Garfield: Holiday Celebrations (Garfield's Halloween Adventure / Garfield's Thanksgiving / A Garfield Christmas)

No one loves the cold months better than acerbic fat cat Garfield, who thrives on a bounty of junk food and traditional meals in the delightful collection of musical-comedy TV specials Garfield Holiday Celebrations. "Garfield's Halloween Adventure" finds the portly hero and airhead-sidekick Odie the dog scrounging through owner Jon's attic to find perfect costumes, then encountering ghosts and ghoulies that seem a tad authentic. "Garfield's Thanksgiving" is a screwball special in which Jon harasses veterinarian Liz into being his Turkey Day guest. Trouble is, Jon is clueless about how to cook a big bird; fortunately, starving Garfield has the good sense to call in Jon's spirited grandmother for a culinary rescue. Grandma shows up, too, in "A Garfield Christmas," about a family get-together that covers all the nice holiday stuff and, of course, lots of bickering, pouting, and jealousy. As long as Garfield gets his Yuletide lasagna, however, all is right with the world. --Tom Keogh
Customer Review: Essential For Garfield Fans
Especially at this price of under $10., there is no reason to not get this dvd. The Halloween special is a great start. Garfield and Odie decide to go trick or treating as Pirates. All goes well, until Garfield decides that they haven't gotten enough candy, and they decide to go into a strange area. Of course, they get lost, and they run into an eccentric old man who warns them that they may be seeing some real ghost pirates soon. (Nice transition from a plausible start into the horror.) The Thanksgiving special is interesting in that Garfield has to go on a diet right before Thanksgiving, and for once, John Arbuckle may actually have date with Liz. But of course, John has to mess up the dinner, and once Garfield is released from his diet, he has the hilarious, but at the same time touching solution. (Call Super Grandma) The Christmas special is also really nice. John and Odie want to go to the family farm for Christmas, and of course Grinch Garfield is not so eager: "Why can't they come here where my warm bed is?" Though he is reluctant, he endures the trip. But he soon finds out that he has a friend in Grandma. This is when we see a more gentle side of Garfield. There are some comical moments that keep the show going. (Though it does seem strange that at his age, John and his brother do not know that 1 AM is not an appropriate time to suggest opening Christmas presents.) But the end has an especially touching moment. Overall, this is a great Garfield package. Highly suggested if you are a Garfield fan.
Customer Review: Great DVD
My kids have watched this DVD over and over and it has become one of their favorites. Recommend this DVD.

Trivia about Halloween - it's the second biggest occasion in terms of spending (#1 is Christmas!) Halloween is just around the corner - the pumpkins are out, the Sarah Palin costumes are worn, and almost every where, the Halloween spirit roams free (and yes them zombies are starting to crash political rallies!). Although Halloween is spent largely in the US by trick treating, or holding Halloween parties, there are a few practices you might want to try this Halloween.

Halloween in Transylvania - yes you read that right! The Transylvanian Society of Dracula will hold their annual Halloween party in Sighisoara - the best preserved 15 century-walled town in Europe, the birth-place of Prince Vlad the Impaler, and the site of many witch trials. Everybody is encouraged to wear their spookiest costumes and hopefully the ladies will vie for Miss Transylvania.

Hop-Tu-Naa is a Celtic festival celebrated every 31st of October in the Isle of man. It's a similar event to Halloween as kids dress up as scary being asking for sweet or money, but instead of a pumpkin, they carry turnips!

Teng Chieh in China - Food and water are placed in front of photographs of departed loved ones, and lanterns are lit to light the path of the spirits as they descend upon the earth. Japan has a similar event, only it is called Obon Festival.

No knives Halloween in Germany - during Halloween night, Germans hide or put away their knives so as not to risk harming the returning spirits. Scary tradition!

In Czechoslovakia, families remember the dead by eating special cakes, drinking cold milk (it's supposed to cool the souls roasting in purgatory) and placing chairs by the fireside. Halloween is mostly spent remembering the deceased relatives and ancestors. Most families spend their time in cemeteries.

