In fact, nearly two-thirds of adults have dressed up every year for the past two to three years, and more than half of adults plan on decorating their homes this year, according to a recent survey released by Savers, Inc., a global thrift retailer with Savers and Value Village stores across the country.

“Halloween is a welcome escape for so many people,” says Mary Ginnaty, senior buyer at Savers, Inc. “It’s a holiday where you can take a break from everyday worries, alter your ego and just have fun celebrating with friends and family. Folks love that.”

But with the turbulent economy remaining top of mind, some Halloween shoppers may be worried about how to create new costumes and decorations without spending a fortune in the process. There’s no need to fear, though – just consider these tips for a festive All Hallows’ Eve that won’t leave your credit card haunting you:

* Set a budget – The first step of any shopping venture should be to set a budget that the whole family agrees on, and stick to it. Halloween is no different, so make sure you decide in advance how much you want to spend on costumes, decorations, candy and any other miscellaneous merriment.

* Mix new and used – One of the best ways to save money and create a completely original costume is to combine new and previously owned pieces. For instance, pairing a fancy little girl’s dress and vintage jewelry with new accessories like a wig, tiara and wand makes for a completely customizable and unique princess look. You could also purchase a prepackaged costume, such as a vampire, and then punch it up with secondhand items like tuxedo pants, shiny dress shoes and white gloves to make the look even more authentic.

* Take the road less traveled – When shopping for a Halloween costume, visit a thrift store and be sure to browse every department – especially areas you don’t typically shop. For instance, if you’re looking to create a men’s pirate costume, check the women’s section for billowy and ruffled tops and loose-fitting pants. Many men may not realize the women’s section offers completely different styles and textured materials, which could be perfect for a variety of costume ideas. Women, too, should check out the men’s and boy’s sections for things like vests and authentic uniforms.

* Consult the experts – If you’re having trouble pulling together the exact look you’re going for, search online and in magazines for inspiration. Some stores, like Savers and Value Village even offer trained costume consultants who are completely dedicated to helping people put together the perfect costume on any budget. They can help shoppers find a new ready-made costume, offer advice in mixing themed accessories with clothing items found in their closets, or find unique secondhand finds for those looking to create a completely handmade look.

* Do-it-yourself decor – When shopping for decorations, don’t feel like you need to pay top dollar for standard store-bought goods. Crafting spooky Halloween decor for just a few bucks can be as simple as applying a layer of black spray paint to secondhand silk flowers or quirky ceramic knick-knacks, like owls, crows and cats, and sprinkling them around your “haunted house” for a creepy surprise.

* Pass a good value on – After Halloween has come and gone, don’t forget to donate your costume at a Community Donation Center. You’ll help benefit a nonprofit in your community, and give someone else a great Halloween look next year.

For more Halloween costume ideas and downloadable DIY project instructions, visit www.savers.com.

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To get your creative juices flowing, try one or all of the tips below from Bing’s lifestyle expert, Karin Muskopf, when you are hunting for your costume.

* Don’t forget the “we” in Halloween: Whether you’re looking for a couple’s costume, dressing up as the cast of “True Blood” with your friends, or doing your own thing, it can be helpful to get feedback on your ideas. One easy way to do this is to use Bing Shopping, as it allows you to share shopping lists with friends via email and Facebook to get their advice, all within a couple of clicks. Not only will your friends help you pick the right outfit, but you’ll feel confident you’re one of the best dressed for this ghoulish day.

* Think outside the coffin: Nobody wants to show up as the fourth witch at a party, so get into the spooky spirit of things and explore options that are outside the norm. To start, look around your house for creative inspirations and accessories. You never know if your next idea comes from something you see in your fridge or junk drawer. Also, consider creating a mash-up Halloween costume that combines two ordinary ideas into one extraordinary masterpiece. Think “Werezombie,” or perhaps “Ronald McDonald Trump” – a painted clown face with a dark suit and an impressive comb-over. The beauty of dressing up is that the possibilities are endless and there’s no such thing as being too creative.

* Don’t be “tricked” into spending tons of money. Instead, “treat” yourself to the best deals in town. To find unique costumes and accessories, check out local discount stores, The Salvation Army and thrift stores. Also, try to find new materials by going to garage sales in your neighborhood. Not only will you protect the cash in your cauldron, you’ll be more likely to find materials and accessories that others won’t have. Halloween is the perfect time to prove how someone else’s trash can become your terrifyingly terrific treasure.

