6 Ways to Reuse Your Halloween Decorations

October is a festive month, especially as neighborhood houses are often decked out with cool Halloween decorations. In fact, maybe you’re that person who goes overboard and creates a scene from the Halloweentown movie in your front lawn.

Yet, even if your idea of Halloween consists of a simple pumpkin on your doorstep, you know that the frightful holiday will likely put a dent in your budget.

So, how can you get by this Halloween season with your savings intact? One thing you can do to get more bang for your buck is to repurpose your Halloween decorations. Here are 6 creative ways to put your Halloween dollars to use all year long.

1. Repurpose Owls

If you have owl decorations for any occasion, you can easily incorporate them into your general home decor instead of just using the items to spook friends and family members around Halloween.

Owl decor can be placed on an end table or ceramic pieces can even go on a bookshelf and serve as bookends.

2. Refill Old Candy Dishes

If you had glass or plastic dishes around the house that were filled with Halloween candy, simply refill them with something else after all the trick-or-treating is finished.

You can refill your jars and dishes with Christmas candy or candy canes. You can even go for a more neutral theme and fill them with colorful beads or pebbles to match your home’s decor. For another idea: Place some fresh or faux flowers or even potpourri inside the dishes.

I like to buy glossy decorative pebbles from craft stores or even the dollar store. It’s an easy, budget-friendly way to spruce up your home decor.

3. Use Your Pumpkins For Indoor Home Decor

If you purchased a few pumpkins for outdoor Halloween decorations, clean them off and bring them inside to create new home decor for fall. Or, leave them outside until Thanksgiving. Pumpkins don’t just signify Halloween. They are also appropriate decor for the fall season. You can even create an autumn scene by placing a pumpkin on top of colorful fall leaves and pinecones. Volia! Free fall decorations!

For more ideas, you can paint over old Halloween themes on your pumpkin, turn your pumpkin into a vase, or use mini pumpkins as centerpieces for Thanksgiving. You can also add a cornucopia to adorn your pumpkin centerpiece.

And, here’s yet another idea: Carve your pumpkin and roast the seeds for a delicious and nutritious snack!

4. Use Hay Bales for Outdoor Displays

Hay bales are commonly used for Halloween decor to house scarecrows, spooky skeletons, or carved pumpkins. But, you can also use them to display other types of outdoor decor on your porch. For example, you can add greenery, mums, or flower pots to reuse the hay bales for outdoor home decor throughout the fall season.

When you’re done decorating with the hay, recycle it by using it to mulch your garden.

5. Candles and Lights Always Come in Handy

Don’t ditch your decorative candles and lights after Halloween. Odds are, you’ll need them in the future. Small candles, whether real or electronic, can be great decoration pieces for your home during the holiday season or even afterwards.

You may even want to use string lights to decorate your child’s bedroom or to put up during a party you’re hosting. If you have colorful lights or even orange and white tea lights, you can still decorate the interior or exterior of your home for Christmas by adding some additional colors. All you need to do is get a little creative.

6. Upcycle Your Plastic Pumpkins or Trick-or-Treat Buckets

Almost everyone has either had or seen those basic plastic pumpkin buckets. Maybe you or your kids have even used them for trick-or-treating.

Instead of just putting them in storage until next year or throwing them away, you can reuse them as storage buckets in your house or upcycle them for home decor by painting the plastic pumpkin buckets a new color or adding fabric to the exterior. See an example here.

You can also use the buckets to help organize your kids’ rooms. For example, perhaps you can use them to store arts and craft items, books or small toys.

Halloween Decor Can Have a Longer Shelf Life

Halloween decor can be fun to buy, but it almost seems like the season flies by too quickly. When you repurpose your Halloween decorations to use in your home throughout the year, you’ll stretch your dollar and get more bang for your buck. Plus, you’ll feel less wasteful if you’re using items more than once a year.

Have you started putting up your Halloween decorations yet? How much did you spend and can you make that spending last throughout the year? Think about it: You can save a ton of money by getting creative and reusing your Halloween decor!