In the Philippines, Halloween is as commercial as it gets - although in earlier times, kids pretending to be the souls of the dead, sing a song for Halloween from one house to another, hoping to get food, or money, or well - any kind of treat. Pranks are pulled on houses that don't give any.

Sweden sounds like a lot of fun! Alla Helgons Dag (Halloween to them) is celebrated from Oct 31 - Nov 6! How cool is that! Imagine trick or treating, partying, or just having some spooky old fun for 1 week!?

Now if you're in Belguim, it would be wise to avoid a black cat no matter how cute it is! Belgians believe it is unlucky for a blac cat to cross one's path and even more unluckier if it travels with you ona ship or enters your home. No lolcats for now!

There are so many things going on during Halloween -and whether you're a kid or young at heart, I encourage to celebrate! Whatever way you want to spend it, I wish you a ghostly good time this Halloween. Hoping you get all the treats you want, and no tricks!

Christine Waverly speaks her mind on her blog about everything and anything - travel, the good life, women's issues and politics Visit her site today!

halloween kids

Sexy Adult Womens Halloween Accessory Short White Crinoline Petticoat Slip Skirt Party

Complete your ensemble with this short white petticoat.

This Item Includes One White Petticoat

{{RomaSizes}}

Wire-wrapping is one of the oldest forms of jewelery-making. It is also one of the most popular in modern times, being relatively inexpensive and relatively easy to learn at a basic level. Of course, the more adventurous you become as an artisan, the more expensive and skilled it can become, but wire-wrapping can be one of the most rewarding forms of jewelery-making there is.

Gold and silver wire are measured and sold in a wide range thicknesses and shapes e.g. round wire ranges from 0.3mm to 6mm diameter. millimetres The diameter of the wire determines its suitability for certain applications; 0.8mm and 1mm wire is widely-used for creating wire shapes, whereas the thinner gauge wire 0.3mm is more suitable for adding decoration or even threading beads.

Gold and silver wire also come in different shapes; square, round, half-round and oval. Square wire is generally used for wire-wrapping designs, such as the creation of a bracelet, half-round wire is most popular as a means of creating connections between the components of a piece and round wire is the most popular shape for creating loops and other more intricate designs.

The hardness of gold and silver wire also has some bearing on its uses; wire comes in varying degrees of hardness: full hard, half hard and dead soft. Full hard and half hard wire are used to create more robust pieces that may have weight to them; perhaps the wire supports a stone in the piece or is used in jewelery that is primarily made of wire. Because of its hardness, half hard or full hard wire will require more tools to manipulate it than dead soft wire. Dead soft wire can be manipulated using your hands, but it is better to use pliers for precision work. Dead soft wire can accommodate light beads and can be bent to create intricate designs and pieces, but they are likely to be very delicate and not recommended as jewellery to be worn on a daily basis.

Adam Hunter - E-commerce Marketing Manager of cooksongold.com. Cookson Precious Metals offer a choice of supplies from over 10,000 products including gold and silver wire , jewelery findings, tools, precious metal clay and precious metal sheet - gold, silver, platinum and palladium plus technical information for jewelers, jobbers, designer, craftsmen, artisans and students.

For interviews, quotes, images or comments contact:
Adam Hunter
E-commerce Marketing Manager
Tel(DDI): +44 (0) 121 212 6491
E-mail: adam.hunter@cooksongold.com

halloween adult

Women's Plus Size 70s Disco Halloween Costume

There's still time for your kids to make some great gifts for Dad! Try one of these simple, inexpensive ideas.

1) A Customized Board Game

Brainstorm about Dad's interests and hobbies. Then choose a theme for a board game you can make, similar to CandyLand. Buy a piece of white or colored posterboard. (Cost: $1.00 or less) Write a title at the top to fit your theme such as, "Dad's Dream Vacation Game" or "Dad's Crazy Car Show."

Draw a winding path with two lines from the lower left corner to the upper right corner. Write START in the lower left corner and FINISH in the upper right corner. Divide the path into spaces. Add pictures and instructions to many of the spaces that will move players both forwards and backwards. Ideas:

• You forgot to change the oil in the car. Go back 2 spaces.
• You stop and help someone change a tire. Go ahead 4 spaces.
• Delays at the airport. Lose a turn.
• Free food at the amusement park. Take an extra turn.

