Halloween's right around the corner. If you have doubts, head to your nearest grocery or retail store. From the overstuffed racks of candy and other cavity-inducing goodies, to the orange streamers and grotesque masks, those who profit from this yearly event want maximum mileage from it. And why not help them get it? Although this holiday does have its share of critics, just as many proponents view Halloween as one of the few last opportunities we have to dress up, act like lunatics and eat candy 'till we can't anymore.

It's also one of the few occasions during which you can redecorate your house on a shoestring budget and receive compliments for outdoing your neighbors on the "gaudy" scale. The possibilities are virtually endless, but some of the most creative decorations are the least expensive. They'll draw the attention of big and little neighbors alike to your doorstep. Of course, if you opt for any one of these suggestions, you're instantly volunteering your doorstep for little goblins to come a-knocking come Halloween night. But anyone who would bother to decorate their home in orange and black undoubtedly possesses the Halloween spirit anyway.

Start with your front walk. Purchase a package of orange or black lunch-size paper bags (if those colors are available; if not, choose the regular brown bags) and a package of orange tissue paper. On the outside of each bag, draw a face similar to one that you'd draw on the outside of your pumpkin before you carve it. Cut out the shapes you've drawn, being careful not to cut too close to the bottom of each bag, and then line the inside of the bag (on the side with your design) with a sheet of tissue paper, taping or stapling the ends down. Fill each bag with a little sand to provide weight. Line the bags up along your driveway or walkway, and place a votive candle inside each. With a winding row of smiling, ghoulish faces, you've just given your home some definite drive-up appeal. Pick up some glow-in-the-dark sidewalk chalk, and draw a couple of chalk outlines along your front walk, similar to those you'd see at a crime scene.

If you have porch lights, cover them in festive (yet nonflammable) material. Drape colored lights from your trees, and stretch stringy cobwebs from the branches. Throw an occasional black spider in for effect. Purchase several different sizes, from tiny to giant. Drape a few white sheets in your trees to create the illusion of ghosts, and add black felt eyes. Of course, no front yard would be complete without a few headstones. You can create them yourself with cardboard or styrofoam. Glue a wooden stake to the bottom of each to secure them in the ground. No need to be morbid; decorate them with clever sayings and events. You can also drive stakes into your front yard and place masks on top of each one (warning: little tykes might be scared off). Behind a glass door or large window, you can place a "cauldron," Dutch oven or other large pot with a piece of dry ice inside (if you have little ones at home, be careful, as dry ice burns the skin). Drape your front doorway area in black fabric, and decorate it with glow-in-the-dark paint. Or make your guests laugh by purchasing several jointed paper "skeletons" at your local retail store, and dressing them in various costumes.

One of the most effective decorations you can create yourself is the illusion of a human figure in your front yard. Drive a large stake into the ground, and drape a sheet around it. "Cinch" the area near the top to give the figure some shape, and create the illusion of the back of a head. Your neighbors will hesitantly approach your front doorway as they attempt to determine whether the figure with its back to them is real or fake. It creates a genuinely creepy effect.

One of the cleverest and least expensive Halloween decorations involves a clear plastic glove, popcorn, a ribbon, five candy corns and a spider ring. Place one candy in the bottom of each finger to resemble the fingernail. Then fill the glove with popcorn, tie with the ribbon, and add a spider ring to one finger. If you live in a relatively close-knit neighborhood and can trust that your supply won't be taken by a passing bully, you could fill a bucket or large plastic pumpkin with creeping "hands." Kids get a kick out of these, and adults will, too. You may also consider dragging an audio speaker up to an open window and playing some spooky sounds; and hanging a motion sensor near the doorway that, when triggered, emanates ghastly noises to the surprise and delight of your visitors.

You've got a little more creative leverage if you plan to open your home to guests on Halloween night. If that's the case, go crazy -- drape your living room in black fabric, get out a Ouja board, and have a "guess what's inside" contest. All that's needed is some empty shoe boxes, scissors and some edible contents. On one of the short ends of each shoe box, cut a hole large enough for hand to reach inside. Fill the box with spaghetti (brains), grapes (eyeballs), jello (messy, but effective, and can be anything the mind can conjure up in a moment of fear). Rent a few creepy movies, and let them play on your television(s) in the background while your guests are in your home.

It's the one time of year when you get your chance to be a kid again, so go crazy. You'll soon develop the reputation as the most fun house on the block at Halloween. Just be armed with plenty of candy, because you're sure to attract lots of attention from ghouls of all sizes.

Published: October 14, 1999

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