Between the spooky decor, Halloween-themed treats and your own costume, the cost of hosting a Halloween party can start to add up.
The best way to save money while still throwing a killer monster mash? Get creative.
Here are some ideas to get you started from Christine Nguyen of the Sweet Boutique in Sugar Land, Texas.
Candy Corn-decorated cupcakes
Take your love of candy corn to the next level by incorporating them into cupcake decorations. Layer yellow, orange and white frosting on a cupcake and top it off with a piece of candy corn.
Worms and dirt
To make worms and dirt, you need chocolate pudding, crushed cookies, gummy snakes, black icing and Milano cookies. Use the icing to write "R.I.P." on the Milano cookie, creating a "tombstone," then place that in a plastic cup. Fill the rest of the cup by layering the first three ingredients to create the "dirt."
Goodie bags
There are a few ways to mix up goodie bags without splurging. You can add googly eyes to a black paper cup and add black stock paper to turn it into a "bat." You can also draw a pumpkin face on an orange balloon. For extra fun, stuff the balloons with candy.
Watch the video above to see how it's done.