Photo by NCReedplayer

Halloween might be over, but it is not forgotten at the Frugal Upstate household. Despite the fact that we get over 200 trick or treaters a year, we still somehow wound up with leftover candy and the perennial question: “What do we do with leftover Halloween Candy?!”

I asked my friends on Twitter and we came up with 12 great ideas for using up leftover Halloween candy:

1. Save it for your holiday gingerbread houses (via VisitFingerLake)

2. Freeze it for later.

3. Add a cup at a time to rice crispy squares (via Jeremy Wright). If it’s chocolate or easily meltable let the mix cool a bit first

4. Chop and roll candy apples into crushed candy.

5.  Chop and use as icecream topping or as a decorative/tasty topping for an iced cake.

6.  Toss into homemade trail mix.

7. Chop and mix into brownies. Peppermint Patties or any chocolates/candy bars are especially good.

8. Make Molten Candy Cookies. Just take chocolate chip cookie or sugar cookie dough and wrap a ball around a mini chocolate bar.

9.  Make Leftover Candy Cake.

10. Make Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies (via Feels Like Home)

11. Donate the extra candy to a rehab center (via MommyBlogExpert) a nursing home (via backhomeagain) or a shelter (via luciagia)

12. Sell it to your dentist (via KingdomFirstMom and jodirotondo). Really! There is a program called “Halloween Candy Buy Back” that many dentists participate in.

So what do you do with your leftover candy. . . besides eat it!

What comes to mind when I say “Hershey”.

For me the first thing to pop in my head has always been the classic brown chocolate bar with it’s bold white writing. Visions of girlscout camp S’mores and Halloween’s past follow quickly behind that. . .

Since the late 90′s Hershey has also made me think of my brother Ted, who attended medical school in the town of Hershey. As a matter of fact, whenever we take a road trip south and drive past the signs for Hershey on I81 I have to call him on the cell phone, just to tell him we are passing it!

But a few weeks ago I went on a trip that changed the meaning of the word “Hershey” for me forever! That name is now inextricably tied in my mind to the Milton Hershey School.

The what?

I know, until I was invited to come and tour the Milton Hershey School, I didn’t even know it existed! So how did I get invited? Why did I go? What did I learn?

Loyal readers may remember that when I traveled to the South by Southwest conference in March, Hershey sponsored that trip. I was able to connect with them through the Walmart Elevenmoms program. They were a great sponsor to work with. Not only was their representative Tiffany organized, professional and just plain nice, but they have a product that I truly love (mmmm-chocolate). It was an honor to be one of the folks helping them jump into the social media jungle!

Social media in general is all about building relationships. Relationships between the consumers and brands and relationships with the people behind the brands. I really enjoyed getting to know Tiffany from Hershey through that sponsorship opportunity, and the relationship we forged led to her contacting me when they were coordinating a media visit to the Milton Hershey School.

Why did I go?

Well, I live only 3 hours north of Hershey PA, so the trip was an easy drive for me. There was the lure staying at the gorgeous and historic Hotel Hershey and of a visit to the Hershey Spa* on the second day. I would also get the chance to meet and hang out with fellow blogger Renee Ross of Cutie Booty Cakes. I mean really, how many of you would have refused all that?

What really decided me though was the research I did about the school online. Not only did the school seem like a fascinating place to visit, but the more I learned, the more I felt that the information I learned might somehow lead to one of you being able to help a child that you know.

(You can see a slide presentation/story of my entire trip at the Whrrl Website. Just click on “see the story”)

So what exactly is the Hershey school? And why does it exist?

Believe it or not, I have waited to write this post because I was really trying to wrap my head around the best way to describe it. Have you ever seen something that was so fantastic, so wonderful, so interesting and meaningful that you doubted you’d really be able to convey the full experience to someone who hadn’t been there?

My trip to the Milton Hershey school was sort of like that.

Stripped down to bare bones-it’s a school. A boarding school if you will, for needy kids from pre-K through Highschool. We aren’t talking a juvie hall or anything here-kids have to have stayed out of trouble and maintained average grades. This school if for kids in need-both financial and social.

