Life

It's the time of year when you want things to go bump in the night and when a headless body in the front yard is desirable.

Inflatable pumpkins and frightening monsters are popping up around the Miami Valley. Candy-crazed kids are gearing up for Beggar's Night and their parents are planning spooky parties.

But all that boo and goo doesn't come cheap. Halloween is second only to Christmas in holiday decoration sales. Consumers spent $3.3 billion on Halloween trimmings in 2005, up from 5.4 percent in 2004, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation, a trade organization.

With the economy in a state of flux, Halloween's real fright might come when consumers pay the bill.

With that in mind, a crew of Dayton Daily News crafters fired up our glue guns, mixed spooky cocktails and tested fun and inexpensive Halloween crafts and treats using items you may already have around the house. Come on, who doesn't have a hidden stash of wig heads?

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2384 or arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Candy Topiary from Life Section Editor Connie Post

What you need: Styrofoam, glue gun with plenty of glue sticks, candy corn or candy pumpkins, artificial leaves, ribbon.

How you make it: Start by gluing candy around the base of the cone and work your way up. When you have completed gluing all the candy in place, glue leaves to the base. Then "wrap" your topiary with three pieces of ribbon, draped across the top of the cone and glued in place. Form a simple bow, if desired, and glue to the top of the cone. For a finished look, glue three candy pumpkins on top of the bow.

Cost: Approximately $15

Our take: This project is fairly straightforward and easy. Just be careful with the glue gun. The glue gets quite hot. For that reason, older children should be supervised; small children can participate as helpers who hand over pieces of candy.

Variation: For a scarier look, use plastic skulls. When you have completed gluing all the skulls in place, fill in the gaps with black feathers. Then glue some black feathers to the base of the cone.

Mummy head on a platter from

Managing Editor Jana Collier

What you need: Styrofoam wig head (look at thrift stores and garage sales); two packages of cheesecloth (sold in the houseware department of your grocery store); old tarnished tray (check the thrift stores); all-purpose glue; foam paint brushes; fake blood; black, brown and purple paint; glue gun; plastic mice, scissors.

How you make it: 1) Cut the cheesecloth into strips. Soak the strips in coffee for a few hours to dye them a nice dingy color. Dry strips in the sun (they'll get all balled up in the dryer). 2) Paint the head with some strategic wounds. You can use paint and fake blood. It's best to let this dry, if you have time. 3) Using the foam brushes, paint the head with all-purpose glue. Wrap strips of dyed cheesecloth around head so that it looks like a mummy. 4) Apply fake blood in various places. 5) Hot glue head onto tray. 6) For a really gory effect, cut a plastic mouse in half and glue one half coming out of the eye.

Cost: This mummy cost me about $10. I got the tray and wig head at garage sales for $1 each. I got the fake blood for $1. The cheesecloth was $2.99 per package. The mouse was $1 for a package of 6. And the paints, glue and other supplies I already had.

Our take: This seems complicated, but it's really very simple. It lends itself to all kinds of gory, gross possibilities.

Fashionable Halloween masks from Business Editor

Mary Irby-Jones

What you need: 9-by-12-inch felt squares in a variety of colors; beads, sequins, acrylic jewels, glitter, etc.; glue gun or Tacky glue; scissors; straight pins; white copy paper; pieces of yarn or ribbon cut into 1-foot pieces; tape measure; rotary cutter optional.

How you make it: 1) Make a pattern for the mask by drawing a bat mask or whatever design you choose. For ease, find a pattern on the Internet and trace. 2) After you make a pattern, pin pattern to doubled felt square. Fold felt the long way so that you can fit the entire pattern on material. 3) Cut out mask. 4) Glue two pieces of yarn together with glue placed at the same spot on each side.

5) Decorate using sequins, beads or whatever you desire.

Cost: Varies. Can be done with materials that you already have at home. Felt squares were 20 cents each, package of beads was $2.96, glitter package was $2.96 and yarn was 50 cents.

Our take: This project is simple, fun for the entire family and can be done very cheaply. It allows for lots of creativity.

Deviled Devil Eyes by Features Reporter Amelia Robinson

What you need: Red food coloring, black and green olive slices and ingredients for your favorite deviled egg recipe — a dozen hard-boiled eggs, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, minced onion, salt and pepper, paprika, relish — plus something to kick up the heat like Tabasco, diced Jalapeno peppers and horseradish.

How you make it: Cut the boiled eggs width-wise instead of lengthwise. Mix up the deviled eggs as usual, including the peppers, horseradish or Tabasco to taste and enough food coloring to get the mixture a rich red color. Place an olive slice in the center of each egg, adding a piece of black olive in the center of each olive.

Cost: $15 to $20 if you do not have all of the ingredients on hand.

Our take: Gross looking, but isn't that the point? These eggs are sure to be a crowd favorite.

Jack-o'-lantern Oranges from Niche Publications Editor Michelle Fong

What you need: Oranges (as many as desired and the brighter and bigger, the better), paring knife

How you make it: Imagine your orange is a pumpkin, grab a paring knife and carve away. Depending on your carving-skill level, you can create a traditional jack-o'-lantern face out of triangles, zig-zags and semicircles.

For the more creative and talented, we dare you to try to carve a witch, a black cat or any other intricate design you'd try on your jack-o'-lantern.

Piece of advice: Carve carefully so the white pith beneath the orange rind remains in tact, creating contrast and preventing a juicy, sticky mess.

Cost: Less than $5

Our take: If you're looking for a healthy alternative for your kid-friendly Halloween party or just a way to give your fruit bowl a Halloween-inspired makeover, this is it. It's simple, healthy and inexpensive.

Fondant ghosts by Michelle Fong

What you need: Fondant (store bought or homemade), fondant rolling pin, circle-shaped cookie or biscuit cutter (or an upside down glass and a paring knife), large marshmallows, black decorating gel.

How you make it: Take a small chunk of fondant and roll into a ball with your hands to create a head for the ghost and place on top of the marshmallow. Roll out a 1- to 2-inch chunk of fondant on a cutting board on a very lightly greased surface. Cut out a circle of the thinly rolled fondant.

The radius of the circle should be slightly longer than the height of the ghost body (created by stacking the fondant ball on top of the marshmallow).

Drape the circle of rolled fondant over the ghost body and create folds and creases to resemble a ghost. Using black decorating gel, make two dots for the eyes and a slightly larger circle for the mouth.

Cost: $10

Our take: Impress the preschool or elementary school moms if you're on Halloween treat duty by topping cupcakes with these adorable (and edible) ghosts that are pretty easy to make (just expect the first one to be your "test ghost" and go ahead and eat it yourself). The ghosts are also adorable without the cupcakes — you could line them on a platter for you and your little ones to enjoy. They're sugary sweet.

Lollipop ghostsby B2B Editor Arundi Venkayya Cox

What you need: Tootsie Roll pops (others don't work as well), coffee filters, black Sharpie, assorted Halloween stamps, stamp pad and ribbon.

How you make it: Draw a face in the center of the coffee filter and stamp around the edges with Halloween stamps. Put filter around Tootsie Roll pop and tie with ribbon. A quick spooky ghost for your little ghouls and goblins!

Cost: Less than 50 cents per ghost.

Our take: These are quick and easy ghosts that are great to make with little kids. And, they can be made in bulk. Go to a warehouse store and buy a big box of Tootsie Roll pops and start stamping. We've made them for parties and have hung them from yarn for "Ghost Grabs."