Halloween is just a few hours away, and if you still have the time put that creative cap and you do not want to go over-the-top with your budget, we recommend a Halloween celebration, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) style. You’ll save money and you can get your children to help out!

1) DIY Costumes: You do not want to spend a fortune on Halloween costumes for your kids (and yourself), then we recommend you use the items at home as add-ons to your kids clothing.

For example, if your son wants to be a space invader, marthastewart.com recommends an egg-carton inspired space suit. Use foam cups as his helmet and a cookie press as his weapon.

If your daughter aspires to be the Duchess of Cambridge, a royal looked can be created using a white princess dress, a ribbon sash and medals created from ribbons. Add a cape to finish the royal treatment.

2) DIY Make-Up: Remember when you told your daughter not to play with your make-up? Whilst it’ll cost a bomb to hire a make-up artist to complete your son and daughter’s look for Halloween, let them play with your make-up kit.

3) DIY Halloween Cupcakes: To add to the array of candies that you will be serving, an assortment of Halloween-themed cupcakes can be the perfect trick as well. This is a great project that you can do with your children in the kitchen.

Better Homes and Gardens website, bhg.com, has complete tricks and techniques that you could use to create a variety of monster cupcakes. Let your children have fun designing the fondant bows, arms, eyes, ears, nose and other pieces needed to decorate the cupcakes.

4) DIY Spooky Cocktails and Mocktails: While the kids are our trick-or-treating, adults want to have fun too, right? Depending on your theme, mix your favourite ‘poison’ in your favourite cocktail. For non-alcoholic beverages, a fruit punch would be the ideal drink as well. Get creative with your presentation. Use fruit peels, red sugar or salt as decor for your martini glasses.

5) DIY Pumpkin Carving and Decorating Ideas: Halloween without pumpkins is like a cake without its icing. Pumpkins are the essential decor and go wild when carving your own pumpkins. Create a funny-face, pirate skull, googly-eyed or stem-nosed pumpkins. Make it different and make it fun for your victims. Oops, we mean, your guests!

Have fun folks!