To play this game with Dad, you'll need a marker for each player. Coins or scraps of different colored paper work well. You'll also need a dice from another game. Each play rolls the die and moves forward that number of spaces. He/she follows the directions on that space. The first player to FINISH wins .

2) Dad's Choice Credit Cards

Make Dad his very own credit cards-for free! Trace a real credit card onto plain white or construction paper. Cut out several blank cards to complete. Add Dad's full name and an imaginary account number on each card. On the back, write something that you will owe Dad. Make each card different. Here are some ideas:

• Dad's choice on game night. You choose the game we play.
• Dad's choice of ice cream. You choose the flavor we buy at the grocery store.
• Dad's choice for dinner. (Please consult with the cook 24 hours in advance.)
• Dad's choice for television. Choose the evening, and choose the program.

Place these credit cards into your own homemade Father's Day card. When Dad opens the card on Sunday, explain to him that he can tuck these into his wallet and "spend" them whenever he wants!

3) Going Nuts

Place some of Dad's favorite nuts in an empty glass or plastic jar. Add a ribbon and a label that says, "Dad, I'm Nuts About You!"

Copyright 2008 Ann Richmond Fisher

Ann Richmond Fisher is the owner of http://www.WordFishery.com where you can find unique printable word puzzles. Her original puzzles include Buzzword, ZigZags, Triangulairs and more. All puzzles are free and are constructed with family-friendly words. People of all ages enjoy solving these challenging puzzlers.

Ann is also the author of over 60 books and products for the educational market. She specializes in writing word puzzles. math puzzles, brain teasers, and seasonal reproducibles. Her Buzzword puzzle appears in two weekly newspapers.

Please contact Ann through her website to learn how you may include her puzzles in your newsletters, magazines or newspapers.

halloween

Cartoon Network Halloween 3 - Sweet Sweet Fear

Released just as the evenings grow darker and Halloween starts to approach this third volume of spooky children's shows from the Cartoon Network is set to send chills down the spine. Six episodes are included on this collection with various characters--including the Powerpuff Girls and Ed Edd 'n Eddy--featured.System Requirements:Run Time: 95 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 053939767124 Manufacturer No: T7671
Customer Review: Even More Halloween HA-HA-HAs
It's baaaaaack.... This is the third installment of Cartoon Network Halloween. Now for a bit of a rundown of what's what on the latest Halloween DVD.: Foster's: "Bloooo" - An unwell Blooregard turns white as a ghost ! (Let me tell you, that episode was WAY outta control.) Juniper Lee: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Juniper Lee" - Young monsters turn into children every Halloween night. Now June must find a way to change them back. Ed, Edd n Eddy: "Don't Rain on my Ed" - Time grows short for the Eds as they race towards the candy store for free jawbreakers. Billy and Mandy: "The Bubble with Billy" - Billy chews on, then intentionally swallows some otherworldly gum Grim gave him. Kids Next Door: "Operation J.E.W.E.L.S." - Numbuh 5 searches for the lost "Blurpleberry Supreme". Powerpuff Girls: "Candy is Dandy" - The girls are each rewarded a piece of the Mayor's candy. Now they must save the day again in order to get more. Now here's a list of episodes that didn't seem to make it to the DVD.: I Am Weasel: "I Are Ghost" - Weasel and Baboon are ghosts in the Ghost Union and must scare someone in order to keep their jobs. I Am Weasel: "I Am Franken-Weasel" - Mad dentist Dr. Franken-Weasel is itching to get back to his mad scientist roots. Johnny Bravo: "Going Batty" - To upstage her nerdy boyfriend, a vampire girl goes out with Johnny. Dexter's Lab: "Scare Tactics" - Dexter and his dad watch a scary movie and pretty soon the entire night becomes that scary movie. Cow and Chicken: "Halloween with Dead Ghost Coast to Coast" - Red Guy dressed as a familiar Adult Swim character suggests to Cow and Chicken that they dress up as humans for Halloween. Unfortunately, it didn't work. A random episode of "Courage the Cowardly Dog" - This is perhaps the BIGGEST gap in all of volume 3. Since the subtitle to this DVD is "Sweet Sweet Fear", I would suggest this episode: "Katz Kandy" - Sick and tired of being second to Muriel, the felonious Katz whips up some mutant jam to kidnap her. Now Courage must save Muriel who is caught between two things: A huge taffy machine and a hungry Eustace. Surely Volume 4 will have at least one of those episodes, AND the Eds' "Boo Haw Haw" special. Just wait 'til next year.
Customer Review: Finally! Juniper Lee!
Although the other episodes were great, it's cool to finally see Juniper Lee on DVD, even if it is one episode. I recommend this DVD because I am a Juniper Lee fan and the other episodes are great too.