From the website:

In keeping with Milton and Catherine Hershey’s Deed of Trust , Milton Hershey School nurtures and educates children in social and financial need to lead fulfilling and productive lives. . . Milton Hershey School is a cost-free, private, coeducational home and school for children from families of low income, limited resources, and social need. The School is funded by a trust established by Milton S. Hershey and his wife Catherine. Milton Hershey School offers a positive, structured home life year-round and an excellent pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education. Our vision focuses on building character and providing children with the skills necessary to be successful in all aspects of life.

The average household income for the children who are accepted into the school is $17,000 for a family of 4. Many of them come from broken homes, or from places where they have no support network. Once accepted the students go to live at the school and everything is taken care of. School. Travel expenses. Medical. Dental. clothes. housing. food. Everything-100% free to the students.

What did I learn from visiting? That it is so much more than that.

There is the school, sure. We toured the Highschool facility and were told about the Jr High and the Primary schools. Top notch facilities, a waiting list of teacher applicants, fantastic programs. Honestly-they have audio video and sports facilities far superior to those in my local school system! There are great vocational type programs, like the culinary arts program that was conceived and implemented by the 5 star chef from the world class Hershey Hotel itself.

That could have been all it was, a place to live and go to school, to give kids a superior education then where they were, and a chance at a better life. But it’s more, and I don’t know exactly how to explain it to you.

The thing that impressed me the most is that everyone we met seem to care, really care, about the kids. About giving them a better chance, and a better start in life than they might have had otherwise. That caring isn’t dependent on being lucky enough to have a few good individuals who go above and beyond-it’s actually built into the system.

Let me try to explain. When I heard about the school, and that the kids lived there, I assumed that they were in a dormitory type situation.

I was wrong.

The Milton Hershey School operates on a “Family home” style of boarding. These are houses, which look like your basic suburban tract houses, that have a set of house parents** and up to 10 children of the same gender in the same grade range.

The house parents must be married. They cannot have more than 2 children of their own. Their full time job is to provide love, guidance and support to the children under their care. They check homework. They make sure everyone gets to sports practice. They monitor the mandatory chores and ensure that everyone gets new clothes when they grow, medical and dental when they need it, and a safe, steady, loving environment.

The kids stay in the same home, with the same houseparents, until they “graduate” to the next school (ie from primary school to middle school) and a new home.

2 adults and an entire house for 10 kids not the most cost effective way to manage the some 1800 students that attend the school. But the system isn’t created for cost effectiveness but for the best interests of the kids.

There are so many more examples like that-I could write a book all about it, but I’ll spare you the excessive details.

I do want to mention that the school is completely funded by the Hershey Trust. They do not ask for any money from parents and they don’t do any fund raising. The Hershey Trust (a non profit) actually owns 72% stock in the publicly traded Hershey Company. So when you buy a Hershey product, you are directly contributing to the funding of the school.

Now, due to the way that the original Deed of Trust was written by Milton Hershey the school is not allowed to advertise. You read that right, they aren’t allowed to advertise themselves! They currently have about 1800 students, but are undergoing a major expansion and are accepting new applications.

If you know of someone who might benefit from attending the Milton Hershey School, or someone who works with kids who might benefit, then please tell them about it! Guidance counselors, clergy, folks who work in social services. Even a family friend who might be in a very tough spot. The more folks who know about the school, the more kids who can get helped.

The admissions section of the website has extensive information on the critera, selection etc-you can refer folks there. There is also a section of the website for professionals who may wish to refer children to the school. The Milton Hershey School also holds events for social service and educational professionals to learn about the School and the application and enrollment process.

I just want to end by saying a big “Thank You” again to the entire Hershey’s team. The trip was truly an enjoyable and educational experience!

*Note: I’ll be writing more about the spa experience-and frugal alternatives-soon.
**Note: The school is not trying to supersede the biological parents. Parents and children are encouraged to maintain close contact-the school even covers all travel arrangements for kids to visit home for breaks etc. However if students to not have a safe enviroment to return to they are also welcome to stay at the school.

Photo by Koyochi and The Prodigal Untitled

As you all know, I already wrote about my ideas for Easter on a Budget, and it was also the topic of this weeks episode of Frugal Coast2Coast.

But I’m not the only one out there on the net with great cost effective ideas for the holidays! Today I thought I’d share with you some others I’ve found:

From my own Frugal Upstate archives: Homemade Easter Egg Dye.

