Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year, especially as a student. If you’re a fresher, it’s one of the first big events you will experience while at university, and if you’re further into your degree, you’ll know why it’s such a big deal. The costumes, the parties, the horror-themed club events – we’re getting excited just thinking about it! However, if your student loan didn’t stretch much past fresher’s week, then you might just be wondering how you’re going to pay for all the festivities. Don’t worry – here at Student Housing Lancaster, we understand that you may be on a tighter budget than most, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out on the fun.

This is why, in today’s blog, we’re providing our knowledge (based on experience) on how to do Halloween properly on a student budget. We’ll be breaking down every aspect of the spooky season, from the best and cheapest costumes to drinks good enough for Michael Myers himself.

Halloween Costumes on A Student Budget

It’s the main event and the part of Halloween that most of us spend the longest planning – the costume. Whether you choose sexy and subtly spooky or full-blown terrifying, getting the perfect outfit together is vital for any Halloween party. The first step for those on a budget is to raid your wardrobe. Even if you’re confident that you have nothing to wear, make sure you’ve sifted through every rack, rail, and drawer and brainstormed how to style your clothes into something suitable for a costume. Why not bring your housemates into it and get your clothes together as a group – what someone might toss aside might be someone else’s inspiration for their best costume yet.

Having a student-sized budget means you may need to get a little creative. Hand-making aspects of your outfit, such as signs, headpieces, and masks, is a great idea and a fun activity for you and your housemates to do together.

Easy and Cheap DIY Halloween Party Decorations

Decorations can make or break a Halloween party, which is why if you’re hosting your own at your student accommodation in Lancaster, you must spend time planning how you want your rooms to look. Here are our top easy and cheap DIY Halloween decorations guaranteed to spook your guests:

• The man in the shadows. Take a broom or mop and attach a coat hanger about five inches down from the top of the handle. Hang a coat over the hanger and zip it up. Either place a hat over the top of the broom or, if you have one, stick a mask to the broom handle, creating the illusion of a person standing up. Place your broom man in the corner of the room or lurking around a corner to make everyone double-take as they walk in the room.
• Bat cave. Get a roll of large black bin bags, pull one out and cut down one side. Open it out and cut the bottom, so you just have one sheet of bin bag material. Repeat until you have enough to cover your ceiling and the walls in your room. This is a super easy DIY that immediately transforms any space from student accommodation to creepy cave.
• Somebody’s watching me. Pick up a packet of googly eyes and go around your house or flat sticking them on plants, kettles, toothpaste, and just about everything else. You could add them to cups for your guests or on the walls of your bat cave.

Halloween-themed Drinks

Rather than spending far too much on crazy cocktail ingredients, we have a couple of tips to spook up any drinks you have lying around the house.

• Black food colouring. This is a really simple way to add a Halloween twist to your favourite drinks. Adding a couple of drops to a vodka and mixer, or even beer is guaranteed to leave your guests asking questions.
• Grenadine layer. This is a little more complicated and requires some practice, but that shouldn’t be an issue in the lead up to Halloween. Get some grenadine syrup from your local supermarket and add around 25ml (one-shot) to the bottom of your glass. Hold a spoon, so just the tip is touching the grenadine, and gently pour your alcohol of choice over the back of the spoon. Your spirit should sit on top of the grenadine, which will remain at the bottom of your glass. Its deep red colour could be compared to blood, so this isn’t one for the faint-hearted.

Simple Halloween Party Food

Depending on the itinerary of your night, you may want to consider putting out some Halloween party food. Here are a few of our favourite student-friendly Halloween snacks that are certain to get gobbled up at your party.

• Jelly hands. It’s as simple as it sounds. Rather than pouring jelly into a mould to set, pour it into a latex glove (you can pick these up at pound shops or supermarkets). Either leave in the glove for decoration or carefully cut it out and place it on a plate. Get creative and add strawberry laces or other sweets to the jelly before setting.
• Marshmallow ghosts. Grab a pack of marshmallows and a black icing pen. Draw eyes and mouths on the marshmallows using the icing to create a family of ghosts. Switch up the faces; some may be scary, some may be cute, it’s up to you!
• Spooky snack table. If you have a dining table, then why not make a spooky grazing platter? Put down all your favourite party foods, and snacks and mix in some Halloween treats. Monster Munch, gummy vampire teeth, and anything else you can find. There are plenty of Halloween-themed sweets and treats available, so go shopping with your flatmates and see what you can find.

Happy Halloween from Student Housing Lancaster!

We wish all our students and landlords a very happy Halloween. We hope you have fun, stay safe, and enjoy yourself whether you choose to host a party or you’re heading out to someone else’s. As always, if you’re looking for postgraduate student accommodation or undergraduate student accommodation in Lancaster, please get in touch. We are more than happy to answer your queries and get you set up with the best student housing in the city.