As Hollywood prepares to churn out yet another movie based on the work of Philip K. Dick, the producers blithely ignore the existence of a screenplay written by Philip K. Dick, himself. If you have read the book that was published as UBIK: The Screenplay, you have not read Phil's screenplay. That book has been heavily edited, and others have added material to the screenplay that Phil wrote.

That having been said, film producers really ought to take a look at the author's own screenplay before embarking upon their journey of interpretation and misinterpretation.

UBIK is one of the major sources of "inspiration" (or perhaps plagiarism) for The Matrix. The characters and the readers never can be quite sure who is alive and who is dead, after somebody is killed in a terrorist bombing. Rather than burying the dead, they put the bodies into cryogenic storage and hook up devices that allow the living to communicate with their departed friends and relatives for a time, until all brain function ceases. The dead continue to live in a virtual reality which seems as solid as our reality. They do not know that they are dead, and when someone tells them that they are dead, they do not believe it. Of course, this is based on Plato's allegory of the Cave. If we never leave the Cave and never see the outside world, then the shadows on the wall of the Cave constitute the only reality that we know. The outside world, if we should catch a glimpse of it, would seem unreal and insane to our eyes.

UBIK has the potential to be a blockbuster at the box office. It tells the timeless story of our search for meaning. It has conflict, danger, suspense, all the elements of an engaging story, and the necessary special effects are now possible with advances in CGI and other technologies.

You might think that the first PKD film, Bladerunner, was a smashing success. Wrong. It lost money in the theatres, but coming as it did in the dawn of the age of the VCR, it made its profits from the videotape and continues to earn money for the filmmakers with the DVD. Unfortunately, Phil's contract did not even mention videotape, so his estate never saw any money beyond the advance that he got.

Some clunkers have appeared, including Total Recall, which actually made money (but the scenario had little to do with Phil's story "We Can Remember it for You, Wholesale", on which it was very loosely based). Once again, Phil's estate saw very little of that money.

Screamers and Second Variety (both based on Phil's story "Second Variety") deserved to flop. The story formed a flimsy excuse for people to run around spilling blood and guts across the screen, and the endings were transparently contrived.

Paycheck, based on Phil's story of the same title, had potential for greatness but suffered from lackluster acting by apathetic stars who were merely fulfilling the requirements of their contracts by performing in a film that they would rather pass over.

Minority Report was a success, due in large part to Tom Cruise's box office appeal. This film elaborated on Phil's short story, presenting a fascinating if dystopic view of our possible future.

A Scanner Darkly won many awards, but it suffered from lack of distribution. Even though it was number one at the box office in its opening week, Warner Independent could not find the funding to keep it in the theatres. This film continues to gain popularity on DVD.

UBIK promises to be a box office success, as well as a great film. The timeless story speaks to our hearts and our minds in an age when the once fantastic technology presented in the story seems possible and perhaps even probable. Moreover, it celebrates the heroism of ordinary people who face extraordinary circumstances.

I look forward to seeing UBIK on the big screen, and I hope that the producers realize its potential.