Friend, fellow Walmart Elevenmom and just plain old really cute pregnant woman Alyssa at Kingdom First Mom did a “Frugal Easter Egg-stravaganza” that has over 20 fun frugal Easter links to browse.

Want to be more “Earth Month” about your Easter? Parenting Your Child has some great Green Easter Ideas

Savings Dollars & Sense has the recipe and story for Resurrection Rolls-a great way to teach the religious story behind Easter and make a tasty snack at the same time!

Do you always wind up with tons of leftover candy at Easter? Irish Attic has a couple of ideas of how to store it and what to use it for.

The folks over at Birthday in a Box have a page dedicated to throwing an Easter party-there are some cute ideas on there.

There are some great worksheets and coloring pages at Printables4Kids, including this 4 in 1 sheet that has coloring, tic tac toe, word search etc. Maybe you’d like to print this one out and leave it at each child’s place for dinner?

Thrifty Living Mom has a Jelly Bean Prayer, Resurrection Eggs and recipes for Resurrection Cookies and more!

Photo by ButterflySha

With the economy and life being what it is, many folks are feeling a bit strapped for cash on Valentines day this year.

And let’s face it, Valentines day is sort of a second tier holiday. Yes, it is important, and I personally love it, but it isn’t up there with Birthdays and Christmas for most of us. If cash is tight and a holiday is going to get stiffed, Valentines Day is a good candidate for getting the shaft!

If you do the full fledged “typical” romantic dinner out with chocolates and a card, a guy and gal could very quickly run themselves up over $100. More if you add a babysitter in! (not to the dinner, to watch the kiddos while you go out to dinner)

So what to do?

I gave a bunch of great ideas last week on Frugal & Fun Valentines Printables & Crafts, and of course that is all good. But what about the night itself?

Why not make the evening special right there at home? You could cook a special dinner, perhaps waiting to eat it until after the kiddos are in bed if you have children.

Even if the kitchen is a mess, you can clear off the table and set it with something nice, turn down the lights and eat by candlelight–all the mess will be in the shadows and you can enjoy the very flattering & romantic glow of candlelight. Ditto holds true for the bedroom. Shuffle the mess out of sight, make up and turn down the bed, and throw a few candles around (figuratively, not literally)*. Just try to make the everyday a bit more romantic.

After dinner, move into the living room and enjoy a romantic movie together. This only has to cost you a few dollars at your local video rental place, or if you are lucky-FREE from you local library! Some movies are available on Hulu.com, so check there as well.

I asked my friends on Twitter yesterday to give me some of the best romantic movie suggestions. . . Maybe there is an old favorite you’ve forgotten, or a new one for you to try!

When Harry Met Sally
Casablanca
Sabrina
Green Card
Somewhere in Time
The Notebook
Laws of Attraction
Kate & Leopold
City of Angels
Say Anything
Wicker Park
Seredipity
Pretty Woman
Shakespeare in Love
Notting Hill
My Best Friend’s Wedding
How to lose a guy on 10 days
You’ve got mail
In the Mood for Love
Benny & June
Frankie & Johnny
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
Ghost
Walk in the clouds
An affair to remember
Never been kissed
Room with a View
Shadowlands
Thornbirds (mini series)

For more great ideas on celebrating Valentines Day, listen to the latest episode of the Frugal Coast2Coast Radio show: Keep Love in the Air & Money in Your Pocket.

*Note: Always, always be extra careful with candles in the bedroom. Make sure they are all extinguished before falling asleep. Also they should either be in a candleholder or placed on something non flammable or meltable for safety, like a ceramic plate etc.

Money Heart Photo by Thomas Hawke
Casablanca Photo by Late Night Movie

Most of us tend to be. . . well. . . shall we say. . . . a little exuberant when it comes to cooking our Thanksgiving dinner. We want to make sure no one goes hungry, so there is plenty to eat the day of, and the next day, and the next.

So what to do?

There are the obvious ways to use them up-Hot Turkey Sandwiches and a really kick butt pot of Homemade Turkey Soup. As they say on the Ginsu Knife commercial “But Wait!!! There’s More!!!”

There are so many other ways to prepare the leftovers! Before I had kids (and therefor had more time) I used to use leftover turkey to make egg rolls for the day after. That’s a really nontraditional use. Once the kids came along it was a little too time intensive-plus hot oil & kiddos aren’t the best mix.

