Ah, October. The weather has taken a decided turn for the worse: it is raining more than usual and you and your other half are probably already engaged in thermostat wars, pitting your wits against each other as one of you seeks to keep warm and the other seeks to delay turning the heating on for as long as possible to keep the energy bills down. It is also the month of Halloween - you've probably noticed already, since the shops have been dedicating ever larger sections of their shelves to anything black and orange since the ‘Back to School’ displays came down.

In recent years, perhaps inspired by American films and television, Halloween has grown to be celebrated in an increasingly elaborate style here in the UK, and it is no longer simply a case of wearing a bin liner and backcombing your hair before trolling the neighbours for treats. The costume element has become much more inventive and interesting and – happily – the neighbours seem to be getting on board more, too, and are supplying treats that are really worth making an effort for.

Similarly, whilst decorating your home once extended to tying a plastic bat to your front door, there are now a great range of decorations and special effects you can buy or make to create a seriously creepy atmosphere to impress visiting trick-or-treaters or party guests.

Whilst there are loads of costumes and decorations available to buy in the shops, making your own is much more fun. Some ideas for making your own Halloween costumes or decorations involve materials and equipment that you don’t usually have around the house, but we’ve found some awesome costume ideas that involve items that you should have easy access to - cardboard and bubble wrap, which we have a particular fondness for in our industry! Here are our favourites for you to try:  
 

Bubble Wrap Blisters! Gross!

 

Too Cute!

 

Zombie Apocalypse

 

Cardboard Zombie Hands

 

Cardboard Silhouette in the Shower

 

Go as your favourite Social Media Icon!

 

Giddy Up! Cardboard Horse

 

Cardboard Tombstones

 

Upcycle Pallets into a Coffin!

 

Monster Cardboard Silhouettes

 

Toilet Roll Bat Buddies

 

Too pretty for Halloween?

 

Moon Inspired Mini Coffins

 

Seasonal Bubble Wrap Prints

 

Make your Own Tardis

 

Toilet Paper and Bubble Wrap Pumpkins

 

Bee with Bubble Wrap Wings

 

Bubble Wrap Jellyfish