~~ Tessa B. Dick, September 6, 2008

Author: Tessa B. Dick

Learn more abou my husband Philip K. Dick at my blog: http://tessadick.blogspot.com/

halloween costumes

Mary Lou Peasant Top Dress Adult

The down-home and sweet Mary Lou Peasant Top Dress costume includes: a denim dress with a gingham-print peasant-style top and matching gingham trim. The dress has buttons down the front and gingham-print heart appliqués adorn the back of the skirt. Available in sizes: Small/Medium and Medium/Large. Shoes and stockings are not included.

Easter is all about Easter eggs and new beginnings. Celebrate this wonderful Spring time with fun Easter games for kids. Here are a few old time favorites that are sure to keep the kids busy and having fun.

Hen and Chickens

• A leader is chosen for the "hen" and the remainder of the children are "chickens," except one who is supposed to be a chicken hawk.
• They stand in a row behind one another and grasp the skirts or coat-tails of the child ahead and then they march along with the "hen" at the head of the line.
• The "hawk" stands from six to sixteen feet away (the distance depends on the size of the players and the space to play in, the larger each are the greater the distance may be) watching the parade for a short time, then begins to flop his wings (moves arms in imitation of flying) and calls out, "How many chicks have you?"
• The "hen" replies, "four and twenty, shoo! shoo!" The "hawk" shouts, "That's too many. I'll take a few," and then runs after the children trying to touch or "tag" them.
• The "hen," of course, tries to protect them by getting them under her wing--when the "chicks" stoop they are supposed to be under their mother's wing and cannot be caught.
• The children must not let go of each other's skirts or coat-tails (except when caught, then the captured one steps out of the line and the line is closed up.)
• The hen and chickens may run around as much as they like, only they must keep together by holding on to each other's clothes.
• This fun Easter games for kids continues until the hawk has caught the hen and chickens--then a different player is chosen for the hawk and the hen.

An Egg Hunt

• Hide colored Easter eggs or small candy eggs in various places, in corners, behind curtains, bric a brac, etc., etc.
• Provide each child with a small basket or paper bag and at a signal they start to hunt for the hidden eggs.
• Allow a certain length of time for the hunting and reward the one who finds the most eggs with a large candy egg.

Easter Bunny Word Scramble

• Give each person a pencil and paper with the words "Easter Bunny" written at the top.
• They must then write down as many words as they can think of that can be made using the letters contained in the words "Easter bunny".
• The person who can think of the most words wins a prize; you can also have prizes for the most unusual words, the least words, the most original words, etc.

Enjoy playing these fun Easter games for kids.

For 365 surefire ways to keep your kids entertained each day of the year, find more fun Easter games for kids as well as dress up games, educational games, preschool games and games for every holiday and many more at http://www.365KidsGames.com

halloween costume

Sexy Adult Womens Halloween Costumes Mod Chic GoGo Girl 1960s 60s 1970s 70s Dress Costume Theme Party Outfit

You'll look so chic in this mod dress costume!

This Item Includes Dress, Headpiece, Sunglasses

{{FrancoWomens}}

Nowadays fancy dress costumes and dressing up are essential parts of the festivities surrounding Halloween. Halloween has its roots and origins in Ireland and it is widely considered that it dates back to a Celtic tradition of Samhain Eve when it was believed that the links between the living world and that of the dead were at their strongest.

During these Celtic celebrations bonfires were lit in order to prevent evil spirits from destroying or damaging crops and livestock and there was a practise of dressing as different animals in order to tell the fortunes of others. This is widely believed to be the derivation of the tradition of dressing up at Halloween.

The name Halloween comes from the eve of All Hallows' which was what All Saint's Day was called during medieval times.

Although today's children choose to dress up as their own favourite superhero or other cartoon character, it was the case that people would dress up as ghosts or goblins in order to confuse the spirits that returned to this world during All Hallows' Eve and roamed in search of souls to take.

In today's society, the choice of costume reflects more the personality of the wearer than it does tradition although a great number of children do still enjoy dressing as ghosts, witches, ghouls and other Halloween nasties. And maybe it doesn't really matter that they don't understand why.