So what are your favorite ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers? Please share!

Participating in the series is easy! It’s just three simple steps

1-Post your family tradition. It’s fine to dig through your archives and find a good one you posted last year, although personally I would just repost it as a “Best of” . Make sure you let folks know that you are entering it in the Frugal Thanksgiving Mini Series.

2-Enter the link in the Mr. Linky below. Please put a clue in parenthesis next to your name like this :

3-Grab the badge code from my right sidebar and share the love! The more folks who participate, the better resource this series becomes for all of us.

And you know what? If you don’t have a blog, that’s ok too! Just send it to me via my comments form, and I’ll give you your very own post here at Frugal Upstate and even do the linking too.

Today is the final participatory day of the Frugal Thanksgiving Mini Series. Tomorrow I will do a roundup with links to all the series posts as well as my personal favorite link from each.

Again-the Mr. Linkys will stay open all week, so if you think of a fabulous side dish on Thursday, don’t worry! Go right on back and link it. The point of the series is to make a resource that readers can come back to at any point to find the recipes they need to have a fabulous, frugal Thanksgiving.

One of the things I really enjoy doing as a family is participating in traditions. Traditions can be very frugal-they are usually about the experience and being together, not about spending money. They don’t have to be elaborate-many of the best traditions start and are easy to do.

Here’s an example. I have a friend whose fun family Thanksgiving tradition is that they always play board games together, as a whole family, after Thanksgiving dinner. I have another friend who has made it a tradition that the women do all the cooking, but then the husbands and brothers all chip in and do the cleaning up while the moms relax.

See? Neither of those cost anything! But they are shared experiences that bond the family together and give them fond memories.

Growing up we lived far, far away from family. Because of weather and the logistics of traveling with 5 small children, we didn’t start visiting the extended family for Thanksgiving until I was in Jr. High-before that it was just the 7 of us.

Our family tradition at home was that as soon as it started, the TV went on to the Macy’s day parade. When it was time for dinner, my mom set the table with all our best China, crystal and silver, and we all got dressed up for dinner-even though it was just us!

So share your family traditions today. It doesn’t have to be anything that you think anyone else will want or need to replicate, just share with us the unique ways that your family celebrates Thanksgiving.

Participating in the series is easy! It’s just three simple steps

1-Post your family tradition. It’s fine to dig through your archives and find a good one you posted last year, although personally I would just repost it as a “Best of” . Make sure you let folks know that you are entering it in the Frugal Thanksgiving Mini Series.

2-Enter the link in the Mr. Linky below. Please put a clue in parenthesis next to your name like this :

3-Grab the badge code from my right sidebar and share the love! The more folks who participate, the better resource this series becomes for all of us.

And you know what? If you don’t have a blog, that’s ok too! Just send it to me via my comments form, and I’ll give you your very own post here at Frugal Upstate and even do the linking too.

Make sure you tune in all week for the rest of the series. Tomorrow, Friday is Best Frugal Ideas/Recipes for Turkey Leftovers. Saturday will be a roundup with links to all the previous days and my personal favorite link from each.

Again-the Mr. Linkys will stay open all week, so if you think of a fabulous side dish on Thursday, don’t worry! Go right on back and link it. The point of the series is to make a resource that readers can come back to at any point to find the recipes they need to have a fabulous, frugal Thanksgiving.

Today we are concentrating on “Side Dishes”.

Yes, the turkey is the main event-Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same with a big old pot roast sitting in the center of the table instead! But there are only so many ways to cook a whole roast turkey. You can roast it, deep fry it, or grill it. That’s pretty much it. Not a lot of “scope for the imagination” there (to quote Anne of Green Gables).

Side dishes however, well, they can steal the show! Fluffy steaming mashed potatoes, mouth watering stuffing, smooth shiny gravy, ruby jeweled cranberry. . . .those are the things that transform what could be a plain old “meal” into a FEAST!

Every family has different traditions when it comes to side dishes. Some go with the classics-nothing wrong with that-there is a reason something becomes a classic. Then there are those who like to give an old classic a new and unique twist. Still others have items that are tradition in their family or their heritage, but are not seen on the average table.

For example, my Italian Uncle Al wouldn’t dream of cutting the turkey without a big bowl of pasta steaming gently somewhere on the table. My mother annually made mashed rutabaga and those tiny little creamed onions-both dishes that several of my friends look at me strangely for associating with Thanksgiving. My mother in law feels the table is naked without scalloped oysters-a dish I had never even heard of before marrying into the family.

