DIY Halloween Party on a Budget: Bloody Caramel Treats + Easy Crafts Under $75
Throwing a DIY Halloween party on a budget can still look incredible! This year, I hosted a full-on spooky celebration for under $75 by focusing on one game-changing ingredient — bloody caramel — and a handful of quick DIY crafts for decor. Together, they created a spooky and fun atmosphere that wowed guests without draining my purse.
Just so you know, this post includes affiliate links — if you buy something through them, I get a tiny commission (but you pay the same price!)
Up Your Halloween Party with these CHEAP Finds
Before we begin, here are a few useful items that are cheap that will really transform your Halloween Party.
Fake Blood Spray ( This can be used for crafts, décor, and costumes!)
Spider Webbing ( I spread this stuff over everything!)
Small Fake Spiders ( I got small spider so I could hide them for my guests to find…. AKA the popcorn bowl!) I got so many jumps out of them.
The Secret Ingredient: Bloody Caramel
The star of my dessert table was bloody caramel. A very simple rich, red drizzle that turned everyday sweets into creepy edibles. A few drops of red gel coloring transformed ordinary caramel into something straight out of a horror movie. The best part? It only cost a few dollars and took less than 5 minutes to make. This one simple element tied every dessert together, giving my whole table that “wow” factor. I got a can of caramel whipped it up with a fork to get it runny and added red food coloring until I achieved the deep red blood color I wanted. And it was really that simple.
5 Bloody Caramel Treats That Stole the Show
The food ended up being everyone’s favorite part of the night, and honestly, it couldn’t have been easier. With just a few store-bought basics and my bloody caramel, I created a dessert spread that looked totally custom, expensive and delicious.
1. Chocolate Bats
These are adorable chocolate bats with a gooey red caramel center. When guests bit into them, the “blood” oozed out dramatically, and the reaction was priceless. They looked like something straight off Pinterest, but really, they were just melted chocolate, a simple mold, and that bloody caramel magic.
2. Bloody Glazed Donuts
If you need a five-minute Halloween upgrade, this is it. I took plain glazed donuts from the supermarket and drizzled red caramel across the tops in messy, dripping lines. The result? Instant horror-movie vibes with zero baking required. They looked like a bakery-level Halloween treat but cost under ten dollars for the dozen. Who doesnt love a donut am I right!
3. Bloody Caramel Popcorn
Just like the Donuts I made blood splattered popcorn. Simply get the red caramel and drip it over until you have the desired affect!
4. Blood-Filled Syringe Cupcakes
These were hands-down the most interactive treat of the night. Guests got to “inject” their own cupcakes with raspberry jam using little plastic syringes, which made for hilarious photos and a ton of laughter. They looked elaborate but were actually just store-bought cupcakes with a fun twist that made everyone think I made them myself.
4 Quick & Easy DIY Halloween Party on a Budget Decorations
The food might have been the star, but the DIY decorations truly transformed my home. Every craft took under 30 minutes and cost less than $10, yet together they made the party super spooky
1. Mummy Party Favor Bags
These doubled as both decorations and favors. These mummy treat bags are imple kraft paper bags, masking tape and googly eyes with a bit of a fake blood splatter. If you are intered in making this, here is a full tutorial here.
2. Ghost Lollipops
These ghost lollipops couldn’t have been easier, I made twenty in under half an hour while watching TV the night before. I put these little guys in the mummy party bags and on the desert table.
3. Spider Nest Wreath
For my wall art, I made a wreath. Here is a simple tutorial but in short I got a wreath added a few dried flowers and used fake web and fake spiders to make it spooky.
4. Floating Cheesecloth Ghosts
I just had to use the Viral cheesecloth ghosts(Full tutorial) for the Halloween party. I put three across my table with a led light under them. Thy made a beautiful centerpiece and everyone really appreciated them
Small Touches for Your DIY Halloween Party on a Budget
To fill in the space and add depth, I cut out a swarm of paper bats from black cardstock and arranged them flying out from the wreath. I also swapped my regular table runner for stretched spider web material and added a few LED tea lights to give everything a soft, flickering glow. Finally, I hid tiny plastic spiders everywhere — in the popcorn bowl, on the walls, in between the ghost lollipops. Those small surprises made everyone firstly jump and then laugh. Everyone got caught out in the Popcorn bowl for sure!
Complete Party Breakdown
This came up to around $85 ish dollars. If you’re strict about the $75 goal, it’s easy to stay under by skipping one or two projects (like the syringe cupcakes or extra lighting). Everything else can easily be done on a shoestring budget and to be honest there are definitely cheaper alternatives than the ones i went with. For example even if I cooked the popcorn myself it would have been cheaper than the packet bought stuff which I used.
Final Thoughts: My Halloween Party Favorites
If you only try a few things from this list, make it the bloody caramel donuts and chocolate bat bonbons both are quick, guaranteed to impress plus they all look expensive but aren’t. For decorations, the mummy favor bags and spider nest wreath gave the most visual impact with the least effort.
The key to hosting a great Halloween party on a budget isn’t spending more — it’s using a few clever ideas that look like you did. A single creative theme ties everything together beautifully, and a handful of handmade crafts add that personal touch that guests always remember.
If you love Halloween Crafts and want some more, check these out