And dressing up is not just for the children. In today's market more sales are registered on adult costumes than on the traditional children's sector. In the main, the adult market sector comprises two main elements, the first which mirrors costumes similar to those of the children and those which are a little er; shall we just say a little racier and wilder. It is therefore very important to keep in mind the type of event that you will be attending when making your costume selection.

This is the major rule to keep in mind when selecting your costumes; you need to determine what you actually need it for.

Is it required for a child who will be going trick or treating? If so, then you should make sure that there is no impairment to visibility and that it would not restrict them in walking. From the other perspective, it should not be so scary that people opening their doors will feel intimidated and scared - more so with older children and teenagers wearing masks. If it is to be worn outside then it should be able to keep the child warm as a costume hidden under a coat is actually no costume at all.

The same basics apply to the adult costume if they are accompanying children on trick or treating. The considerations of warmth, restriction of movement and restriction to vision all need to be taken into account when selecting an adult costume in-order to keep the group safe.

If on the other hand the costume is to be worn at a kiddies Halloween celebration party or adults Halloween cocktail party then the costume selection is likely to be much different. So understanding the kind of event that you need the costume for is key to allowing you to find the right one.

Once you have created a list of possible costume ideas you need to research whether you want to make it or buy one already made. Certainly, there is nothing nicer than a hand made costume and there are a number of readily available patterns available from larger haberdashery stores or departments which you can adapt or make as presented. It will take time and having gone this route a couple of times when our own children were much smaller finding the right fabrics and finishing pieces is usually the major headache. As an example I remember my wife spending hours gluing different coloured fruit pastilles to a dress so that our daughter had the perfect Elisabeth I dress (and yes, it was perfect).

There are two main routes to purchase your Halloween costume. Firstly you can visit your local fancy dress hire shop and trawl the costumes and accessories that they will have available. In the larger stores in the States, this is a more pleasurable experience as they seldom hire, and this market is shrinking given the reducing overall price differential between hire and buy.

The other alternative is to consider buying online. There are a number or very good internet based fancy dress costume retailers and all should offer secure money transaction and most a no quibble money back guarantee subject to some sensible provisos. Online retailers tend to lay their shops out so that it's easy to find the costume that you are looking for and a few will have an exceptional variety of fancy dress costume accessories. And in the main, it is the careful selection of your costume accessories that really brings the whole costume together.

Karnival Costumes stocks a huge selection of fancy dress costumes and accessories for Halloween or for any other party theme you may choose. We have a whole section devoted to Halloween and as well as huge ranges of costumes and accessories, we are also specialists in supplying Halloween props, decorations and party goods. Feel free to browse our website and purchase your costumes and accessories with confidence from one of the leading costume suppliers in the UK. Go to: http://www.karnival-house.co.uk/acatalog/Halloween.html

We also have a large selection of articles on a wide range of party themed topics. Why not join our newsletter for up to date information on the latest trends in costumes, news and notification of our special offers.

Alternatively; for everything Halloween including articles, jokes, projects and entertaining tips visit our sister website Halloween-UK at http://www.halloween-uk.com

Article submitted by: KV Sinclair. Keith Sinclair has over 35 years of business experience and in addition to being a part time University Lecturer on Business Studies, he is CEO of Cavalcade; a group of companies operating in the party sector. Cavalcade operates Karnival-House at karnival-house.co.uk one of the UK's leading internet Fancy Dress Retailers. With massive stocks for immediate dispatch and an ever expanding range, Karnival-House continues to strive simply to offer outstanding service combined with outstanding value.

halloween clothes

Gorilla or Yeti Fur Mask (White) Adult Halloween Costume Accessory

Gorilla or Yeti Fur Mask (White) Adult Halloween Costume Accessory (753) - As fierce as it can get, this Gorilla full head fur mask is intimidating and realistic. White gorilla mask is also perfect for a yeti (abominable smowman) costume! Revolutionary design has inner comfort bands that keep the mask in place. To enhance the look of this costume add a matching pair of comfortable latex and faux fur Primate or Big Feet (wear over shoe).(Please NOTE: This product is a specialty item that may take up to 10 business days to produce.)

