Creepy ideas if you’re scared to spend too much

Do bloodcurdling bills, chilling charges and spine-tingling prices have you horrified by Halloween expenses?

The holiday spending season has begun, and times are tight. Here are some creepy and fun ideas for celebrating the holiday without frightening your accountant.

Scary-good snacks

These treats are perfect for a party or a classroom snack.

Forked eyeballs: These treats, prepared and eaten on the same fork, begin with a doughnut hole dunked in white chocolate. To coat a dozen doughnut holes, melt 2 (11-ounce) bags of white chocolate chips over low heat (keep the chocolate warm while you work). With a fork, spear each doughnut hole and submerge it in the chocolate to coat; gently tap off any excess. Stick a semisweet chocolate chip with its point cut off onto each doughnut hole, cut end first. Place the forks (handle side down) in a mug and allow the chocolate coating to harden. Use a tube of red decorator frosting to add squiggly veins radiating out from the pupils.

Snack-o’-lantern: To make this healthy lantern, use a small knife to slice the top off a navel orange and cut around its interior to hollow it out. Scoop out the orange segments, chop them and mix them with canned or fresh fruit salad. Carve small facial features in one side of the orange, then cut a slit in the lid to accommodate the handle of a green plastic spoon. Fill the lantern with fruit salad. Insert the spoon and set the lid in place.

The haunted graveyard: Want a snack platter to die for? In a food processor, puree ½ cup of fresh spinach with 10 ounces of hummus. Mound the dip on a tray and top it with veggie trees, a pretzel fence, boiled-egg ghosts and cracker tombstones. Serve carrot sticks on the side. To make boiled-egg ghosts, cut slits and insert black olive facial features.

Party game: skeleton scavenger hunt

No bones about it — this activity is a dead-on crowd-pleaser. For a ghastly good game, trace a large cardboard or plastic skeleton decoration on a long sheet of paper. (Use a skeleton with movable limbs.) Next, carefully take the skeleton apart at its joints and hide the parts around your house or yard. During the party, ask your guests to “unearth” the bones and reassemble the skeleton by tacking or taping the parts onto the outline. When the skinny spook has been re-created, celebrate by giving each player a small prize.

Costume idea: jellyfish

To get this sweet and sassy jellyfish ready to roll, cover a broadbrimmed hat with bubble wrap and sparkly fabric. Then add some ribbon and rickrack tentacles to the hat. To complete the outfit, wear blue tights with a ruffly skirt and leotard in the same color.

Craft: light-up spider

This creepy-crawly project will keep any group of party monsters entertained. Battery-operated tea lights give these critters eerily glowing eyes and lots of kid appeal.

Supplies:

Egg carton (one carton makes 12 spiders)
Paintbrush
Glossy black acrylic craft paint
Hole punch
Black pipe cleaners (four per spider)
Black duct tape
Battery-operated tea lights (one per spider)

Directions:

1. Before the party, cut the cups from an egg carton and paint their exteriors black. Let dry. Then punch two eyes and eight leg holes (four on each side) into each egg cup.

2. At the party, cut pipe cleaners in half. Insert them through the leg holes and secure them on the inside with short lengths of duct tape. Bend the spider legs, then fold over the ends to make the feet.

3. Wrap the sides of the tea light in black duct tape. Insert the light, bulb side up, into the cup and use more duct tape to secure it in place, leaving the on-off switch uncovered.

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