MoneySaving Halloween tricks-or-treats for you to make at home

Becky Mott

29 October 2019

With Halloween creeping up on us, it's easy to forget to prepare for the holiday of scare – which is why I've got you covered (in bloooood). Here are some spooktacular quick and easy MoneySaving ideas you can make with ingredients from your kitchen cupboard... and as they say, if you've got it, haunt it! 👻

Fake blood – a last-minute Halloween trick (or treat)

Making fake blood won't cost you an arm and a leg with this recipe. There are many ways you can do it, but I find this to be my favourite as the colour and texture's very believable, if you want to creep it real.

Video player requires JavaScript enabled. You can watch this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HOnwpj6dRQ

If you've allergies, please check the ingredients beforehand. I have sensitive skin and found no issues, but I’m a MoneySaver and not a dermatologist.

What you'll need and how to make the fake blood
Syrup (two tablespoons) to create a thick, sticky base for the mixture.

Red food colouring (one tablespoon) for obvious reasons.

Cocoa powder (½ a teaspoon) to darken the colour, and any budget brand will do – as it happened, I had Green & Black's at home, but this definitely wouldn't be cheapest.

That's all you need! Just mix them together and you should have something resembling sticky, dark red blood. And by all means play around with consistency to create different looks. For 'fresher' blood, add more food colouring and less cocoa powder.

Seeing red? That's a good sign! Have a look at this second video to see how various household items can create ghoulish effects with your homemade fake blood.

Video player requires JavaScript enabled. You can watch this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPLsTjv1yx8

Make your own slime

Slime flies when you're having fun. This video shows you how to make spooky slime with just a few household ingredients.

Video player requires JavaScript enabled. You can watch this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2p2qdie8cc

What you'll need
PVA glue

Contact lens solution (must contain boric acid)

Baking powder

Green food dye
How to make the slime

Put a dollop of PVA glue into a bowl. Add a spoonful of baking powder, followed by a drop of food colouring, and then give it a stir.

Add a splash of the solution and then stir some more. You should then have your slime!

Boo-nanas & Scareberries

Get in the spirit of Halloween with some frightening fruit. Here's how you can make Boo-nanas and Scareberries.

What you'll need
Two bananas

A handful of strawberries

150g white chocolate

Small chocolate chips

Chocolate sauce

Five wooden skewers
How to make them

Cut the bananas in half and pick out a handful of strawberries. Skewer the four halved bananas at the base where they were cut.

Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave (be careful not to burn yourself when taking it out) and dip the bananas and strawberries into the chocolate. Let them cool off for a bit and place two small chocolate buttons on each banana and strawberry for the eyes.

You can then use the spare skewer to dip into the chocolate sauce and draw the mouths of the bananas. We decided to use half of a chocolate button to make the mouths of our strawberries as ours were a bit tiny, but feel free to let your imagination run wild!

Once they're ready, place them into the fridge for about 20 minutes and hocus pocus – here's your spooky fruity salad.

'Free' £2 pumpkin

This one's not a quick trick for at home, but if you're after a pumpkin, new and existing Topcashback* members can claim up to £2 cashback when buying a pumpkin of any size from any store until 11.59pm on Thu 31 Oct, or until 25,000 people have claimed it.

You'll need to create a Topcashback* account, or sign in if you've already got one. Take a photo of your receipt showing your pumpkin purchase and upload it via the link above.

Cashback is never guaranteed – so see this as a bonus if you’re buying one anyway and don’t buy it just to get the cashback. See MSE’s Top Cashback Sites for more info on how it all works.

Got any other eery ideas? Let me know in the comments below, and feel free to send us your photos on Twitter @MSE_Deals. Happy Halloween! 🎃

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MoneySaving Halloween tricks-or-treats for you to make at home

Fake blood – a last-minute Halloween trick (or treat)