Want to create spooktacular Halloween party decorations on a budget? Follow these low-cost decorating tips to create a howling good party!

Creating a frightfully fun scene for a Halloween party doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune. Just use a few (or all) of these tips to create party decorations that won't scare your budget!

Haunting Hands

These scary hands are a breeze to make! Simply stuff a pair of rubber gloves with tissue paper, newspaper or cotton batting, and then use your imagination to decorate them: spray paint, gauze wrap, fake fingernails, rings, a watch, fake insects, or red "blood" paint.

Jack-O'-Lantern Garland

Draw jack-o'-lantern outlines on orange paper, making sure to draw long stems on top. Cut out the jack-o'-lanterns and then draw on faces with markers or crayons. Fold the stems halfway down, and then attach them to yarn or string with tape, glue or staples. When attaching the pumpkins, make sure that the stems 'fold' over the yarn or string. Now you're all set to drape this garland across a room, over a window or from lighting. You can also make a ghost garland in the same way!

Egg Carton Bats

Using egg cartons to make bats couldn't be easier! First, separate 3 cups from an egg carton. Cut out part of the bottoms of the two outside cups so that they look like bat wings. Then just add eyes and a mouth with a marker (or you can use googly eyes). To hang, just attach it to a string or rubber band. Feel free to decorate your bats with paint, spider webs or anything else that grabs your imagination!

Egg Carton Spiders

Egg cartons also make fun spiders! Start by separating one cup from an egg carton. Next, make 8 small holes (4 on each side) at the base of the cup. The point of a scissors works well for this. Then insert a pipe cleaner into each of the holes to create legs. Last, just add a face and decorate however you choose!

Bat Clips

Cut out bat wings and bodies from black construction paper, card stock or fun foam sheets. Make sure the bat bodies are large enough to cover clothespins. Glue the bat parts to clothespins (wings first, and then bodies) and then add googly eyes to complete the look. These are easy to clip anywhere!

Lollipop Ghosts

These fun little ghosts not only make fun decorations, but they also make great party favors! To make these adorable little haunters, you'll need round lollipops, white tissues, googly eyes or black marker and ribbon, preferably black or orange. Using one or two tissues, place a lollipop in the center and then gather the tissues around the top of the lollipop. Secure the tissues around the top of the lollipop with ribbon. You will now have a ghost head (top of lollipop) and body (tissue that covers lollipop stick). Finish by adding googly eyes or drawing them on with a black marker.

Halloween Blood

More of an accent than an actual decoration, there are lots of uses for fake blood - and it couldn't be easier to make:

* 1 cup corn syrup
* 1 tbsp water
* 2 tbsp red food coloring
* 1 tsp yellow food coloring

Just mix all the ingredients together and you'll have one cup of Halloween "blood"!

Go Buggy

Creep everyone out with your own profusion of bugs and rodents. Bags of plastic bugs and various sizes of rodents are readily available - and usually inexpensive - around Halloween. Scatter them on tables, floors, walkways, windowsills - anywhere that needs a little spooking up.

Pumpkins Please

Mini pumpkins provide a wealth of decorating opportunities. You can paint them any color and glue nearly anything (felt, construction paper, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, etc.) to them, allowing you to create spiders, witches, monsters...just use your imagination!

Balloon Ghost

All you need to make this fun ghost is a white balloon and two white plastic grocery bags! Start by cutting the handles off the plastic grocery bags. If there are any markings on the bags, try to cut them out, too. Starting at the top of the bags, cut them into strips, leaving the bottom seam of each bag intact. Next, blow up a white balloon. Tape the plastic bags around one end of the balloon, forming a circle around it. (Hint: if you're planning on hanging the ghost as a decoration, be sure to leave the tied end of the balloon exposed at the top, so you can tie a string to it.) Finally, create a face on the balloon with a black marker, and you've got a frightfully fun ghost!

Halloween parties can be lots of fun - and lots of expense. But by using the decorating tips above, you can decorate for Halloween without breaking the bank.

Heather L. Clark is a Web researcher and writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. Check out her favorite sources for 2009 calendars and online calendars.

halloween