* Think it through: While customization is important, it’s never fun to go to a party with an uncomfortable costume that you have to change out of after an hour. Sky-high stilettos might look great with your Marilyn Monroe get-up, but will leave you with aching arches that’ll scare you more than that haunted party you’re attending. Make sure you think about how your entire costume – including shoes and makeup – will fit and feel at the events you plan to attend. If you know you’re going to be in a cold location, going as Tarzan in a loin cloth is probably not the best idea.

* Start planning now: If you plan on purchasing a ready-made costume to suite your personal style, start checking out stores early to make sure you are picking from a wide range of styles and sizes. To add personality to your ready-made costume, consider adding fabric glitter, fake blood or tulle. It’s a quick and easy way to make your costume go from frightful to fang-tastic. Look at websites such as BingHalloween.com to get ideas and find your signature look.

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Once you’ve chosen a suitable costume, the first part of the process in making masks for Halloween is to download a template from one of the many websites which offer them. This might be a very basic mask that simply covers the eyes and bridge of the nose, or it can be one which covers the entire facial area. Free masks can be found in the following categories:

• Politicians
• Movie stars
• Animals
• Scary monsters
• Cartoon characters
• Starwars characters

Once the decision has been made about which mask to make, the picture should be downloaded and printed on very heavy cardstock. Be sure that the printer being used is set to handle the chosen thickness. At this point, younger children may have fun just coloring their simple masks with crayons or felt tipped markers. Glitter, feathers, sequins, and other decorative items may be glued on if desired. The more complicated masks will print out in solid ink colors and will be ready for further treatment once printed.

To prepare the mask to be worn, the following materials will be needed:

• Scissors
• Heavy cardboard
• Craft knife
• Hole punch
• Clear tape
• Strong rubber or elastic string

Using the scissors, cut around the facial features of the printed copy, eliminating any none-printed portions. Then, hold the mask to the face to determine the positioning of the eye holes and mark them. Some masks templates are printed from the Microsoft Word program and allow adjustments on the positioning of eyeholes before the mask is printed.

Because cutting the eyeholes requires such precision, the mask should be placed on a piece of cardboard, and a craft knife used to create these openings. Parents should always do this job for young children. Next, place a square of clear tape on each side of the mask, about a half inch from the edge. Punch a hole through the tape with the hole punch to form a place to attach the rubber or elastic.

Insert about two feet of rubber or elastic string through the holes on each side of the mask, loop it around and tie it behind. Test the mask for size and adjust as necessary by cutting and retying until it fits properly and feels comfortable.

Many people find making Halloween masks to be such an enjoyable activity that they make it a traditional family craft event each year. It can certainly bring out the smiles and giggles faster than most other craft projects and allows every member of the family time to show their creative side.

You can find more ideas for a Halloween party, from cupcake recipes to party games, at HalloweenPartyIdeas.org.

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Top 10 Halloween Stuff on the Web for 2009

Haunted Gingerbread House at Savvy Halloween

1. Make your own Halloween gingerbread house! Savvy Halloween shows you how to make a Halloween Haunted Gingerbread House, gives a recipe for the gingerbread and icing, and even provides a pattern for users to print off and use.

2. Halloween recipes galore!  Disney’s Family Fun has enough recipes to keep you and your family busy for all of autumn!  Most are easy, fun, and best of all, they come with pictures so you can get a good visual of the treats.

3. Who doesn’t love checking out pets in costumes?  Well the Baltimore Sun has a ton of user-submitted dressed up pets all for the looking.

4. Sometimes commercials can be just as entertaining if not more than the shows themselves, and Smashing Apps has highlighted 19 great Halloween ads for your viewing pleasure in their post, 19 Creative Halloween Advertisements.

5. Play one of our favorite Halloween games, Halloween Pumpkins, right here!

6. Pumpkin carving at Martha Stewart – MarthaStewart.com offers pumpkin templates, pumpkin projects for kids, pumpkin creatures, and more of Martha’s tips and tricks for creating gorgeous jack o’ lanterns of your own.

And the last four are our favorite Halloween videos with instructions on making some fun & spooky Halloween crafts and treats!

7. Halloween Cat Origami for kids and adults:

8. Halloween Marshmallow Ghosts and Ghouls Recipe:

9. Spirited Halloween Cupcakes from Food Network:

10. And finally, catch up on your Halloween history with this video from National Geographic:

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photo credit: tifotter

Not only do they have a duck for a pet – but they manage to dress it up a bit!

photo credit: faeryboots

I think that caption could probably go with any cat in a costume

photo credit: Beau B

photo credit: MileageNYC

…and last but not least, some cute dog costumes.

Stay tuned for more pet costume and fun Halloween pictures!

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