I had any bones from a crypt in my “old junk stash” 🤣😂🤣 While I have yet to find bones from a crypt in an antique store 😆 I was able to take some of the treat bones we give Piper and add dark wax to them to make the bones look REALLY old. I wish you could have seen their faces – they were tickled pink. On a side note, I’ve seen S’s mask this year and I believe it’s spookier than last year if that’s possible. She will definitely be the scariest thing at the Halloween party. Hope your week is filled with all good things, CoCo
You crack me up but I’m not sure you’re all that scary with the giant smile on your face. 😉 I made a super poofy, like Cinderella poofy, black tulle skirt a couple of years ago but I wore it to a New Years Eve Party. Where, I might add, James and I won King and Queen! I should pull that out and be a witch too. But I’d be Glenda for sure. Guess I need a pink one! Love all of your ideas. Except the snakes. LOL! Enjoy the fun and take a photo of your costume!
So excited you guys got King and Queen, Cindy! It sounds like your costume was a big hit and I love you can reuse it from year to year too. I’m attempting to go as the evil queen from Snow White this year. Honestly, S’s costume looks like she should be at Universal Studios so I don’t even know why I bother because the only thing people ever remember is how creepy she looks from one year to the next 😂 Fingers crossed it stops raining soon so I can lacquer the “poison” apples. Big hugs, CoCo
I love all these last-minute Halloween ideas CoCo! Thanks for sharing these at Farmhouse Friday – we’re featuring you at tomorrow’s party!
That is so sweet of you, Michelle, thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Hugs, CoCo
So many great ideas and pictures, picking just one to feature you at the next FWF party was so hard ! Look for your post in tomorrow party!
Hugs,
Rachelle
I really appreciate it, Rachelle, thank you so much! My parents hosted all of us this year and we had the best time. It’s always fun to see how everyone dresses up and gets into the spirit of things! Hope your week is a special one, CoCo
CoCo, you have the best ideas! And it sounds like you have so many good memories too! Happy Halloween!
I really appreciate it, Cindy, thank you! My parents hosted us for Halloween again this year and it was so much fun to spend time laughing and hanging out. As we were leaving the littles hugged my mom and said, “Mimi, this is the best party we’ve ever been to.” It was really sweet. Hope your week is a special one, CoCo
CoCo
These are all such adorable ideas. You are so fun.
Aww thanks so much, Rachel! I am not into anything scary and yet the littles have totally helped me step out of my comfort zone and branch out. Thankfully, they are much more tame come Christmastime. Hugs, CoCo
Such great ideas! I love the axe sticking out of your head as a zombie! 😂
Wow–these are such cute ideas! I laughed at the grapes that looked like fingers. So clever! No wonder the littles loved it all so much!
The costumes are cute too! I love your little bow flats, the glamorous mask, and fancy necklace. Hey, if you’re gonna be in costume, you’re gonna look cute! I like that philosophy…;)
I love all of these ideas Coco especially with the glow in the dark candy bowl! These next 2 weeks we have so many Halloween parties and trunk or treats planned it’s batty!!! Enjoy spooky season!
Such fabulous ideas for a super fun Halloween, CoCo!! So festive!! Thanks so much for sharing at Home Imagined this week!!
So many great ideas! I love the smaller bats flying along the shiplap wall. You must be a super star aunt to all the littles!
Hi CoCo – Just a quick note to say thank you for sharing this post (and others) with the Home Imagined Link Party.