Combine These Affordable Dollar Tree Items To DIY High-End Halloween Decor

You've steeped your home in Halloween spirit this year, but something seems to be missing. There's a hefty dose of cute among your trappings, but your rooms could use a touch of macabre to cut the treacle. Dollar Tree is a reliable source for adorable and affordable Halloween decor, but creepier finds also await you on their metal shelves. Pick the right combination of items, and you can set a perfectly haunting mood with an impressive (and budget-friendly) display. Get started by creating a bewitching vignette for any tabletop or shelf with a Halloween Ceramic Cauldron, a Black Iron Candle Holder topped with an LED taper candle, and a hardcover from Dollar Tree's book section that will transform into a book of spells.

If all the hardcover books at Dollar Tree look too vanilla to be part of chilling Halloween decor, this could be a great way to repurpose old books you probably aren't reading anymore. A rough-around-the-edges hardcover will save you the trouble of giving a new book a weathered appearance. Assembled as-is, the look is glossy and polished, belying its Dollar Tree origins. But with a bit of tweaking and hot glue, you can level up your budget items for a delightful mixture of eeriness and high-end style. While you're browsing Dollar Tree's aisles, stop by the floral section for a package of Floral Garden Floral Moss. Grab some black paint, glue sticks, and baking soda as well if you don't already have any at home. Together, these components will conjure up a frightening scene worthy of going on the fireplace mantle or even decorating your front porch for fall.

Your collection of spellbinding items might be ready to display as soon as you're home, but there are a few adjustments you can make to crank up the scary factor. Plug in your glue gun, and give your cauldron, lid, and candlestick a quick bath in soapy water to help the paint and glue stick. Protect your work surface with newspaper, and grab a paper plate for mixing paint and baking soda. Once the gun is screaming hot, freehand some squiggles of glue resembling cracks over the candlestick, the cauldron, and its lid. Pour a dab of paint onto the plate, and sprinkle it with a small amount of baking soda; there's no exact science to the mixture, since the soda will just help the paint gain some texture and dry matte rather than glossy. Stir the mixture to combine, and paint it over the candlestick, cauldron, and lid. While the paint is still wet, dust a bit more baking soda over the surfaces for a weathered look. When dry, you can also dab on other colors to add to the effect, like using burnt orange to look like rusty spots. 

If you need to transform your Dollar Tree book into a spooky spellbook, decoupage a layer of tissue paper to the cover, purposefully leaving creases, before painting it black for an aged texture. For a finishing touch on the display, pull out a few pinches of moss to glue onto the candlestick and the cauldron's lid and rim; the moss should make the pieces look like you found them abandoned in the woods. Top the candlestick with the LED taper candle, and arrange the trio where it's sure to give a fright.