So come on, share with us!

Be it classic or gourmet, simple or special-your recipe could be the one that provides a special inspiration for someone else looking to pep up their table with a new twist this holiday season.

Participating in the series is easy! It’s just three simple steps

1-Post your favorite side dish recipe. It’s fine to dig through your archives and find a good one you posted last year, although personally I would just repost it as a “Best of” . Make sure you let folks know that you are entering it in the Frugal Thanksgiving Mini Series.

2-Enter the link in the Mr. Linky below. Please put a clue in parenthesis next to your name like this :

3-Grab the badge code from my right sidebar and share the love! The more folks who participate, the better resource this series becomes for all of us.

And you know what? If you don’t have a blog, that’s ok too! Just send it to me via my comments form, and I’ll give you your very own post here at Frugal Upstate and do the linking too.

Make sure you tune in all week for the rest of the series. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes, Wednesday is Frugal & Fun Decorating and Crafts, Thursday is Frugal and Fun Thanksgiving Traditions, and Friday is Best Frugal Ideas/Recipes for Turkey Leftovers. Saturday will be a roundup with links to all the previous days and my favorite link from each.

Thanksgiving is almost upon us-and I’m looking for help from all of you to make it a better, more memorable holiday this year!

I’ve designating the Week of November 17-21st as the Frugal Thanksgiving Mini Series! Grab the badge and stick it on your sidebar, in a post, or wherever appropriate. Then just write a post (or dig through your archives) and swing on by and link to it on the appropriate day.

If you do not have a blog but want to participate, please send your idea to me via my contact form, and I’ll publish it & link it for you. Just because you aren’t a blogger doesn’t mean you can’t contribute!

This post will continue to be updated throughout the week with the links to each day’s post.

The topics are:

Monday: Best Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Yes, we all know about green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and stuffing-but does your family have a recipe that’s a special twist on those old favorites? Or something unusual and unique that’s all your own? Share with the rest of us-we might just be able to add your frugal family favorite to our own table this year.

Tuesday: Best Thanksgiving Desert Recipes

Mmm, Pie! There are as many variations on pie recipes as there are stars in the sky. Share your favorite. But wait-it’s not just limited to pie. Is there a special family desert that means Thanksgiving to you? Let us all know!

Wednesday: Frugal and Fun Thanksgiving Decorations & Crafts

Do you have a trick to setting a fabulous Thanksgiving table on a budget? a way to spiff up the house for guests and make it more festive? A cherished craft that the kiddos can do while waiting for the big meal? Here’s your day to shine.

Thursday: Frugal and Fun Thanksgiving Traditions

I just love traditions. They give a special rhythm and continuity to a families celebrations. Some are formal, but sometimes the most meaningful ones are the quirky little ones you develop by chance over the years.

Maybe you have each person at the table say something they are thankful for. Or you always play a game of pickup touch football, or even just have the Macy’s parade on all morning as you cook. Let us know so we can all enjoy the diversity of ideas, and maybe find something new and fun to do with our own families.

Fri: Best Frugal Ideas/Recipes for Turkey Leftovers.

No matter how many folks you have sitting around the table on Thanksgiving day, there are always leftovers! Help us out with your favorite recipes to use up Turkey (and side dish) leftovers.

One of my favorites of course is to make a kicking turkey soup. But I also have made some awesome turkey eggrolls, potato/turkey fritters and many, many casseroles. . .

Sat: Final Thanksgiving Roundup

On this last post I’ll have links to all the previous days-for convenience, as well as the highlights of my favorite posts from each day!

I look forward so much to seeing all the wonderful ideas you guys have!

I know I talked to you all months ago about holiday planning-but now it’s time to really start thinking about it in earnest! I’m happy to semi-officially kick off this Holiday triumvirate (ie Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years) with a guest post by Steph of Problem Solvin Mom on Holiday entertaining. Make sure y’all give her some nice comment love here, and stop by her blog to say hello!

Entertaining during the holidays CAN be both stressful and expensive…but it doesn’t have to be. Planning ahead can save a lot of money and headaches during this busy time of year.

