#KmartHalloween Frugal & Fab Halloween Décor {Entertaining}

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know I am planning a Halloween party. A Harry Potter themed cocktail party, to be exact. Last year when we moved into the house, it was mid-October, and we didn’t have the time, energy or resources to put a party together.

This year is a totally different story. Therefore, I am in full party planning mode trying to gather ideas and inspiration to pull off a frugal and fabulous event. I’ve even started crafting some simple décor in honor of October 31st!

But, as crafty as I am, I don’t want to make every. single. piece of décor! I don’t have the time. We all know Halloween décor can get a bit pricey, so naturally I turn to discount retailers to be able to afford it all. This year, I am super impressed at all the items that Kmart has available on their website for those of us who enjoy the convenience of shopping at home/saving money.

And for those who don’t like shopping online because of shipping costs, guess what? Kmart offers web only specials like free shipping on costumes over $39.99, 20% off costumes THIS WEEK only, plus 15% off online-only deals. Kmart offers lots of ways to save money and then you can afford to get more stuff. I like this sort of arrangement, don’t you?

They make finding costumes easy (look at the pet section! I could NOT get Pee Wee off that section…boys.)
While I love costumes and dressing up, I love entertaining and hosting parties MORE. This is the first Halloween at the new house where I am really trying to plan a soiree with decor that will impress my guests, be kind to the checkbook and can be reused for years to come.

When planning a party, I like to think of it as if I were a guest. So, let’s get this party started!

Since my party is at my home, guests will obviously be driving to get here. This means I have to set the mood/tone of the event from the moment they can see my house from the road.

• Item List {from top left to bottom right}: Marcus the Carcus, Zombie Hands Lawn Stakes, Illuminated Tombstone, Haunted Doorbell, Candy Corn Light Set, orange tree stakes, Skull Light Show and musical eyes light set.

I compiled an inspiration board of items from Kmart that will help me set the party scene as soon as they drive up. I plan to have some zombies in my yard that will catch their eye as they park. Some random tombstones and zombie hands reaching out to them along a sidewalk path illuminated by candy corn lights. As they step up, 3 skulls will have a light show illuminating the porch, and then they can finally ring my spook-tacular doorbell to let me know they’re here and ready to party. Again, even though I am aiming for a Harry Potter theme, these items can fit in naturally while still having reusability value since they’re general Halloween items from Kmart. I would choose big items like the zombie carcus because they create a big impact for little money. In other words, I’d spend some money on a few, key focal points outdoors and then accessorize with lights, spider webs and scary sound effects that are generally less expensive (<$10).  And speaking of low cost items, you can narrow down items by price on their website, which is a big plus.

Won’t you come inside the party with me now? I promise there’s even more décor to swoon over.

• Item List {from top left to bottom right}: Realistic Crow, Witches Broom, Hanging Reaper, Spooky Tree, Magic Mirror, 3D Girl Portrait, Rising Zombie, Monster Spider and Skull Mister.

Here’s my inspiration board for indoor party décor. Indoors is where guests will spend the most time, so between indoor décor and food, the rest of my budget will be used up. However, I do still apply the same principles as I did with the outdoor décor. A few big décor pieces and lots of supporting accessories. The broom reminds me of the Nimbus 2000 in Harry Potter (plus can easily be used as general fall décor with some leaves, pumpkins, etc), and the grim reaper looks TOTALLY like the dementors. The magic mirror and 3D dead girl portrait will be in the hallway so that as people walk to the bathroom, they can get spooked by the “guests” on the wall. The giant spider is a tribute to poor Ron Weasley who is absolutely terrified of them. The rising zombie…I may put him in the bathroom so when a guest opens the door, he rises up from the counter to give them a good scare. As you see, no matter the theme, with some creative thinking you can turn regular Halloween items into extraordinary décor that will wow your guests. Make sure to try and put décor in all areas where guests may be present such as hallways, kitchen, foyer, ceilings, etc. to create continuity. The better the ambiance, the better the party experience. Remember- you want to ENTERTAIN.

As a side note, the magic mirror looks eerily like Lord Voldemort, doesn’t it? Creepy!

After spending a lot of time obsessing over all the Halloween décor at Kmart’s website, I added the items I HAD to have in my cart.

And I was THRILLED to see they accept PayPal. You’d be surprised at how many retailers don’t, and since I have a stash of money in my PayPal from selling stuff online, I don’t even have to tell my husband about my Kmart Halloween party purchase. (You won’t tell, will you?)  Shipping was reasonable considering I was ordering some large items and didn’t have to drive 1+ hours to my nearest Kmart. Though if you do live near one, they do offer in-store pick-up on eligible, in-stock items as well Halloween layaway. I’m patiently waiting for all my goodies to get here. Squee, I can’t wait!

And if you’re still wanting even more ideas for how to use the affordable Kmart Halloween offerings, check out their Attack of the 50 FT Party website. You’ll find links to other people’s Halloween posts, plus you can share your story for a chance to win a $50 Kmart giftcard. Also, check out their monster deals page to get the low down on what’s on sale- for instance, candy. I’ll take Reese’s peanut butter cups, please.

This may seem silly, but I love that Kmart changed their logo to be a bit more in the Halloween spirit. I’m so detail oriented that these types of things totally make my day. Because it’s cute.

For a more in-depth look at the items I chose for my Halloween party, check out my Intersect story. It even has ideas for Pee Wee’s Halloween costume, table scape ideas and an idea for how to keep guests entertained at a cocktail party. It may or may not include a game of Quidditch…

Pee Wee’s costume in 2009. And 2010. He needs a new one from Kmart. Definitely.

I’ll be back with ideas for food/drink for a Halloween party, but I truly hope this post got you inspired to check out Halloween décor from Kmart and start planning now. With 20% off costumes this week, free shipping on costumes over $39.99, layaway and in-store deals, you can get a lot for your money. Are there any items from the website you think are cool or would consider buying for your Halloween bash? Do you find their Halloween section to be as user friendly as I did? Share your thoughts with me in the comments section.

All product images and Kmart logo are from Kmart.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. My obsession with Halloween, Harry Potter and my dog Pee Wee are all mine as well as my opinions on Kmart.