The Halloween Factory

Inexpensive Material List

The Halloween Factory is about creativity. So whether you are decorating your home, having a neighborhood haunt, or planning the Halloween party of the year, The Halloween Factory will provide you with as much information possible to keep your spending and time commitment to a bare minimum.

Suggestions for finding inexpensive materials¬They are EVERYWHERE! You just have to know what you are looking for. Keep your Halloween Have to Have List handy.
(See below).

• Clearance Section of any store
• Garage Sales-old dolls, stands or bicycles for outdoor props, bottles for potions.
• Recycle Center-We have a material recycle center that helps to keep companies garbage from going into a landfill. We have gotten great fabric pieces, wood, mirrors, cabinets, buttons, rolls of crepe tissue paper.
• Manufacturing companies-If you have one nearby that makes mannequins, prosthetics, skeletons. Remember, you only want the items they are throwing away. You can get some great body parts this way!
• Fabric Stores-JoAnn´s, Michaels, AC Moore, local craft store.
• Salvation Army-sheets, pillow cases and clothes.
• Wood-Home Depot, Lowe´s, lumber yard and any company that uses building material. They will most likely have pieces they are not using. Always keep an eye out for a new house being built (Plenty of odd pieces of wood).
• Plumbing store-Depends on the prop you are creating.
• Florist or Garden Center-ask for any dead flowers or pieces they are getting rid of. You can dry them out, spray paint them black and give them “new” life.
• Local Dollar Store-lots of inexpensive, last minute items can be purchased here.
• Candle Stores.
• Music Stores-Clearance section or right after Halloween to find seasonal music.
• Target, Kmart, Walmart, Party Stores-The Big Box stores have materials and clearance sections where you can always find a bargain.
• Craft Festivals and Fairs-This is where you will find your one of a kind item. And can support your fellow Halloween crafter.

Halloween Have to Have List:

The key to finding what you need at a reasonable price is to know what you are looking for and to pay attention to the sale advertisements. There are numerous things you can use and make for Halloween and we have provided a couple of suggestions to get you started. Here are they are:

• White Sheets (i.e.ghosts,lay over furniture for old creepy effect)
• Clothes (i.e.stockings to stuff scarecrow with, hats & gloves to cover exposed stitching)
• Fabric (i.e. costumes, make mummies, scarecrow, tablecloths, capes)
• Flowers (i.e. spray paint black – use as décor in a coffin, on a table, attach your invite to one)
• Plastic Bugs (i.e. party favor, for yuck effect – put on floor, on food table)
• Spider Webs (you need them everywhere – inside and out)
• Yarn (i.e. hang décor from, tie items to keep together)
• Old tub (i.e. put a skeleton half in and half out and splatter red paint)
• Plastic kiddie pools (i.e. throw in rags with treats for the guests to search for, fill with water and add red food coloring “Blood Bath”.)
• Tape (Floral, Duct, regular)
• Picture frames (remove your old pics and put up some creepy ones. Download pictures from the Internet)
• Spray Paint (i.e. Grey, Red, Black, White, Orange, Glow – Props, fence, flowers)
• Paint (i.e. Grey, Red, Black, White, Orange, Glow – for tombstones, coffins)
• Body Parts (i.e. stick one anywhere for a scary effect)
• Masks (i.e. as a party favor, make your own creation, put on a prop)
• Candles for light (i.e. I prefer battery operated or solar. Make a lighted pathway, put in a window)
• Candles for décor (i.e.big pillars to put on candlebras and tall candle sticks for effect)
• Chalk (i.e. outline the dead body, draw on driveway)
• Plastic Table Covers (i.e. hang as background, separate “haunted” rooms)
• Light Bulbs (Black, Red, flicker etc)
• Gelatin/Cake Molds (i.e one that looks like a brain)
• Food coloring (i.e. add to different recipes to make “gross” desserts)
• Craft materials – these should always be on hand (pipe cleaners, construction paper, markers, tissue paper (orange, black, yellow, white, red, gray)
• Goody bags – things to go inside goody bags (puzzles, pencils, mini games, notepads, stamps, tattoos, glow sticks)