Especially during the holidays, the focus of most events is on family/friends (your guests) and the food. For that reason, I spend the majority of my planning focused on those two items. I keep my party plan in a notebook, which helps highlight what I need to be working on and helps me stay on track. My plan usually includes a guest list, menu, grocery list, cooking schedule, best case cleaning schedule, any decorations I want to purchase or make, and miscellaneous notes.

Traditional turkey dinners often served at Thanksgiving and Christmas can be very affordable. In addition to cost, it’s often helpful to pick dishes that can be fully prepared ahead of time and frozen, partially prepped ahead, or cooked in the slow cooker. When I know I’m going to be hosting a holiday gathering, I pull out my regular menu planning resources and favorite holiday recipes. I choose my menu based on the previous qualifications and make a list of ingredients. A copy of this list goes in my coupon folder and I keep an eye out for anything I can buy ahead of time, as I find items on sale. From my menu, I start writing down strategy ideas in my notebook – what I can prep ahead, what can be made and frozen, etc.

Frozen turkeys are the most affordable, often going on sale anywhere from $0.99 – $0.69 per pound. I often buy more than one when the go on sale, because we have an extra freezer. If you don’t have much extra freezer space, consider buying two smaller turkeys – they may fit your available space better. If you’re having a smaller crowd, a frozen turkey breast may be a good option. The general rule of thumb is 1 – 1½ pounds per person when deciding on the size of your turkey. We like lots of leftovers at our house, so I always estimate on the high side.

In addition to being delicious, your food can set the stage as part of the decorating for your gathering. Attractive presentation in the serving area and a nicely dressed table is often all that’s needed when decorating for a holiday party. Consider height when presenting your food – a variety of sizes and heights of serving dishes can add interest to your table. For a Thanksgiving party, mums from your flower garden or colorful leaves can serve as decorations, as well as gourds. At Christmas, a few well placed ornaments or some garland is nice.

Try to choose neutral colors when selecting tablecloths, napkins, placemats, etc, so as to stretch your budget. We have limited closet space in our home, so this trick saves us money and storage space. A few seasonal napkins laid in overlapping diamonds across the center of your table is a nice touch if you’re looking for something different for each season or holiday.

I have a weakness for napkin holders, so I figured out a way to make my own. If you’re interested in this fun frugal craft, I wrote a tutorial!

If you’re having many children at your gathering, you might consider having a special kids table. We use a card table and folding chairs, with a plastic tablecloth and printable coloring pages as placemats. A holiday video or craft may also help keep your younger guests interested.

If you like the idea of place cards, you can make your own quite affordably. Scrap booking supplies or card stock make good options for place cards and can be decorated with a nice pen, some stamps, stickers or ribbon. For thanksgiving, I like the idea of writing something on the back side of each person’s place card, letting them know why you are thankful you know them. For Christmas you might include a favorite holiday memory or recipe. In my experience, children especially like place cards!

I hope these few suggestions inspire you to do some holiday entertaining this year, without the stress or the high price tag. I’d love to hear your ideas for fun, frugal holiday entertaining!

Steph is a vehicle safety engineer, working to advance her career while focusing on her family. Part tomboy, part girly girl, she works with men all day and likes to escape into the kitchen or the craft room with her family at night. She blogs about family, frugality, cooking and craftiness at Problem Solvin Mom and dreams of staying home at least part time in the near future. You can also find her blogging about food at Sprout for Parents.

Photos by Rachel of Coconut&Lime and Bbum

The Halloween hand is just an adorable craft/snack project. The ingredients are simple and very cheap/frugal. Candy corn, popcorn, plastic gloves and bag ties! Watch this fun vlog to see exactly how to make your own.

A few notes:

You want clear plastic gloves for this project. Opaque or powdered surgical gloves would be a bad idea! The ones I used were so cheap and thin they were almost like cellophane-and in this particular project that works out perfectly!

You don’t have to use bagties. A piece of string or a rubberband would work just as well. I know you can get (again at the dollar store) a huge package of those little tiny rubberbands that get used for cornrow braids etc. Those would be the perfect size (and price point!) for this project.

For all that is holy, don’t use bagged microwave popcorn for this project. That would quickly turn it from a frugal Halloween treat to a very expensive one. Air pop some popcorn, or even buy one of those huge bags of popcorn they sell cheap in the potato chip aisle.

Enjoy!